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Letters
March 26-30, 2001 / Farvardin 6-10, 1380

Today

* Monarchy:
- Facing our demons

* History:
- Saving Persepolis

* Iranian.com:
- You opened the closet

- Don't share private life with public
- Doing what you really, really enjoy

Previous

* Iranian.com:
- You do make a difference

- Money for clothes
- Get a woman -- from Iran
*
Googoosh:
- Googoosh music not Iranian
*
Khatami:
- Run Khatami! Run!

- Khatami should decline
- Khatami should not run
*
Lost:
- Minoo, where are you?
*
Monarchy:
- Monarchy's vices

- I'm not a monarchist activist, but...
* Romance:
- Don't be a dictator

* Iraj Mirza:
- Freedom fighter
*
Iran:
- A bottle of Iran

- Very poor choice
- Anti-Iranian Americans
* Persian:
- Serious problem
- Not just Persian

- Persian pants please
- Where are the Persians?


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Wednesday
March 28, 2001

* Facing our demons

Dear Mr Hoveyda, I read your article, "Shah or president?", with interest. What is perhaps missing is the prerequisites for a political solution to the Iranian situation. The political solution will come in time and it will come from within. I agree with the principal point that any society that reaches the sufficient maturity to bring democracy, by definition will not need a strong man in this day and age. But before we get there or before we can establish a lasting secular democracy, we Iranians need to face some of the demons that are part of our national character >>> FULL TEXT

ARBB

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* Saving Persepolis

Sadegh Khalkhali and the thugs around him, all followers of the Navab Safavi movement, the brothers in arm of the Taliban in Afghanistan, attempted to destroy Persepolis in Shiraz. It was only a few weeks after the revolution when Nosratollah Amini had become the governor of Fars.

After hearing of the attempt against Persepolis, Amini, who had been a member of the National Front during the days of Mossadegh and his personal lawyer, called upon the security forces in Fars, and in a show of force, threw out the humiliated invaders headed by Khalkhali >>> FULL TEXT

Fariba Amini

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* You opened the closet

As a 23 year-old American-born woman of full Iranian heritage, I have finally put on my prêt-a-porter Iranian Diaspora frock. When? About a year ago. Why so late? I didn't know I had one. Really. I didn't know I owned such a beautiful, richly-textured, brightly-colored dress. Who knew? You did. You opened the closet door and let all the bogeymen out, and there it was, hanging patiently, waiting to be seen >>> FULL TEXT

Sheila Shirazi

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* Don't share private life with public

I just read the article about the upcoming changes ["Growing up"]. Sounds interesting. I want your permission to add something more (especially now that I know how old you are!)

I think we all have an inner self with our anger, fears, impatience or other things that are not even always permanent and they come and go. Sometimes exposing that private side to the public might not be that interesting and could damage our image. To me it is like going out into the public with pajamas, even though that's something that almost everybody wears at home >>> FULL TEXT

Faramarz Kaviani

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* Doing what you really, really enjoy

In response to your recent article, "Growing up", I should say there is no doubt that you put a lot of work and effort into this site. But just think of it like this; you are doing something that you really, really enjoy.

You don't have a boss; you can work whenever; you get to meet a lot of cool interesting people, and take a lot of cool pictures, etc., etc...

I am not saying that you should live in a shack or not have medical insurance. You, like anyone els,e probably would not mind some extra cash.

Anyway I just wanted to say that you are doing a great job and I am glad you are moving to San Francisco. One piece of advise: Don't think of yourself as a "little boy", because you will stay like that!

Neshat Rezai

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Tuesday
March 27, 2001

* You do make a difference

I just wanted to take a moment and applaud you for your amazing article ["Growing up"]."WOW" was the only word that kept springing to mind as I read on.

Recently, a new-found-friend (u know who u r!) recommended your site to me. To be honest, I zipped in and out so quickly that it made my head spin (no reflection on your site - I promise!), but I had a chance to take another look this morning. It's absolutely AMAZING!

I know that you must get tons and tons of emails on a daily basis - and I don't expect a reply. But thought it necessary to tell you this: What you do makes a difference >>> FULL TEXT

A Friend in LA

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* Money for clothes

This is an article we should have been reading 2-3 years ago ["Growing up"]. Needless to say, in the past I've had my disagreements with Jahanshah Javid and his editorial policies. But nevertheless he is providing a valuable service that has done a lot to bring together the Iranian diaspora.

I for one do not mind paying a small yearly subscription fee -- say $10 for the whole year -- to access the site, even though I'm a student. Even if half the people currently using the site agree to it, that's still a lot of money... more than enough to afford some health insurance and even some new clothes >>> FULL TEXT

Nariman Neyshapouri

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* Run Khatami! Run!

Thanks to Mr. Khatami's election thousands of Iranians from abroad have been able to go to back home with some degree of freedom and feel good about their visit as well as leave some more signs of freedom with people there to follow and steps to take ["Don't run"].

As everyone knows dramatic changes like this take at least a generation,not just four or even eight years to reach fruition. People of Iran are capable, they just need the time.

Mr. Khatami can prevent a civil war by staying in power and his patience as well as his policies will have great results for future of Iran. If he gives up I'm afraid Iran may fall back to the hands of people like talebaan of afganestan. People of Iran have to decide if that's what they want.

Mike Shafiabady

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* Khatami should decline

Mr. Zangeneh is absolutely correct ["Don't run"]. Khatami's biggest contribution to Iran and its future is to decline to run for another four years.

He must make it clear that under current circumstances he is unable to bring anything to the table. It is time for our nation to demand accountability from those with real power. And we all know who they are.

Masoud

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Monday
March 26, 2001

* Get a woman -- from Iran

In response to "Growing up": If you can not find a woman in DC area to take good care of you then I suggest marrying one from home. I know this could be against all the stuff you ever told your friends and family but eat your pride and marry a girl from Iran. Talk to your mother (relatives) back home and they will find you one before you go for next visit home.

Hosain Massiha

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* Monarchy's vices

Dear Mr. Hoveyda, Your recent article on the monarchy was interesting ["Shah or president?"]. I have now come to the conclusion as a lifelong monarchist (I'm 31) that monarchy or republic is, of course, an irrelevence, and that it is the vices of monarchical government that must be avoided: lack of accountability, injustice, corruption, cronyism >>> FULL TEXT

A.V.

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* Googoosh music not Iranian

I liked your article very much. It was quite well-balanced and entertaining ["Houston, we have a diva!"]. However, being a musician myself, I think one thing should be added to all this Googooshmania. The lyrics are Iranian, but the music is not >>> FULL TEXT

Nader Majd
Center for Persian Classical Music

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* Serious problem

The fact that a lot of Iranians introduce themselves as Persians shows how uncomfortable we are with the word Iran or Iranians! The problem with the name Iran is that it DOES NOT represent US in the world as it is supposed to. I have done a lot of travelling, specially in Asia and, believe me, the problem is very serious. we are considered Arabs. And it makes me sick. I wrote an email to the Iranian President regarding this problem. And I sent another email to the Iraqi government, asking them to call their country Babylon and not Iraq. I am not kidding. I did that because I believe there is a serious problem here and this problem is haunting a lot of us and it should be solved >>> FULL TEXT

Siya T

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Friday,
March 23, 2001

* Khatami should not run

Initially after reading Hamid Zangeneh's piece, "Don't run", I questioned whether or not his opinion was based upon factors that are truly important. I have been a staunch supporter of the reformists, of Khatami's presidential term, and of Khatami's reelection. But after working through Zangeneh's argument, I have fallen into agreement with him: Khatami should announce "to the public that he will not stand for reelection and, more importantly, tell them why-- pure and simple." >>> FULL TEXT

Cyrus Samii

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* Not just Persian

In response to Bagher R. Harand: Mr. Kayhan Kalhor & Shujaat Husain Khan have produced a musical project called Ghazal. Mr. Kalhor appears as a guest for other projects .While he is an Iranian master of Kamanche, he most probably has refined his art of improvisations through this interpretation of Persian music in an Indian context. He is a profound artist and in my humble opinion his music is spiritual no matter from what land the melodies come from.

No one should be allowed to dictate how an artist expresses ones self. I think those who complained about the event and the fact that it wasn't "Persian" enough for them are not true patrons of Mr. Kalhor and did not do their homework >>> FULL TEXT

Ali Derakhshan

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* A bottle of Iran

I read your story about the soil fron Iran ["A glass of Iran"]. It reminded me of when I was coming out of Iran and I had gathered some soil in a milk bottle and brought it to the U.S. I was about 15-years old and the whole family was laughing at me. Unfortunately, I don't know what happened to the milk bottle, but I still have some rocks that I use to collect with my friend in Shiraz.

Neshat Rezai

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Thursday
March 21, 2001

* Persian pants please

This past Saturday, March 17, and upon the invitation of the Board of Director of Lincoln Center, and presumably due to my loaning them a series of fine Persian carpets to decorate the event, my family and I attended a concert in which Mr. Kayhan Kalhor, the renowned Persian kamancheh player was an active participant.

The audience of over four thousand, mostly American, were captively mesmerized by the power of the Eastern music. There were, nonetheless, comments made by many afterwards that I feel obliged to share with the community.

For instance, many were somewhat disappointed as they had come to listen to Persian music; instead, they primarily heard fine Indian music.

Also, Mr. Kalhore had a Pakistani/Indian outfit, which in retrospect might have been more appropriate had he worn Persian outfit. In other words, the general feeling was that if there is any Persian influence in the whole affair, it went unnoticed by and large.

One might hope that our talented artists pay more attention to their own heritage when appearing in such prominent platforms in the future.

Bagher R. Harand

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* I'm not a monarchist activist, but...

I have written regularly to The Iranian Times , and I have always insisted on the fact that I am not an activis. Yes, Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, became a dictator, or was driven into becoming one partially pushed by his democratic allies in the West. Yes, Iran under the reign of Mohammed Reza Shah suffered a certain degree of censorship. Yes, Mohammed Reza Shah was trying to give lessons on democracy to his own allies, and probably that was the only way he could show a certain degree of independence towards them. However, I believe that despite his short-comings, and the fact that he was a dictator, does not justify historians to confuse him with the blood-thirsty tyrant he never was >>> FULL TEXT

Darius Kadivar

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* Don't be a dictator

Dear Siamack Baniameri, I don't know how you assumed  that you and people around you are the only definition of Iranians and there isn't any other version of Iranians. To make a long story short, I hope nobody feels that he /she is the center of the world or the golden standard of culture. Because this way of thinking and criticizing is the first step to dictatorship which is the most important problem that Iranians are faceing -- much more important than onions, chelokabab, and beards >>> FULL TEXT

BP Azar

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* Minoo, where are you?

I am wondering if you are able to help me trace the whereabouts of Minoo Motamedi (or Mohtamedi). In 1963 she lived at Navab Street, Hagshenas Station, Hagshenas Street No 68, Tehran.

Minoo had planned to enter university and study to be an engineer but I do not know what eventually became of her. If you can help with information about her present whereabouts, I can be contacted at the address shown below.

PO Box 117
Bindoon Western
Australia 6502

Peter Jeans

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