The Iranian Times

Thursday, May 11, 2000 / Ordibehesht 22, 1379, No. 978


Sehaty Foreign Exchange

Flower delivery in Iran

Iranian books

Iran

Under layers of taarof
Tehran's museums where you find the substance of yourself

By Laleh Khalili
May 10, 2000
The Iranian

Discovering Tehran's museums accidentally is bliss. You have wandered around the Tehran bazaar all day, your calves are bruised where the hand-trolleys have collided with you, the back of your throat itches from the pollution, and your arms and shoulders ache from all the times the crowd has jostled you. You suddenly turn to the right, and right there at the end of the square, you see the glimpse of a garden, with a reflecting pool, and you pay the fee just to escape from outside and you discover the delightful Golestan Palace which has been turned into a collection of museums and galleries. You are awed by the sight of parrots squawking in the massive trees and swans floating in the reflecting pools and by the tenderness with which these 18th-19th century buildings have been constructed and decorated >>> GO TO FEATURE


Outlook

Iranian Jew denies spying charges

BBC
May 10, 2000

One of the defendants in the trial of 13 Jews in Iran has denied spying for Israel. A lawyer for Farzad Kashi said he had told the court in the southern city of Shiraz that he was not guilty of passing material to Israeli intelligence. He is the first of the accused to deny the charges >>> FULL TEXT

TellMe they're Iranian

The executive team at TellMe, an Internet startup, has two Iranian members, Hadi Partovi and Jaleh Bisharat.

Thanks to Ben Bagheri



More Letters

* Wouldn't the Shah ban 16 newspapers?

Sahar Nahrvar writes: After reading Ms. Farah Pahlavi's letter about the 1953 coup I would like to urge her to explain to me one thing: She speaks of freedom -- I would like to know what does she exactly mean by this word...

Yes it was better when the Shah was around. But still, one wonders, would the Shah not have closed down 16 opposition publications? Were the courts in that time any better than they are now? Would fewer student demonstrators have died if the Shah was the one giving the orders? Let's ask questions without any taarof. Let's find answers >>> FULL TEXT

* Journey to Shomal

Koorosh Khashayar writes: I recently took my American wife to see the new Majid Majidi movie Color of Heaven. I was in awe of the scenery and the beauty of the northern part of Iran. I have not been back to Iran since 1985 and well, I have to admit, I had forgotten how brilliant the scenery was.

I was very moved by the combination of the story line and the setting. Shomal. I wanted to show some pictures of shomal to my wife, so I looked it up in Goggle's search engine and this story came up ["Shomal: The pleasant reality"].

I can close my eyes and actually join Mr. Shaffer in his journey through Chalous to Ramsar. It's a great reminder of how one should always appreciate what he has; you never know when you'll be losing it. Great story.


Panel: Impact of Albright speech, Washington

The Iranian Trade Association presents "Meeting Them in the Field": A special ITA forum to discuss the latest developments in US-Iranian trading relations and the practical impact of the March 17, 2000 announcement by Secretary of State Albright and the April 28, 2000 OFAC Amendment to the Iranian Transactions Regulations. May 24, 2000, 8:30-11:30 am, Dirksen 106 Committee Room, US Senate, Washington, DC >>> DETAILS HERE


Books & Music from Iran

Check our fourteen new books from Iran including an authoritative history of the Achamenid empire, writings by leading reformists, Forough Farrokhzad's complete works, exquisite books of classical poetry with miniatures, Manichaean psalms and more! >>> GO HERE

New music albums

* Taherzadeh, Manochehr: Aakharin barg * Eyvazi, Mohammad Reza. : Rangin kamaan * Banan.: Shaakh-e gol (2) * Ta'rif, Sadiq: Maah baanoo * Lachini, Fariborz: Paaeez-e talaaee ... >>> GO HERE

THE IRANIAN
Bookstore
Music store


Video

NEW: Champions: Iranian national soccer team

Three hours of interviews, trainings, matches, Biographies, and fans of Iranian National Soccer Team, covering Iran's soccer history from 1978-2000. Premium quality. Produced by: Alireza AmirGhasemi & Behrouz Deravi.

THE IRANIAN
Video Store


    Poetry

Translation of today's poem by Zara Houshmand:

No way can I take back my heart from you;
better then surrender it unto
your passion, ease your aching love - if not,
what use is it, why even have a heart?
-- Rumi



Copyright © Abadan Publishing Co. All Rights Reserved. May not be duplicated or distributed in any form

 MIS Internet Services

Web Site Design by
Multimedia Internet Services, Inc

 GPG Internet server

Internet server by
Global Publishing Group.

More news

Qom clerics express their support for President Khatami

TEHRAN, May 11 (AFP) - Iranian clerics from the conservative holy city of Qom have given President Mohammad Khatami their full endorsement, saying his reform movement has brought "new blood" to Iran, papers said Friday. The declaration by some 200 Shiite Muslim clerics comes amid mounting conservative pressure on pro-Khatami reformers after they trounced their right-wing rivals in February's parliamentary polls >>> FULL TEXT

Clerics defend Khatami's reform program

Qom, May 10, IRNA -- More than 200 clerics in this holy city in a communique here on Wednesday defended reforms in the society, calling the "May 23 epic" which swept reformist president Seyed Mohammad Khatami to a landslide victory a "blessed event" in the country
>>> PART ONE

>>> PART TWO

Rafsanjani no longer seeking MP seat in vote row: paper

TEHRAN, May 10 (AFP) - Iran's former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani is no longer interested in a seat in parliament after his poor showing in February's elections, a newspaper said here Wednesday. The pro-reform Iran News, an English-language daily, cited unnamed analysts saying that Rafsanjani was to give up his chase for a seat in Tehran amid an ongoing controversy about the election results >>> FULL TEXT

Iran blasts Gore for comments on Jews' spy trial

TEHRAN, May 11 (AFP) - Tehran blasted US Vice President Al Gore onThursday for his "blatant" interference in Iran's internal affairs after hisremarks about 13 Jews on trial for spying for Israel. "The repeated interventionist statements by US officials is surprising, andindicates their ignorance of the process of investigation of the suspects'cases," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said >>> FULL TEXT

Saudi has protested four times to Iran over gas dispute: paper

RIYADH, May 11 (AFP) - Saudi Arabia has officially protested to Iran four times over its drilling operations in an offshore gas field subject torival claims from Riyadh and Kuwait, a newspaper reported Thursday. Saudi authorities summoned on February 8 Iran's ambassador to Riyadh, Mohammad Reza Nouri, and gave him a letter of protest demanding that Iran stop drilling in the Dorra gas field, in the northern Gulf, Al-Hayat said >>> FULL TEXT

UN in Iran to send mission to assess drought damage

TEHRAN, May 11 (AFP) - The United Nations said Thursday it will send a mission to evaluate the damage from a widespread drought that Iran estimates has caused some 1.7 billion dollars in damage. "The U.N. in Iran is in close contact with the disaster task force to monitor developments in connection with this serious situation," it said in a pressrelease >>> FULL TEXT

Iran shows interst in Sunflower Oil

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - American sunflower oil exporters are hoping to recapture a Middle Eastern market lost two decades ago when Islamic militants stormed the U.S. Embassy in Iran >>> FULL TEXT

Iranian girls not getting enough sex education, professor says

TEHRAN, May 11 (AFP) - A lack of sex education is dooming Iranian girls to "unnatural" puberty and a lifetime of insecurity and resentment, a Tehran university professor said in newspapers here Thursday. "Our girls do not go through puberty naturally, and they don't receive a realistic explanation of gender and its related issues," said Ahmad Akuchakiyan, cited in the Ham-Mihan daily >>> FULL TEXT

Islamic publishers find Iran youth are not all "perverts"

TEHRAN, May 11 (AFP) - At Tehran's international book fair, the biggest shock for Islamic publishers is the extreme interest in their wareson the part of young Iranians they believed were Westernised and "perverted." "I was truly surprised, it's not at all how we always say it is," aid Abdolreza Shalchi, head of the Hazrateh Massumeh publishing hous >> FULL TEXT

Makhmalbaf: All in the family

Tehran, (Ham-Mihan) - First there was Mohsen. Then came Samira. Now there's a Marziyeh Meshkini, Makhmalbaf's wife. Mrs. Makhmalbaf has made a film called "Rouzi keh zan shodam" (The day I became a woman) >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Satirist publsihes collected works

Tehran, (Hamshahri) - Roya Sadr, a satirist who writes for Gol Aqa magazine, talk about her collected works which has just been published: "Khabarnaameh-ye mahramaaneh" >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Qaderi's new film

Tehran, (Ham-Mihan) - Iraj Qaderi is making a new film called "Saam va Belqeys". His "Shorat" is also ready for screening >>> FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Iran 10 - Kyrgyzestan 1

(Iran Sports Press) - The Iranian National Futsal Team thrashed Kyrgyzestan 10-1 in their final group match in the qualifiers for the World Futsal Championships >>> FULL TEXT

U17 defeat Bahman pros

(Iran Sports Press) - With video clip: The Iranian Under 17 Team defeated Bahman Club 4-3 on Tuesday in a friendly match in Azadi Stadium number 2. Hamid Darakhshan, the head coach of the Iranian U-17 team, said, "The team is doing well and we are preparing for the Asian Youth Qualifiers >>> FULL TEXT

Iran take 2nd in weightlifting meet in Hungary

(Iran Sports Press) - The Iranian Weightlifting Team clinched second place at the World Weighlifting Championships, held in Budapest, Hungary >>> FULL TEXT


BBC

Accused Jew denies charges

In the fifth session of the trial of the Jews, accused of spying for Israel in the Revolutionary Court in Shiraz, today, May 10 2000, one of the accused denied charges of espionage. Although, his brother confessed to the same charges. Five others accused of spying in the previous sessions also accepted the charges. Pooneh Afshar spoke to one of the defense lawyers, Ismail Naseri
>>> LISTEN HERE

BBC Persian Service


Exchange rate

Updated May 9

Buying: 842 to 852 tomans per dollar

Selling: 857 to 860 tomans per dollar

CALL TOLL FREE: 877-SEHHATY (877-734-4289)
or 800-995-0264

Mention this code for a better rate: FA 37 B

Business news


The Web

Iran

Iranian businesses in Austria

"Austrian Iranian Business and Culture Center (AIBCC) is an Internet platform to advertise your products and services in Austria."

Beyond Iran

Rijksmuseum

Like so many good things from Holland, this "treasure-house of the Netherlands" is accessible in a host of languages. We took the virtual tour of works from 1250 major exhibits and lingered to learn about Rembrandt's groundbreaking 1642 painting and...

More web sites


Quote Unquote

All shall pass

The superb collection [at Iran-e Bastan Museum] dates your ancestry and your land to some 10 millennia ago. You wander around these objects of stone and ceramic and bronze completely alone as there are, incredibly, no other visitors and you sense your own insignificance, and you find this immateriality reassuring, and this feeling of peace, this sense of "all shall pass," is a rare gift in a city beset by anxiety and fear and insecurity about the future.

-- Laleh Khalili
"Under layers of taarof"
The Iranian
May 10, 2000


Photo of the Day

Accused Jew's courtroom

Jewish students in Shiraz


Music

Googoosh

Music artists index


Art

Naser Nour-Mohammadzadeh
Untitled