Letters
April 2006
April 13 -- April 26 -- April 28
Now that's belligerent behavior
On Meir Javedanfar's "Radioactive costs":
First let me say that I totally admit that Iran's current "loose cannon" President Mr. Ahmadinejad has done nothing to improve the country's image in the international community with his calls for destruction of Israel and other nonsense which almost every Iranian I've spoken to disagrees with. Having said that, I respectfully differ with Mr. Javedanfar on many of his characterizations of the current so called "nuclear crisis".
If there ever was any doubt in the mind of the endangered species known as the "informed public" that the UN security council and the IAEA are mere front organizations funded by and doing the bidding of their masters; the recent nuclear deal with India and friendly treatment of Pakistan, the most fanatic Islamic fundamentalist country in the world, and omission of any remarks in regard to the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the region inside Israel should have cleared all those reservations. History of the IAEA reveals its weakness in the face of the determined exercise of American power that has never hesitated to undermine its functioning when it is not in the interest of its pre-planned objectives (remember Mr. Blix?)
So please excuse the Iranians not paying Mr. El Baradei his due respect and acting as if the IAEA doesn't exist. He asked a number of times for Iran to stop enriching uranium? On whose authority, and according to which international law?
As correctly stated, article 4 of the Non Proliferation Treaty entitles all non-nuclear signatory states an "inalienable right" to nuclear technology for civilian purposes; so why is exercising that right considered belligerent behavior? The treaty also states that in exchange for non-nuclear states promising not to build nuclear weapons, the nuclear weapon states should pursue negotiations in good faith on nuclear disarmament. Really?
Having built and used the nuclear bomb to incinerate hundreds of thousands of civilians, the United States has since adopted a policy of monopoly and exclusion. It continues to insist that it has the right to modernize its nuclear weapons arsenal and use it pre-emptively against any state it unilaterally deems a threat to its security.
Now, that is belligerent behavior sir.
All we managed to cover up
On Sima Nahan's "Tulips and poppies":
Dear Sima:
As a fellow writer, who has been removed from the Iranian scene before the change, your words bring back what was presumed forgotten. As you walk your readers through Behesht-e-Zahra, your words tug at my heart and an old sorrow returns. Maybe it is the poppies -- versus the exploited image of tulips -- or perhaps it is the shattered stones, I don't know. I have never seen the fountain of blood or the mock hejleh of which you speak, but the emotional response is too intense for a new experience.
How easy it is to live far away and pretend that we understand what goes on "over there!" But reading your articles reminds me of all that we have managed to cover up. There is a deep well inside each one of us where we have buried the past in an effort to join "the land of the free." Thank you for leading me down that dark well and helping me to once again listen to the sound of my own heartbeat.
Zohreh Ghahremani
Price for appeasement
On the nuclear crisis:
With the imminent approach of US bombing part of Iran, one must try to find where to put the blame. Is US to be blamed to disallow Iran to forge ahead with its nuclear threat against its interest? Is Iranian government to be blamed to wish to become a world super power by accessing nuclear weapons? Are other super powers to be blamed by providing Iran the access to nuclear weapon material thus making Iran a sitting duck for US bombers to level portions of Iran? I believe none of the three sources are to be blamed.
To me it appears that we Iranians are at fault. We have tolerated this regime for nearly 27 years after our greed and unrealistic expectation prompted us to topple the prior government thus leading us to the mess we have had for the past 27 years. If history has taught us anything, it is the price we pay for appeasement. Just as the Persians paid the price for appeasing the Greeks, the Indians paid the price to appease Nader Shah and the British paid the price of appeasing Hitler, 60 million Iranians have remained totally inept for getting rid of 1000 mullahs for over 27 years. The price they are paying and will continue to pay for another 27 years is continuation of the same travesty, the same lawlessness and the same savage treatment by a group of inhumane persons who form the Iranian government.
In so long as the oppressed allow the oppressor to flourish, atrocities will exist. The nation of Iranian "Ghayoors" have not been so "Ghayoor" for the past 27 years. As the famous poetry we all read in our elementary school books said so succinctly about a falcon, "when it looked close enough, saw its own feather and thus said - IT IS FROM US TO US" or as it is said in Farsi, "Az Most Keh Bar Most". Look no further, we are to blame, individually and collectively, a nation of "unghayoors". In so long as our nation will remain "unghayoor", and in so long as the supporters of communism support the bunch of idiotic and savage mullahs, expect the worst and do no assign blame to any other entity.
Contradictory and untrue
On Meir Javedanfar's "Radioactive costs":
Dear Honey,
Your thought process is confused and more importantly you do not UNDERSTAND the Iranian culture, let alone it politics. Read your own past articles starting say a year ago or so, and examin them objectively. You will see my point.
Furthermore, I am sure you will find yourself and your ideas contradictory and untrue. Your best bet is to become consultant for the war criminal and now defunct Ariel Sharon. He needs your advice. If he does not want you, choose the neo-cons in wash dc. They really badly need you. With the elections and coming to power of Hamas and other developments in the ME, they really need help.
(if you live in an occupied Palestinain home, which you most likely are, take the lead and return it to the true owner. you will not live or die in comfort knowing that you are usurping something that does not belong to you --- I am sure there are words to this effect in Torat . There is in Quran)
U.S. will not attack Iran
On Jahanshah Javid's "We don't need to get martyred over this":
With all due respect to you, Mr. Javid, (and I do have lots of respect for you !) I totally disagree with you. Iran should continue its nuclear research and development and produce its own nuclear fuel as a source of future energy. This is not about the BOMB, it is about a colonial mentality still existing in the west that says no "third world" country should be able to produce a source of energy.
SOURCE OF ENERGY is really what all this hoopla is about. The U.S. wants to control the energy source in the world and by extension the economy of the world. Iran accepting Russia's uranium enrichment proposal on Russian soil means putting itself at the mercy of a country that helped Ahmad Shah bomb the first Majles in Iran!! Not a good idea!
The U.S. will not attack Iran and no one will become a martyr over this. Iran should continue doing what it's doing because it is not doing anything illegal, immoral, or inhumane.
N. Shafiei
Feeling the hit
On Soraya Sepahpour-Ulrich's "Pre-emptive genocide?":
It is very funny to read the mail and to hear the arguments of the supporter of the Iranian regimes in the times they are under pressure and feel the hit. They start:
- Pointing some agreement that they can use for their purpose and forget every other logical facts, that are against them
- Getting the most advocate of human rights and attack everyone in the free world for abusing the Human right ( hey have you ever heard of Lajvardi, Khalkhali, Evin prison, massacre of political prisoners in the 80s, abusing the religious minorities, .... )
- Misusing the ideas of democrats and historical facts for their purpose ( in this case comparing Holocaust with the activity of free world to stop a terrorist government to get a Nuke-bomb) That was the Highlight of your last post to Iranian.com. As an Iranian living in Germany I would ask you to inform yourself properly about Martin Niemoeller. You can argument, what you want. Using his great worlds to argument in behalf of Iranian Faschist government is an Insult for this great man and his life.
- Talking about the humanity (Do you mean all humans or just Moslems, who tolerate no other religion or even other Moslems, who don't think like them?)
It is always the same, the supporter of the Iranian government living in free world using the instruments of the democratic societies they are living in, and use the democratic arguments, they don't accept for they society to attack them and argument against them. It reminds me of something from Oscar Wilde: "Morality is simply the attitude we adopt towards people whom we personally dislike."
Bushed once, about to be Bushed twice
Dear All,
Since my open letter to Bush went on line, your responses have been coming in. Mostly very supportive, and some not so, but no matter if you agreed with the views or not, none of you was looking forward to Iran being bombed. Thank you all for your responses and I am sorry I cannot respond individually.
3 years ago Colin Powel stood in front of the US Congress and said he was absolutely “sure Saddam had WMDs”, 3 years ago Rumsfeld told the CIA to tell the Whitehouse that they were “sure Saddam was giving these WMDs to Al-Qaeda”, 3 years ago John Bolton told the UN he was “sure Saddam had mobile biological warfare labs” (which turned out to be burnt-out diesel generators on rusty rail wagons), and 3 years ago, Dick Chaney told the American people that he was “sure when the coalition forces go to Iraq they will be greeted with Iraqis giving them rose flowers!”
Then, on March 19th 2003, 10.15pm Eastern time, approximately 2000 Tomahawk cruise missiles were sent to Baghdad in just two hours. It was the beginning of operation “shock and awe” which as we have recently found out, was with ‘God’s blessing’. According to Bush; "I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, 'George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan.' And I did, and then God would tell me, 'George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq', and I did." (God must be crying himself... it is shocking that a person whose finger is on 6000 nuclear warheads -- enough to destroy the world 10 times - says something like that, but it is sadly true.)
So it was that 3 years ago, the world was “Bushed” once by the neo-cons, and it is sleep-walking into being “Bushed” twice. I am not fond of the French, but you have to admire the fact that even if a stinking potato is all they have, they still go in the streets, and throw that potato, until they get what they want.
I have put a blog where you can email my open letter to Bush (and Blair). Please tell him that if he thinks the way to Iranian hearts and minds is through a 10000KT Daisy Cutter (the most powerful non-nuclear bomb), he is wrong. Force never solved anything in the world, ever, and Bush cannot change the laws of mother nature.
If you think this is all a bit too much doom and gloom, it might well be, I hope it is, but as the old saying goes Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. If we all get “Bushed” again, the shame, is ours, and ours only. This is the address,
Thank you all
H. Saftar
Ebadi should focus on Ahmadinejad
On Shirin Ebadi: "Female nobel laureates for peace"
With due respect to Shirine Ebadi. She is certainly a great women but I think like most of us Iranian Intellectuals she doesn't have anything to say other than generalities. I am certain she is competent and does a great deal to promote justice and her work is admirable in regard to childrens rights and Womens rights but I feel that her attitude in regard to Iran's necessity to aqcquire nucleare independance which she reiterated in a press interview in Paris demonstrates the incapicity of Iranian Intellectuals to see Mr. Ahmaninejad under the real light.
Ahmaninejad is not the real problem nor is the nuclear Bomb. Well at least not in a near future. Its more what Mr. Ahmaninejad represents and what he says that are dangerous. Maybe not in an immediate future but for the future Iranian generations that have to gobble his ineptitude and unforgivable allegations and denials of the Holocaust. Mrs. Ebadi should focus more on the consenquences of Mr. Ahmaninejads words than put up a satisfied face on the so-called progress made in terms of Womens rights in Iran.
Just for the reminder we still continue to hang women in Iran like the upcoming predicament of a young teenager Nazanin seems to suggest and for which Former Miss World Canada has launched a petition: ptitiononline.com/Nazanin As long as such things continue to take place in Iran, I don't think we deserve being called a civilized nation. Sorry but even Iran's participation in the the damn World Cup should be questioned be it by principle. I don't think Iran should be banned from participating to the World Cup but I don't think we should particularly rejoice unless like in 1998 it triggers some kind of civil dissobedience in our country. I don't think Mr. Ahmaninejad should be allowed to enter Germany where Nazi denial or support is punisheable since the end of the Nazi Era.
I have not heard or read any satisfying or convincing reaction from any Iranian Intellectual or political leader be it in the opposition in regard to Mr. Ahmaninejads shameful revisionist claims. I do not think that we are at the brink of WWIII nor do I wish this, but if the attitude of Iranian Intellectuals particularly in the US has been that of condemning Ahmaninejads policy and pro-Nazi claims that of Iranian intellectuals in Iran has been quite moderate. If this can be understood for reasons of personal security it does nevertheless demonstrates the lack of political and philisophical vision.
I am sure that Mrs. Ebadi's initiative for peace is a good thing even if at times I wonder if her attitude doesn't look more like that of a female Chamberlain returning from Munich aka Tehran saying Peace for Our Times. Obviously we should not try to undermine her constructive work in Iran but I also think that It is time for Iranian Intellectuals and those who like Mrs. Ebadi claim that Islam and democracy are not incompatible to set the example rather than play indulge in self satisfaction. Do your conscience a favor sign and distribute this petition: ptitiononline.com/Nazanin
Dariush KADIVAR
Boycott Iraninan.com
On April Fools poll, "What will Iran's name be in 50 years":
There is only one step remains that the most important part of this world, IRAN, will be invaded and demolished. Considering this situation, I have a seriously objection on you poll selection. Please look at the poll, WHY IRAN as EASTERN TURKEY HAS THE HIGHEST RATE!!! Should I circulate this link among Iranians and request to boycott "Iraninan.com" ARE YOU REALLY AN IRANIAN SITE? WHO ARE YOU!!!
Ana H
Turkish prank
On April Fools poll, "What will Iran's name be in 50 years":
It seems that a Turkish website is pulling a prank by linking to your latest poll and skewing the results. I'd say delete it and hold
it later.
Arash M
Your fluent style
On Setareh Sabety's review of the film "A Snake's Tale":
Dear Ms. Sabeti:
I enjoyed your eloquent review of the film, A snake's Tail, and look forward to a chance to see it. A writer myself, I often find it hard to read some of today's writings, but your fluent style is a pleasure to read and I look forward to more!
Our democracy should be a reflection of us
On Hossein Bagher Zadeh's "Who to talk to":
I have to raise some disagreements. The theory of an Iranian parliament in exile seems like a good theory and that’s it, just a theory. The practical difficulties on achieving this goal are so colossal that make it very difficult if not impossible. In this letter I will try to give you a number of the major reasons for my argument, some of which comes from my first hand personal experience one dealing with Iranians outside Iran.
1- The first flawed in your solution is that you are assuming that U.S and the west are sincere in their intentions and they really want a democratic Iran. I personally and many other Iranians like me seriously doubt that,
The obvious reason is these countries and their government’s foreign policy and track records over the past few decades. Up to this moment the only thing that they have shown us has been short-termisem and thinking about their own political and economical gains and disregard for the rest of humanity. There needs to be a significant shift in the West’s attitude and foreign policy for us to be able to even start to take their word seriously.
Furthermore event if U.S is sincere in their intention and they want to help people of Iran to achieve democracy, there are still lots of other major players in the world such as Russia China U.K, France and many more who by wheeling and Dealing with the mullahs are still making lots of profit to our expense and these countries would not be happy to lose their interests and profits to a democratic Iranian government. All they want is a cheap supply of oil and a market for their unwanted goods and weapons. They do not give a monkey about our democratic future or us.
That’s why such a project could never take off the ground and will be killed by any of these country's Veto power before even reaching the U.N or Security Council, and if you think that you can unite the world for the good of Iranian people then you are more naive than I thought.
2- This comes from my personal experience that unifying the Iranians outside Iran or even persuading them to work together or even at least not stab each other in the back is more difficult than uniting all the big players behind and Iranian democracy task force.
A few years ago a few close friends of mine decided to start a Small council for the Iranians who live in the small town that I am living in. This council had no political or religious orientation all they wanted to do was to bring the Iranians together and organise meetings for the national festivals like Norooz shabe Chelleh, Chahar Shanbeh Soory and so on It was also supposed to be a cultural centre for the interested Iranians to gather and talk about our culture, history our poets and Persian poetry and the books and scientists of ancient Persia. The purpose of all these was to keep the Persian spirit alive and not to let our children to forget their roots and identity
But event organising such simple group soon proved to be more problematic and headache than we imagined. It was not before long that people started to fight and climb over each others head for power and influence. All this despite the fact that this was a voluntary organisation with no budget, money or profit involved and there was really no leadership prestige involved. Finally after two months it became so complicated that it was decided to cancel the whole thing.
Please remember that this was only a small group with no profit or position involved. Now you can imagine the chaos and mayhem that involves with an Iranian parliament in exile with political ambition, power, money, position and profit involved
3- Even if such parliament was created it would never be seen by the people inside Iran as their through representative. As they would think what a bunch of people living in luxury half way across the world could know about our problem when they do not have to face our day to day problems of unemployment, economical hardship lack of healthcare and so on, and rightly so.
Furthermore the shadow of doubt still hangs over the head of such body as the ordinary people think why the west is supporting such organisation and what promises are the members and leaders of this organization are making to the west in return. It would take no more that the mullah’s imperfect and clumsy propaganda machine to bring such body down crashing
It is about time for you and all other political activists and above all we the people of Iran to realise that there could be no quick fixes and no one leader or government and parliament could resolve our problems over night.
Rebuilding Iran is an enormous and lengthy task.
The answer to our problem is an evolution and not another revolution. Each and every Iranian inside and out of Iran needs to contribute. Our evolution should come from within by starting to value and respect each other and working hard increasing our productivity and respecting each others right from the factory workers to the businessmen and managers we should increase productivity value each other respect the environment and take care of our country. If country such Vietnam and South Korea could have done that why not us.
We should realize that our generation would not be the beneficiary of this evolution and it would be our next generations who will benefit from our today’s acts. As a nation I am sure that we are capable of that sacrifice we certainly showed that in many historical occasions even as recent as Iran Iraq war. If our people are able to give their very life without any reservation or expectance for the good of this land it should not be very difficult for us to work harder and not to take posts that we have not the expertise to run. For our factory owners to use best materials and to satisfy the needs and rights of their workers for the managers to take care of their staff and for the workers to increase productivity and work better.
When the majority of us started to work harder and be more fare toward one another and above all act and live a democratic social life then we start to improve and any dictator regime will start to crumble and fall. We have seen in many occasions because the people’s resistance and vision, even the mullah’s regime had to back off and accept the will of people for example the mullahs in Tehran are no more moderate or better than the regime in Saudi Arabia or Taliban the only reason that in today’s Iran we have universities and school are thriving and women can drive, can vote or hold a job is the people of Iran and the fact the government knows that they can not force a Taliban style regime on us. They only take as much as we give them
Democracy is a process that comes by hard work and lengthy evolution, not an overnight phenomenon, which could be triggered by a revolution. It take’s years if not decades of patient and hard work to achieve and even then it needs constant checks and balances to be kept in line, healthy and intact. It cannot be given to or taken from any nation as it is embedded in their social fabric. If you saw that in 1953 our democracy was taken from us it was because is was artificial and we as a nation of mostly illiterate and superficial and backward people who did not have a realistic view of real world, were not mentally and socially ready for democracy.
We did not even know what type of democracy we wanted or needed. Now please anyone before taking an offence go and talk to your parents, grand parents and people who participated in those events and find out what was their mentality at the time did they know what they wanted or were they just taken by the heat of the moment without knowing what they are doing or what it is that they want.
I was not there is 1953 and Mosaddegh era but I definitely was there in 1979 revolution and heard all the arguments and point of view from the pro western democracy, French style revolutionaries, to the lefty communists who were trying to be something they were not and model themselves after the foreigners or even the naive average men and women in the street who wanted to create an eight century style Islamic state and reserve a place in heaven for themselves despite their personal misconducts. They all missed one important thing, which brings me to my final point.
Our democracy should be a reflection of us our History our Persian identity and our culture a French, American or Arabic Islamic democracy is as useless, incompatible and destructive for us as trying to make a car fly by adding two jumbo jet’s wings into it and driving it off the edge of a cliff.
All our activist visionaries and people who care about this country should promote this Persian Identity and culture and find a solution by its inspiration and within our own culture.
Where is this?
My name is Marie and I live in Melbourne, Australia.
I hope you can tell me, where this picture is from. I know it is from Iran, Teheran and that's all.
It seems to me it could be from a large church and /or from Shah's Palace?
I am very thankful for whatever guidance you can give me.
Thank you.
Marie
I'll take that as a compliment
Manochehr A
Bombs are coming
On Jahanshah Javid's "We don't need to get martyred over this":
well hezbolahi boy, bombs are comming wheather you and your pals like it or not. Too bad bombs and bullets did not fly 27 years a go otherwise we wouldn't have been in this mess. you and your pals created a shit hole and now the rest of us have to clean it up with our lives.
Farsi: Annoying
On language debate "Farsi: bittersweet?":
I am annoyed when I hear Farsi instead of Persian by an English speaker, more so when he or she is a native Persian speaker. But I don't think we should blame the non-Iranians for it. If any one should be blamed it is the Iranian people themselves who have chosen the Arabic pronunciation and spelling for the the name of their language.
I have been watching the name of our language in the classical Persian texts and have noticed that Persian poets and writers always referred to their language as Parsi and not Farsi in the old times. They only begun adopting the Arabic Farsi after the Ilkhanid and the Timurid periods and it became prevalent during the Safavid.
Now I believe we should stop using Farsi even in Persian and say Parsi instead. It is difficult to do it in conversation, I know, but I have started doing it in my writings. I am even going to use parsi in the title of a book I am just finishing on the use of the literary device called "zabaane haal" in Persian Literature. I have also begun this 'deArabization' with other names, such as Nishapur instead of Neishabur. I do not mind the use of Arabic words in Persian (of course if we have no equivalent word) but I am disgusted when I hear a word in Persian with Arabic pronunciation.
Nasrollah Pourjavady
University of Tehran
The Academy of Persian Language and Literature
Islamic stealth technology
On Meir Javedanfar 's "Missile with a message":
Oh yeah, and don't forget the most important weapons in Iran's arsenals. The invisible, strong, and quick hand of Imam Ali, and Imam Mehdi. Imam Mehdi is been using stealth technology since the 9th century A.D. Who are these American fools to take credit for this technology? We knew what stealth was when America did not even exist. When the time comes to slap the Great Satan, you can be sure that the hands of Imam Ali, and Imam Mehdi will come out of the wood work, and teach the infidels a big lesson.
I mean look what they have done for the great Iranian nation, it is like paradise on earth, so in the same breath they can bring destruction to the imperialist armies in the Islamic land. As a matter of fact, "hoot" our new torpedo cruiser which is one of the fastest in the world does not even have an propelling system. It is not like we copied this stuff from some other third world country with poor records of techonological safety like Russia or North Korea, no! this missile is propelled in water at such great speed when Imam Mehdi gently blows some hot air from his mouth (in persian "fut mikone"). All he has to do to make this missile go faster is eat a little more "nun sangak", so he will more energy.
As of now, the most peaceful, and human loving regime in the world, the Islamic Republic has allocated millions of dollars to supply our beloved stealth Imam with enough "nun sangak" to achieve this holy task.
Americans possess a reservoir of good will among Iranians
On Terence Ward's "Searching for Hassan":
Dear Terry,
Mary Ann and I enjoyed "Searching for Hassan" immensely and were delighted with your ability to bring a treasured world to life. Naturally we could accompany you every step of the way since you describe places we know and you refer to experiences which are similar ours. Your family are among the companions of some of our most memorable years. Your mother promoted Mary Ann from old fashioned wash tub to modern washing machine on one occasion. You write beautifully. You describe Iran, Iranians and Persian culture winningly and engagingly. You gave us a delightful experience. I admire and appreciate your accomplishment and congratulate you heartily.
I appreciate your proposal that the United States simply recocgnize Iran. You state the matter well. Before the Islamic Revolution Iran had, it seems to me, become what our administration says it hopes to accomplish in Iraq, and, though the Iran of the Shah is a thing of the past, Americans possess a reservoir of good will among Iranians which would prosper such recognition. Among strong political currents including Iran's Constitutional Movement an American presence going back to the 1830s, when a Presbyterian established a school, a church and a printing house in Urmia, strongly informed the culturally secular Iran of the Monarchy.
I have a question. Were you recalling an actual event when you described students being marched to chapel where they were regaled so dramatically by Chaplain Lockhart? Your description is characteristically vivid. Or is there some element of poetic license in the telling? My recollection is that long before 1966-7 we had discontinued required morning chapel at Community and replaced it with three required school assemblies and two voluntary morning chapel services each week. Our engaging Chaplain, Jim Fennelly, had more than half the high school moving informally to a worship service two mornings each week. Is it possible that my successor at Community reinstituted required morning chapel services?
I was delighted to come across Fariba Amini's interview of a year ago with you. Please give our warmest greeting to all the Wards, and thank you for such a captivating and companionable reunion in "Searching for Hassan".
Dick Irvine
Disappointed to see garbage
On Kenny James's "We won't nuke you":
I am totally schocked why you would print a trash letter like this on your site. Obviously this person is sick and needs help.
As one of the regular visitors to the Iranian site, I am so disappointed to see garbage like this here on this site.
I hope you review the letters for content and use more discretion in chosing the ones to print and the ones to throw in the trash.
Propaganda for right wing religious zealots
On Kenny James's "We won't nuke you":
Pleeeeeeeeeease, I thought this site is primarily for the Iranians who were/are forced out of their homeland in one way or the other and living abroad despite their true wishes. It seems like this site is used as a propaganda tool for the right wing religious zealots. What makes this guy to think that Iranians have such intentions? The remarks made by the unelected idiot, so called the president of Iran is DEFINITELY not the opinion of the majority (95+%) of the oppressed nation of Iran.
So, give us a break and keep your preaching to yourself.
Sad turn of events
On Jahanshah Javid's "We don't need to get martyred over this":
Unfortunately, I think you are right. When you have two people like the current president in Iran as well as the one in the United States, it is almost inevitable. I sincerely hope we are wrong. I hope that it will not happen and that they are just posturing for each other. (you know showing who is better or bigger...lol) I hope it does not come to that point where nuclear weapons are used against Iran. Should this actually happen no one will win and I think we all know this all too well. It's just a shame and such a sad turn of events for the start of the New Year. No one in their right mind wants this. But who are we to say what will happen next.
Mahnaz
Iranian healthcare facilities are some of the best
On Hamid Bakhsheshi's "Mom":
I must first admit the first few paragraphs of this article were very touching but soon the feelings of sympathy were turned into outrage. Perhaps having been out of Iran for 27 years can account for Mr. Bakhsheshi's ignorant remarks of the health care facilities in Iran. Iranian health care facilities are some of the best, not mentioning the very well-trained and highly qualified physicians who put it 110% of their efforts into taking care of their patients.
My mother is a well known surgeon in Iran, she had always expected me to follow her path, however her dreams for my future were completely forgotten the moment we set foot in North America. She as well as any other decent and well-trained physician can tell you just about how horrible health care is around here.
Mr. Bakhsheshi, have you forgotten the many recent studies that have come out in well-known journals in regards to America's poor health care system? Have you forgotten the many reports of patients loosing their lives over small mistakes made by American doctors, mistakes which would have never happened in Iran!
Dear Sir, as well as being a surgeon my mother is a cancer patient, two years ago when her problem re-surfaced. She knew exactly what was happening and what should be done, however it took the other doctors (the one's who according to you have "best of the technology" under their finger tips) 2 years to make an official diagnosis, not even a diagnosis, they told simply her she was right from the beginning.
Needless to note my mother's condition has worsened greatly in the past two years. Had she been in Iran, she could have got treatment the moment she had diagnosed herself and I wouldn't have to worry about loosing her anytime soon. Technology is just a tool, how well-knowledged and qualified a doctor is matters. Or else as we can see even the best of technology hasn't been able to prevent so many fatal medical-malpractices in North America.
In Iran very few people die simply because the emergency room did not have enough doctors, in Iran very few 20 yearolds undergo hysterectomies because they were diagnosed with uterus cancer, only to find out after the surgery that there was no cancer. But in Iran just like everywhere else, people die of old age. So unless you were expecting Iranian doctors to perform miracles and ensure 200 years of happy living for all their patients, I suggest you do a bit more research before you make such ridiculous and ignorant comments.
Iran will pull through
On Reza Bayegan's "Ceremony of Innocence":
I just wanted to let all your readers know that Mr. Reza Bayegan has written an excellent article about the late Princess Leila Pahlavi. I was born in 1968 in a middle-class household. We moved to the US in June of 1978, eight or so months before the celebrated madness that we're still collectively paying for. I remember when I was a little kid in Iran I used to say to my family that one day I was going to marry Princess Leila. What memories...
I strongly urge all Iranians to read about the history of Iran, specially 18th and 19th century Iran in order to get a complete picture of just how backward we were as a nation (thanks to the akhunds and the Qajars) and how far the two Pahlavi kings brought us in a mere 53 years. Our societal and political problems were not caused in these short 53 years. Their roots were deep. But the young people of the 1970's were tragically short on memory and long on idealism and unwarranted expectations. And today's generation of young Iranians pay a heavy price for it.
I further urge all Iranians to give Reza Pahlavi a fresh look. He "is" his own man, even though he's his father's son. With a sound constitution in place, there would be no fear that once in power, Mr. Pahlavi (as a constitutional monarch) would try to usurp his powers. I believe, rather firmly, that Mr. Pahlavi has learned from his father's mistakes, for he's had 27 brutal and haunting years to think about them.
And keep your hopes high. Iran will pull through. It always has. Without a doubt in my mind, the light of day will soon overwhelm the darkness of clerical tyranny.
That's Heaven
On Mehran Ahmadi's "Religion and marriage":
As a person who grew up in a family with similar values as Mehran this hit close to home. So I decided for what is worth to put in my two cents although it maybe too late for Mehran... to put my experience to use it may not be for some others in a similar situation.
Relationships have no formulas,there is no go ahead fill in the blanks and everything will work out fine.
Would be great if it did.Let me see I think I would use my parent's formula, hell they have been married for almost sixty years they must be doing something right. No one would ever live without a mate. We all would be great husbands and wives. But we know reality is different.
I was in a relationship with a young girl once. We both came from different religious back round. There comes a time in a relationship that you have to make a move for better for worst. I loved her but ...
This "but'" could be a number of things starting with a different religion. I was making a case trying to prove to myself how this would be "marriage" was not going to work out. Even the priest I talked to told me so indirectly. Finally I got enough guts to ask her to marry me.
Until then we had never talked about Religion. So we decided if we have any children they will be Muslim so they would have some sort of religion in their lives... Much to her credit she said YES. That was 23 short years ago.
Now that I am more mature look at things from a different point of view. I now know that none of the Profits sent by God ... told his followers ... to go and kill,steal,and be dishonest and that will make you a good Muslim or a good Christian or a good ... name your religion. In order to be a good member of any faith you have to be a good human being and. Humans practice humanity. This is what all the Profits said.
We want to fall in love but ... we want it when we want it, where we want it, and how we want it, and with who. If falling in love actually happened that way would it really be "True Love".
After 23 years I am still living in US and still really a non practicing Muslim and so are our two children. "Let the kids find out for their own about religion" we decided. Teenagers think they know more than their parents do anyway.
As I get older I realize my views have changed about a lot of things and so has my feelings about my wife. I love her more and I thank God and all his senders that she married me and so what if I am going to Hell for being not such a good Muslim. I am enjoying life with my wife and that's Heaven.
Ali Allahverdi
Irresponsible comparison
On Jeff O'mail's "Politics is not sacred":
Religious zealots bombard us with "sacred" views on subjects of the supreme significance. To place the picture of an elected official (Pres. Bush) next to the picture of an unelected religious personality (Muqtada al-Sadr) with alleged homicide links, is a gross comparison of personalities. This kind of irresponsible actions only serves to hurt our image as progressive Iranians and equates us to the backward mentality that is currently ruling our nation and its media.
Shame on you.
Where are YOU?
I am looking for the following people for an eventual interview to be featured on iranian.com. I have tried to get in touch with them previously with no luck and this is why I'm leaving this message here. The purpose of both interviews is to pay tribute to their accomplishments.
1- Elton Farrokh Ahi - Well known musician and sound engineer, who was behind the only Iranian-produced album to ever hit the Billboard charts to my knowledge. The interview will be based on the album "Destination" and Mr. Ahi's subsequent career in music.
2- Sharareh Shafti - The very first woman Iranian DJ and pop music radio presenter in Iran. The interview will be based on her career in Iranian radio and on music in general.
If anyone is in touch with the above persons, please let them know about this message. I would appreciate if they could send me an e-mail to parhum@gmail.com and let me know if they agree to an interview.
Thanks.
Parham
Where's "Islamic Republic"?
On April Fools poll, "What will Iran's name be in 50 years":
Sort of foolish and arrogant not to have the Islamic republic as an option to vote for, don't you think so? I mean, give us a break, new Afghanistan, New California, Mohamadestan but not the current name????
Not that I give a hoot about the name "Islamic Republic" but if you want people to even consider this poll, its got to be put together before the smoking session.
Mehrdad M
Iran as part of Turkey?
On April Fools poll, "What will Iran's name be in 50 years":
Look at "Iran in 2056" survey at Iranian.com. Certain political groups try to depict Iran as part of Turkey by that time. Go and vote and show there are Iranians who think otherwise. Tell others to do so. After Arabian Gulf do not want hear Turkistan instead of Iran.
Reza S
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