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| August 22, 2002 PART I See Part 2 See Part III This month's letters by subject * Uplifting and entertaining Thank you for some uplifting and entertaining comments [Heechee kam nadaaran]. As a post-revolution American-born Iranian Bahai who has never seen Iran (because I'd like to keep my life), I have always had enough non-Bahai Iranian friends to have a sense that the Iranian people are a lot more decent than their government would suggest. It's nice to see that decency in writing, and with good rhetoric and a good sense of humor. Shadi Kourosh Bahai Association University of Virginia To top * Khaaleh zanak dot com  Tannaz Ebadollahi To top * Obscene train wreck And they say the Anna Nicole Show is an obscene train wreck!! It certainly pales in comparison to what Venus/Klopatra/Klopacheh has brought to the entertainment industry in terms of exploitation of retards !! uhhh... you were joking right? Please be joking... please? Babak Khiavchi To top * A pleasure It was a pleasure to browse on your web site... I found it very objective and refreshing. Sincerely, Hayedeh Daftari To top * Why? Because of Baha'u'llah My ancestors in the recent past were European Christians and more recently Americans. That is not important to me. I lay that aside and say, "I love Iran!" I was raised Christian but now I love Muhammad. I was raised Christian but I now love Islam. I was raised in the United States of America but I love Iran. Why? Because of Baha'u'llah. Baha'u'llah is the reason I love Iran. [Heechee kam nadaaran] Dave Bee To top * Baha-ollah was as narrow-minded as Mesbah Yazdi Dear Sir: I didn't take your article too seriously, for you didn't take it seriously yourself, and it was not inspired by anything but propaganda [Heechee kam nadaaran]. However, I am alluding to a few historical facts, hoping that it will help you to decide who to blame. Bab was a progressive and bright-minded man. Baha-ollah was as narrow-minded as Mesbah Yazdi. Bab had a mission: to free man--and woman--from injustice, inequality and ignorance. Baha-ollah was the propagator of ignorance, blind faith and fanaticism, and a product of British freemasonry. That is why Bahais took all Said Nafisi's "Nimeh reh-e Behesht" from each and every library in the world. Ghorrat-ol-eyn was a Babi, not Bahai. When she removed her veil, several Bahai men (who claimed she was one of them) cut their throats. Now, Bahais are claiming to advocate the freedom of women. Yes, your math is incorrect. Up to 1953 coup, they didn't have the least voice in society. They were the most destitute, poorer than the poorest Muslims. And they were all Tudeiis, for Tudeh party sympathized with them and promised a brighter future if they succeeded in coming to power. Then the coup happened, and the first thing Israel did, besides establishing SAVAK, was to force shah--despite his fear of mollas--to engage Bahais in social and political life of Iran. Rowhaani became the minister of agriculture (some say even Hoveyda had converted into Bahaism.) Then, the Bahai leaders moved their center of faith to Heifa in Israel, and became the Zionists' helping hand up to this date. However, common followers had no role in the treacherous acts of Bahai leaders, the same way, a common Muslim has no role in atrocities and crimes committed by theocrats. As for their jazzy slogans, Bahais are one the most fanatic groups in the world. My own friend married to a Muslim. Bahais put such a pressure on her and her family (the father had passed away; they needed financial help), that she got a divorce with tears in her eyes. At one point, one of them was trying to make me to convert to Bahaism (her name was Rezvan). I asked her to tell me what it was, so I could decide. She said, first I had to convert, and then they would tell me (Read Nimeh raah-e Behesht, if you can find one.) And don't be carried away by a homeless black American's conversion to Bahaism. Many have done it in Iran out of need. But they won't remain faithful. I can give you the names. And why I don't care for common Bahais (although I detest seeing them persecuted)? Because they are as fanatic and as sheepish as our own hizbollahis. They don't have the power and brain to question hocus-pocus--as you put it. But many Muslims do. Respectfully, Roodabeh To top * Had to call A history professor in San Francisco calling on the phone in response to "Venus": "I just got out of class and had to call... this is HORRRRRRRIBLE!" To top * Rolling on the ground Tell me this Venus woman is just a joke! I've been rolling on the ground listening to these songs... Oh my God. What a hoot! Ben :) To top * Thanx a lot for acting normal I have just doscovered your magazine and I enjoy it immensely. I couldnt believe a real free and fair Iranian tribune exists. Tired of worthless Iranian mass media I searched on the net for something better. Thanx a lot for acting normal. Because nowadays any Iranian who gets a mike starts howling and raving and mudslinging and trying to prove that he or she is very very very MOBAREZ. Even if they were trashy singers and semi-porno movie stars before the revolution. God! who do we think we are? we have fled that country and left those people alone and there are freedom fighters and young students in jails and here we are fighting each other and determining who is JASOOS and who is not. we have no right to dictate these things to the suppressed people in Iran. The young students in Iran are struggling because they want to have a regime that does not tell them "shut up and go fuck yourself" but over here we just decide to call this and that a spy or a mozdoor and so on and tell them exactly to shut up and go and fuck themselves. We have a rich and handsome prince who is coming on a white horse to save us and brings us a basket of demoracy. I hope you will go on this way and just be a tribune and i like the fact that you seldom have any comment on subjects or letters. I especially love your nostalgia section and GOOGOOSH old pics. god bless you . By the way, nothing is really sacred, you know! Jalal Salalri To top * So juicy for my thirsty I consider my self unlucky that I know very little of Persian . The translation of Rumi is so juicy for my thirsty soul I wonder what taste would it be carrying in the rhythm of sweet persian language where each and every word is like a note from a sweet birds throat. One really needs a heart and brain to understand him and when he does that he is on fire wrapped by thousands tongues of flame. Then day or night every time he sees Rumi with the eyes of his mind and hear him with the ears of his soul. Thanks for this web site God will pay the reward. Lt Col Zahid Pakistan To top * Price & page numbers Dustan-e-besiar aziz; Pish-nahàd mikonam, motàbegh-e-ma'mul, dar mo'arrefi-ye-ketàb-hà, te'dàd-e-safahàt va gheimat-e-àn-hà ham zekr shavand. Shahrokh Arjmand To top * AzAdi bayAn khoob hast, ammA... Regardingn Pourzand cartoon: agar gAlileh migooyad keh badbakht tar An melati hast keh beh ghahremAn niAz dArad, man migooyam badbakht tar az An melati hast keh shAyestegi dAshtane ghahremAn rA nadAshteh bAshad. Ari AzAdi bayAn khoob hast, ammA AyA melati rA mishenAsid keh dar owje mobArezeh, ghahremAnAne khod rA maskhareh konad? AyA dar AmrikA pas az 11 September, kasi Amad keh AtashbAnAne ghahremAne new york keh jAne khod rA fadAye mardom kardand rA maskhareh konad? AyA kasi dar donyA miAyad keh khalabAnAne ghahremAne roosi keh jAn khod rA fadA kardand tA chernobyl khAmoosh shavad va donyA nejAt yAbad rA maskhareh konad?? az cheh roost keh mA tanhA melati hastim keh doshmanAnemAn rA bozorg o moghadas mikonim va ghahremAnAne khod rA yA farAmoosh yA beh maskhareh migirim? bikheradi va ahmagh boodan va roospigari meli tA key??? goftA zeh keh nAlim, keh az mAst keh bar mAst Regards, Potkin Azarmehr www.marzeporgohar.org To top * Makes sense to me Thank you for your recent editorial on the persecution of Bahais in Iran [Heechee kam nadaaran]. I am a "Westerner" who subsribes to the teachings of Baha'u'llah because they make sense to me. The teachings are of love, unity and the elimination of all prejudice ñ be it racial, ethnic, religious, class ñ are what the world is crying out for today. I and my fellow religionists come from many different backgrounds and walks of life. We accept and embrace each other as brothers and sisters. The Bahais of Iranian background that I have the privilege to know are among the most devoted, loving, spiritual people that I have ever met. They practice in their daily lives the teachings of love, tolerance and peace. Thanks again for your editiorial! "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." Bahá'u'lláh Lorien French To top * Physicians in Maryland Dear, Jahanshah First I would like to thank you for the recipe for tuna. It is very simple and good. I make it for myself when my wife forgets to make me lunch. I have been living in Baltimore, MD for about 14 months now, I am a medical resident at an area hospital. Unfortuantly I do not know any other Iranians here and was thinking about placing a community bulletin, for the Iranian Resident Physicians, in the Maryland area there should be quiet a few of us. I did not know if I would be able to place such an ad in your community section. Behzad Nasehi-Oskouei To top * Iran in particular danger In reply to "Help them achieve peace": Israel is a danger to Iran, aside from the whole Palestinian issue. Sticking one's head in the sand and pretending otherwise won't make the danger go away. So don't be naive enough to think that if we're "nice" to them, they'll leave us alone. That's not how the world works. But first, you are also naive if you think that Israel genuinely wants peace with Palestinians. In fact Israel intentionally provokes violence with Palestinians because it is a good excuse and cover for continued Israeli expansionism. The most recent example of this is Sharon's bombing of the occupied territories when he KNEW that Hamas was about to declare a unilateral ceasefire - so the "settlement" building on expropriated Palestinian lands continues while at the same time Israel claims to be the victim. Israel doesn't want peace with Palestinian - Israel wants Palestinian lands. The only peace they want is the peace which comes from the complete subjugation of Palestine and their eventual "transfer" out of there. Back to Israel's threat to Iran: Israeli use their lobbyists and agents in Washington to ensure that the Mideast becomes militarily and economically subservient to Israel, and that Mideastern nation's do not have separate relations with the US which are not approved and controlled by Israel. This is the natural thing to do - any state seeks to control its region to ensure and expand its interests, and seeks to limit the influence and power of regional competitors. Iran in particular is in danger because Iran is the largest, most populous, most strategically-located and richest nation in the Mideast, and therefore the most likely to be a regional competitor to Israel's ambitions - so therefore Israel MUST dominate Iran. Compared to the dangers posed to Iran by Iraq, Pakistan, Azerbaijan etc., Israel's threat must be taken FAR more seriously because Israel of advanced weaponry (including their nuclear weapons pointed at Iran and bomber stationed in Turkey poised to attack Iran) and unique political influence in DC which they use to try to isolate Iran and harm US-Iran relations. And if you think that the Israelis are not driven by an ideology of racist expansionism, read this quote by Ben-Gurion on why Israel refuses to identify its own borders: "Before the founding of the state, on the eve of its creation, our main interests was self-defense. To a large extent, the creation of the state was an act of self-defense... Many think that we're still at the same stage. But now the issue at hand is conquest, not self-defense. As for setting the borders--- it's an open-ended matter. In the Bible as well as in our history, there all kinds of definitions of the country's borders, so there's no real limit. NO BORDER IS ABSOLUTE. If it's a desert--- it could just as well be the other side. If it's sea, it could also be across the sea. The world has always been this way. Only the terms have changed. If they should find a way of reaching other stars, well then, perhaps the whole earth will no longer suffice." (1949, The First Israelis, p. 6) John Mohammadi To top * Help them achieve peace Dear John, [See below: Iran's support for the Palestinians is entirely moral] I agree with every one of your words. However, I believe that the best way to help Palestinians is to help them achieve peace. This way we Iranians will not suffer unfair and vicious pro-Israeli lobbying in the US either. Best wishes and peace, Kamran Talattof To top * Iran's support for the Palestinians is entirely moral Dr. Talattof, [Finish the story] Iranians are not a victim of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict because Iran supports the Palestinians. We are a victim of the conflict because Israel seeks to dominate the Mideast, including Iran and Palestine, and Israeli lobbies promote Iran-bashing in the US. Iran's support for the Palestinians is entirely moral - as was Iran's support for the Blacks during the reign of Apartheid in S. Africa. Israel is no different than Apartheid era S. Africa, and is in fact much of a threat to Iran because Israel has nuclear weapons pointed at Iran and espouses an fundamentalist messianic ideology of expansionism as well as regional domination and racial superiority. Also, you of all people should know that the Iranian Revolution was not primarily caused to the Shah's support for Israel. It was his "rapid modernization" was much more of a cause (and how "modern" things really were when half the population was illiterate is open to many many questions.) Finally, if you would like to know why there is no mention of Palestinians, it is because Golda Meir, the former PM of Israel, stated that there are no such things as Palestinians. You see, to use the word Palestinian (instead of the generic "Arab") would be to acknowledge the existence of a Palestinian people and a Palestinian land - something Zionists prefer not to do. John Mohammadi To top * All suffering is human Thanks to Kamran Talattof for his commentary on the Palestinian-Israeli struggle [Finish the story]. He reminds readers how conflicts reverberate from their geographical and psychological origins to encompass all of us seemingly far away. Talatoff's distinction between the "inclusive Iranian-American" and the "forced" situation of having "to be an Iranian and an American" is poignant, as the "war against terrorism" pushes each of us to choose sides in the "us versus them." He underscores the artificiality of dividing the world as such, for all suffering during war -- whether Palestinian, Israeli, Iranian, Iraqi, Afghan, or American -- is human. Talatoff rightly contends that events -- including military hostilities -- are only inevitable with hindsight. With fortune and foresight, we will hopefully recall a time when peace seemed inevitable too. Haleh Vaziri To top * Important to remember Dear Mr. Kadivar, Thank you for posting the picture of Jamshid and Tahereh Siyavoshi. Most of us do not realize that all the Bahais killed in Iran were simple folk, neighbors, sometimes even our own relatives. It is important to remember their names and faces, lest we allow this to happen again. Just as there is now an effort afoot to document the lives of the Holocaust victims and survivors, there will soon, one day, be an effort to document the lives of the Bahais killed in Iran. Thank you for reminding us. Regards Ramin To top * Feeling of inferiority Dear Mr. Hoveyda, Thank you for your insightful article [Open your eyes]. I just chanced upon it. I too feel that this issue is at the core of the fall of Islam and the feeling of inferiority that has gripped many Muslims in the world. I hope your voice is heard by those who need to ponder the issue and consider the appropriate resolution. I am sure you have aheard of a book on the same subject called : "What Went Wrong" by Bernard Lewis. A very interesting read ... Regards R. M. To top * Moderation It's a long time that I am thinking why majority of our people cannot be just more moderate and less emotional. I guess at least half of the readers have satellite dish that shows several Persian channels or may be you have seen it in your relatives or friends houses, I was not really interested in having one, not because that I am anti Iranian or "Gharbzadeh" I love Iran, but because I really thought it will hook us to TV more. Any way my husband's friends encouraged him to get one and we finally installed it, in the beginning it was very amusing but when I watched more I noticed that in most of programs one or two performer sits and talk about political, cultural,... subjects (mostly political) and each one thinks he/she is absolutely right and other Persian channels are their enemies. During the program people call and majority of callers are categorized in two groups: the opposers that usually are very rude and try to put down the performer as much as they can, they even criticize the look of speaker or his/her childhood background, the second group, admirers usually give unreasonable complements like we love you to death or your program is the best, I don't exaggerate I have heard such a criticisms or compliments by my own ears. Why are we so emotional? We can criticize or encourage a program reasonably and help it to improve, on political issues it's even worse some people even curse each other , I heard a speaker that told to his oppose "Ghalat mikoni", most of these people leave in U.S or Europe, is this our impression of speech freedom. Why we think if we are free and nobody sees our face we can say any thing we want? I think it is all because we have not learned to be moderate, more rational and may be it is one of the big issues that lead us to the current situation that our country has right now, isn't it the time for us to try to be more logical and take our emotions more under control? Isn't it the time to think more and act wisely rather than just talk and pointing fingers to each other? I wish we all get it soon that we can not afford it any more to be too emotional and closed minded, we should open our arms to new thoughts, to real freedom and more respect for opposite ideas! NM from California To top * My name is Milani Just surfing the web I was looking for MILANI Then I saw your page. My name is Milani as well and I was born in Munich Germany 1960. My father is Iranian and my mother is German. I really know the problem to be between two cultural mentalities. If you want to have a look on my homepage its www.mi-road.de. It would be interesting to hear from you Clemens Milani To top * Leila is sweet and honest Hello, I was reading the comment by Fariba Forouhar that was made on your website, I totally agree with her. I am one of Leila's biggest fans, and it is very disappointing to see and read those pictures and their comments. It presents such a bad image for her, something of which she had never done. I also agree that no one has the right to post this stuff without Leila Forouhar's permission on any site and also to copyright it. I am sorry but that is the wrong way to gain publicity, by degrading the stars of the iranian community. Leila is such a sweet and honest person, and that is not the image she has built for herself. I believe that it is very wrong to post that type of false information about such good people on the internet, where everyone can see it. I hope you take my comments into consideration and remove those pictures. Thank You, Shanna To top * Diversity makes Iran what it is Dear Aylinah Jurabchi [Who are Azeris?], Reza Ordoubadian [Politicizing linguistics] & Iranian.com: Here we go again, Iran is not just Persian or Azeri or Kurdish or Arab or any other linguistic or ethnic group, Iran is all of the above. Iran has always been a multi-ethnic empire and the contribution all the various groups who have lived in Iran have made Iran what it is..... As an Iranian of Persian, Kurdish, Arab and Azari heritage I feel so frustrated with all the articles and writers who write about Iran/Persia's history, culture, language and ethnicity with half baked theories or with entrenched ultra-Iranian nationalism or other nationalistic agendas that fails to bend to reason, logic, fact and historical reality. When reading articles written by a Kurdish-Iranian ("The rest"), or other articles written by Azari (Politicizing linguistics/Who are Azeris?) and Persian Iranians and even pieces written by Arab friends (A place to call our own), it becomes clear that we are all struggling with the idea of what unites us and gives us identity. In each article one can read ideas that one can work with but one also read ideas that have been taken to an extreme as well. I really hope Iranians and those interested in Iranian heritage read more history. Dear Ms. Jurabchi I have two major issues with your article: First, how on earth can you claim that the republic of Azerbaijan under Hedar Aliyev is democratic and an alternative for Iranian Azeris. Please look at human right reports on the repression in Azerbaijan and yes I hate the Islamic regime in Iran too but for you to hint that only the Azeri's are forced to live under Iran's crazy Islamic regime (as though non-Azeri Iranians some how agree with this regime and or worse deserve this regime; maybe because they are Persian and in your eyes Iran is for Persians only) suggest that you have already separated Iran into various ethnic/linguistic divisions and that in your eyes Azeris and Persians are a different race!!!!!!!!!! Second, as Reza pointed out my dear language and race is not synonymous..... Even in ancient Persia the Hakhamaneshi dynasty used Aramaic/Babylonian on a large scale along with Elamite and Old Persian. Why, because the empire was diverse. As you yourself have pointed out Turks from Central Asia are mixed with Mongolians, Chinese and to an extent with people from Tibet. If you look at peoples who speak and spoke Iranian languages from Central Asia, Afghanistan and on the boarder with India, in east Iranian empires like the Bactrians, Soghdians and Parthians and the Tajiks of today you also see mixture. For example the Soghdians were heavily influenced my Chinese and Indian culture and many were Buddhists along with Zoroastrians and Manicheans. The Mongolian writing script today comes from the ancient script of the Soghdians, a language closely related to Pahlavi (Middle Persian) and with a similar script to Pahlavi. In a few sentences to give an overview of Iranian history, one can more or less start around 7 thousand years ago. From around 7 thousand BCE to around 3 thousand BCE, Iran had a thriving Elamite culture that was not an Aryan culture. The Elamites who themselves were a mixture of numerous tribes and who often fought with various other groups in present Iran and Iraq lived in very close contact and were in constant rivalry with the ancient Sumerians and later Babylonians. The cultural give and take influenced the many things some of which are the cuneiform writing and the building of ziggurats, which the later Assyrians and the Achaemenid (Hakhamaneshi) Persians inherited. The Assyrians for the most part were responsible for the destruction of the Elamite civilization but the Assyrians influenced the cultures of Media and Urartu (Armenia). And the influence of Elam lived on among the Medes and Persians. The various Iranian-speaking peoples who had been coming into what is now Caucasus Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia since around 4 thousand BCE were heavily influenced by the aboriginal Elamites and the Semitic Babylonians and Assyrians. This difference can be most noticed when one compares other Iranian speaking peoples who lived in Eurasia like the Scythians and Sarmatians whose culture was very different with that of Iranian tribes who settled in the Iranian Plateau. The Scythians became more intertwined with Slavic peoples. So from that far back Iran (the geographic location) has been multi-ethnic. With the formation of the various empires starting with that of Assyria (Semitic), Media, Persia, Alexander/Seleucids (Greek/Macedonian), Parthian/Ashkani and Sasanians, some of which stretched as far west as Greece and Bulgaria to China in the East and Libya and India in the south it becomes very obvious as you can imagine the ethnic and cultural mixture and diversity that had developed in these periods. And by the way all of this mixing happened prior to Islam. In fact Persia's most important contribution to world civilization was building a multi-ethnic tolerant empire based on taxation a model, which the Greeks and the Sasanians did not use but the Romans copied. The Sasanians failed because the encouraged a rigid form of Zoroastrian autocracy and persecuted many including the Mazdakis in Azerbaijan and the Armenians. Then next major invasions that are well documented are that of the Arabs and the later influx of the Turkic and Mongol peoples, which resulted in the various Arab, Persian, Turkic, and Mongol dynasties that ruled from the 7th century AD to the 19th century AD. It is important to point out that from the Arabs with whom the ancient Persians had had very close interaction came a new religion. (it must be pointed out that many Arabs especially those near the Iraqi boarder were fairly Persianized and influenced many others were even more heavily by Greek-Byzantine culture.) From this new mix of culture modern Iranians get their current writing script, religion and up to 40% of our vocabulary. And for al those who talk about the uncultured Turks may I remind them that if it were not for Turko-Mongol dynasties like that of the Ghaznavids, Saffarids, Saljuks, Il-Khanids, Timurid and even other very powerful and non-Iranian dynasties like that of the Mughuls in India and the Ottomans in Anatolia, the language Persian (Dari/Farsi) would not have become the language of culture and literature. These dynasties encourage the use of Persian over Arabic. In short how can any Iranian claim to be pure Aryan (???) or pure anything. Iran has always been a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural empire and for those Iranian nationalist who believe that the Azeri's are Turkified-Persians and that the Kurds are pure Iranian and all the other ridicules racial concepts out there they are so misguided. Dear Ms. Jurabchi, I agree with you that credit needs to be given to all ethnic groups and their contributions recognized. What I disagree with is creating racial divisions where it does not exist any more. For example The Armenians and Azeris have a different religion and languages from different roots but honestly you and me both know how similar they are. And in mixed societies like ours you can't advocate separating people on the basis of race. We all more or less look alike, our cultures are mixed and it would be counterproductive to indoctrinate people into believing that there are racial differences. In Iran I was raised to think that we are very different from Arabs, thank you to this great land America, when I moved here I soon realized that I had more in common with my newly found Arab friends than I did with a fellow Indo-European speaking person from Germany. And I was surprised that I was more close to an Iraqi Arab culturally and religiously than I was to a fellow Persian speaking Afghan or Tajik. Many also are fixated on language groups... Yes Iranians, Afghans and Tajiks speak more or less Persian but Afghan culture is far more influenced by the great culture of India and Tajiks are culturally more similar to Turkic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz people and yes do not be offended my dear Persian nationalists but people from Fars, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Gilan and Mazandaran are far more similar to Armenians, Azeris, Iraqis and the various peoples of eastern Turkey. Yes I know Armenian, Azeri, Georgian, Arabic, Kurdish and Persian are all distinct and even belong to different language groups but culturally I have noticed that as a Kurd/Persian my food music and culture is far more similar to that of an Iraqi Arab from southern Iraq to that of a fellow Persian speaking Tajik. I feel just as much at home with a person from Armenia or eastern Turkey. Similarly people from Western Turkey, Greece, Lebanon and the Balkans are culturally very similar despite the very different language groups..... What I am saying is that besides, language and religion one should look at common culture, history and regional realities also and not allow West European notions of race and ethnicity or language groups overshadow thousands of years of common history and culture. A good example is Iraq, Hatra, Selucia, Teesphoon and Baghdad are all Iranian capitals based in Iraq now just because Iraqis speak Arabic does that mean they do not share Iranian culture... Please open your minds..... Iran must make room for diversity and not follow Iraq and Turkey in the politics of constructed politicized racial national identities.... I am tired of Arab, Turkish and Azari bashing by so called Iranian nationalist and intellectuals.... I did not intend to sound like a wise know it all, lecturer but I feel so frustrated by all the misinformation and useless hate encouraged towards people who we are so similar to us, like the Arabs, Afghans and Turks. And when I read that fellow Iranians who are Azeri, Armenian, Kurdish, refer to themselves as non-Iranians because they are not Persian, it is devastating, the diversity makes Iran what it is not being Persian. Ghorbane Shoma Raad To top * Having the nerve How Freaky is this Guy?? What a Hypocrit!!! The 'Self-Confessed' playboy wanting a "virgin bride" .... and then having the nerves to call Iranian girls living outside Iran Ghati-Pati! [Real Iranian girls?] When was the last time you took a good look at yourself??? and i am not talking about your fast shifting hair-line a 29 year old Persian man is bound to get (I assume from your letter, this is the reason you are retiring from your playboy life and deciding to settle down...you haven't scored for a while and figure that marriage is your only chance of ensuring you know what.... but marriage to a virgin?? Well i can assure you that NO Self Respecting Girl, Virgin or Not, would give you a second look (believe me, there are a lot of self-respecting non-virgins out there too, but then again you probably wouldn't know as it sounds like you have spent all your time in the company of people like yourself.... Wierd, Ghati-Pati, with no moral standards and very little respect (If any at all)... Sara To top * Green Card lottery I am looking for an official web site in order to get some information about GREEN CARD LOTTERY. I have found many sites but not all of them have the same information (they don't have the same deadline date, the processing fee or where to mail the forms to). I'd like to know if you or anyone else who has any information can help me out. Thanks, M. To top * They put down Muslims Salam Aleikom Agha Jahanshah Javid. I am writing you this email in regards to you article "Heechee kam nadaaran". I am aware that many have written about this article and most people including yourself are probably sick of the emails but too bad now it is my turn to talk and you better listen! For all you sad people who feel sorry for the Bahais why don't you start feeling sorry for the Muslims! Can you not see what is happening in Turkey? Girls are banned from being educated because of wearing the hijab, Muslim women all over the world are being treated like useless objects! I really don't give a damn about Bahai people. To me they are just losers always advertising their religion, sending their kids to poor countries to brain wash people into believing the Bahai faith! They say we are all about peace and love and accepting other religions. YAH RIGHT! How come the Bahais where I come from are not like that? They put down Muslims and think they are KING SHIT! They disrespect the Quran and the Mosque to my face and you expect me to feel sorry for them! They are so stupid they think Bahaism is a nationality! When you ask them where are you from they say I am Bahai! Bahai is a religion you losers! Oh and Bab or whatever that loser's name was, is not the last prophet! Why don't u pick up the Quran and read it! Clearly you will see that Muhammad (peach be upon him) was the last prophet and ISLAM is the last religion! I don't care how many Bahais say they accept Muhammad (pbuh) -- I haven't seen or heard that respect! People living in the West have sold their souls to the Devil. They no longer take religion seriously. This is SAD. I have been living in the west for 16 years but I still have VERY strong faith in my religion (which in case you hadn't noticed is ISLAM) and it makes me sick to my stomach to hear people say bad things about ISLAM, because it is the most beautiful religion ever! Islam is a way of life , not like Christians who only go to church on Sunday and forget their religion the other 6 days of the week. The Quran tells the True Believer how to live life to the fullest, taking care of our health, of others and paying respect to Allah. Muslims do not worship Muhammad , like Christians who worship Jesus and Bahais who worship Bab! Don't forget people Jesus, Muhammad and Bab were people just like us, well maybe not exactly we have many faults they were almost perfect, but still human beings like us, they didn't have any super powers, and if they did it came from God, the only entity that we should be worshipping! Bahais: Please take those pictures of Bab or Bahullah or whatever the name off of your walls! Stop acting like Pagans. Can't you see that those stupid terrorists are not TRUE Muslisms? If Muhammad (pbuh) was alive today he would hate those people, because Islam is not about killing and whoever has read the Quran and the Hadiths will see this. The Bahai people where I come from, have meetings every 19 days, apparently the 'lucky number' for them! And you know what they talk about at these meetings, or should I say gossip about!? Who is going out with who, who is drunk, who is that , who is this! What kind of BS is that!? I'm making myself sick. Yallah Nazanin Kazeme To top * Yekrangi va etehade jameie bashari Dear Mr.Javid, salam man ye javoone bahai hastam ke albate bekhatere dino mazhabam alan daram kharej az iran yani dar Canada zendegi mikonam [Heechee kam nadaaran]. rastesh man aslan adame ahle dino mazhabi nistam va bar khalafe kheili az doustaie bahaim chizi ziaadi va etelaate kameli dar morede mazhabam nadaram. tanha zamani ke mikhastam tasjil besham ya dar vaghe in din ro mipaziroftam azam khastan ke koorkoorane in karo nakonamo hatman dar in mored motale'e konam. vaghti fekresho kardam didam ke faghat ye chiz be fekram mirese ke oonam jomleie maroofe "hame bare yek daarim va barge yek shakhsaar" boud ino hatta shayad bavar nakonid ke nemidounam bahaullah gofte ya abdullbaha, beharhal yekrangi va etehade jameie bashari tanha chizi boud ke mano be khodesh jalb kard ke man to hiich jaie dige dar hich dianati ino nashnide boudam. nemikham ba harfam saretono dard biaram, faghat ino begam ke kashki kheiliaie dige to iran mesle shoma fekr mikardan oonvaght mishe ke rangha, nejadha, dinha ke joz esmo rasm bishtar nist pishe cheshma yeki va barabar mishe.. omidvaram ke hamishe movafagh bashid va zendegie khoshi without conflicts dashte bashid felan peace ou. by da way ppl don't give a s*** in iran becuz they r scared to death of their own lives but I gotta say that it was what they asked for and here they got it and after 20 and something years they can't take it anymore and they also can't do anything about it cuz they don't have the guts to. well. tnx again and God bless ya and if u wanna mail me plz send it to Setareh b-bye To top * Hope and pray Thank you Mr. Rahmehrian for your interesting observation about our inability to play by the rules [Stop at the red light]. Somehow, it seems that we [ Iranians ] define "success" or "smarts" by how "zerang" we are and how we can ignore or break the rules without getting caught! I remember one night in the first weeks of being in the US ( I was only 14 back then ), our Taxi stopped at a Red light at 2 AM with no other cars in sight. It waited until it became Green and then it proceeded. I determined there and then that these PEOPLE were stupid !! After all, why not break the rule ( who is there to catch you , eh ? ) and just take off ? did they not know that RED is Optional ? ( hey, they obviously did not learn how to drive from the Masters in Tehran ! ). Well, it took me a while to realize that the Taxi cab driver stopped not because he was afraid of being caught , but because that is what Civilized people do , they follow the rules ( at least try when it is so easy to do so ), specially when they ( ie. society ) have devised them for the common good. Boy, was that a foreign concept for me :). I hope and pray, that one day soon, our great nation will awaken and arise , just as it had arisen before, to put on the Mantle of Civilization and become the Model for the world. Thank you for your thought-provoking contribution. Regards Ramin Mahmoodi To top * White, 50 y/o woman Dear Friend I am an American born, (distant) European heritage, White, 50 y/o woman. Your web page and article on the Bahais is being sent around the Bahai community [Heechee kam nadaaran]. I really appreciated it. Good job. Dale To top * The more we learn the shorter he becomes I feel some us are failing to judge him, using the current regime as a base line [Taller and taller]. Perhaps one could argue that he was not such a bad ruler after all compared to the existing regime in Iran, yet if one was going to judge him based on his own deeds, one can easily find many injustice, looting, mobbing, and selling the culture to the west for the sake of few. If some one truly is interested to find out about his kingdom, then he/she needs to look and ask the families of those folks serving long prison sentence, torcher and death for their political beliefs. Every corner of his history as a king is full of injustice, not much more. So, judge him for what he has done, not for what other regime are doing after or before him. Mehrdad To top * Acceptance and openness Dear Mr. Javid I have recently, by chance, come across The Iranian, what a magnificent site. Well done to you and all your colleagues. Yours is by far the best Iranian site I have ever had the pleasure to visit. I particularly enjoyed knowing your views about the Bahais [Heechee kam nadaaran]. You are one of a few open minded Iranian writers, who have, despite the history of the Iranian media, taken an open and honest look at the Bahais of Iran and their plight. As a Bahai I feel there is beginning to be a trend towards acceptance and openness towards the Bahais by my fellow Iranians, and you are in the forefront of this movement. Very best wishes for your future, Payman Sabeti To top * Not your friend The current Palestinian government is not your friend. Reevaluate the facts. Patricia Cyrus Orlando, FL To top * Unwittingly leading to a Third World War Mr. Vest's column is both excellent and well taken ["The men from JINSA and CSP"]. For Iranian and Iranian-American readers, it is important to remember that the American Right's identification with the Israeli Lobby, militarization, and massive interventionism abroad, is a relatively recent phenomenon historically. The "neo-conservative " constituency Mr. Vest cites which governs Mr. Bush's team and which promotes such policies as an American initiated military offensive against Iraq, is a group of largely Jewish, ex-Democratic Party activists who are enamored of the ideology of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his successors. Perpetual war abroad for Empire is one of their most treasured, cardinal tenets. The real, historically older American Right is the so-called "paleo-conservative " constituency led by Patrick Buchanan, Howard Phillips, Ron Paul, and others. These individuals are warning about the dangers of an American foreign policy unduly driven by Israeli interests and oil/natural gas consortiums -- a policy which may unwittingly lead to the beginning of a Third World War. Readers of the Iranian Times may want to see such web sites as LewRockwell.com , Against Bombing.org , Antiwar.com , and my site at MarkDankof.com, to understand that a sizable movement within the American Right has been organizing to stop the Bush/ Cheney/ Rice/ Perle/ William Kristol crowd before it is too late. Sincerely, Mark Dankof To top * "Oghab" For years I was waiting for someone to ask or write the most famous poem from our well-known poet and philosopher Dr. Parviz Natel Khanlarie "Oghab" (Eagle). I want to ask you if it is possible to write and add it to your Arts & Literature section. Regards, Farhad Asaf Melbourne, Australia To top * Fat and fragmented psyches i loved babak khiavchi's siamax maximus and julius javidius ["Real pahlavans"] caught in the middle - literally - of fat and fragmented psyches between two worlds struggling through the mud - i want to hear more of the power of fars and axsis of evil with farsi curses. Burntoast To top * Beg forgiveness, shut up, die Thank you for a wonderful article. The author of "Taller and taller" keeps people like myself proud, grateful and loyal. As I mentioned in my February 2001 article, the late Shah was a gift that my countrymen never understood. Perhaps now is the time to begin giving our thanks for his life and focusing on what we all had during his reign instead of what we did not. Frankly I don't care one bit what the unwanted people who revolted against him have to say. As far as I am concerned they should only beg our nation for forgiveness, keep their mouth shut or take their hate to their grave. Again, Thank you Mr. Bayegan and god bless you. Khosrow Moniri To top * I care less about Bahais Regarding your article about Bahais [Heechee kam nadaaran]. I should say I do feel that they are less Iranian than other non Bahai Iranians. Believe it or not this is not because they are labeled Bahai or the mollas don't like them or even maybe they are called kaffar. This is because they care less about Iran than other Iranians. That is what their religion has thought them and if in cases you find them loyal to Iran it's just their human nature (according to Bahai teachings, they are sinning! and they shouldn't be doing it). Every man and woman loves his/her country and place of birth. Bahais shouldn't be any different but for them Iran comes last. Don't be fooled if they advertise otherwise. It's shameful, they only mention Iran because it's the birth place of Baha! They have their religion to worry about then what ever universal house of justice tells them and finely Iran. For them defending the country and standing against the enemy is a sin. They wouldn't have gone to war with Iraq if military service wasn't compulsory. As a Iranian I am so happy and feel so lucky that Iran didn't change to a Bahai state despite our leaders so many stupid decisions. Just think about it what would happened to us if Iran was a GOD FORBIDDEN bahai state and lets say Iraq was attacking us. Just go and listen to some of the breakers stories to find out how loving! this faith is. They are so loving and caring when one of the members questions them too much s/he would be kicked out of the club and NO BAHAI would contact her/ him. Just try to imagine would they do to a breaker in a Bahai state. They advertise about being pacifist and lovely but believe me they where not so peaceful when they could harm others. The Babi movement is full of blood and terror. Even after Baha took over, this love promoting guy couldn't promote love in his own family. If you see them pacifist now it's just because they didn't get the chance to be otherwise. Bahais are advertising for a religious governing body which will be located in Israel and rule the world the Bahai way. So many times I asked them if you are not political and can not take political sides how are you going to rule lets say the first Bahai state (a long shot that no wise man bets on it but just for the sake of argument) and they almost have nothing to say. One funny quote was that by then the next revelation (prophet) has come and we would be advised accordingly. In one of the letters responding to your article I saw another funny quote from Donald S. Hasley: "Nothing, not Islam, not Christianity, not the UN, nothing will return Iran to its glory of the Sassanian days except the Bahai Faith and its success with all the peoples of the world." Mr Hasley, Iran's glory and pride is fare higher than Bahai hocus pocus. If you really want to glorify something with Bahai faith try it on your own country first. I feel the same way about a Bahai as a American did about a communist party member during 60's in united states. I don't hate them I dislike their ideology. I feel the same way about a Bahai as I do to a hardliner Moslem. They are both fanatics. Give them the chance and they would both make a religious fundamentalist country for you. Yes Mr. Javid, I care less about Bahais because their teachings says care less about your country. I didn't write this letter to justify anything I still believe they should be free to say whatever they want to say and practice their religion the way they want. Its so unfortunate they have gone through so much hardship and maybe injustice. But I would stand against them if I see any of our national elements are threatened by them. I proudly would. A.N. To top * Mihan lotfan addrese mahname Mihan ali keshtgar ra barayam befrestid. Thank you very much Reza To top * We really need to get our act together I loved your piece, "Heechee kam nadaaran" about the Bahais. You are a straight shooter, so to speak. And you are very funny and truly talented writer. I visit your web page regularly. I find it to be among the very best of its kind, thanks to your labor of love. As a Bahai, I can assure you that we neither look for a special treatment, nor are we going to just "go away," because the mullahs and their henchmen want us to. It is good to have people like you, telling it like it is. We Iranians really need to get our act together. We need to recall and practice our ancient tradition of tolerance. We need to learn to live together and pull together for the benefit of all. This business of picking one group or another to blame for our own shortcomings does nothing but make matters worse in the long run and we all end up paying for this foolishness. Keep up your excellent work and good luck. KK1844@aol.com To top * Green Card through my mother My mother has gotten a Green Card since 1 year ago. How can I get a Green Card through my mother? (I have married). Mitra Tajeri To top * Acute Lymphoid Leukemia Dear Lady/Gentleman I am a suffered mother of a 14 years old boy who has Acute Lymphoid Leukemia (ALL1) and brain CNS. Now that I'm writing this letter, we despair from our doctors and cures in our country (Iran).My son's life exposed to danger and no organization or person can help us in Iran.The last way to save my son's life is sending him to German for complementary treatment. So I decided to do my last effort for my son, Behzad.But, sorry to say that we haven't any money to pay for treatment expenses and transportation.Therefore I need financial aids for specified treatment expenses and transportation. please help me to provide such expenses in any possible way.Please don't despair me I need your immediate help.I can't waste any time even a second. Leila Sharif Tel/Fax: 0098-311-4414693 To top * Susan Roshan Can you tell me the email address of Susan Roshan? Thank you, Sahar To top * I wish I could get posters of them Arash jan, Those photos were absolutely awesome ["Going for a ride"]. You're very talented. I'm usually not a big fan of paintings and photos, but yours were really beautiful. I enjoyed looking at them very much. I wish I could get a couple of them poster-size and hang them in my room or office. I also wish they had captions... Some of the places were beautiful but I don't know where they are. Movaffagh bashid. Parastoo Ghodsi To top * Reza Shah one of the greatest leaders Dear Mr. Hoveyda, I read your article about your memories in Beirut as a student ["Five o'clock tea"]. Although I am not a monarchist per se, but I do believe Reza Shah was and will be one of the greatest leaders of Iranian history who did a lot of goods to Iran during his reign. Reza Shah will be admired by many Iranians for a long time. Best regards, Mehran To top * Are the Iranian channels any good? I sincerely apologize if I offend anyone, but I felt that it was something that needed to be said. I am very proud of my roots as many of you already know, and I never consider myself the slightest bit connected to America in any way. I understand that not many, zaboonamo gaz begiram, but most Iranians living in the U.S. have lost touch with their culture and traditions and deny being Iranian. When I heard that there were 7 Iranian channels, accessible via satellite, I was very excited and I couldn't begonj in my poost, especially when I heard one of these channels came directly from Iran! I've always been obsessed with Ghatare Abadi and Yousef Teimouri and Mehran Modiri and all the other shows in Iran. So to me it was a gift from God. Salavat! No just kidding. Well, the dish and receiver were installed and I turned "barname Irany" on. For the next week, what I saw frightened me. I wasn't scared but just shocked, frustrated, and disappointed. How could these people be Iranian?! All I saw was blonde Iranians trying to imitate Mariah Carey, and Tapesh showing Britney Spears videos. That was it, when I saw the "Don't let me be the last to know" video, I was so disgusted, I disconnected the dish for 2 weeks. That video was the ultimate American video; She rubbed herself against this half naked guy, and she was wearing a bra and shorts that barely covered her koon. And they were showing it on an Iranian TV station. My soul purpose for getting "Barname Irany" was to make sure that there was Farsi in the house, so my little brother wouldn't forget Farsi and his Iranianness. But instead, I realized he was very confused by what he saw. He was born in Iran, but he's lived 3 of his 8 years in America. But he looks at me and my mom, and knows that being Iranian is being different from what he sees in TV and school. Iranians have nejabat and haya. And of course what made me very very angry was Shani, or whatever the hell her name is. She is disgusting! That woman-or is she -has got a lot of nerve taking one of our most popular songs and singing it like she's stuck in the soorakh toalet. She's lying on a Persian rug and rubbing herself, and she's half naked. Why do they even show that on Iranian channels!? That an insult! When we have American friends over and they see this kind of stuff on the so-called "Iranian TV stations", what are they going to think of our culture and Iranians in general? How are we going to prove that we have a very rich and beautiful culture? How are we going to look at ourselves as different people who actually have brains? I would rather have my brother watch Playboy, but not get this ghastly, false impression of Iranians. Not all Iranians are like these Westernized "Americans". My friends know me as the girl who never uses her sexuality to attract attention because she's Iranian; and when they see what I'm talking about, what will they think of me?:"Oh, so Iranians are whores too, I guess you're just really ugly and hairy." No just kidding, but that's not the point. I ask you this; please think about what you have read. Remember I am a 17 year-old, and I don't know how to write a formal article, but I am very serious about this and I need to know that my fellow Iranians support me, because you all know I am right. What we see on these channels are just some Iranians who want to fit in. Although I do like some of the programs, and Alireza Amirghasemi, and many others, we need to rid our entertainment system of what we don't want our children to learn form MTV and soap operas. Please don't take me wrong, I love all Iranians, and I love how these talented people are trying to bring Iranians together. This is a privilege, and I am happy for it. Please send me your comments, because I want to know you think about this matter. Torang To top * Entertaining night About the iranian.com show in Berkeley, California, on August 18: Thanks so much for such an entertaining night at the Julia Morgan Center in Berkeley. Do you all only gather together once a year or are there also special events that are weaved throughout the yearly calendar, and also, are your gatherings always in Bay Area, or was it only by chance this time? Thanks again, Assal Badrkhani REPLY: These events happen whenever I get the time. I've done three so far. The first one was in March here in Berkeley, the second was in Washington DC in June... -- Jahanshah Javid To top * Naghmeh Khamsi I was visiting this site, and noticed the name "Naghmeh Khamsi". Is there anyway I can get in touch with this person. I am looking for Saghi Khamsi, and wondering if they might be related. In advance I thank you for your help. Ophelia To top * Sokhanranie Khomeini mishe sokhanranie khomeini ro ke raje be nafte majjani va ... bood file soti sho roo sitetoon bezarin ke beshe download kard? Eradatmand N To top * Hope there's more to come About the iranian.com show in Berkeley, California, on August 18: I hope these fundraisers are financially successful because I hope there's more to come. Mr. Rahmanian's documentaries were fantastic; they triggered thoughts and emotions that had been dormant for long time. Best of luck to him. Shappi (S***attach) Khorsandi was delightful and all that was missing from Shadi's music was a couple of cold pints. And you're right, the Julia Morgan Theatre is a great space. Till the next one. Amir Alavi To top * If Turkey can, why can't Iran? It was refreshing to read in the New York Times of 4 August 2002 that Turkey's Parliament approved a package of rights reforms abolishing the death penalty and granting greater rights to that nation's minorities. It made me question why Iran, Turkey's neighbor, cannot stop executing people and start granting rights to Bahais, Jews, atheists, agnostics, gays, and non-Islamic minorities. Why is Iran so backward compared to Turkey? Why does the country limits itself by calling itself "Islamic Republic of Iran", rather than simply "Iran". We all know that Iran is not like a European, American nor a far-eastern country such as Japan or China. But neither is Turkey - and yet, we are next door neighbors. Culturally speaking, Iran may have more in common today with Turkey than its Arab neighbors. OK. You may say Iran is twice the size of Turkey, but please note that Iran has less than 50% arable land than Turkey -- So much for the size (no pun intended). As for population and demographics, we are almost equal - around 70 million people, with Iran having slightly lower adult literacy than Turkey. Can someone tell us why Turkey has almost twice GDP per head than Iran does, while the latter is bestowed with oil and gas wealth and the former is not. Where is Iran's oil wealth going? Why isn't Iran capitalizing on that wealth to catch up and surpass Turkey and many other 3rd world nations that do not possess such a wealth? How come Turkey, without oil and gas riches, can move forward towards a more progressive society, while Iran is marching backward towards the stone ages. How come Turkey can reform itself and join the civilized nations of the world while Iran continues to plunder the nation's oil wealth to finance its daily expenses or to simply hand it to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine? What is going on in here? The Iranians want answers to the above questions from the leaders of IRI. If the IRI leaders do not have any answers, here are some possible answers brewing: The Turks did away with the Arab influence in their society. They even changed their alphabet from Arabic to Latin. Stop the public display of "Azaan", "Namaaz" and personality cults such as the "Shah", "Khomeini", "Khamanei", or any other "Supreme Leader". This kind of BS belongs to Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Assad of Syria, or the Emirs of the Arab Sheikhdoms. Stop this Arabic assault/insult on the Persian culture. Separate the church/mosque from the State as Turkey has done. Invest the oil money (which the Turks do not have) in education, and raising the standard of living of Iranians through economic development. Note that "education" is not limited to reading the Qoran. The movers and shakers of the Turkish economy are not the servants of some "Islamic" republic. They do not need to bend over 5 times a day and pray to Allah. Get off your horse and abolish "Valayateh Faghih". Turkey does not need that. Nor does the Iran of the 21st century. Initiate a constitutional referendum. Promote creation of alternative political parties. Give people a choice. Take a look at the number of diverse political parties in Turkey. Democracy is the name of the game - and that is the road Turkey has taken. Now, you may say that Turkey is taking all these steps merely to join the European Union. I'd say, within her means, at least Turkey is moving forward. But with all the oil and gas wealth, does Iran need to join the European Union? Sean Amour To top * Reply to arrogance is ARROGANCE Dear Simba, [Out of order and rude] Are you aware of the prejudism of Europeans towards Iranians in general? Please search in BBC archaeological site & publication, Books, Videos Etc. & find out for yourself, if there is any reference to Persia. The same thing applies to Time Life magazine. In there books & video section they have omitted any reference to Persia. Upon my question concerning this omission, I got a reply. "We will think about it" But I have a Time Life book of yester years about PERSIA. They have withdrawn the book. Can you say, WHY? In my opinion the reply to arrogance is ARROGANCE. ["Is it true?"] Also remember, that this episode took place at a very crucial time. The Journalist in question kew very well about the upcoming of the Celebrations of the 2,500 years of Persian Monarchy & Persepolis. But he could not resist his arrogance. There was no need to ask such a question in public & in front of others. If he really wanted to enrich his knowledge, HE could have contacted me after the dinner. The way he acted needed the rude answer. Any way, thank you for your remarks. Best regards & wishes, H. Hakimi To top * Out of order and rude Unfortunatly Mr Hakimi ["Is it true?"] did not have the grace to understand the nature of humanity nor the reverse effects his comments had made on the journalist! It is unfortunate that Mr Hakimi did not take the opportunity to "teach" a lesson in history, rather then to accuse a possibly curios journalist of ignorance and effrontery! It is with no doubt that most cultures specially the European culture are unaware of the impact other civilization and most significantly the Persian civilization has had on them. However their ignorance should not have then, nor should it ever give cause, to any one, for ridicule! There is no doubt that the intention of the 2,500 year celebrations were both noble and admirable. However it is sad that such great and momentous opportunity to debut Iranian culture globaly, was wasted on the ego's of the few who used the occassion to show case their arrogance rather then the rich history of a nation, which they had the honour to be custodians of! Mr Hakimi, may you rest in peace... your comments were out of order and rude! SIMBA To top * Unity against outsiders Dear Mr. Hakimi, ["Is it true?"] Thank you for making the case in favor of unity against outsiders so eloquently. There is profound ignorance of Iran and Iranians in the West, and it is our responsibility to correct these false impressions. Regards, Shahram Mostarshed San Mateo, California To top * Proud that night About the iranian.com show in Berkeley, California, on August 18: The filmmaker was incredible. I was so proud to be Iranian that night. I was so proud of you. Proud that you had arranged and brought together everyone that you had. You are a real community organizer. Merci. Thankyou. Mona Shomali To top * Princess Fatemeh My question is about the Princess Fatemeh Pahlavi. I would like to know more about her, she is a very beautiful woman. I would like to know how many children she had and who she married. I once had a room mate who claimed that her husband was the son of Princess Fatemeh. thank you, Arminda To top * Iranians in Atlanta hello, i am an iranian lady living in atlanta, ga and i am very interested in getting to know more iranians in my community and know what events are being held here....how can i get in touch with more persians in my area? and do you have a calendar of events in my area? i appreciate your response.... sincerely, Alexia To top * Shomal: Villa for rent? My name is Bijan Marashi va farsi-e man khalee bad-e, bebaksheed.... hopefully we can speak English :) i know that this might not be your primary expertise, but i have been surfing around the internet looking for a way to solve a problem for renting a villa... i am interested in renting a villa in shomal, KHANE DARYA, for 1-2 weeks around the time of september 1. do you have any idea how i could arrange this before i go to iran?? perhaps you have the contact information for an agence in shomal or in tehran who could help me with this problem. i don't need a very large place, just 1-2 bedrooms for my cousins, but our family would prefer to rent a villa, not an apartment and it must be in KHANE DARYA... thank you so much for your help! i really appreciate it. Bijan Marashi To top * Time, people, change Hi Jasmin, I liked your story [Forked tongues], however, being such liberal person in the American society, it wouldn't hurt to try those aspects in the Iranian environment, or family gatherings. I, myself, am raised the "Persian" way, which I think is the best way to gain morals and self respect but I don't act in certain ways in front of my relatives because that's the way they have seen me. Time changes and so do people. Of course you still want respect, the same way you give respect, but one's true life loving personality should never be hidden because of what you've been identified as. Deep deep down our elder family members and friends are waiting for people like us to bring out their true side as well. Thanx, Nikki P. This month's letters by subject August 22, 2002 See Part 2 See Part III To top |
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