|
|
* Looks like a terrorist Airline passengers who have successfully passed through airport security have
been removed from airplanes because"the pilot didn't like the way they look".
Immigration detainees have been held in county jails even after their deportation
orders have been secured. And people have been discriminated against because "they
look like terrorists" or because "their names sound like terrorist names". Contact Shirin at ssadeghi@cironline.org or call (415) 543-1200 ext 307. * Smoother way to real democracy After Ahmad Sadri ["Still
alive"], we now have the privilege of being enlightened by Mahmoud Sadri
["Attack
from within"] about the miracles of Islam, specifically of the IRI (Sheiah)
type. These "brothers" may be residing in Texas, USA, but definitely they
are living in a totally different planet! * Recovering from our own extremism When I read Mr. Sardar's breathlessly emoting and convoluted letter ["Smoother way to real democracy"] regarding my article "Still
alive", I just smiled. It did not merit a reply. Why? This is an example
of Sardar's idea of the import of my article, complete with misquotations and misrepresentations
that will be obvious to those who have read the article: "This IRI invented
version of democracy, which appears to be the brainchild of IRI's ëCenter for Strategic
Studies' is called "something between the varieties of theocracy." * Searching for imaginary enemies Mr. Sardar, ["Smoother way to real democracy"] You will not become a scholar of either Christianity or Islam overnight and no amount of heated rhetoric will make you a student, much less a scholar of either. I will not respond to your ad hominem attacks. Just let me remind you that I am not a "theologist" (You must have meant theologian, perhaps?) I am a Weberian sociologist of religion. Without appearing "patronizing" I seriously doubt you understand what that means. So I suggest you try to read more and "divine" my intentions less. This secular democracy you and I both enjoy and believe in, is an "endproduct" of a three hundred year old history of reformation andsecularization. But you wouldn't know that if you just watch TV and surf the web, in search of imaginary enemies. Last, I have no friends who are "tollab" but I wouldn't shun them on that basis either. Afterall, Martin Luther was a Christian talabeh. And in Iran, Kasravi, Taghi Zadeh, Foruzanfar and host of other literary giants came from the seminaries as well. Best wishes * Rather than waiting 300 years Dear Mr. Sadri, ["Searching for imaginary enemies"] * Renaissance and Reformation I found Professor Sadri's article about the need for a religious reformation in Iran, to be very illuminating and timely ["Attack from within"]. It did however, raise two points in my mind that may be worth discussing. One is that we are actually comparing a modern day Iran with the advantage of computers, penicillin and mass transport to sixteenth century Europe where there was no electricity, cure for common diseases or mass transportation. True. The printing press had been invented in the fifteen century but the conditions of life in Europe of the Reformation were essentially not that much different from the biblical times that the reformers wanted to emulate. That is why a bible based theology like Luther's was in fact progressive, because it used the example of the father's of the church and the words of the scripture to oppose an internationalist and fiscally corrupt Catholic church that was selling indulgences in Germany. But Luther had the backing of the bellicose German princes, who were happy to shed the burden of the Roman Church from their lands. Luther or his ideas for reform would not have succeeded with theology alone they needed muscle to back them. No backing of German Princes for Luther or backing of French Nobility for Calvin would have equaled no Protestant Reformation in Europe. So like any drastic change the Protestant Reformation would not have survived without the might of kings and princes and aristocrats backing it. If you read Calvin's correspondence, you will see that most of it is letters exchanged with princes and nobles trying to solicit their help. So the Protestant Reformers were fundamentalist, wanting to go back closer to the literal interpretation of the old testament. In that way they were conservative. Whereas these Iranian theologians and philosophers like Soroush are far from being literalist of Islam. They are in fact quiet the opposite. Many who initially followed the French Reformer, Calvin, turned away from him because of the tighter control of morals in his community in Geneva. I doubt that any of the Iranians mentioned by Professor Sadri are more conservative than the orthodoxy in Iran as far as social controls are concerned. So although I understand the need for a religious reformation in Iranian Islam I believe wanting to follow the European sixteenth century model or to use it somehow as analogous is not really useful and is in fact anachronistic. Another point that I would like to raise is that both the Renaissance and the Reformation had different consequences for women than for men. I remember the historian Joan Kelly Gadol arguing this point in a very appropriately titled article, "Did Women Have a Renaissance?" Gadol argued in that ground breaking article that some changes that appear progressive from the male point of view are in fact upon closer examination not positive for women. You could also say that the peasants did not have a Renaissance either. In fact the Renaissance in France for example, if one wants to follow the grand generalization of history style of thinking, led to the age of Absolutist Monarchical rule in seventeenth century France. All this does not mean that I do not agree with Professor Sadri that theological reform is most urgently needed in Iran. I am merely trying to point that sometimes these grand and global views of intellectual history leave the perhaps as important and more nuanced social picture out. Thank you once again for a great lesson in the philosophical and theological debates that are so important to the mental life of our Iran. * Soroush: Hope not Ahamd Sadri's insulting outburst at Mr. Sardar in response to his letter (No
one should be excluded) reminded me of the early days of the catastrophic
revolution of 1979, when so-called revolutionary intellectuals, "Tasbeeh"
in one hand and Shariati's book (Fatemeh Fatemeh Ast) in another, were proudly exerting
their power and influence upon the rest of the nation. I remember, once I was asked
by one of them whether I had read any of Shariati's books, and when he heard my negative
response, his reaction was similar to that of Ahamad Sadri. It seems not much has
changed since. * Please... I leave it to the wise to determine who is being hysterical and insulting, I or Mr. Sadrar and Beheshti. My advice to them: 1- Please "read" my article! ["Still alive"] 2- Please "try" to forget your personal grudges when discussing the future of a nation. Realize that you can not win a civil discourse with shouting down the speaker. 3- Bombastically repeating the platitudes about a referendum, does not absolve you from having a political theory. * Looking out for themselves Dear Mr. Hoveyda, ["Pursuit
of happiness"] This reminds me of the talks we used to have, when you told us about your theory that Iranians create a "father figure" in their leader, be it Shah or Mullah. They are learning, in this modern age, that they have to look out for themselves. Hopefully in "the pursuit of happiness". * Human rights declarations Wow, if I understood the article right: ["Pursuit
of happiness"] * Ahuramazda shaadi aafarid It would be apt to remind your readers that the very idea of happiness is an Iranian
one! ["Pursuit
of happiness"] After all, over 2,600 years ago, it was carved in stone
".... Ahuramazda..... Shaadi aafarid...." * Human (animal?) reactions Dear Saeed, Mr. Pahlavi's call for "non-violent civil disobedience" in Iran (from
the safety of his suburban Virginia home 8,000 miles away!) betrays this simple principle,
as history has so often witnessed. And those disillusioned vengeful dissidents who
are bloodthirsty for the blood of mullahs are really no different than those same
mullahs who carried out summary executions after the fall of the last regime. In
reality, it is all petty revenge-killing -- the basest of human (animal?) reactions. * Hatred can go very deep In response to the piece: "It
starts with us" written by Mr. Saeed Ganji, * Back to doing weddings and funerals Ganji is right in that democracy does start with us individuals. If it quacks and walks like a duck then it is a duck. If it has a beard and a
turban then it is a theocrat. He will act reformist enough to whip up the people's
hope and for the potential opponents to the regime to surface. They will be rounded
up, imprisoned, vanished, killed, etc. The regime will be safe for a while and then
the whole charade starts again. He is playing good cop while Khameneie plays bad
cop. Between the two of them the theocratic system will be kept in place and the
nation will be screwed. * All born with natural rights Of course Mr. Ganji is correct.["It
starts with us"] But there is something which precedes "democracy"
and is far more important. For the past three years or so, I've been trying to get
it back into the Florida public school system while some of my colleagues have been
trying to get it back into their respective state's public schools.
We are all born with the natural rights among which are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. It is the purpose of government to protect these natural rights. * Modern/traditional dichotomy I really enjoyed reading your article ["What happened?"]. I am very interested in the 70's phenomena of traditional coexisting with the modern/western in Iran. I have written an article about the myth of Googoosh that I think you may find interesting ["Googoosh, the myth"]. I believe side by side this modern/traditional dichotomy there was a nonwestern but secular trend that both moved away from the traditional religious mentality and was critical of the foofool western mentality. That third mentality or paradigm I think is best represented in the character of a luti Behrouz Voussoughi in most of his films. In him you see a figure that is very Iranian, anti-foofooli, anti-gharbzadeh but secular nonetheless. I am sure there are other examples of this. So there is an anti-foofooli anti-western mentality and stance that existed without being Islamic, since prior to the revolution. As to the motivation of the suicide bombers I am not sure if any explanation really can do justice. Anyway I will not bother you with my ramblings. I just want to point out one problem that I had with your article if I may. As a woman I would like to object to your use of the gaudy whore analogy. I feel I should come to the rescue of my sisters of more unfortunate employ. After all the difference between them and other whores is just bad taste. I would rather say "after having awakened from a night with a selfish man we felt used and dirty." Thank you for a most interesting analysis. And here is to the day we can watch Behrouz Voussoughi movies and hear the Azan in Iran, again, without being afraid of a Savak. Regards, * Something in the water? Four monarchs swore to uphold the constitution and all four lied. ["Fifth time a charm?"] Few would say that the mullahs have upheld the constitution. Is this characteristic of... what? Something in the water? * It breaks my heart Ms. Sabety, I wish you had gone a bit further to ask the question "and to what purpose was this collective unity used?" It was used to destroy what modest progress the nation had made. So then I ask you, what is there to be proud of? What good is a unity if its aims are undefined (minus the never ending chants for an ever elusive liberty) and its participants fueled by unclear motives and ambiguous notions of freedom? It breaks my heart to see how many fellow Iranians laud the concept of the revolution, yet speak of its outcome with shame and sadness. Maybe that's because the 1979 revolution is not something to be proud of at all. What is there to cherish about unity when it leads to destruction? I am no fan of the monarchy, then or now. But instead of destroying all that we had gained, had we tried to actually address the things that needed attention, the results may have been much more positive. Just think of the "identity" it would have given us had we educated ourselves better to address our concerns and political shortcomings, instead of destroying our country, its symbols, its institutions, and each other. Somehow, I think that identity would not be followed by the tears and ashamed sorrow which typically follows the "identity" the revolution gave us. I too wish for better conditions in our homeland in the near future. I only hope
it is not preceded by the type of fanaticism which preceded the last one; the type
of anarchy which can give rise to any sort of lunatic with promises of a better tomorrow.
Here's to hoping. * Fall of the House of Pahlavi: No remorse Khedmate Khanome Sabety, Bravo again for another riveting and honest portrayal of your emotions during those early days of the revolution ["Longing for liberty"]. I also remember the overwhelming feeling of pride and joy that I felt during those memorable days when it seemed we had finally arrived at our rendezvous with destiny. Even now, although I partake in the anger and sadness that the whole nation feels at the betrayal of THEIR revolution, nonetheless, I feel no remorse at the fall of the House of Pahlavi, and firmly believe we shall arrive some day soon. In the meantime, the kaleidoscope of life keeps turning and producing patterns stranger and more surprising than any fiction could ever conjure up. I thank you for your enlightened political stand and for sharing your ideas and feelings with the rest of us. Ghorbane shoma, Iraj * More about jealousy I don't mean to be petty. But Ms. Sabety seems to be under the delusion that somehow guzzling champagne in California, or sightseeing at an anti-Shah demonstration in the US, with a limo driver ready to take her back home should some unpleasantness occur during her revolutionary activities, allows her to become part of the masses. ["Longing for liberty"] I don't know if her father became a freedom fighter before or after he ceased
to be a Senator. For that matter I am not sure if her father, the anti-Shah, was
one of the Senators appointed by the blood sucker of the century or -- more probably
-- "elected" to his seat by the people. ["Afsoos
o dareegh o aah o faryaad"] * Hope today's youth are wiser A nation can "cry out" and "long" for freedom till every one of them are blue in the face. ["Longing for liberty"] But longing and crying out for freedom does not necessarilly equate achieveing it. These days democracy and being a democrat has become some sort of fasion and the norm. Even members of MKO cult claim to be democrats! However, achieveing democracy requires some pre-requisit conditions to be met in a country. Least of these pre-requisits in my opinion are Security and the rule of law, a strong economy and a vast middle class. You have to have at least these three conditions before any sign of democracy can be achieved and maintained. South Korea and Spain achieved democracy by meeting these requirements. So if we ever are tired of "crying out" and "longing", we must start by meeting these conditions. Let's say, theoretically speaking, IRI disappears tommorow and all Iranians agree on having democracy. Do you really think we can have it in our current situation? Yes, it is easy to write "marg bar x" and "zende bad y", specially from the comfort of living in California. Afterall, when all the champagne drinkings and congradulations were done when Shah left Iran, Ms. Sabety did not have to live with the consequences of the revolution. I just hope that the generation of Iranians that were left behind and had to live with those consequences, are wiser than the proponents of this devastating revolution and do not pay any attention to nostalgic nonsense of these ex-revolutionaries who are living happily ever after in Palo Alto. * So BLIND I realize you have a right to an opinion, but many of your statements in your article, "Longing for liberty", were the epitome of COMPLETE IGNORANCE. It's quite obvious that there were many ignorant, naive fools supporting the revolution in 1979. Stating things like, "I believe we should be proud of the revolution we made" and "We believed Khomeini when he promised that his was a mission of freedom and not conquest", just proves again and again that the youth of those days were so disgustingly BLIND. What did you expect from a bunch of uneducated, psychotic, prehistoric fundamentalists??!!! A democracy? Some type of fair government? It truly amazes me when I read letters like yours claiming the revolution was "hijacked" by the mollas... HELLO!!! WAKE UP!!!! You supported criminals in this "revolution", the same ones who are in power now! Bravo, bareekalah! The mollas lied to you and all the youth back then, and YOU BELIEVED THEM. The Shah let down his guard way back in the 60's and early 70's. He missed an easy opportunity to eliminate Khomeini, and allowed this future murderer to live and bring death, shame, and inevitable repression in the form of Islam to a great nation like ours. The Shah had many downfalls as a ruler, and unfortunately, his head got too big to realize what lay ahead. I was at some of those same demonstrations in Washington DC and New York, but unfortunately, I was way too young to do anything or participae in any matter. However, I do remember that some of those ignorant fools (that YOU were impressed by) were thoroughly getting their asses kicked by Americans. I CHEERED THAT, knowing that even at that very young age, I was seeing fundmentalist followers and Khomeini lovers (like yourself) getting a much deserved beating. I expect more from a woman who happens to be a PhD candidate. However it's so obvious that you are like so many Iranians I've encountered that live in the past and enjoy wasting their time bashing a dead monarch and praising the immoral, irresponsible behavior of those ignorant Iranians you viewed with such admiration. You make me SICK. I hope I never have the bad fortune of meeting you, since I would NEVER CONSIDER YOU A FELLOW IRANIAN AT ALL. * Okay baba, we got the message After reading the long nauseating article "Longing for liberty" by Setareh Sabety regarding the Fetneh Khomeini, I am finally convinced that we indeed deserve the Islamic Republic! I hope it lasts thousands of years!!! No questions asked, "Khalaayegh harche Laayegh". It does not matter for people like her, that more than one hundred thousand people have been executed and why should it? After all she is safe with her parents in U.S, and that's all it matters any way, right? Self-preservation is the key. Dead is good as long as it is for my neighbor! Fuck every body else. It does not matter that millions have fled the country, thousands upon thousands have been tortured, beaten up and whipped, the country in ruins, the culture tainted and much much more. Why should all this bother her? After all it gave SENSE OF IDENTITY to people like her! Selfish is an understatement. Okay baba, we got the message: we know that you guys inspire to be arab, act arab, live like arab. Your wish has come through, be happy about it. Now will you guys let the rest of us, who have suffered severely by you identity seekers, to live in peace as a refugee some where? if that is not asking too much. * You had your chance I wonder if people like Setareh Sabety regale us with their revolutionary memoirs merely to add insult to injury, rubbing more salt into our wounds. ["Longing for liberty"] I think we have heard enough about the idealism of these champagne socialists who bit the hand that fed them; these were members of the middle class created under the Shah and Reza Shah. The 'lady' has forgotten that under the rotten Qajars, only a handful of Shahzdehs went abroad for the best education. The Pahlavis paved the way for the education of thousands. They created something like a modern Iranian society, with a middle class. If the Shah was excessive or presided over corruption, there was no more corruption in Iran than before, nor more brutality than in neighbouring countries, actually considerably less, which is why he is judged so harshly. The late imperial regime oversaw the formation of a civil society: there can be no doubt of that. People were allowed to get on with their private lives and keep their properties; is that so little? That's half of democracy. What did this lady and her communist friends promise, collective utopia? Young people in Iran are sick of any talk of 'your' revolution, so stop it, we've heard it all before. You had your chance and got it terribly wrong, so keep quiet now and let the next generation get on with their lives, free from meddling 'antellectuels'. * MONARCH DOES NOT RULE Mr. Alamdari, ["Fifth time a charm?"] Only those who put their personal interests and "financial matters"
above everything else in their life, can manage the same better than other matters.
Had Reza Pahlavi (RP) not dedicated all his time, energy and soul to the pursuit
of a higher goal of restoring democracy, freedom and prosperity in Iran, he too could
have better managed his personal affairs. It may come as a surprise to your kind,
but for some Iranians (like RP), there are more endearing values than money - such
as love of Iran. Yes, let us hope that Iranians will soon leave behind all non-elected rulers.
Having endured the consequences of a disasterous revolution and 23 years of the worst
form of autocracy, no more non-democratic governance of any kind sould be allowed
in Iran. * Nothing to fear Dear Dr. Alamdari, ["Fifth
time a charm?"] I went over your papers, research etc. and found that your accomplishments in publication have to do mainly with Iran. Everything printed in the past decade has been in Iran or for Iranian publications in this country. Could you explain why you begrudge Reza Pahlavi his attempt to bring Iranian misery and lack of freedom to the attention of the West? The Iranian population, as you state yourself, is politically savvy and alert.
So if you believe in that, nobody, and certainly someone as educated and democratic
as yourself, should have anything to fear from him or any other person inside and
outside of Iran who voices opinions, has ideas, and even political ambitions. * Carefully planned, meticulously executed I read with interest what every body has got to say about the infamous mollas uprising of 1979 in our beloved land. Contrary to some claims that the uprising was genuine in the beginning & it was high jacked by the mollas later on, I believe that the course of the uprising went hundred percent according to the plans that some Western circles had envisaged to create instability to the entire region for years to come. They had planed it carefully & executed it meticulously. No highjacking took place as far as the initiators & instigators were concerned. 23 years after that ugly hick up, there remains some very important & essential questions no body wants or dare to answer! These un-answered question are the foundation of doubt concerning the 1979 uprising in my mind as well as in the minds of so many other Iranians. I hope that all my compatriots who are defending the authenticity of the 1979 uprising instead of avalanching me with a barrage of insults, come out with clear cut answers to the following questions, which bothers me & millions like myself. 1-What was the affect of Opec Decisions concerning the future of cost of energy & oil? And who was behind the drive? 2- What was the effect of Mr. Berzinsky's famous plan to create ( Green Islamic Belt ) around the then USSR on 1979 Iranian uprising? 3-Why Mr. William H. Sullivan The last U.S. Ambassador to our country had gone out of his Diplomatic courtesy by insisting that The Shah should leave the country? 4- What was the purpose of a visit by Mr. Ramsy Clark, The U.S. Attorney General ( Minister of Justice ) to Khomeiny in Nova de Chattel in France? 5- What was the purpose of visit of General Howyzer to Iran at such a crucial time? 6- What was decided in Guadeloupe concerning our future or rather the future of the entire Middle Eastern Region? 7-What Yaser Arafats hench men were doing in Iran & by the order of who? 8-What was the part of Dr. Ebrahim Yazdy, who some believe that he is high official of CIA. translating to mass media what Khomeiny never said? 9-Why was the army high command under the infamous General Gharabaghy suddenly declared neutrality in the face of adversary. 10-Where & who made millions of sound cassettes of Khominy's nonsense. ( We never had or even today have such a capability). 11-Who & by what means, distributed those millions of cassettes over night all over Iran? 12-Why did President Jimmy Carte said " By doing away with the Shah, the American Nation should thank me for the next 50 years"!? 13-Why did Mr. Ramzy Clark presented a list of 200 Iranian High Official to be executed by the Khomeiny thugs while visiting Khomeiny in France. And who were those 200 High Officials? 14-Who ordered the Communist Toodeh Party to collaborate with Mollas to be wiped out by them latter on? 15-What was the part of General Fardoost, the darling of the Shah for ages, in helping the mollas to take over & created SAVAMA for them? 16-Why & what was the affect of the orchestrated intense adverse propaganda against our country & the Shah years before the uprising? 17-Who encouraged Sadam Hossein to attack us & for what purpose? 18-Why did the Iran Iraq war was prolonged for 8 years? And to who's benefit? 19-If the dictatorship was indeed atrocious during the Pahlavi Regime, how many immigrants or self exiled Iranians we had at the time? 20-If the dictatorship under the Pahlavi Regime was indeed suffocating the people & forced them to adhere to uprising, why the same people tolerate much worst for the last 23 years? 21-Who made Mr. Andrew Young the then U.S. Ambassador to U.N. to stand up in the U.N. General assembly & declare" Khomeiny is a saint"? 22-Who made Mr. Robert Kennedy to declare in U.S. Senate that " never in the history of mankind there existed a blood sucker such as the Shah of Iran? 23-who called the Shah the GENDARME of Persian Gulf? And for what reason? 24-Who created the forged name for Persian Gulf? For what purpose? ( They are yet doing it)! 25-Who is supporting AEU for claiming the ownership of the three Iranian Islands in the Persian Gulf? For what purpose? The Answer, My friend, is: BLOWING IN THE WIND !!!! Best regards, H. Hakimi, * Lack of public figures First of all I would like to thank you for the outstanding job you are carrying out by directing the Iranian site, a reach site by all means. Secondly, as regards the subject I agree with you, we want secular democracy but
maybe due to the lack of public figures taking the leadership to bring democracy
to Iran, all heads and hopes are turned towards Reza Pahlavi!! ["Shah
bee Shah"] * Illegal change in government Your reply to my correction of your attempt to revise history refers. It is precisely
this sort of episode that puts Iranians completely off Shahollahis. [History
Review: Reza Khan e Mir Pang] The minsiters to referred in my letter were arrested on the same date, 3rd Esfand
1399. Are you denying that as well? Whom are you trying to kid? As they say in Persian,
'roo keh neest, sang e paa ghazvineh'. Let me again quote for you from Oxford's Dictionary
the meaning of Coup, this time verbatim, as it does not leave any room for equivocation,
Coup ~(d'etat) - note the brackets, meaning optional - violant or illegal change
in government. * Some of us know a bit of that history I am astonished by the claims of Mr. Sheibani when it comes to the military coup of 1299 History Review: Reza Khan e Mir Pang. How could you not call that a coup? Obviously Mr. Sheibani is blinded by his love for the monarchy and attempts to rewrite history for Iranians. Well, some of us know a bit of that history and we are not going to be fooled by Mr. Sheibani's comments. The Coup d' Etat of 1299 was engineered by Colonel Edmund Ironside, the commander of the British Northern Army in Iran. Following the Great War, the British were exhausted by the cost of the war. Therefore, they could not afford to keep their troupes in Iran. The troops had to leave Iran by early 1921. The attempt of Foreign Minister Kurzon to have the Treaty of 1919 enacted in order to give the British a free hand in the financial, economical, and military matters of Iran failed because the Prime Minister Vossough Aud Dolleh was to forced to resign and did not manage to hold Parliamentary Elections in order to have the treaty passed legally. The next Prime Minister Moshir Aud Dolleh also delayed the elections. By the time Sepahdar Rashti became Prime-Minister the British had other plans. Ironside knew that their troops have to leave Iran. Therefore he needed another solution other than the treaty. The answer was a Police State under a strong authoritarian character. The British knew Ahmad Shah was too weak to be a strong leader. Therefore Ironside had to find somebody else. His name was Reza Khan Mirpanj, an officer in the Kossak army. When Ironside met Reza he knew he had found his man. Ironside described Reza Khan as most manly Iranian he has ever met. Ironside arranged for Staroselsky, the leader of the kossak division, to be removed from his post. A man named Sardar Homayoon became the head of the kossak. But he was sent away and Reza became the real leader of the Kossaks. Ironside encouraged Reza to go and capture Tehran and form a strong government. But he had two conditions for him: stay loyal to the British and don't overthrow the Shah. When Mr. Sheibani discusses the meeting of Reza with Ahmad Shah, he describes the monarch as somehow a strong character filled with angry, The truth is Ahmad Shah was scared to death. He was never a brave man and if one refers to the book Simayee Ahmad Shah Ghajar by Dr. Shekholeslami one learns that courage wasn't one of the virtues of the last Ghajar Monarch. The only reason Reza did not remove him was because the British did not want him to do so. It's true that Reza Khan did try to work with Ahmad Shah in his years as Vazir Jang and Nokhostvazir, but he only did so because he was obligated. Now, Ahmad Shah is to blame here. Had he been strong and had he remained in Iran he might have save his crown. But his fears and his love for Europe led him to leave Iran and open the way for Reza to become the Shah. Mr. Sheibani says that Reza said Man Hokm Mikonam after he had talked to the Shah and while dolat vovaghat was in power. He also adds that the new government was formed nine days later under Seyd Zia. The facts are correct. But the way Mr. Sheibani tries to make the reader believe that the new government was formed because Ahmad Shah wanted it to be so and therefore there was no coup! This argument is preposterous! Poor Ahmad had no choice but to accept Reza Khan
and Seid Zia. He knew he faced two fierce opponents who had the control of the country.
There was nothing for him to do but to bite his lip (As Hosssin Maki says in the
first volume of the Twenty Year history of Iran: The Military Coup of 1299)
and accept Said Zia as his new Nokhost Vazir. The fact that Reza Khan controlled
the army as Vazir Jang made the Shah helpless when it came to military. Mr. Sheibani
could try to call the events of 1299 something else, but the evidence shows the truth!
* You don't understand You may have found the evidence, but unfortunately you don't know how to interpret it. ["Look at the evidence"] It's just like the example of the person who thought anyone who spoke Arabic was reciting the Quran. To understand what you have found as "evidence", and to have an academic view, you should read the works and research done by academics on this issue. Namely, The Veil and the Male Elite, by Fatima Mernissi, who is a Muslim scholar, feminist, and specialist in this area. Please read this book completely before making any more comments on this issue. One has to be completely knowledgeable to be able to make comments on historic and academic issues such as this. Reading this book is recommended to all those who are interested and/or would like to know more about this area of research. Good Luck. Sincerely, * Criteria for being an evil regime? How many Leftists, students, intellectuals, women, Baha'is, etc. must this regime imprison, torture, execute before we recognize it as an evil regime? I am not a fan of G.W. Bush's by any stretch of imagination, but on this issue he was right on the money. He did make a distinction between the Iranian regime and the people of Iran who have made their dislike of IRI and mullahs abundantly clear in the last two decades via protest and other methods. The IRI was founded by an evil man with evil intentions and as long as the Left tries to cover up that ugly fact we will never liberate our nation from the control of mullahs. In the last week, on the occasion of the anniversary of this Islamic Revolution, I have read more articles on this site justifying and somehow apologizing for evil deeds of this regime by none other than our own intellectuals who live outside Iran and teach in American universities than any other Iranian site. The only good thing that came out of this bloody revolution was our collective realization that Islam is not the answer to our current social and political problems. Most Iranians have recognized this reality, and those who haven't, such the so called reformists or mellimazhabis, are beginning to see that without a complete separation of religion and politics there is no hope for Iran and its people. Iranian journalist Amir Taheri called the rule of mullahs a new form of Islamic
fascism 20 years and that label still applies to this regime with or without the
smiling mullah. We called Hitler's, Pinoche's, Franco's, apartheid regimes fascist,
let's not be hesitant to call IRI for what it really is, a fascist regime. * Bush is on the right track You have written a clear and precise account of the present regime in Iran, and the mistake Westerners make by playing into the hand of so-called "moderates". ["Just another show"] Please forward your letter to other media and also the Congress and State Department. President Bush is on the right track and needs help to make his stand. He never maligned the people of Iran, and I think the liberal media, such as Dan Rather on CBS, Peter Jennings on ABC, Tom Brokaw on NBC and others are doing the Iranian people a disservice with their biased reports. The Iranian people want to regain their dignity and freedom, and we need to help
in any way we can. * We do not hate your nation i live in the usa. please know that most americans did not vote for bush. i and many others think that the election was illegal. please dont form your opinions of usa from cnn, nbc, abc, etc. there many good web sites that tell the truth. we are just as appalled as you are about the current situation. the majority of the american people do not hate your nation, the oldest in the world, and wish you well. thank you, * Pull together - not apart I am an American and concerned about US and Iran relations.
I too don't understand why Bush made that comment about Iran and the "Axis of
Evil", but I don't hear what the CIA hears... * Has Bush backed down? There seems to be very recent changes in the American policy vis-a-vis Iran. I just watched the PBS's NewsHour for today, Monday February 11, 2002. There seem to be signs that the Bush administration is backing down from its rhetoric of "Axis of Evil," at least as far as attacking Iran is concerned. The shift seems to have begun late last week and decided upon over the weekend, most probably on Saturday, Feb. 9th, whereby it appears that the logic of Colin Powell has prevailed, at least for now, over the hawkish stance of Rumsfeld and company. Several factors lead me to this conclusion: 1- On Thursday, February 7th, the formal Bush-Sharon meeting at the White House lasted only one hour. In it Sharon was not able to convince Bush to let go of Arafat. He may have been similarly unsuccessful to convince Bush to attack Iran. On Friday, Sharon did not appear on the NewsHour interview with Jim Lehrer, due to "illness." Today, the White House spokesperson criticized Sharon, for the first time in several weeks, for the recent attacks on the Palestinian Authority. Also, there was a report of a "positive" letter from Arafat to Powell. 2- Also today (Monday Feb. 11), Tom Daschle, Leader of the U.S. Senate (Pro-Israeli Democrat) did NOT endorse and openly criticized the "Axis of Evil" language, and said that the reformists in Iran have been hurt as a result of less-than-careful "rhetoric." 3- Again today, in an apparent return to their previous public stance, the White House announced that the U.S. would "welcome" talks with Iran, should Iran address the U.S.'s concerns. The overall effect seems to be that, at least in the short run, the Bush administration has backed down from the attacking stance adopted in the "Axis of Evil" speech, at least vis Iran. The two camps (Rumfeld vs. Powell) MAY have reached a compromise consensus over the weekend to try to topple Saddam Hossien, instead, given that today Bush dismissed Russian President Putin's warnings against attacking Iraq, saying that there would be different coalition partners for different operational objectives. Has the U.S. administration come to its senses vis-a-vis Iran? For the sake of peace on our fragile planet, I surely hope so. P.S. The report in Tuesday (Feb. 12) Los Angeles Times by Robin Wright and The New York Times editorial of the same day seems to confirm the perspective I have outlined above. The ABC evening news's opening report on Wed. Feb 13 on the subject of military plans for Iraq, seems to be further confirmation of the above-mentioned adjustment in policy. * Good book on the Iranian revolution Dear Iranian.com friends, There is an article in the February 15 issue of Casper Star-Tribune (Casper, Wyoming) by Scott Holleran, identified as a free-lance writer from California. He got the kind of enlarged space given to syndicated columnists. The caption was "Bush is right, let's take down Iran." His emphasis was on Iranians calling USA "The Great Satan"; the taking of about 50 American hostages; the discovery of oil by an Englishman in 1908 -- implying it was some kind of awful injustice for Iran to nationalize the British-dominated oil industry in Iran. Not one word about the Shah. Not one word about the U.S. role in the overthrow and arrest of Mohammed Mossadegh, the legal head of the Iranian government. I want to reply to this column. My computer's encyclopedia gave me some names and dates of the events before and after the Iranian revolution of 1979. But I would like to know the percentages of oil profits going to British Petroleum and the percentage allotted to the Iranian government and then, after the U.S. coup returning the Shah to power, which U.S. oil companies participated in sharing oil profits -- and then thirdly, how the oil profits were used by the Iranian government after the oil industry was nationalized again after the Islamic Revolution. My landlord is an Iranian, and after he returned from a trip home to visit his father, he described great general improvements in the economy. Okay, the purpose of this message is to get your recommendation for a book on the Pahlavi-Khomeini period, telling the story from the Iranian point of view. Our people who just watch football on tv cannot understand at all how anyone can call our country satanic. They think we have never done anything wrong--that we give foreign aid to poor countries, etc. Short summary of message: Give me the name of a good book on the Iranian revolution! * Open doors to our history and heritage Sheila Davar's query about the time of our New Year made me stop and think. Because there.... down the page.... were all the letters against this bizarre characterization of our entire country and people as "evil." Evil? That's a pretty strong word in my understanding, usually used by desperate despots to rally the ignorant masses to some unworthy and ignoble cause. So I had the idea that we, as Iranians, need to go on the charm offensive and do what we love to do most of all - show off. Nowruz seems like a good time to open the doors to our history and heritage, open them wide and feed our guests the best food, sing them our best songs and tell them our best stories. What does an 'Eye'ranian do at New Year after all? So this year, when the celebrations begin - we should all invite a friend, or two, or twenty. And like Sheherazade, win them over with the best we have. Go on the charm offensive and plan the biggest, best Nowruz celebration ever. Invite a local councilman, a senator, a congressperson, the mayor! Call a television station and the local newspapers and tell them to wish us all a 'Happy New Year'- do it now - give them plenty of time to plan a story and book a crew. Plan big, throw open the doors and let the world see us at our best. I can't think of a better way to stop this 'evil' rumor in its tracks! * Petition NBC Dear Friends, I am writing this petition to ask for a full apology from NBC to the Iranian people. During the opening ceremony when NBC announced Iran, they briefly noted Iran had two athletes and went into President Bush's remark about Iran being part of the "Axis of Evil". Iran was viewed from a political viewpoint unlike the other counties announced. I do not believe that Iran should be viewed only as a member of the "Axes of Evil". The Olympics is a time to put politics aside and compete in peace. In conclusion,
I believe that NBC owes the Iranian people an apology and should talk about and view
Iran from the same angle it views other countries. //www.petitiononline.com/nbcolym/petition-sign.html Below is the Petition
* Kaar kaare Naser ed-Din Shahst Masood Raji's "Jews deserve portion of the world" reminded me of a similar sentiment expressed by Nasser ed-Din Shah Qajar long before Israel made an appearance on the modern map. During his first European voyage in 1873, the shah visited England, where in the first week of his stay he was presented with a petition by the representatives of the various religious groups. One delegate in attendance was Baron Rothchild, the famed Jewish banker, to whom the shah said: "I have heard that you and your brother have a thousand kurors. Hear me out: Take fifty kurors of this money and buy from a government a piece of land the size of a province where you can gather all the Jews, so that you no longer be all so dispersed." As the shah recalled later, much hilarity followed this royal statement, but Rothchild remained silent. "I made him understand," the shah wrote, "that I protect all of the nationalities that reside in Persia." Reported in Sardar Salehi, ed., Seyiri dar safar-i farangistan-i Nasser ed-Din Shah (Dina Publishing, Rotterdam, 1997), pp.208-209. In many ways, even better than having a homeland of one's own is for all peoples to be free to reside with dignity anywhere in the world, secure from the tyranny of the majority, fanaticism of a few, prejudice of the ignorant, humiliation of the arrogant, and discrimination of the different? * Hungry for ur writing Monday morning, tired as usual, i came to my work, had a lot to do... But the
first thing i did was checking iranian.com for more writing from U... ["Poolside
swing"] Sepide * Women going after what they want Very interesting story! So much for swearing not to reveal Leila's secret ;-) ["Poolside swing"] As disturbing the story of Leila's affair is, I think it's good to see women in Iran are going after what they want and they are not just sitting in their homes serving their husband. This should put some pressure on Iranian men to maintane their quality during marriage if they want to keep it. Not like the past that as soon as they were married they didn't feel obligated to provide pleasure to their wives in anyway even as a mutal payment for what they get out of it! (I am sure there are plenty of those still around even here in US) Don't get me wrong though, I am not approving Leila's choice to balance her marriage
in any level, or critisizing Jafar in anyway. I think if she is not happy, she should
walk away. But it's Iran and there are particular survival rules for women. * True reincarnation of Farrokhzad Dear Sarvenaz, You are indeed SARVE NAZ. ["The night flight"] Thanks a lot for your beautiful story. Only I hope it is a true story that you had the real pleasure & experience of un attached sexual encounter. We definitely need unabashed lady writers such yourself. We have to break this intimidating so called silent tradition for our women. You are the true reincarnation of our deceased poetess Forough Farrokhzad. If you are pioneer in this field, I congratulate you with all my heart. Keep up the good work, you have an admirer this side of the vast ocean. Yours very respectfully, H. Hakimi, * Allow our imaginations to take us anywhere Dear Ms. Sarvenaz, I wanted to tell you that your story "The night flight" was beautifully written and truly told in a feminine voice. I particularly liked the way you related back to your early teen years...under the shade of a walnut tree, sipping from a tall cool glass... reading Harold Robbins... I believe this to be the age when we as women are still naturally free in our hearts and mind. Still somewhat untainted by societies expectations of us, we allow our imaginations to take us anywhere. If in fact your story is factual, then I truly congratulate you for bringing fantasy into reality and allowing yourself such pleasure. I admire your spirit. Thank you for boldly sharing your story. Warm regards, Asa * Was this a true story?! Dear miss Sarvenaz, ["The night flight"] I read your article in Iranian. It was beautiful & sensual. You certainly have a great imagination and sense for sex. I am glad you wrote this article and placed in on Iranian. However, I have a simple question: do you really exist? And if so, was this a true story?! I appreciate your honest answer. Thanks. Farzad * Unprotected sex I noticed that there was no mention of a condom in Sarvenaz's story. ["The night flight"] One shouldn't have unprotected sex with a total stranger these days, you never know what you might catch! :-P * Politely speaking of taboos I truly enjoyed reading your short story ["Opium dream"]. I wish I could write like this. Your style paints a memorable scenery capturing the true aspects of our culture with such beauty. Congratulations, you have done a Sarvenazly work of art. How do I get to read more of your writing? By the way, your ending where you portray reality through dreams is amazing. You politely speak of taboos and leave the reader wondering under the starlit skies of Kerman. Cyrus * Captured the atmosphere Dear Sarvenaz, Just finished reading "Opium dream" in Iranian.com. You have really captured the atmosphere, I sent it to all my English friends to get an idea of that aspect of life in Tehran .. waiting for the next chapter. Nargess * Masteroieces Literary masterpieces they are! ["Poolside swing"] TS * A boyfriend, FAST! Somebody needs a boyfriend, FAST! ["Me
the virgin"] * Memory of that fantastic land Dear Compatriot Sarshr, ["Axis of beauty"] Thank you very much for sharing with us the collection of your beautiful photographs of our beloved land, Iran. I enjoyed them tremendously, have downloaded all, for looking at them number of times to refresh my memory of that fantastic land of ours. We the Iranian Diaspora value your work with all our hearts. Wish you more success & beg you to share more of your beautiful works with us. With best wishes & regards, H. Hakimi, * Simply brilliant * Persian Haiku Wow, great work, "Persian
Haiku". Hope to read more of your writing. * Refreshing treat I just wanted you to know that the "Ganje gomshodeh" piece by H.A. Sayeh that you posted on your site is a refreshing treat. His poetry is beautiful and when interpreted through his own voice, it commands attention and grips the listener's senses. It was truly a pleasure! * Three simple principles Mr. Ambassador Hashem Hakimi, ["Oh yeah? Take this"] Thank you for sharing your great work as a diplomat with us. I am sure many Iranians are proud of your past great diplomatic service to our country with many good deeds. Hope one day the Iranian historian scholars research, evaluate and rank all our past 100 years officials with good deeds. We (the new generation of Iranians) owe special thanks and appreciation to those who provided true, and great service to our country despite the fact that we might not agree with everything they have done for us. We are a nation who started with a foundation based on three simple principles: GOOD THOUGHTS, GOOD WORDS and GOOD DEEDS and I am sure Iranians will push religious fanaticism to where it belongs and finally Iran will achieve secular democracy, freedom, and separation of religion and state. Many Thanks, * Done all of us a service Dear Mr. Hakimi, ["Oh
yeah? Take this"] What is wrong with defending what was done pre 1979? We had much to be proud of,
and the silent majority agreed with us then and now. The vocal minority, then and
now, discredited us and praises themselves. That has been and still is our problem. * Hate this hate that Salam, I really want to say that Khanoom/Aghaye Ezaafeh's poem "How do I hate Iran" were very pointless and tasteless. It looks like she/he is mad at everything. Hate this hate that hate hate hate.This was dary vary not poetry! Please stick to your day job and don't try poetry and pretend to be a poet. Sorry, you just don't have it! * Need a serious change of attitude No wonder the writer is not loved back! ["How do I hate Iran"] Speaking of cowardice, what about giving a fruit as your name. You need a serious change of attitude. Hating singers who do not have nice voices and hating Iranian culture are totally different. One should have a choice to dislike the food or music and certain aspects of culture but, hating the culture itself indicates a much more serious problem. It is called lack of identity. * Long time no write It has been a long time since I have read any of your articles on iranian.com ["dAyi Hamid"]. I wonder how you are doing and hope all is well with you. I have always enjoyed reading your articles and at some level feel that you my dAyi and have missed you Electronic wise. Regards, Hassan Karraby * I need to laugh I know you are married now and have a few little totts in the home, but that is no excuse for you to quit writing. ["dAyi Hamid"] I love your stories, and I haven't seen one in a looooong time. Hurry and get the pen and paper. I need to laugh... Love, * Bee etemaadee Regarding "Bebakhshid shomaa Iranin hastid?"
* I want to know the truth a while ago i wrote something for iranian.com and it was posted. the article talked about how i thought i could follow two religions because i formed my own beliefs about God and just filled in the details ["Two gods"]. but that's not the point of this article. (so don't email me back saying i'm right or wrong or am going to hell) The point of THIS article is to express how i feel about a lot of things. actually, how i don't feel. because...i don't get it. after september 11th, everyone was writing about how they thought things should be dealt with or how they felt inside ["Reaction"]. i wanted to, but i couldn't. i didn't know how i felt, or what i thought should be done. i still really don't. so many things are going through my mind as the saga of terror unfolds and culprits are caught everyday. i can't decide whether to be sad, angry, sympathetic, scared, or even just confused. most of my upbringing had infusions of middle eastern culture, so it's not like i can think "damn them all, they're horrible!" because I know that isn't true. and that makes me sad because a lot of people I know think that way. i also feel sad because i'm an american and so many lives have been and are going to be lost. the news is so biased that nobody can get the real story. and news from other countries is just as - or maybe more - biased. i want to know the truth about what's going on. but nobody can seem to tell me without trying to get me to take their point of view. nobody. i want to know why everyone hates each other and why it can't be put behind us. "becuase it can't" is NOT an answer. i know politics is a dangerous game and that it involves lots of backstabbing. i live near DC so i hear about disputes in congress everyday. we're all people, shouldn't that form some type of common bond? some people might call my thoughts meaningless or frivolous. some might say that they are impossible to carry out in a modern world. i guess that's why the title of this article is "innoncent". that's how i feel. at a time when everyone is saying their innocence has been lost and they feel exposed to a corrupt world, i feel as though my innocence has been regained. turns out i needed to change my beliefs on almost everything, and still have a lot to learn. whenever i think of a way to solve something now, it seems trivial and people tell me it could never work out. kind of like when i was five and thought saying sorry and giving a hug would make it all better. if you want to respond to this, that's be wonderful, i love feedback. but please don't yell at me or condemn me or tell me i'm wrong. that was the point of this article. instead of having an opinion on everything, i hardly have any. i just feel like a innocent child in a world of mean teachers. * Locate their poetry Email to poeticguerrillas.com: I was drawn to your site from a posting on "Iranian.com". The name of your website caused some consternation in me initially. I wondered whether here I would find poems by guerrillas or poets running a "guerrilla" insurgency on modern and classical poetry traditions. In 1984, my parents forced me to discard a number poetry collections I had by former members of OPFGI (Fadaiyan) and OPMI (Mojahedin). Among them, was an Azari poetess whose first name I only recall now: Maryam. She was a member of OPFGI in the '70s and had written some very beautiful poems. Then, there were peoms by "M. Baroun", Behrouz Dehghaani, and a couple attributed to Samad Behrangi. I, among many others, would be grateful if you could search and locate their poetry and post them on your website. * Fewer Iranians are in "great" shape Dear Mr. Parsa, I read with interest your commentary about culinary habits in America ["Culinary habits"]. It's true there are many obese Americans, but the majority of those obese are poor Americans who have not only poor diets but lousy lifestyle...junk food and alcohol, etc., Many of them, interestingly enough, tend to be Native American and Hispanic. I come from an Irish/Czech background and I have no overweight relatives. Few Iranians are obese, but even fewer Iranians are in "great" shape like the growing number of Americans who are obsessed with exercise. Iranian food has lots of raw greens, which is great, but overall, the traditional Iranian dish is much too heavy, starchy and greasy for me. Even my husband, who has been in America for 20 years, tires of Iranian food if he has it too many days in a row and wants my bland cooking. My mother in law goes through more oil in a week than I do in a year! She doesn't seem to know the word "steaming" for vegetables because she only knows how to fry everything. And the overuse of salt in Iranian dishes... .oye veh! Well, you get the point. And when you talk about caffeine and sugar: Don't forget that Iranians often seem to start their kids on Pepsi long before most American kids... whether they live here or in Iran. Caffeine is a major addiction in the Mideast, whether it's colas or tea. And I was shocked when I saw how much sugar Iranians put in their tea! The "holding of the sugar cube" in the mouth routine must have been started, then validated, by some 10 year old royal family member in ancient Persia. So why don't Iranians have more health problems than the average American? Could it be... they don't live as long? Hmmmmm? My father in law died at 55. He enjoyed his heavy food, smoked, drank and never exercised. I rarely hear of Iranian family members in Iran living passed the age of 65. And high cholestoral / heart disease is often to blame. And while Americans are trying to stop smoking, I would venture to say you would be hard-pressed to convince most Iranians to stop smoking. You should visit Boulder, Colorado sometime... it is very difficult to find a restaurant there that you can smoke in these days..... and there is now a movement to stop ALL smoking in the City and County of Boulder. Try that in Tehran! People would laugh at you .... or call you a nut case. Italian waiters will often serve your food with a disgusting cigarette hanging out of their mouth, so Europe is far behind the United States there, too. My poor mother in law has to wait in long and separate lines in Tehran to get bread, cheese, meat, etc. She is still amazed at the giant one-stop shopping supermarkets here. From what I've heard, shopping in Iran sounds like shopping in the Soviet Union.... high prices, long lines, black markets and no one to complain to. so...complain all you want to about America..... you're free to do that here... .unlike in Iran. * Neem Pahlavi i have this coin or medalion, dont know which. the information i have says it is a half pahlavi. it is worn as a necklaceon a 22 inch chain,all hand made in solid gold. the chain is also attached around the outside of the coin. i would like to know more about this piece, origin,history, value,ect. i would appreciate any help you might have. thank you for your time. * I really need it Hello. I'm Sarah Nuraini Siregar from Indonesia. I'm 22 years old and right now had difficulty about finishing my thesis in Bachelor Programme. Im a college student from University of Indonesia majoring Political Science. My Thesis Theme is about Iran's politics, which foccuss on The Political Strategic Majles Ruhaniyat Mobarez-e Tehran to Their Victory on General Election Of Majlis in Iran 2000. I hope somebody can help me to get more data about this theme. Please if dont mind, send about all comment to my mail. I really need it. Thank you very much. Yours, * Locating friends When I was in Iran from 1990 till 1993, I met few nice people. I would like to
locate them. I will appreciate any info about them. * Good books on Karbala Dear brother, Salam Alaikum. I am writing to you from a place where there is hardly any shias except me and my wife. Me, a revert to shia thought from Shafi'i thought. I am writing to you for a special favour from you -- hope I'm not troubling you. I live in Kerala, India. I don't know the language Urdu in which Majalises read at nearest Shia Mohalla-i.e: Bangalore where I use to visit during Muhurrum. My languages are Malayalam & English. So I face a problem in understanding Karbala even I present at Majalises. To commemorate Karbala I find no other source than good books. I got "Tears & Tributes" from Iran which was helpful in the past years. But now I wanted to undergo a study in depth. So, could you please help me in getting some good books on Karbala - it's philosophy, story in detail, elegies etc. Rea- ding from computer is very strain full. I shall be very grate- ful if you send some books or tell me about sources of some books. Below appended is my address: SHAMUN REZA #44/964 May the Almighty bless you. Peace be upon Rasoolullah and His blessed Household. Wa salam, * Best singer in a long time hi there, my name is julie i live in england but my boyfreind is kurdish and he can speak persian as well. he gave me a cd (shahram solati i think). he is a the best singer i have heard in a long time although i dont understand the lauguage too much. sometimes my boyfriend diar trys to explain for me. it dosn't matter because i just think his voice is amazing. the persian people must be very proud to have this singer. i know i would be and i wish him lots more sucsses in the future. love from juliex
Dear young man, I distinctly remember the young Iranian pilots who were on the base in 1975 to
learn what there was to learn about flying and fighting the F14. I also remember
the Iranian pilots as |
|
* Our sons may fly together
|
|
Web design by BTC Consultants
Internet server Global Publishing Group