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May 16, 2002 * Public intimidation at its worst Thank you Mr. Robert Fisk for your article "Why does John Malkovich want to kill me?". May, concerning criticism of U.S.A. or Israel. This is a kind of new democratic World Order gifted to the entire humanity by the U.S. administration! You rightly said what we all feel but have no ways & means of outlet or worst we do not dare. Public intimidation at its worst. Regards, H. Hakimi, * What Fisk doesn't tell you I had to respond to Robert Fisk's "Fear and learning in America" aticle. He keeps mentioning Israeli killling 17,500 Lebanese in 1982. Hey Robert, did your brain forget. 125,000 Lebanese killed each other in there civil war from 1975 to 1990. How could Fisk you not mention that? One million Muslims killed each other in the Iran Iraq War. 20,000 Syrians were killed by Assad in 1982. 100,000 Algerians have killed each other since 1992. 90,000 Kurds have been massacred and gassed by Iraq since 1987. 1000 tourists have been murdered in Egypt. Did I forget about the Damour Lebanon massacre? Why doesn't Robert Fisk tell what Arafat did here? Arafat murdered 500 Lebanese Christians civilians and did some of the worst crimes here. Has Robert ever mentioned this Arafat crime? Here's a website that documents what Arafat did in Damour Lebanon. Then he mentions his admiration for Amira Hass. First on Amira Hass. Haas was convicted by the Israeli courts for fabricating a story about Jews in Hebron dancing on a dead Palestinians body where video evidence contradicted her story. I would tell Robert, What does it tell you, Israel allows Amira Hass and all the anti Zionists in Haaretz to criticize Israel every day? Can you tell me one Arab country, that would allow an Arab paper to criticize Arab dictators? That paper would be shut down the next day. Robert always mentions Sabra and Chatilla. Fisk makes it like Sharon personally ordered these killings of civilians. That is a lie. Sharon had nothing to do with the killings at Sabra and Chatilla. The person who ordered the killings, was Elie Hobeika, not Ariel Sharon. Right after Sabra and Chatilla, Hobeika switched sides to the Syrians. It was then learned by Hobeika's body guard, Roger Hatem, Elie Hobeika was a Syrian agent in the 82 War. Roger Hatem wrote a book called, from Israel to Damascus. You can read the book on his website. Hatem documents, how Hobeika ordered the killings at Sabra and Chatilla to make Israel look bad, so Syria could control Lebanon. The only reason why the Christians went along with Hobeika's orders, was to avenge the thousands of Christians, who were killed by the PLO in Lebanon. 2nd, in 1985, the Syrian backed Amals Shiites, attacked the same Sabra camp and killed 650 Arabs. Why didn't Fisk mention this? From 1985 to 1987, in battles with the PLO and the Syrian backed Shiite Amals, 2000 Arabs were killed, half of whom were civilians. Going back to Hatem. What Hatem documents in his book. Sharon told Hobeika, only to go after the armed PLO gunman in Sabra. Sharon made very clear to Hobeika, not to target any civilians. Hobeika agreed to the orders. Then Hobeika gave his own orders to his men. Kill anyone they see in Sabra. Hobeika did this, to make Israel look bad, so Syria could control Lebanon. If the Arabs are so concerned about the people killed in Sabra and Chatilla, why did Syria and Lebanon protect the person who ordered the killings. (Elie Hobeika). Why didn't Syria or Lebanon prosecute Hobeika? Maybe there worred, he might tell the truth. Which is, Hobeika under orders from Assad was responsible. Hobeika and his people are responsible for the people who were killed. * Setting the record straight In answer to "Who's a Nazi?", the logic used by Mr. William Baker, in trying to compare and contrast the Israeli aggressions, terrorism and cold-blooded murders throughout its brief history in the Middle East with the rest of colonial powers is very flawed. Hopefully I am mistaken, but I gathered from his article that, according to what
he tries to do with the term "genocide" is to use the term such that it
would be concerned only with what one finds in mass graves and not with how many
people are blown up or killed otherwise. - Do you know how many billions of people in the world, including many Americans, had and still have the same feeling as Setareh Sabety when she wrote, ìToday, I am a Palestinian? - Since there are countries in which exceptional individuals appear (e.g. old Chinese, Persian, Greek and Roman Empires, and modern countries, such as Germany, the US, France, Britain, etc.) not any specific ethnicity, (e.g. compare the Islamic Empire individuals of the old with to todayís individuals in the remaining few countries) therefore, it is a country which contributes to the mental growth of exceptional, not necessarily superior, individuals (supremacists, I do not care for at all)! Therefore nationalities and not the ethnicities are the contributing factor to the development of such exceptional individuals. With this in mind, then how is it that the Zionists, considering their ethnicity, have this zealous superiority complex and speak mostly in absolute terms (e.g. Chosen people, Never again, Promised Land, etc.)? - Do you know of any other group of people, throughout the worldís history, who have brought upon themselves the hatred of masses to the degree that the Zionists, a very tiny group of intransigents, have? - What kind of monopolistic or otherwise unique behavior is it that generates such a vehement response, which in turn, creates suffering? - Why is it that then, as a result of the replenishment of their suffering, they would gladly continue demanding the pity and monetary compensation from everyone else, especially unfortunate Americans? - Although as far as I am concerned 99% of politicians are crooks, democrats and republicans alike, but how do you dare to write Nixonís name with Sharon, Hitler and Stalin in the same sentence? - Can you associate Nixon with any genocide or atrocities? Is this what you refer to as rhetorical genocide, trying to create psychological association with someone down and out, like what most of the news media have been doing specially after 9/11? This was, and may be still, to a certain degree, an effective mean of brainwashing, used during the good old days. - Since Palestinians and Jews are blood-cousins, does anti-Semitic term refers
to Palestinians too? * I am not proud to be an American today I commend you for your commentary, very honest and forthright [Today,
I am a Palestinian]. I cannot imagine how you feel, I am not Islamic nor
Palistenian, but I am a white American woman/mother. I cannot understand this Government
and it's brutality toward the Palistenian people, or it's support for Israel. It
is unconscienable. I am not proud to be an American today. * Please stop patronizing us Dear Mihan Parast, Dear Sir, If you truly are Iranian, you should know us better than to think of us as such
gullible people and allow yourself to insult our intelligence so blatantly. * Recommending you to my daughter My first time reading your material [Setareh Sabety]. You are what keeps humanity alive. I am going to look for more of your writings. I am also going to recommend it to my 16-year old daughter. Thanks again Arsalan F * You should expect to annoy certain people Dear Setareh, [Thoreauly wrong] I read your articles and now I need to say, you keep writing and don't mind narrow minded people who have an agenda supporting this and that group. You write, therefore you should expect to annoy certain people, that comes with it. keep your pen sharp and do what you do best. Regards, Someone who reads * Out-and-out condescension and hypocrisy Dear Setareh, It saddens me that a country founded specifically to be a magnet for immigrants
from around the world searching for a better life or looking to escape some kind
of persecution continues its longstanding practice of frequently persecuting others
not in the 'elite' or 'ruling class' and not abiding by the principles upon which
we were founded. And when they have some sort of grasp of a bit of it, they can't just offer sympathy
or compassion for the sake of it; no, there's almost always an agenda or a string
attached. Americans are masters at taking a situation unrelated to them and instead
of supporting it for the sake of it, they, as if it were like putty in their hands,
mold it into something that benefits or enwealthens them. Of course, I've been to numerous rallies over the years and have learned what to expect from them, but, still, I was saddened at the amount of people who were there under the pretext of showing support for the Palestinians, though in reality they were there to espouse their own causes. It takes away the luster on the legitimate protests against the Zionists who are
occupying and persecuting the Palestine and her would-be citizens. It lessens the
severity of the situation and the urgency of the protests. I know many people who
are very ignorant of what's happening there. I think we were talking about the differences in the points of view of America's
standing in the world. I made the point to him that I don't consider those Palestinians
fighting the war against Israel should be labeled 'terrorists'; I'd also argue that
perhaps people such as bin Laden shouldn't be called as such, either. What this meant, other than the staggering odds' against our winning, was that we were going to have to resort to unconventional warfare and war tactics. One of the tactics to which we resorted was a strike-and-hide sort of maneuver known as guerrilla warfare. This involved covert maneuvering, hidden strikes, disguised weapons, and attacks
on armed practitioners of the Queen's military and those colonists sympathetic to
the Crown (or, in other parlance, attacks on military and civilian personnel). If
one were to read that last sentence, that is, sans parentheses, a reasonably intelligent
person could see that I in no uncertain or stretched terms could be referring to
'terrorism'. As I travel and live more in this world, and as I get to know people from other cultures and lands, in their own skin, not in mine, it becomes my feeling more and more that people would know how to govern themselves if given the chance and not treated as if they were mentally retarded. I know there would be many arguments against this, but hold on. How could the situations of so many of this world's countries be any worse if there were less government and more personal sovereignty? I don't hold that people are as stupid as the governments have allowed them to become or as they believe they've become. I also don't think it's necessary for governments to lie and make their own truths so much. Of course, I know it's not necessary and that I'm being idealistic, but it's the
way it is because of the megalomania of so many of the elite over the idea of possessing
as much wealth, power, and property as can possibly be amassed. I can honestly say
that I cannot understand people who think like this. This shows how evolution can
go wrongly, maniacally, and dangerously out of control. Some of these same questions were questions that were asked by the very colonists, some of whom became our country's Founding Fathers, who rebelled against the world's then-Empire. Nowadays, we're the Empire, we're the ones harassing, amassing, and crevassing the world's meek. We're the one against whom others often rightly rebel. We're the next Empire that's going to suffer an outrageous fall. America has had, almost from day one, a history of oppressing others, that which
it was that we sought to escape. Hypocrisy, albeit in a different manner than how
it lives and breathes in our current democracy, has had a long history of dining
at our country's buffet, too. Most of the other ills that so seriously plague us
today were begotten later, in the mid-19th century, though they've been fertilized,
watered, and cultivated to a sharp edge over the past century, to be sure. As it is, since I look how I look and can only speak English and a smattering
of French, Spanish, and Korean, I don't think I'd get too far or be too welcome in
Palestine since I wouldn't be able to communicate very well my deep-seated emotions
on this. As it is, I have taken other subtle, but effective, ways in protesting (let's
just say it's related to the 'taxation without representation' issue back in the
1700s). Dave * Quiet sigh in relief Dear Setareh, * Molla, not clergy A good unknown reader of my last article, "Democracy my foot" was not happy for the usage of the word MOLLA. I had to please him by saying that, I had no intention of denigrating the Persian Clergy. The truth is that I am not sure or happy to use the word CLERGY or PRIEST for our Men of God. Since the words Clergy or Priest, ordinarily is associated with Christianity, as Rabbi is used for the Jews, Monk for Buddhists & so forth. Therefore I am confronted and at loss as what will be a proper word or name to call the clergy men who at the present time ruling our country uncontested, without offending anybody or denigrating our own Clergy. Let us go to our background & find out what we had learned from our childhood to call these so called MEN OF GOD in our family or social environment. As a child & the eldest son, whenever my grand mother had ROZEH KHANI, which was regularly once a month, I was the one who had to run after AGHA while he was leaving & slip a brisk 5 toomani note to his pocket or hand. AHGA used to pat on my head as a sign of thanks, or acknowledgment, I presume. This ROZEH KHAN was always refereed to as AGHA. But omnipotent AHGA was the name refereed to my father, though he was not a man of god but an ordinary government functionary. That created a bit of confusion, how is it that ROZEH KHAN & my father are both AGHAS, but they have nothing in common!? Again when there was a funeral the same AGHA was called VAEZ. At the same time in family gathering or chit chats the same AGHA was either called MOLLA or AAKHOND & some times even SHEIKH. We grow up without realizing any distinction between all these names. We never had heard or used, SHEIKH-AL-ISLAM, HOJAT-AL-ISLAM, AYAT-AL-LAH. Then we went to school started reading & reciting some well known poetry, there again, the Men of God were called VAEZ. Hafez ( VEZAN ...... CHON BE KHALVAT MIRAVAND.... ), Saadi, Obeide Zakani, Iraj Mirza, calls them, ARBABE AMAEM. They use different names for these men of God. Our literature is full of different names for our clergy which adds to confusion. Only once Iraj Mirza has used HOJAT-AL-ISLAM, ( HOJAT-AL-ISLAM KOTAK MIZANAD - BA HANAK VA TAHTE HANAK MIZANAD !!!). Up until the advent of the happenings of 1979, This was ordinary Men/Women knowledge
& understanding of the names for our religious MOAMAMs. But afterwards we came
to know the hierarchy of our religious institution, We got used to, not only to hear
all the odd names, AYAT-AL-LAH, HOJAT-AL-ISLAM, SHEIKH-AL-ISLAM, but even to use
them every day. The proliferation of these names has contaminated the western languages
& media as well, for good or bad. Let us have a convention or a kind of understanding to chose & use specific word for referring to our MEN OF GOD so that nobody gets hurt. Or do we need a referendum on this subject as well? * Jewish lobby assault on Iranians Dear Yek Mihan Parast, * If a > b and b > c, then a > c Dear William, I believe what Israel has been doing to Palestinians is truly worst than both Saddam Hussein and Millosovic actions vis-a-vis Kuwait or Kosovo Albanian. For no other reason than the fact that Israeli atrocities has been going on since 1947, and has been exasperated with every Isrealli "victory", namely 1968, 1973, and ironically since Oslo "peace process". That is a lot longer than the Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Millosovic, Saddam Hussien, or other examples that you included in your article. What to me makes the situation even more disturbing is that these atrocities are
committed by people that supposedly have learned from the Nazi experience, and want
to teach others what "must not be repeated". There has been reports that
Israeli army officers have been orderd to brush up on their techniques by studying
the tactics used by Nazis in crushing the Jewish uprising in Warsaw gethoes. Stalin,
Pol Pot, etc. committing the crimes you mention is one thing, but when you see the
victims become the oppressor, you lose faith in humanity. And to me, that is the
most troubling aspect of Israel-Palestinain conflict. In your conclusion you said: "A military struggle against a superior power
like Israel, which enjoys the support of the remaining global super power, is doomed
to failure." Furthermore you go on and seem to blame the "extremist rhetoric"
for the apparent "failure" of Palestinians. Albert Einstein said "The
significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were
at when we created them." I believe the problem with your conclusion is that
are still at the "same level of thinking" as when the problem of Israel
was "created". What appears to you as "failure" of Palestinians, namely the success of the Israel in creating a ethnically pure Jewish state void of its Palestinian inhabitant, in reality is complete failure of Israeli society in my book. Instead of a nation of values which can be a model of prosperity and tolerance in the middle east (or the world at large) it has chosen a path of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and state of perpetual war. It is a challenge for Israelis to change the path of their society, I hope they
can step-up to the plate and "do the right thing". As you said they have
the "superior power" and thus the choice of which path to take. They have
responsibilty toward their future generation, it would be a sorry situation if with
all their resources their only contribution to humanity and civilization be the likes
of Arial Sharon. Such a conclusion is "failure" of Israellies much more
so than for their Palestinian victims. In the mean time the comparsion with Hilter
Germany may server as a wake up call for the Israellies to see the ultimate futility
of their goverments policies, eventhough they have not yet gased, or "transfered"
millions of Palestinians into yet another exile yet. * Get a grip I read your comments on Iranain.com in response to "What crisis?" and I agree with you 1000 percent! Nothing but bunch of "Arab parasts" and "hypocrites", that's all we are. And this is why our government is nothing but an extension of Arab culture and hegemony any way. I mean in the end, people do deserve the kind of government they get, don't they? You will never hear one word from this pseudo intellectual cappuccino drinkers, or should I say Iranians in exile, about the mass ethnic cleansing of our Kurdish brothers in Turkey (23000 dead, 400 villages erased) and Iraq (Probably about 100000, give and take). Do these people even care or know that Kurdish people are among the member of what constitues Iranian tribes, being massacured by Turks and Arabs continously? How about Russian ethnic cleansing of Chechnia (well how can we criticize Russians, after all they supposedly support us! and sell us some junk sub marines and nuclear reactor and some old armament that no one wants to buy ....) Rawanda , forget about it? but there is not a week go by that these folks "Ashk temsah mirizan barayeh Palestine!" Get a grip: The so called Palestenians are Arabs. they are represented by 22 Arabs copuntries with more popoulation and wealth than Iran can ever put together. Time after time, opportunity after opportunity, these so called palestenians have taken side of their Arabs brothers, from Iran Iraq war, to the owner ship of our Iranian island in the Persian gulf (OOPS! Did I just say taboo word Persian Gulf!)? Guess what, if tommorow Sadam Hoessin obtains a Nuclear bomb and drops it on Iran(he will not have a guts dropping it on Isreal!), I bet you, palestinans will be the first ones supporting this act and cheering in the streets, while our reletives are burning like french frise!!! I am not even going to talk about Iran, cause for these folks, so long as they can travel to Iran, take some pictures, attend some lavish party(mehmooney), and ski some where and drink forbidden booze, that's the extent of their patriotism and level of their care! In the year 1972, shah of Iran said "kourush asoodeh bekhab ke ma bidarim" he really should have said "Arabs rest easy, Iranians will protect and promote your culture and survival, even if it cost their own self destruction!" PS: Just as I was finishing my letter, I saw a new artcile by Setarhe Sabety titled "Today, I am a Palestinian" I am not going to bother reading it! I shall wait for an article "Today, I am Iranian" in a major Arab news paper or web site. chances of that happening, -150%!!!! * I cannot agree with condemnation of all Israelis First of all, sorry for my english but I m not fluent in this language. I understant your emotion after the events of these past weeks and the brutal if not the barbarous behaviour of the israelian army towards the palestinian civils. But I cannot agree with your condemnation of all the israelis. [Today, I am a Palestinian] You musn't forget that after all israel is a democracy, the only one in this part of the world and that there are millions of israelis that are for a peacefull solution to this conflict by the creation of a palestinian state, but they were certainly desapointed by the answer of arafat to the proposans of the late israeli prime minister barak. It seems that you are desapointed by the attitude of the States toward this conflict. But usa has always been an ally of israel whatever there were republicans or democrates at the white house. The only probleme today is that ther is currently an ultra right governement in israel and in us exept Mr Collins a governement composed by ultra right wing of the republican party without no idea of the reality of the middle east, I mean the apartheid against the palestinian people and the feeling of a majority of israelis that the palestinians don't whant peace but the destruction of israel. You cannot consider the palestinian kamikazs as freedom fighters since they act usually not against the occupation army of israel but against the civilians people and help Sharon to legitimise his policy. The problem of palestinian is a dictatorial and week leadership, arafat I think is completly out from the reality of the palestinian/israeli conflict. He only want to keep the power in his hand and to present himself as the only palestinian leader able to defend the legitime interests of his people. No doubt his role as a major architect to the recognition of the right of the palestinian people to a state is considerable, but now it is high time for him to give the power to peoples more pragmatic and more democratic than him, able to provoque a referendum to let the palestinian people agree or not to a peace treaty with the israelis. In regard of the Sharon governement, thre is nothing to expect. A peacefull and long intifada will certainly collapse his coalition. In regard to the us policy, the only hope is that with the plan of bush administration to attack sadam hussein's irak, thre is a chance of a thougher attitude toward sharon, but don't expet something revolutionary. But, at the end, the main purpose of this letter is to tell you why as a person of iranian origin, are you so much interested by this conflict. There are so much countries that are tking care of this problem (the arab countries for their own internal policy and interest, and the european to counter the influence of us in the meadle east). There is another people that nobody talk about and that its suffers are much more greater than those of the palestinians. A people that is thrully enduring an hollocaust of the kind of the nazis (comparing any criminal act of the israeli governement to the holaucost suffered by the jew people during the second world war is really an offense to the memory of those victim of nazism and a significant misunderstand of the definition of hollocaust wich is the complete extermination of a people in consideration of its ethnic origin). This people is the tchetchenian people. CC * Most immigrants have same problem Salaam Sadaf! I read your TASLIM. Who is the old writter?Why he is so terrified about his around?OK! But you mix CAFE NAADERI with .... CAFE in ..... So It's not clear for both cultures(Iranian/American). I know that you are not insist on mixing or writting for both cultures ,but if you think that,so it's a little problem here. After comming back from BERKLEY,.....the atmospher of your story changes to American style (Franciss,Josefin,Thrumpet,...). Don't worry! It's about living in US, not about any mistake in your story. Mostly refugees and immigrants have the same problem. It's normal. BUYE GASE MUHAAYAM!..... smell of my hair?!. Mehraabaad airport, GEREHE RUSARY.... nice writting about changing the atmospher! Smart! * Homes of present leaders accessible? It is quite a sight -- to see the ordinary big houses, less opulent and grand
than most mansions of the rich and famous around the world, including third world
countries, being displayed as exclusive and suddenly accessible palace museums [Sadabad].
I wonder how many people have their private homes, in whatever country they live,
accessible to whoever wants to walk in? The park-like gardens were not manicured and were left natural, especially in Sadabad because there was an abundance of old and beautiful trees. The bubbling brook was magical ó with more water streaming through it in the Spring, since its source was the melting snow from the Alborz Mountains. In Shemiran, the so-called suburb north of Tehran, many other homes had this same
kind of landscaping: large gardens with old trees, fresh-water streams and brooks,
and most had their own water wells, so that there was enough water to keep the gardens
green during the dry season and the heat of the summer months. Now many of those
same beautiful gardens have been destroyed and apartment buildings are the new landscape. * Sadabad stripped naked I visited Iran for the first time in 15 years about 1 1/2 years ago. One of the places I went to was Sadabad palace. While I agree the luxuries of Shah's palace during his reign were very much in excess; I am also disappointed how corrupt the new regime has become in regard to turning these kinds of places into museums. For example, Sadabad has been stripped practically naked. The pictures you saw are of the rooms that still have furniture left in them. Even the chandeliers have had the original expensive crystals replaced by cheap glass. The bulk of the French furniture is gone. Most of the paintings and handcraft have completely disappeared. All the fancy furnishings have mysteriously vanished! I even asked one of the guards who was in charge of the grounds at "Princess Ashraf's" house what had happened to the place; there was absolutely nothing left in her home at Sadabad. His reply was to turn his head away. I personally disagreed with the Shah's regime, but to say that the Mullahs and Akhoonds are any better when it comes to the issues of corruption and lavish lifestyles, is a big fat lie! Library user, * Beauty with a mouse Dear Sadaf: * You spoke for many Iranians Ms. Sabety, While I have not read all your articles in iranian.com, I have read a couple including "Today, I am a Palestinian". Thank you, thank you, thank you !! You spoke for many Iranians. Do not be intimidated by the annoying phone calls,(easy for me to say!), we all know what kind of groups are behind these massive hate campaigns. On a related subject, I don't know if you've had the chance to read a former best seller called "They dare to speak out", by Paul Findley, a former senator from Michigan. In that book lies the reasons for all the hate mail you've been getting on the article. I highly recommend it. Wishing you all the best, Samad * Ich bin Frau Sabety! I almost always find something to criticize, and one of the people that I criticize
is Ms. Sabety. I particularly disagree with her aggrandizement of the downtrodden
for a hobby. But I have never felt like I needed to harass her [Thoreauly
wrong]. Stop harassing her, whoever's doing it. Take a bath,
go to the zoo. It is both cowardly and lazy, two things that get in the way of your enlightenment,
provided you have any sense whatsoever to begin with. Try to write something
as nice as Ms. Sabety writes, and try to defeat her argument, or engage her on an
aesthetic realm. Stop the violence: both "Israelis" and honorary
"Palestinians". * Unable to have a logical discussion Dear Setareh, [Thoreauly wrong] My heart went out to you after reading your most recent article in The Iranian regarding the abusive messages and phone calls you have been receiving lately. I have never written an article for The Iranian, but a letter or two that I have occasionally sent in has attracted abusive messages before. There was one guy who would write obscene letters to other readers of The Iranian and sign my name on the bottom. It is scary and unsettling, but more than anything, it is sad that we simply cannot agree to disagree. It is indicative of a certain lack of civilized mentality that we are unable to have a logical discussion/argument without resorting to name-calling and dragging the jad-o-abad into the mess. I enjoy reading your articles and agree with most of your view points (except maybe wanting to live under Sharon's Israel!). I applaud you for exercising your right to free speech. Bravo and hang in there. Warm regards, Mehrak * Minoo Naghi Rezaei My name is Jason Zaccarini and I am seeking information on my father who served
in the Iranian Navy on board the IIS ROSTAM. He was stationed at Barrow-in-Furness,
Lancashire, England in 1970/1971 while the ship was being constructed. His name is
Minoo Naghi Rezaei. He lived in Bandar Abbas although he originated from northern
Iran, near the Caspian Sea. Many thanks for your help, * Daring escape Back in the mid 80s, I heard of a woman who made a daring escape from Iran. She intentionally married a handicapped war veteran (Iran/Iraq) to smuggle her family fortune out of the country. She was able to lure her husband to travel with her to European destination. Upon her arrival, she fled and left her husband (on the wheel chair) in the airport. If anyone has any information about this story or even heard of it, please email me. * Footage of modern day Tabriz LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) is doing an exhibit on Changiz Khan. As a part of the exhibit, they will show a video that covers his life and legacy. For this video they need a few minutes footage of modern day Tabriz. People in daily life situations: in Bazaar, at the park, in the streets, etc. If anyone has such a footage that was shot on high8 or DV, or the equivalent,
LACMA is looking to purchase such material. Please email me with a brief description
of what you have. * Extrememly impressed Ms Farjami, I have a confession to make. I was first drawn to your poetry at iranian.com when I espied your photo. You are incredibly beautiful, and I realise that is an unoriginal thing to say, but I believe in being honest. :) However, since then I have read your words and enjoyed them very much, I only wish I could read farsi script so that I could appreciate your writing more. Anyway, my reason for writing is simply to tell you that I was extrememly impressed by 'It's Alive' . In my opinion it is a masterful blend of light humor and heavy reality. You manage the kind of emotional cocktail that every poet should endevour to mix. So I just wanted to congratulate you on that. With regards, your humble reader, * UN vote I'm on holiday again, and I just heard the news about the UN vote to exclude the
IRI from human rights violator status etc. Would anyone know exactly which countries
voted in favour of the Mullah republic and which against. Would you be so kind as
to e-mail it to me, I'd like it for my records. * PERSIA, in my opinion Dear Mr. Issabeigi, I read your article with interest [The rest]. You are mixing two different issues to prove that Persia does not include all of the Iranians. Your example of Khoosestan, Azarbayejan & others are irrelevant. When Herodot the ancient Greek Traveller & Historian named our, the then very vast country, PERSIA, he had in mind the inhabitants of the entire Persian Flato, consisting of today's Central Asian countries as well as Asia Minor (Turkey) almost all Bein-Al-Nahrain, (Iraq, Syria) till part of indian province of Sind. And from the north west, just a line under today's Moscow. If you consult the ancient Atlases, the part of the world depicted under the name of PERSIA is so vast that includes so many, as you call, ethnic groups, much more that, Azaris, Kurds, Arabs. It includes, Tajiks, Kazaks, Ghergis, Uzbeks, Afghans, Gorgies, Armenians & so many others that for long have been Persians. Only 170 years ago we lost the northern part of our country to Russians. That is not so long according to the history. To my opinion, PERSIA, not only encompasses today's entire Iranian territory it includes so many other proud Persians residing on the Persian Flato. Also, we should remind our Arab neighbours specially Iraq, that their claim over Khuzestan is base less, since our ancient capital, TISFOON, stands erect even today, only 30 Kilometres south of Baghdad! For your Information, go to BBC Archive & search for PERSIA, you will be amazed that you do not find any thing there? Ask yourself WHY? Where there are so many books, videos about every other ancient civilizations. You name them they have it. Go to Time Magazine, their book & video section about Ancient Civilizations, NOTHING FROM PERSIA? WHY? I wrote them & asked the this very question. HOW GREAT IS YOUR ALEXANDER THE GREAT WITHOUT PERSIA? Their reply. WE WILL THINK ABOUT IT. Dear Ham Vatan, I beg you not to help those who want the world forget about PERSIA. Best wishes & regards, * Why don't we march for ourselves? I have been reading multiple articles over the past month, about the feelings fellow Iranians have toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I to feel that the current situation has become an international crisis, in the inhumane treatment of the arab population, of palestinians which reside on the outskirts of Israel in the land that has been alloted to them. However although I am Muslim and naturally have a strong allegiance with the Palestinians, I do not forget the complete support of Saddahm Hussein by Yasser Arafat during our 9 year war, and I as many Iranians who where in Iran remember Sadham stating that khorhamshar will be Arabshar and that it will be a wonderful place for a new home for the Palestinians, with Yassar Erafat grinning from ear to ear in full support of our countries destruction. We have many problems within our country and we are at a very delicate time, approximatly every twenty years the political agenda in our country has changed we now are passing that point. Instead of marching in Washington for what has been happening in Israel for the past couple of weeks and month, Why dont we march downtown against President Bush's statement of Axis of Evil?..Why don't we march for ourselves?.. Are we any better off than the Palestinians?... I wonder how our young University students feel when they see on the news Iranians outside of Iran marching with picket signs that say Iranians in support of Palestinians... I know that I was a University student there 2 years ago I know how I would have felt. I wish peace for our young population although i feel for the Palestinians Iran comes FIRST. * Two questions After reading Setareh Sabety's piece "Today,
I am a Palestinian", I would like to ask her two questions: * Do not fear the reaction I am so glad that quite a few people have addressed the amazing e-mails they have received from readers [Thoreauly wrong]. I hope the nasty and reactionary remark from some of the readers does not intimidate Mrs. Sabety. She needs to keep on expressing whateveris on her mind. I do not know about the content of e-mails she has received but she would be amazed to know that in response to my comments about "what I read in the name of poetry was garbage", what response I received from the writer of the piece! Well, this beloved poetess (so she claimed ) used "I don't give a fuck what you think" four times. She called me Fatmeh Khanoom and a lazy Iranian that did nothing for my people. I let this dame have it by telling her that on the contrary I was anything but lazy and unlike her that writes at the comfort of her cozy and free new homeland, I have been fighting for women's rights since I was 14 years old and participated in the underground meetings during high school and college and she probably was not even born then. To this day, I work to promote Iranian culture and causes every day of my life. I try to make a difference in othere people's lives every day a swell. I too was called names when I wrote a short comment about the Reza P. The reader called me the bitch on Mullah's payroll and wished I would be sodomized by Khomeini! The evil twin in me answered that his mother must have been sodomized very savagely and that must have caused his brain damage. I went on to tell him that Khomeini was long dead and as an old man there was not much he could have done anyway. When I wrote that inflicting wounds was a shameful practice for Ashura, someone wrote that Hossein went to war for ungrateful people like me!. Well, by the style of his writing I knew he was very uneducated so I just asked him to please refresh my memory and ask the man (who died 1700 years ago)to tell me what he had done for me. Another one wrote simply "loser" and it was spelled "louser". Unfortunately, I brought myself to his level and answered: next time you are done washing the toilets of the restaurant you work in, head to a library and start improving your writing and reading skills so you can get a decent job and realize you are the real loser. I have a name for these people. I call them "men without parts". Amazingly, most of them hide behind some funky e-mail name and I can tell by their style of writing they are men but don't have the balls to give their real names. I make sure I bring that up everytime. I sign my legal name to everything I write. I also, get a clear feeling that most of them are not very educated and are in low level jobs. An intelligent and educated person who is successful and happy does not assume the writer belongs to one sect or the other. Now, I only answer once and if I see another e-mail from the same person, I simply block it and move on. As a woman we are even more target of criticism because we should just write love stories and let our intelligent Iranian men write about important issues. What does a woman know? My hat off to Mrs. Sabety and all the other women who do not fear the reaction of a few men without parts or a few women without guts. I intend to speak my mind. By everyone's account I am too old to change and most intelligent people like me that way. Regards * They raise holy hell Loved your article [Just wondering]. I have also been baffled by Iranian mullah's portrayel of Israel as their greatest enemy. One can only speculate that they want an enemy with a low threat of actually doing something to retaliate against their rhetoric. Of course, the Palestinean issue is a sore spot for Muslims, but look at what is happening to Muslims in China. They've been brutally repressed there and many executed along with Christians and Buddhists, all in the name of Chinese state security. Ziang Zemin comes to Iran and the mullahs trip over themselves to please him. Not a word about the mistreatment of innocent civilians, but let the IDF kill one or an errant U.S. bomb go off in Afghanistan and they raise holy hell. The message to Chinese Muslims -- you're on your own, we don't give a damn about
you. * ? To whom it may concern:
Zogby International conducted face-to-face interviews in five Arab nations - Egypt,
Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Face-to-face interviews
were also conducted in three non-Arab Muslim nations - Pakistan, Iran, and Indonesia.
To establish a proper context for our results, we also conducted face-to-face interviews
in France and Venezuela. * Land of hypocrisy and CNN I just wanted to write and say that I feel the same way you do [Thoreauly wrong]. From your feelings of shame about being American at this point, to your disgust with the Nazification of Israel, with US support, and to your feeling about IRI's position on Palestine and CNN I am in agreement with you. I am ashamed of the US and its behaviour. I can't say that I wish I never had become an American since I was born one. My mother is American. All I can do is continue to hold onto Iranian culture and the Iranian side of my identity as at this point my feelings for the US side, which have been declining for some time, are and have been at an all-time low. In fact I renewed my work contract for an additional three years so that I would not have to return to the land of hypocrisy and CNN. I teach at a rather prominent university in [Europe] where there are many US students whose ignorance and racism in regard to this area is truly breathtaking. Of course there are exceptions, but many have the CNN/FOX News mentality and are not prepared to see things from a different point of view. 'They are all animal-like terrorists' I have heard from several of them. The majority of Europeans have sympathy with the Palestinians, decrying Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian lands and the brutal colonial war it is raging in order to gain more 'living space' for Israel. Khoda negahdar, ZS * Go where it is going Dear Setareh, [Thoreauly
wrong] * Silent majority Dear Mrs.Sabety, We're against these mullahs who've hijacked our beautiful country to their own profit and power, but we're also very much against a puppet prince pahlavi who's fake smile for democracy underlies a great support of the same father of his who hand in hand with the cia got rid of our democratic Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadeq, thus leading our people down the road of extremism which bore fruit with the chaos of the '79 revolution. We're against a rascist israel which explains its ownership of the land it occupies as the "will of God," in a similar manner which khamenei describes his power and position in an Islamic Republic which is obviously not really a Republic, and also as a result of the corruption, torture, suppression, and power-blinded self-indulgence of these mullahs, no longer even Islamic. It seriously shames me as a Muslim when other Muslims throw stones at women to kill them, all in the name of God, the same God who gave us brains which some of these taliban mullahs probably also regard as being "un-Islamic." And of course, we're against terrorism, but we're against terrorism in all its forms. This includes the terrorism inflicted on young Palestinian children by F-16s which my tax money, against my will, has gone to. This includes the terrorism that killed hundreds of Africans in US embassies several
years ago which nobody gave a damn about, simply cause their not American. But it
also includes the terrorism of the mullahs which has associated the word Iranian
in parts of the US as being side by side with the word terrorist. * Read ur articles religiously Salam Khanome Sabety, [Thoreauly
wrong] * Dissent is a great American characteristic Dear Mrs. Sabety, Before I even begin to say anything else, I want to tell you how proud I am of you and other Iranians like you who are enlightened enough to know that dissent is a great American characteristic and that possessing this Iranian trait in no way makes us unIranian. [Thoreauly wrong] I am an eighteen year old political science major and although I try to stay away from the convuluted world of Iranian politics, I know how it feels to get hateful letters based on an article that you wrote. I don't mean to sound offensive, but it makes sense to me why some people would be angered by your writings. I, on the other hand, write satire about materialism and marriage and what do I get? More hateful e-mails. I have realized something that you probably figured out a very long time ago. Iranians are afraid of people with free minds. We have been kept in the dark for so long (or that is where people have tried to keep us) and when we break free and step into the sunshine, those who have been long accustomed to the dark fear us and try to hold back our progress. I enjoy your writings very much as do many others and I hope to hear more from your mind soon! Thanks! * You seem to be fairly intelligent Why do you have this incessant obsession with the term "monarchist"? [Thoreauly wrong] You seem to be fairly intelligent. Can't you come up with another term to describe people who don't agree with your myopic views? Who is a monarchist? What monarch? Where? Think a little before you start categorizing people. TS * Break a leg! Congratulations to YOU Jahanshah khan, * Stretching your argument Dear Sir, Like in all dominations one people dominated the other by the will of the sword. Yet the multi-ethnical uniqueness of the Persian Empire was based on the respect of the local traditions and religions of the conquered people. The same way the Roman Empire had established a PAX Romana, the Persians had imposed centuries before a PAX Achaeminia on the lands extending from the Hindus river to the Nile. If the Persian Empire was considerably reduced to the frontiers of today the term "Persian" has kept its strong symbolism mainly for its unifying terminology which again is more apparent in Anglosaxon languages than again in Farsi which could have been kept Parsi had the Arabian conquest not introduced its own influences on our language. Yes you do have a point when you say kurds are iranians and not Persian however one ethnical entity managed to supersede all others and that were the Persians over the centuries. One can regret this on the otherhand one can understand why the concept of Persia
persisted due to the need maintain a central framework inherited from the Aecheminian
Dynasty ( First Persian Dynasty) to the country known to us all as Iran and not Persia.
Unlike what you mention in your article I do think that the major differences between
ethnical entities in Iran have nevertheless been recognized despite the supremacy
of the term "Persian" over Kurd, Mede or anyother minority in Iran. A typical
example is Iranian Jews who consider themselves Iranian before being Jewish. Nevertheless
your arguments are indeed interesting. * No clear definition of "Persian" Dearest Editor, * British instigation A response to the article called "The
rest". FAA * Zoroasterian photography Dear Sirs,
* Pray "David" will prevail! I have just finished reading the article by Setareh Sabety [Today, I am a Palestinian], and she echoes my sentiments exactly, regarding the brutality of the Israelis towards the Palestinian people. This injustice, truly epitomizes the story of David and Goliath, with the Palestinians assuming the role of David. Let us all, as Americans, pray that "David" will prevail! It was heart-breaking to read of Mrs. Sabety's disappointment and her abject frustration with my country, however, I truly feel that once the American people are made aware of the truth regarding the present political leadership of Israel, justice will prevail. I truly hope that it will not be too late! * The real terrorist Dear Setareh, I feel the same as you do. It was a wonderful article and I know it is coming from your heart [Today, I am a Palestinian]. I wish you would read the articles from Jan. 25/ (Irish Times, New Zealand Times and BBC) to see how Sharon and his secret Moused orchestrated the car bombing a day before in Lebanon, because the Lebanese commander who did the massacre of Palestinians in 1982 was going to testify against Sharon in the Hague court. Now you see who is the real terrorist? Thanks again and be honest as always to your feelings. Sincerely yours: Reza K * Freedom fighters my ass! You would really rather be a Palestinian than an American? [Today, I am a Palestinian] Well go be one. Really. I don't mean to be harsh, but a suicide bomber of non-combatants is just a cold-blooded murderer, a STUPID one at that. Sorry, but it's true. There were PEACE negotiations going on at the time! PEACE! You know, everybody stops killing each other long enough to work things out like rational human beings? And what do the Palestinians do when the Israeli's stop? They kill as many Israeli's as they possibly can. How would you like to live with suicide bombers and wild-eyes gunmen for neighbors? I for one would want to get RID of them TOTALLY! Although I think Israel lays it on a bit thick, I can't blame them one bit for being defensive and have no sympathy to spare for terrorists. Freedom fighters my ass! I'll feel sorry for them when, and only when, they stop
being terrorists. For heaven's sake, they seem to have no lack of weapons. Let them
attack armed soldiers instead of people at parties, babies in the arms of their parents,
old people at bus stops, random shoppers at open-air markets....!!!!!! * I was born and raised in Kuwait Dear Setareh I am so glad you wrote this article. I was waiting for you to talk. [Today, I am a Palestinian] I was born and raised in Kuwait and had seen the difficulties the Palestinians were facing even though those had a musch better life than the people who remained in Palestine....they could not vosit thier relatives bc Israel would not even allow them a visit. they are denied many right in other Arab countries. It makes me so mad when I hear some american politicians say" Palest. should go to other Arab countries.." Why don't they bring the Israeli people here to the US? It is not the we Iranians are pro-Arabs, as some are saying... it is simply the fact that we Iranians throught history have been against :injustice". This is the biggest violation of human rights in the day-light, with the support of America. I am so sad , I am crying every day over this. We came here in this country for freedome and democracy, and all we are seeinmg is double standard. Keep up the good job, Mojgan |
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