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Shah
Free elections, 1979
My last audience with the Shah
By Fereydoun Hoveyda
August 18, 2000
The Iranian
The Shah kept silent for a short moment... A servant came in with a
tray on which were a medicine flagon and a glass of water. The Shah bolted
a pill. Then he leant against the back of his seat and spoke in a very
soft voice, as if he were gathering wool: "The time is coming for
me to withdraw. I have served the nation to the best of my ability and
I think that I have done a lot of positive things. All foreign leaders
admire our achievements. The country is ready for democracy. I have the
intention of giving to Iranians the freedom of expression and all other
liberties >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Truth
We must lie
To survive
Shahriar Zahedi
August 18, 2000
The Iranian
On the customs of Persians, Herodotus writes: "Their sons are carefully
instructed from their fifth to their twentieth year, in three things alone---to
ride, to draw the bow, and to speak the truth. The most disgraceful thing
in the world, they think, is to tell a lie; the next worst, to owe a debt:
because, among other reasons, the debtor is obliged to tell lies."
So it is safe to assume that there once existed among the Persians,
a certain preoccupation with honesty and truthfulness and maybe that was
a part of what set them apart from other ancient peoples and contributed
to their rise and glory in the olden days.
But then what happened? >>>
GO TO FEATURE
Hijab
By Mohandes
August 18, 2000
The Iranian
Outlook
1953 coup: Forty-seven years ago today
BBC Persian Service
Forty-seven years ago there was a military coup in Iran which changed
the course of its development for the next 25 years. Much has been said
about how the coup was carried out. Maria Sarsalari has been talking to
people connected to the coup or know about it >>>
LISTEN HERE
The collapsing of Iranian reform
With hardliners in the ascendant, Muhammad Khatami's bid
to reform the clerical system from within has succeeded only in minor social
ways
The Economist
August 19, 2000
SIX months ago a loose grouping of reformists, committed (at least by
local standards) to the rule of law and democratic accountability, won
Iran's parliamentary election. The future looked uncertain but promising.
Even though the conservatives still controlled all the effective instruments
of state power -- the judiciary, the police, the army, the broadcast media
-- it was fair to hope they would feel obliged to pay heed to the strength
of the people's voice. So they did; but only to shut it up >>>
FULL TEXT
Fast Iranian
By Jacki Lyden
The Washington Post
August 13, 2000,
RESTAURANT REVIEW: "Call me Ishmael," I said to my
friend Jahanshah, "and I'll call you Queequeg." We had just entered
one of my favorite holes-in-the-wall in Washington, the Moby Dick House
of Kabob. Why the name Moby Dick? Avast, seafarer, I'll keep you in suspense
for a moment on that one. Let's just say that when an Iranian restaurateur
started Washington's Moby Dick chain in 1989, he was building on one of
the legends of Tehran, not Herman Melville's tale of the whale >>> FULL
TEXT
Boxing ring
International Haftegi: Velayat-e Faqih's firepower and freedom
>>>
FULL PERSIAN TEXT
(Kayhan or Jomhouri Eslami could not be accessed today)
Anyway
I love you
NOW will you publish my article?
It's not easy getting published. ESPECIALLY in The Iranian. So
people try all sorts of tricks. Sometimes they work >>>
SEE HERE
Thanks to Mohandes
More Letters
* This isn't a joke
Jokestan's Self Appointed Board
of Directors writes: In response to Mr. Hossein Tabrizi's
letter, "Racist
jokes", we are very happy to know that there are people with your
point of view out there. Your criticism towards Jokestan.com
opens doors to a vast spectrum of social problems/crisis within the Iranian
society. Frankly, it is hard to find a starting point for this issue.
We think you would agree with us that many jokes have roots in ethnicity
and this is not restricted to Iran. English jokes against French and vice
versa, Polish jokes, Red Neck (Southerner) jokes, Mexican jokes, Italians,
Jewish, etc. are all examples of ethnic humor and reflection of the fact
that no matter why, humor is related to ethnicity. Interestingly enough,
a good portion of these jokes are created by people belonging to the very
same ethnic background.
In Iran, ethnic jokes have a long history and was not invented by Shahanshah
. These anecdotes go back at least 700 years to Obeyd-Zakani
jokes. The subject of these jokes are Ghazvinis, Turks, Esfahanis, Khorasanis,
Turkmans, Arabs, and even Coptics! Believe it or not, Obeyd's work should
be considered as one of the more recent works of Iranians on the subject
of humor. Definitely there are older sources that are not available to
us for reference.
Ethnic jokes are everywhere. Apparently, people take pleasure in teasing
and making fun of each other. But, to what extreme? Why have Iranians pushed
the limit so far?>>>
FULL TEXT
* Iranian hospitality
Shervan writes: I
really enjoyed your article "Amazed"
by Doug Biesecker and "One
planet, one people" by Alan Hale in your August 17, 2000 issue.
It made me very proud to see once again, the hospitality of our people
in Iran, from small towns to the big cities despite of all the hardship
of day to day life in today's Iranian society still impresses our guests.
Iran is a country filled with rich culture and history and it is a shame
that non-Iranians would only see and remember the horrific images of hostages
and protesters. In their mind men and women are running around in black
chadors and turbans attacking locals and visitors in the streets and it
is not a safe place to go for your hard earned vacation or research! >>>
FULL TEXT
Film: Kiarostami film in Falls Church,
MD
Monday, August 21 at 7:30 at Falls Church High School. (I-495, Rte.
50 E, turn right on Jaguar Trail). Film: "Safar". Screenplay
by Abbs Kiarostami. Directed by Raissian.
Books
THE IRANIAN
Bookstore
Music store
Translation of today's poem
by Zara Houshmand:
Give me the gift to blend and bond with a friend.
Give me the brains to stay away from love.
Give me the strength to challenge my own fate.
Give me the feet to walk from this tangled state.
-- Rumi
Previous
translations
Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved.
May not be duplicated or distributed in any form
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More
news
Friday prayer cleric accuses US of trying
to topple regime
TEHRAN,
Aug 18 (AFP) - The United States is trying to topple the Islamic regime
in Iran just as it did with the communists in the former Soviet Union, a
leading conservative cleric charged on Friday. Ayatollah Ahmad Janati accused
Washington of supporting pro-reform elements in the media that he said had
waged a disinformation campaign against the clerical regime >>>
FULL TEXT
MKO says Iranian forces shell one of its
Iraq camps
DUBAI,
Aug 18 (AFP) - The Iraq-based armed Iranian opposition said that one of
its camps in southern Iraq had come under mortar attack by Iranian forces
in the early hours of Friday morning, causing no casualties in the camp,
but with some mortars landing on nearby civilian areas. "Revolutionary
Guards and the clerical regime's terrorists crossed international borders
and attacked with 120mm mortars the National Liberation Army's Camp Habib,"
said a statement by the People's Mujahedeen received by AFP >>>
FULL TEXT
Israel says Iran pressing militants to
attack
JERUSALEM,
Aug 18 (Reuters) - Israel's Deputy Defence Minister Ephraim Sneh accused
Iran on Friday of encouraging Islamic militants to launch wide-scale attacks
against Israel. Sneh's remarks followed a U.S. State Department warning
on Wednesday that there was "an increased possibility for terrorist
attacks" and advising Americans to avoid use of public buses and act
with caution in crowded areas >>> FULL TEXT
US arrests man wanted in Argentina bombing
WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. agents have arrested a Pakistani man who
Argentine sources say is wanted for questioning in the bombings of the Israeli
Embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 and of a Jewish cultural center there in
1994. An Immigration and Naturalization Service spokeswoman, Nancy Cohen,
confirmed on Friday the arrest in Los Angeles of Mohammad Abass Malik, on
grounds that he was in the United States without proper documentation. Cohen
had no additional information on the man >>> FULL TEXT
Amnesty urges U.S. to stop 'cruel' executions
LONDON (Reuters) - Amnesty International appealed to the United
States on Friday to stop the execution of Alexander Williams, a mentally
ill prisoner who was 17 at the time of his crime. Scheduled to go to the
electric chair in Jackson, Georgia next Thursday, Williams, now 31, would
be the fifth child offender to be executed in the United States this year,
more than in any other year since 1954, Amnesty said in a statement >>>
FULL TEXT
Iran decries heavy domestic oil product
consumption
TEHRAN,
Aug 17 (Reuters) - Iran's consumption of oil products exceeds international
norms by an order of 10, forcing it to import six million litres of gasoline
per day, the official IRNA news agency said on Thursday. IRNA quoted deputy
oil minister Ali Aqababaei as saying average daily consumption of oil products
was estimated at 46 million litres, enough to put the country on a par with
India, which has more than 12 times the population >>> FULL TEXT
Women in TV police drama series
Tehran
(Jam-e Jam) -- State TV is producing a series about "the active participation
of women" in the police force >>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT
Acting & smoking
Tehran (Jam-e Jam) -- Siamak Ashariyoun is a veteran actor who
has performed in numerous films and TV series. His most difficult role was
playing a drug smuggler who was a smoker "because I don't smoke."
>>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT
Dream interpretation
Tehran
(Iran daily) -- The oldest and most popular texts about dream interpretation
were written centuries ago by Ibn Sirin, Daniel the Prophet, and of course
Sheikh Bahai. Their collected thoughts on the subject has been reprinted
>>> FULL PERSIAN TEXT
Iranians lose to American ball players
Tehran
(Ettelaat) -- The U.S. "Global" (college?) basketball team defeated
the Iranian national team in international matches in Tehran >>>
FULL TEXT
Brazilian coaches awaiting visas
BRASILIA, August 17: Ademar da Silva Braga and his assistant Manoel
Henrique Pereira Coutinho are expected to arrive in Tehran in the next few
weeks to join the Iranian National Team coaching staff >>> FULL
TEXT
Slow (sports) news day
Tehran
(Ettelaat) -- There has been much happening in sports today. But here's
something interesting, sorta >>> FULL TEXT
BBC
Taliban: No Olympic team
The International Olympic Committee says it
has rejected a last minute appeal by Afghanistan's Taleban movement to be
allowed to send a team to the Sydney Olympics next month. The IOC says it
has told Taleban that their team cannot participate because the Taleban
administration is not internationally recognised. Pam O'Toole reports >>> LISTEN
HERE
BBC Persian
Service
Exchange rate
Updated August 16
Buying: 813 to 816 tomans per dollar
Selling: 822 to 828 tomans per dollar
CALL TOLL FREE: 877-SEHHATY (877-734-4289)
or 800-995-0264
Mention this code for a better rate:
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Aashti
Melli
Promotes national reconciliation not in Iran,
but among Iranian oppsition groups abroad.
Beyond Iran
Final meal
You are about to be executed in a few hours.
What would you like as your final meal?
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Quote Unquote
Smarter than Spaniards
At the end of the term of the present parliament free elections
would be organized with the participation of candidates from all parties.
In the summer of 1979. And I would empower as prime minister the head of
the winning party or coalition according to the Constitution. Our people
are not less educated and able than the Spanish!
-- Mohammad Reza Shah
"Free
elections, 1979"
The Iranian
August 18, 2000
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ambassafor with former U.S. officials
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