Letters

July 2005
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Men AND women created by a GOOD God

In response to Vida Kashizadeh's "Not that old hat again":

Madame you may wish to go as the daughter of the rest of the world and you are welcome to do so - as long as you are quite clear in your own mind that you will never be any daughter of ours! Ours are taught form birth and it runs in their veins that our religious beliefs and customs are sacred to us and may not be viloated by ignorance of the facts at any time and for any reason.

I do not know what stupid, utterly ignorant person has informed you of Zoroastrian women being created by ahriman - nor do I know what great authors and publications you have studied to date to be able to pontificate at such great length on a subject that you are obviously not at all au fait with! By merely mention Prof Mary Boyce's name to lend support to your ignorant pronouncements you simply show how little you have actually read of her works or studied under her tutelage. Her great and profound respect for Zoroastrianism, (I would not have called it a mere fascination) has made her study us in greater detail and therefore had you studied her in turn, you would not have found yourself making such foolish statements about us and our long history and influence on the world's religious stage!

It is disgraceful that any writer should descend to the base levels of journalese in attempts to sell/display their stories - and the only papers who would fall for such drivel have to be, in my opinion, simply yellow rags not worth the paper they are printed on - though since I read your attempts in cyberspace, perhaps I should be saying not worth the cyber space you are occupying!

The owner of the site may have found your article actually interesting (in spite of all his accomplishments in the field of journalism) and therefore may have allowed it to see the light of day thus unedited - to us it is an insult - specially to Zoroastrian womanhood! Jahanshah Javid, may well have reason to claim that he has had religion upto here - well we have not -and to presume that all have given up living their religion and are simply giving it some cursory lip service - is yet again a basic unawareness and a lack of knowledge equaling ignorance - ahriman's greatest tool to fight the forces of Ahura Mazda with! >>> Full text

Shirin JM
A full blooded Parsi Zoroastrian by birth - and proud to be one!

Decisive and irreversible era

On Ahmadinejad's election:

With the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the new president, Iran has indeed entered a new era of possible far overdue direct engagement of its sole decision maker, Ayatollah Khamenei and his entourage including this protégé president in the daily affairs of the government. The lingering saga of past sixteen years when Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohmmad Khatami the so called [slick] pragmatist and [astute] reformist presidents, who made numerous pledges but delivered very little as they endemically complained about the [more fundamentalist] faction of the shadow government led by Khamenei holding exclusively the policy and decision making in their own possession, is now over.

With Khamenei at the helm and the ultraconservative parliament, and now the fundamentalist president who would undoubtedly propose and receive immediate confirmations for his executive team to head the various ministries, an all out homogenous government would rule Iran in the next four to eight years.

There are two possibilities: Ahmadinejad would be able to truly implement an economic parity policy for all Iranians especially the 62% backbone, those who gave a million martyrs for the imposed Iraqi war, the less fortunate from the shanty towns and rural regions who voted for him, while steering the country [transparently] out of its internal miseries and external deadlock; that is desirable but improbable. Or, Ahmadinejad's acclaimed ethical and honorable attributes would be tarnished or found insufficient to successfully tackle the magnanimous economic problems (unemployment, inflation, corruption, cronyism, nepotism, and social equity), lack of management (system, planning, implementation, assessment, and accountability) and international impasses such as free trade, the nuclear issue and terrorism.

It is more plausible that the latter scenario becomes reality, in which case, the country that is currently split about the middle so far as the legitimacy of the Islamic republic is concerned, would once again swing to the left irreversibility, thereby accelerating the process of fundamental change orchestrated from without the system, that may only be feasible with arm conflicts, mass strikes, mass demonstrations, and possible inevitable but detrimental external intervention.

Regardless, the process of Islamic reformation, which is the development of Islamic Protestantism an internal struggle within the Islamic world approaching 1.5 billions, has already begun in Iran. The election demonstrated the widening divergence between prescription written by the by and large three million Iranians in Diaspora and the realistic aspirations of the seventy million compatriots in their homeland when it comes to the developing and future needs of the country.

Let's agree on one thing

I recently saw this handwritten poem on the back of an old picture of my aunt, taken 50 years ago, about Iranians, by an unknown poet. I thought we all should read, think about it, and get the message. The poem was:

hezaaran saal ba fetrat neshastam be khod payvastamo as khod gosastam
valikan sarneveshtam in dow harf ast tarashidam, parasteedam, shekastam

In the 21st century and in the era of hi-technology, with million of young and educated Iranians in Iran and around the world, we still can not agree on what kind of government can provide democracy and prosperity for us (monarchism, republic, islamic-republic, etc.).

The kind of government is not the key to democracy. Today, there are democratic kingdoms in Netherlands (Holland), Norway, Belgium, Spain, Thailand, Japan, England, etc. Also, there are democratic republics in Switzerland, France, Germany, India, China, Canada, etc. However, there is no democratic theocratic regime in the world, and all democratic regimes have separation of church and state in their laws.

Iran has been a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural country for thousands of years. To have democracy and prosperity, we must avoid making idles and worshiping them (shah, shaikh, or Imam), agree on one thing which is "separation of religion and government" that helps both of them, and put it in our constitution, respect different views, show non-violent protest against oppressive governments by staying at home and boycotting any election that may legitimize them in the world.

Democracy comes to people who think and act democratic!

Payaam Haghighat

Top

Disfunctional, undemocratic

In response to Ghamari-Tabrizi's "What’s the matter with Iran?":

Prof. Ghamari-Tabrizi's analysis of the Iranian presidential election is at once eloquent, illuminating, and unfortunately misleading in parts. I share his critique of the reformists and much of his sentiment, but I do not so easily overlook the track record of Khamenei, Jannati, Yazdi, et. al. -- including their obvious disdain for democracy, their alarming self-righteousness, or their lack of tolerance for dissent.

Let no-one forget how time and time again the reforms advocated by the 2nd of Khordad front were stymied -- at times violently, and more often, with violence looming as an instrument of politics. This behavior is not democratic, it is authoritarian.

The tragedy of the reform movement was indeed that it did not stand its ground; and the tragedy of Iranian politics is that in the current system, democracy and authoritarianism (in the form of unchecked religious oversight) coexist. The pendulum has undeniably swung in favor of the latter, pushed along by the interference of those who abhor and fear political competition...

Does Ghamari-Tabrizi really think that "bottom-up social change" stands a chance in this atmosphere when holding the presidency and parliament didn't? If the reactionaries don't shy away from blatantly violating the parliamentary immunity of MPs, why would they stop at murdering dissidents or crushing signs of opposition? (Which they have engaged in repeatedly). Does he not grasp, at long last, that they will pay as much lip service to the rhetoric of democracy as necessary, only to return to the language of force the instant their rule is threatened? >>> Full text

Muslim hatred of modernity

On Shappi Khorsandi's "This is war":

Dear Ms. Khorsandi,

The faceless cowards that you mention in your views are those who wish to empower themselves and their only conflict with so called civilized world is that they see the civilized ways is the one all people in the world prefer. in your fairy ways of looking at things please remember that in the Muslim world there is an irrational attitude that rule over the chain of events,

1) hatred of the West for its modernity and managerial skills and commitment to human rights and fairness to all,

2) hatred of any part of the civilized world for its attitude towards women's liberation, rights and social standing,

3) actual hatred of democracy while wishing to fool the people in the name of religion and god with lies and all sort of propaganda,

4) and lasty, barbaric societies have always tried their best to destroy their civilized adversaries. Changiz Khan destroyed the Persian empire, the actual barbarians were responsible for the destruction of the first democracy in Greece. It is natural that these faceless people, and whoever is behind them, see their world trembling with the advance of social justice and democracy, as well as modern modes of communications (internet,cell phones , satellite TV's).

Look at the Iranian example, how the freedom of an entire nation is totally in the hands of one man: the "velayat e faghih". He and those in the position of power don't wish to share it with their own people. Why? Because if the people were free to choose their own leaders and had access to independent sources of news, they would not elect the current leaders. In a strange way, Muslims and their fate have been taken hostage by fanatics, and unfortunately Muslims are the ones paying for it the most.

It took many years to defend against the Nazis, it took the Cold War decades against the communists, and now the Arab oil cartels are playing the Muslim card while enriching themselves with the rise of oil prices resulting from events they are responsible for.

Ms Khorsandi, I sympathize with you. You have had a horrible day caused by a bunch of blind fanatics. Please be mad at those who are responsible, not those trying to protect you.

It is common amongst Iranians to be suspicious towards the powerful, who, by the way, are the only ones who brought a standard of civility to the whole world.

Please remind me of any other culture that spoke of human rights and democracy and actually brought it to life?

Natalie Esfandiari

Diversity makes us grow

On H.D.'s "Deserving victory":

I might agree with you on some points, but I disagree with you that we did not revolt for freedom! Maybe your family didn't but mine did! I supported the revolution even though I had been studying in the US before the revolution happened. I lost my young, smart and handsome loving brothers during the revolution for betterment of our society, freedom of speech, preserving the Islamic and Persian values and culture, fighting corruption and fahshaa, etc.

Yes, without the freedom of speech there would be no meaningful progress in any society. This includes art, religion, advancement in science and technology, poetry, happiness, and yes a true economic reforms where reducing the poverty and increasing wealth for the middle class would be possible. Ever wondered why such a great nation like Iran hasn't had much of an invention for many centuries? Yes, freedom of speech and expression! We are the land of old inventions!

You are forgetting that what is happening in Iran today is exactly why we had the revolution in the first place. Allow me to correct myself, it is hundred times worse! These guys make the Shah look like an angel! Corruption, Fahshah, poverty, lack of freedom. are much worse now! If we knew this would happen there would have never been a revolution. I just hope Mr. mahmoud does something good for the people of IRAN for a change. We'll see! All others only care about getting rich, and don't give a hood about Iran and the Iranians!

As a friendly request to you Mr. HD, please stop using profanity and be more courteous and civil to those who you despise and disagree with, as a good Persian Iranian should! After all, we are all brothers and sisters who want a better country for our people who live there, and hopefully we can someday return home before we die! There is no place like home! Remember, through diversity we learn and grow!

J. Gol-dust

Love better than revenge

On Sayeh Saidi Sirjani's "Khoroosh" and Hamid Boroumand's "Lets' not forget":

Dear Sayeh Saidi Sirjani and Hamid Boroumand,

With all respect and despite of the truth and righteousness in your opinion about the election, I have to say that your lives are not the only ones that are affected by the radical Islamists. Iranian revolutionary and military courts weren’t any more sympathetic to my loved ones either.

But for the sake of my country, IRAN, I put her love ahead of my joy of revenge. This is not simply the time for taking ideological and radical measures.

Now you get to wear a chador in 100-degree weather

On Shokooh's "The hell with both of you":

Ok, then the next time you come to Iran, you get to wear a chador in 100 degrees weather of summer and walk with the sexually aparthied streets!!!!! Cool, ha?

Setareh

Your vote will never count

On Najmeh Fakhraie's "The ugly truths":

Ms. Fakhraie like many others in Iran and overseas still don't get it! They have still not realized that the Machiavellian regime would bring out their own man from the ballot boxes, despite any number of votes.

Ms. Fakhraie like many others still don't realize that no totalitarian regime is capable of reforming itself from within and any tiny attempt towards reform, will destroy the regime. The so-called reformists who collaborated with this regime not only accomplished nothing but they extended the life of this regime and thus the misery of millions of people.

Ms. Fakhraie your vote does not count. It will never count while this regime is around.

Clare Johannes-Surmenian

We could have done worse

On Manesh's "And the winner is... the Shah!":

Dear Manesh,

Satire is good but if you truly believe in what you say in the form of satire you are not correct.

I was against the overthrow of the Shah then, and stood for using him to bring democracy to Iran in a timely manner. But I can not close my eyes to the fact that it was him and his uneducated, unknowledgeable supporters that kept us behind to end up being what we are today.

Still I believe that we could have done worse over the past 25 years such as having had civil war, provinces breaking apart from Iran and so on. Instead we the people of Iran are being respected by the world in all areas for our hard work despite the difficulties generated by the so called Islamists.

Mohamad Navab
Los Angeles

You want to pretend they don't exist

On Reza Bayegan's "The voice of the revolution":

I think it is you that has become blind to the realities on the ground in Iran. How could you claim that a vote for Ahmadinejad was a vote against the establishment?

If they voted for Moin, you could say that they were asking for the regime to change, yet not fundamentally, to bring about reforms badly needed for political progress in the country.

If the people abstained from voting all-together, you could claim they are tired of the establishment, and they found voting as being useless and no hope to them.

However, Ahmadinejad was voted for by the masses (over 22 million people voted for him), claiming they weren't against a conservative religious man that appeared honest and hard working to bring them the economic and political reforms necessary for their survival.

The vote in the Islamic Republic was not for freedom of press, or freedom from hijab. Those mean nothing when the people have no jobs or future in the country.

The vote was for someone that could stand in front of corruption, and clean up Iran from the tyrants that are stealing the people's money.

You fail to realize that Iran still has a LARGE population that is still devout Muslim, largely connected with the Ulama (clergy), and still want to adhere with the principals of the original Islamic Revolution of 1979.

You are blind to these people. You want to pretend they don't exist. You want to think that 90% - 100% of Iranians are secularized and anti-establishment. This is not so. Go anywhere outside of Tehran and you will find largely religious people who love the clergy as much as you love your own mother. This vote for Ahmadinejad was truly a voice of another revolution. But this wasn't the revolution of Khatami (democracy, freedom), but a revolution of justice and anti-corruption.

This revolution is a continuation of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. As Imam Khomeini said, "Revolution is not today, revolution is for EVERY DAY". We must continually struggle against our leaders to put them in check, and demand the justice that is deserving from God bestowed upon his people by the waliyah of his representatives (all people).

Not for the masses

On Asghar Massombagi's "Being Lolita in Tehran":

Thank you for your well-written and articulated account of Ms. Nafisi's novel. You have rightly pointed to the general problem of the intellectuals in our society and their lack of truly grasping of the masses' desire and ambitions, i.e., the soul of any society.

However, there is a footnote here worth noting: pure art is not destined for the masses. By its very nature of being a pure art, it is for the elite. It may be inspired by the masses but definitely not written for them.

All in all, I enjoyed it very much reading your comment on Ms. Nafisi's book.

Nader Majd

State & academic freedom

On Asghar Massombagi's "Being Lolita in Tehran":

Although I appreciate Mr. Mossambagi's attempt to explore the currrents of elitism that run through Reading Lolita in Tehran, it strikes me as he is reading right past the author's intent.

The book is explicitly a memoir by an Iranian professor of Western literature working under conditions of not just "run of the mill" anti-intellectualism but state-orchestrated suppression of her academic freedom. The connections Azar Nafisi makes between the literature featured in her book and Iranian history, Iranian culture, her life and lives of her students and colleagues are best understood in that context.

Criticizing her book for not doing justice to Iranian history and literature (or class dynamics for that matter) is a bit like criticizing the Babur-nameh for failing to address the implications of Thomas More's Utopia or the history of the Samanids.

I found Reading Lolita in Tehran a valuable window on academic life in Iran and very insightful about the process of teaching. "Cracking whips" to get students to engage unfamiliar material is what professors should do in any case. :-)

Elitist, dismissive attitude

On Asghar Massombagi's "Being Lolita in Tehran":

Mr. Massombagi,

Thank you for a wonderful analysis of Nafisi's book. Her elitist approach, dismissive attitude, lack of understanding and appreciation of Iran's traditional society, and vain praise of Western culture in this book bothered me all along. A perfect example of pre-revolutionary Iranian "intellectualism"!

After all the "Sound and Fury" created for this book by the Western press, a review like yours was long overdue. Will The New York Times publish your review?!!!

Best wishes,

Vatan forooshaa!

On Javaneh Javid's voting in first round of presidential elections:

To cheh haghy dashty keh rafti va gozashti keh zanet gheyreh ghanoon bere va tooyeh Emeryville vaseyeh yek mosht jalado adam kosh raiy bedeen? Eena ha hamashoon ye gohan... hata oon Moin keh zanet vasash raiy dad.Mageh to tooye Iran zendegi mikooni keh rafti raiy bedi. Een gheyreh ghanooneh. To aslan meefami keh mehlate Iran aslan raiy nadad? Hame tooyeh khoonehashoon neshasteh boodan keh beh donya neshoon bedan keh Joomhoorie gheireh Islami bayad va beh zoodi meeyofteh. Pas maloomeh keh to yek vatan foroosh hasti.

Mage nemeefami kesafat karehayeh Joomhoorie gheireh Islami. Khob nah deegeh, yek kasy keh poshtesho meh mehlatesh, va javoonhayi keh har rooz par par meeshan beh khatereh yek mosht jahlad, meekoneh, maloome keh koore. Heech marbooti nemikoneh agar TO raiy nadadi... valy zanet kard. Shoma ha nabahasteen aslan varede oonja besheen. Agar oon angoshteh "shame" eh zanet bood...cher raiyeh gheyreh ghanoon dad??? Agar enghadar ashegheh oonnaha hasteen.....chera oomadin az Iran beroon?????? SHARM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VATAN FOROOSH HA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chew on this

On Ezzat Ziyad's "Don't fly with Iran Air":

I find a number of things wrong with your proposal:

1) Why should we spend our money on foreign airlines whose respective base nations treat us even worse and instead cause the bankrupcy of our nations carrier?

2) The state of the planes in Iran are a direct consequence of a 25-year-old US refusal to sell commercial (with emphasis on commercial) aircraft parts to Iran. Why do you ignorantly or slyly or conveniently omit that fact from your letter?

3) Iran cannot even buy the European-made AirBus planes since many of their newer planes use American parts which again makes export of these planes impossible.

4) Are there any US airlines flying to Iran?

You should follow this advice: Treat words like food. The more you keep them in the mouth and the longer you chew on them, the better the outcome.

Sir Vassigh de shrub

On Alidad Vassigh's "What's the problem":

The eloquent and verbose windbag, Alidad Vassigh has proven beyond any shadow of doubt that one can lead the horse (or donkey, if you will) to water, but to make the animal drink is a separate exercise in futility.

What do people like Sir Vassigh de shrub do when their heads are not deeply embedded (like the reporters in recently democratized and free Iraq) in sand?? I wonder.

Shahbaz Shahbazi

More about Kiosk

By surfing in your web site and on the Music section, I found a very interesting band named Kiosk. Their music is so new/fascinating in the context of our Iranian music ... there is pointer to a MP3 file, which is just a compilation of samples. I tried to find more information about these guys and how to buy their CD but I couldn;t get anything. I was wondering whether you might have more info about these guys.

I would greatly appreciate your feedback.

Mahbod.

REPLY: To learn more about Kiosk, visit Bamahang.ca

Teshneh-lab

On lack of access to iranian.com in Iran:

I desperately need your help. Perhaps I'm not the only victim of internet filters right now in Iran, but I am one who checked your website every day and participated in the answering the daily quiz and... I was able to get through to your site using some of the internet cards. But lately those are all useless and I read your newsletter not being able to read the whole articles; just like we say in Farsi: "teshneh-lab az cheshmeh barmigardam". I truly don't believe that you could do anything about it and in fact this is only a dard-del to inform you that you are not available to us, Iranians living in Iran.

Yours Truly
Golbarg B

Mullah overdose

On iranian.com:

I love this website and have been to it constantly over the past two years. I realize it is election time, however, the website has become much too political... people do not want to read about the corrupt Mullahs all day long.

I do not mean to disrespect this website in anyway, I am just offering this advice as a web surfer....

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