The Iranian Times

Wednesday, March 19, 1999/ Esfand 19, 1377, No. 683


Sehaty Foreign Exchange

Shahin & Sepehr


    Rumi


    Elections

All is calm. For now.
The council elections showed a desire for change

    By Laleh Khalili

    Something is simmering under the surface. The recent Council Elections and the extraordinary campaign period leading up to it has been affected by the quiet and not so quiet gathering of forces unseen. While the Tehran elections were a major reflection of the politics at national level, once one steps outside the capital, the election in other cities and towns and villages becomes far more interesting not as political events but as sociological or anthropological ones. I have been keeping in touch with the Tehran elections from afar via the increasingly more brilliant and chaotic "lefty" newspapers, but these papers ("Khordad", "Sobh-e-Emrooz" and "Neshat") take a day to get to Shiraz from Tehran and as such, the temporal distance allows some emotional distance as well, which in turn leads to me paying much more attention to the local elections here in Shiraz ... GO TO FEATURE


Outlook

Italian university to honor Rushdie during Khatami trip

TURIN, Italy, March 10 (AFP) - The British writer Salman Rushdie, condemned to death by Tehran in 1989, was to receive an honorary degree from the University of Turin on Wednesday, in a ceremony coinciding with a state visit by Iran's president.

The Indian-born writer arrived in Turin on Tuesday and was to make an address Wednesday on Roman and Italian authors and artists who have influenced his work, including Ovid, Machiavelli and director Federico Fellini. ... FULL TEXT

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More Letters

* Farhad, the God

BarrsBad writes: As I was listening to "Ayeneha", I happened to come across your report on Farhad's concert in San Francisco ["Welcome back"]. The only thing I can say is RIGHT ON BROTHER. When I was young in the 70s in Tehroon, Farhad was GOD and he still is. Thanks for your well written piece.

* Hope some day...

Melba Block writes: It's a great pleasure to read your elections are going well. Maybe some day we'll see American and Iranian friendship develope politically, culturally, and accademically. The feeling that some day the American embargo on Iran will be lifted is a dream. Hope our ties can be a genuine sincere relationship.

Enjoyed The Iranian web site.

* Women: Women's documentary film at Berkeley

"Celebrating International Women's Day" sponsored by: "Radio Havayeh Tazeh" and "Iranian Cultural Group at UC Berkeley" (Saturday March 13)

Guest Speaker: Dr. Zahra Taheri,
Topic: "Women in Persian Literature"
Special viewing: Latest documentary by Mansoureh Saboury... DETAILS HERE

* Philosophy: Hossein Nasr lecture, Washington DC

George Washington University: The Foundation of Iranian Studies Presents: The Annual Noruz Lecture Series by a Distinguished Scholar of Iranian Studies: Speaker: Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Tuesday, March 23) ... DETAILS HERE


Book of the Week

A Taste of Persia
An Introduction to Persian Cooking

By Najmieh Batmanglij

A Taste of Persia is a collection of authentic recipes from one of the world's oldest cuisines, chosen and adapted for today's lifestyle and kitchen. Here are light appetizers and kababs, hearty stews and rich, golden-crusted rices, among many other dishes, all fragrant with the distinctive herbs, spices, or fruits of Iran. Each recipe offers clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. Most take less than an hour to prepare; many require only a few moments; many others can be made in advance. Besides its 100 recipes and 60 photographs, the book includes a useful dictionary of Persian cooking techniques and ingredients.

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More news

Pope to hold landmark meeting with Iran's Khatami

VATICAN CITY, March 11 (Reuters) - President Mohammad Khatami, blazing a trail of a new openness in Iran, takes his message of peace and dialogue to the home of the Roman Catholic faith on Thursday in an historic meeting with Pope John Paul. In Italy, Khatami made the first state visit by an Iranian president to the West since the 1979 Islamic revolution. At the Vatican, he becomes Iran's most senior religious leader to visit the Pope, who was elected a year before the fall of the Shah ... FULL TEXT

Khatami's speech at Florence University

ROME, March 10 (Reuters) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, sounding a theme of peace and reconciliation on his state visit to Italy, was expected to discuss human rights with Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema on Wednesday. D'Alema, a former communist, has signalled that while he believes the West and Iran should push harder towards a firm rapprochement, he will also make clear to Khatami that more must be done to combat human rights abuses ... FULL TEXT

Khatami, Italy PM to discuss rights

ROME, March 10 (Reuters) - Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, sounding a theme of peace and reconciliation on his state visit to Italy, was expected to discuss human rights with Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema on Wednesday. D'Alema, a former communist, has signalled that while he believes the West and Iran should push harder towards a firm rapprochement, he will also make clear to Khatami that more must be done to combat human rights abuses ... FULL TEXT

Protestors hurl paint at Iranian leader's car, 13 arrested

ROME, March 10 (AFP) - Thirteen people were arrested Wednesday after protestors hurled paint at a car carrying Iranian President Mohammad Khatami through central Rome, police said. (See photo) Their identities and nationalities were not immediately disclosed. Police said some were in possession of eggs filled with paint when they were detained. At least two eggs filled with yellow paint hit Khatami's car in the protest ... FULL TEXT

Students call for boycott over liberal cleric's arrest

TEHRAN, March 10 (AFP) - Iranian university students called for a boycott of classes Wednesday to protest the arrest of popular liberal cleric Mohsen Kadivar. The Students' Unity Movement called on students across the capital not to attend classes as a show of solidarity with Kadivar, who was jailed last month by order of Iran's powerful Supreme Court for Clergy (SCC) for spreading propaganda "hostile" to the Islamic republic ... FULL TEXT

Conservatives, reformers battle over meaning of Iran vote results

TEHRAN, March 10 (AFP) - Iran's conservatives on Wednesday tried to play down sweeping victories by reformers in the Islamic republic's first-ever municipal elections as both sides battle over interpreting the results. "Only 30 percent of those eligible participated in the local elections in Tehran," where reformers backing moderate President Mohammad Khatami swept all 15 council seats, the conservative Tehran Times said ... FULL TEXT

No decision imminent on US farm sales to Iran - sources

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite growing pressure from farm-state lawmakers, the Clinton Administration is not close to a decision on a request to waive trade sanctions that would allow Iran to buy more than $500 million in U.S. farm goods, administration officials said Wednesday. The waiver, requested by Niki Trading Co., is seen by farmers and grain traders as an important step in opening up new export markets for overflowing American grain bins ... FULL TEXT

Permits issued for nearly 500 books in past WEEK

Tehran, (Hamshahri) - Permits were issued for the publication of 471 books during the past week. Average print run: 5,000. Less than a third are translations ... FULL PERSIAN IMAGE TEXT

New members elected to House of Theater Board

Tehran, (Hamshahri) - New members have been voted to the board of directors of the House of Theater in Tehran. There names are ... FULL PERSIAN IMAGE TEXT

Dinmohammadi: Asian Player of the Month

Tehran (Iran Daily) - Siroos Dinmohammadi, a mid-fielder for Esteqlal and the national team, has been chosen as the Asian Player of the Month ... FULL PERSIAN IMAGE TEXT


$ Rate

Updated March 10

The dollar now offered at 780-810 tomans in the U.S. and 816 tomans in Iran

Source: Sehaty Exchange (U.S.) Tel: 602-595-0777

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Persian email. Looks good!

Beyond Iran

Judge Judy

The fairest person in the Solar Sytem!

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Quote Unquote

Fountain or volcano?

There has been a reconfirmation of the desire and will of the people -the poor, the supposedly "uneducated"- to participate, and a warning that things are changing. Whether the slow simmer under the scar tissue of Iran will become a volcanic explosion or a gentle fountain of steam remains to be seen.

Laleh Khalili
"All is calm. For now"
The Iranian
March 10, 1999


Photo of the Day

Protests against Khatami

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Music

Musician of the Week

Bandari

Even as an instrumental, it rocks!

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