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December 18, 2003 * I was there I was officially invited to participate at Ebadi's Nobel Peace Prize event due to the fact that I have one of the highest decorations of Norway. That Decoration was bestowed to me by the late King Olav the 5th. It is called "Sant Olav Cross, Commander". As you may know I was posted to Norway as a Minister Charge des Affairs in September 1968. I was in that post for five years & did my best to promote good relations, on all aspects, between Iran & Norway. I was instrumental in abolishing visa regulations between Iran & the Scandinavian counties. At the end of 5 years of my assignment in Norway I was honored by that Decoration. Therefore I am considered the most prominent Iranian living in Norway. That is the reason I was officially invited to attend the Ceremony by Nobel Peace Committee of Norway. [A summary of Ebadi's speech was inlcuded in this email.] * Very first movie I was overjoyed to see this
picture of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones at the Nobel
Peace Prize ceremony for Shirin Ebadi. Zeta Jones's very first movie
happens to be a french adaptation of the Thousand and One Nights.
Zeta Jones was cast as Princess Shahrzad. The film though is unavailble
on video. * Proud of you My warmest congratulations to our beloved international footballer Mehdi Mahdavi-kia on his becoming the Asian Footballer of the Year. We, most certainly, are proud of you. Baa aarezoo -ye- movafaghee'yat -e- zee'iaad for you Mehdi. Issa Hajjizadeh * Total boycott Dear compatriots salam, The key to change rests in being resolute, unified and organized. Iran's upcoming parliamentary elections offer a golden opportunity to force meaningful change from a tyrannical system by refusing to participate, via a total boycott, in a process which is effectively meaningless. WHY SHOULD IRANIANS ENGAGE IN THE CHARADE OF A PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION WHEN THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE RENDERED POWERLESS TO IMPLEMENT THE WISHES OF THE PEOPLE BY UNELECTED, INCOMPETENT AND SELF-INTERESTED SHADOW GOVERNMENTS, COUNCILS, AND INDIVIDUALS? IRANIANS SHOULD HOLD OUT FOR THE DISSOLUTION AND DISMANTLEMENT OF THESE UNELECTED AND UNACCOUNTABLE ENTITIES AS THE PRICE FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS. I AM PUBLICLY APPEALING TO THE LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS OF ALL REFORMIST POLITICAL PARTIES, ALL OPPOSITION PARTIES, ALL STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS, ALL LABOR UNIONS AND SYNDICATES, ALL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, ALL MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES, AND ALL IRANIAN CITIZENS AND PATRIOTS TO TAKE A UNIFIED STANCE IN SUPPORT OF A BOYCOTT OF THE UPCOMING PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS UNLESS AND UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THESE UNELECTED AND UNACCOUNTABLE ENTITIES ARE DISSOLVED AND DISMANTLED. I AM FURTHERMORE PUBLICLY APPEALING TO ALL THE AFOREMENTIONED GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS TO ORGANIZE PEACEFUL "PRESSURE" EVENTS TO FORCE THE DEMANDED CHANGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT RESTRICTED TO WORK STOPPAGES, STRIKES, DEMONSTRATIONS, SIT-INS, WALKOUTS, AND RALLIES. * Ungrateful kind Regarding the article "Who cares?" by Behrouz Bahmani, it is interesting that the likes of Ms. Akhlaghi spend so much passionate time fighting the Patriot Act instead of fighting the oppressive laws of the mulahs in their own homeland. Ms. Akhlaghi... The U.S government should have never let your ungrateful kind into this country to begin with. You come from a country like Iran where the citizens and particularly women have virtually no rights, and you enter into a country that is hospitable enough to let you in, where you have countless more rights and freedom than you had in your own homeland. And what is the first thing you do? You fight and criticize America. Like where you came from, you had any rights that you have lost here. Your kind sickens me. If it sucks so much here and you your kind are being treated unfairly, then you and your constituents have a simple choice: Go back to Iran, where you will be tortured and put in jail for criticizing the government. * Make us still believe in humanity Kudos to Banafsheh Akhlaghi [Who cares?] and all the other people like her. They make us still believe in humanity and morality despite all the hurdles in the field and all the obstacles on the road. Long live Banafsheh, et al! * Screwed by Arab culture * So what if they think we are Arabs? Doesn't the author of "It would be a sad day" know that this is the worst annd most dangerous time to be attacking the Iranian government? Has he forgotten that Bush's Imperialsm programme is on 5th gear with Iraq and Afghanistan toppled, he is surrounding Iran in Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, ALL surrounding Iran? Has he forgotton that Bush shows no mercy when it comes to oil. That Bush -- like his father -- does not care if he kills 100,000 civilians in bombing raids to spread terror? Has he forgotten that the male American troops in Iraq do not have an equal number of female American companions, that the rape of Iraqi women is going on on a constant basis at moment? Does he actually believe that a revolution in Iran will solve the problems which our country has? Does he not recognise that the Middle East united in an Arab League (even though Iranians are Aryans and not Arabs) will be a counterattack on Bush? So what if a white trash Westerner thinks Iranians are Arabs? Is that what he's afraid of? To be called a Camel Jockey, in expense of economic and peaceful stability in our country. Deegeh nemeedoonam. I'm just getting sick. * The ultimate irony After the various events in Iran's history, I usually don't get surprised easily with what can happen in Iran, but the other day something caught my attention: Iran's possibilty of joining the Arab League [It would be a sad day]. I am sure that some people might say that it might be in Iran's benefit to join for various political or economic reasons. I guess with enough effort most acts can be rationalized. But this is the ultimate irony. I've had some arab friends over the years, and we do have some things in common with them. But whenever the subject of islam came up, they often had this reaction in their face. One day, finally one of them told me that "we arabs don't consider you iranians muslims.. we call you al-fars al-majoos, which means the dirty persian, literally... i asked him why? his response was that you iranians never really accepted islam... at heart you are still fire worshippers... and this shia islam is not the true islam.. it is the iranian conspiracy against islam and the prophet mohammad"... So with all of Iran's efforts to pass itself off as an islamic
state, to this date most arabs don't even consider us as ture muslims...
and
yes when they need our oil they smile in our face, but behind our backs
they laugh all the way to the bank....oh they also said one more
thing "we arabs love iranian women, however only after
we marry them and make true muslims out of them... after all as arabs,
it is our duty to bring as many muslims into this world, and spread the
prophet's religion"... "Wherever you go, there you are." * Better protects our interests I think Iran should join with all it's neigbours and also all over the world regardless of how they treat their people. This way we could protect our interests much better, unlike the Shah who was only the freind of the Israel and USA. And hence all this problem we are having now is because of that policy. * Rather a hypocrite You don't really sound like an artist but rather a hypocrite [Simply human nature]. Please read your story before you actually hit the send button! One minute you are proud of being Iranian, another minute you don't like to talk about your ethnicity, then later, you say "... one tended to introduce oneself as 'Persian', then Middle Eastern and finally East Asian as more and more of that part of world became controversial." And then you became Indian/half Canadian. I must say that after reading your argument I completely agree with Kambiz. I do think you suffer from a lack of identity/personality. * I'm a fish from that water I saw your photographs [El Limbo] and beatiful article in recent iranian.com. I normaly read your articles and when you mix them with your photographs, it remind me of Karim Emami's style! Khasteh nabaashi. One thing .... as a friend who almost has the same background as you, we both have the same experiences with the Iraninan Revolution and then moved to US and almost in the same line of job. Truly: - Here [US] is not my home. It never will. For sure they don't offer me a job as a full time photojournalist. I work and shoot for AFP, London Feature, US Senate and Congress, NATO, Republican Party, Democrats, World Bank... but I always know, I'm not a full memeber of their club and this sense is killing me everyday. - I have the same bad memory of Iran, but I'm sorry to say I can't get rid of it. I'm a fish from that water. So, I think I will get back to that country. Not because I was born there, but I think my profession is asking me to do so. * Diasporic el limbos Dear Mr. Javid, [El Limbo] I loved your photo itinerary. It's simple and beautiful. I guess there's pleasure as well as pain in our diasporic el limbos, and maybe there's something positive about having multiple homes. * Better in long run Siamack, [Twins for sale! Twins for sale!] Your articles are among highlights of iranian.com Very funny and now this two surprising small heads on the cover :-) You have double struggle for your kids now, but in the long run it is much better. The kids will play together and let you and your wife enjoy your film or book. Or you could fly away to India in your dreams, waking up to see the kids are making Tanboori for lunch over the fire in the guest room. (I am a great India fan, above all Bollywood films!) Don't forget, parents do a hard job for their kids only for a limited few years but kids have to look after their parents for many decades. Play with them, feed them and telling them stories before they sleep, until they have reached their 90's or 100's. Reminds me of a joke. A kid tells his brother: "maa faghat 9 maah too dele maamaanemoon boodeem o ye chand saalee ham eenaa behemoon reseedan. Dar avaz baayad 80-90 saale tamoom azashoon movaazebat konim." * Girls don't "turn into lesbians" Lord Ahriman, I agree with your criticism of Sunlord's immature, inarticulate, and pompous narration of his imagined love affair [Sorry Ms. El]. Yet, I don't think it is necessary to put down Puerto Rican women and call them "cheap hookers" in order to make your point. Another thing: Girls don't "turn into lesbians" because of "guys like him." Really. It's not failed heterosexuality, or the scarcity of good men that attracts one to other women (and I don't think all heterosexual men are as conceited as our little friend, Sunlord). It is only if one assumes heterosexuality to be THE "natural" or "normal" form of desire that one considers other forms of desire (such as same sex) to be unfortunate derivatives. Why is that when one gets frustrated with heterosexuality's discontents, one resorts to homophobic language? (Unfortunately, you are not the only one). Believe me Lord, many women don't choose other women as their last resort. So, next time you attempt to answer the question,"what happens to women that they turn into lesbians," rather than answering "because of guys like Sunlord," you may want to think about this: "What happens to heterosexual women and men, that they turn into heterosexuals?" Food for thought. (See reply below) Choob Dosar-Gohi * Because you felt threatened? In reply to above, I chose my particular assult because males like Sunlord will most likely find themselves enraged by those statements. I didn't intend to offend anyone who is homosexual, nor did I expect to get myself involved in a sociological/scientific debate. I was simply compelled to drag Sunlord's face in the dirt after reading his 6th grade love article [Sorry Ms. El]. I honestly have no interest in discovering exactly why women or men become homosexual, so your comment wasn't the least bit thought-provoking, yet you must realize that your own theories are completely arbitrary, like most sociological thought. I apologize if I have offended you, but don't expect me to limit my display of hatred towards people like Sunlord simply because you feel threatened. (See reply below) * Scapegoating queers In reply to above, I am sorry to hear that you do not have the capacity to think about why certain questions, such as the one you posed in your letter, are asked. You don't need to be interested in the question of why men and women become homosexual, as the question itself is misled in that it looks for "causes" of an abject phenomenon. What I had encouraged you to do, was to think about why this question is not asked with respect to heterosexuality, and why you so easily scapegoat queers in order to construct your own selfhood. Your comments in your article were not even a bit threatening to me, as I am most comfortable with my sexuality and know that it is not resulted from being angry at the sexism of men such as Sunlord, but is as natural as any sexuality (including heterosexuality that has established itself the position of "normal"). Yet, as someone who sees homophobic language as a buttress for insecure heterosexual self-affirmation, I feel compelled to respond. Alas, your "expression of hatred" towards Sunlord remains within his "6th grade" level of argumentation. Your apology at the end, has no meaning, as you redress it with a self-rightous claim to offending others, when you are offended by someone like Sunlord. |
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