Wednesday
December 20 2000
Censorship, just like in Iran
Dear Nariman,
Your
point of view of there being absolute censorship by iranian.com is
validated and true. Many times I have written very nice responses to attacks
against my points of view, only for them never to be put in the letters
section.
Furthermore, because my initial view was supposedly controversial ["Real
Iranian girls?"], when I decided to write a poem (see
below), for instance it was never published by iranian.com. Yet I decided
to write another poem, and had a friend submit it under her name, and guess
what? The next week it was published by iranian.com.
I am usually one who accepts all different opinions and as a law student
am most definitely used to two, three, or four sides of an issue. It really
disturbs me that there are indeed people who call themselves "progressive
liberals" yet who reject freedom of ideas and expressions WHEN THOSE
IDEAS CONTRADICT THEIR VIEW POINTS. I know now that there is nothing redeeming
in iranian.com, and I am saddened by this fact, because just like the censorship
laws during the pre and post-revolutionary Iran, this gentelman has brought
this archaic notion to something like this.
I am quite certain that he is very concious of this effort and while
I will read iranian.com, I will always look for something else with a more
open minded position. It is very hyper-hypocritical for one to assume that
"saving face" to pursuade one's perceived outlook on life can
happen, and then to remain silent and not apologising for this indiscretion
to the readers is why people who are intelligent often make radical changes.
In the end the entire issue of Maryam & Daryl ["Drawing
the line"] is irrelevant when the very adversarial nature of the
debate is stiffled. It is self defeating.
I am sure this will not be put up in the letters section and for now
on I will have to send to friends my work to get a point of view.
Cyrus Raafat
To top
Poetry or philosophy?
....
people often get out of life what they put into it,
if they seek something and put the effort into getting
it then usually they can reach it....
....
sometimes those who have a hard time give up,
and others persevere,
even others change directions....
....
circumstances and external factors alter the way life
can deliver outcomes,
but so are the actions the person makes to defy or
defeat those difficulties....
....
examples abound when one looks for guidance
let it be known Rome was not built in a day,
nor destroyed in a day....either way it took
sacrifice, planning, courage, audacity, and yes,
even defiance....
....
no man is an island unto himself, and yet there is
something we can not explain, and that is love?
....
so what is love?
....
philosophers and poets have had a terrible time since
man could utter one profound word on this question....
....
none could answer, except question quizzically....
is it that Empire, Rome? Or is it something more like
the Romans used to say it was...
....
of the heart?
....
either way it can not be built in a day and it takes
all the same to be had.
Cyrus Raafat, 1 November 2000. Dedicated to T.B-A. of Tehran, Iran
who inspired this declamation.
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