The Iranian Times

Monday, October 5, 1998 / Mehr 13, 1377, No. 576


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Sehaty Foreign Exchange

Shahin & Sepehr

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    Khayyam


    Cover Story

    Coming out
    Festivals in U.S. show Iranians more relaxed

    Photos by J. Javid

    We drove into New York with great excitement. We expected the "first Iranian-American street festival" to be filled with people, vendors and various cultural activities. What we saw was just a lot of people wondering around and -- for lack of anything better to do -- checking each other out.

    Although a disappointment in terms of organization, the New York festival showed Iranians as much more relaxed and confident about their Iranianness. You could see individuals representing all religions and political affiliations (even a woman in full black chador). But there was no sense of fear or suspicion, which were common among expatriates after the revolution. You could feel an invisible bond, even toward strangers... GO TO FEATURE

    New section

    Books

    Iran-U.S. relations

    Looking for books on Iran-U.S. relations? We have listed several of them which can be bought directly from Amazon.com. If you have any suggestions on recent books on this topic, let us know and we will include them in this section. GO THERE


    Anyway

    Iran is threatening to go to war with Afghanistan. Turkey is making threats against Syria. The world financial markets are in shambles. The price of oil is at its lowest since the 1920s. Russia's political and economic crises continue. The President of the United States is facing impeachment hearings for committing adultry...

    What's playing at the movies tonight?


    History

    Revolution: 1979-1999

    General Fallahi


    More Letters

* Islam = Reformed Manicheism

"Glasse" writes: Excellent document ["Conspiracy theories and the Persian mind"]. conspiracy theories are characteristic of other Islamic countries and the Soviet Union because of Manichean influence. Communism is a form of Manicheism (thesis-antithesis, etc) and Islam itself is a reformed or one could say rectified kind of Manicheism. Islam takes many elements of Manicheism but instead of two abstract gods defined by their opposition makes them into one... FULL TEXT

* Mohammad Basirian: "Soldier of Human Dignity"

Parviz Forghani writes: Although [Mohammad Basirian's] official assignment was "Specialty English Course Professor," all his students would agree that he was indeed teaching "how to learn." He was indeed trying to ignite a passion for learning, a critical view towards the status quo. He would shout at a student, he would argue with the bureaucrats, the ones who were taking the safe side of the mighty rulers. He was the one who would act sometimes with brutality with those students who had chosen the easy way by adhering to the existing norms and codes of power.

Years later, after Islamic Revolution, during the Iraqi invasion days, when the very young revolutionary guards (Pasdars) would block the streets and stop the cars and search the trunks and ask meaningless questions, it was he who would shout at them furiously and tell them your enemy is the one who is penetrating your capital city and bombing it every night, not the girls and boys and families traveling in the cars which you stop.

Ten years have passed since the day his heart stopped. He was in his early fifties. When I look back, I realize that he was one of those rare people who tried to take his students to the peaks of life and tried to teach them how to look at life from the top. To ignore the minor differences and tolerate different attitudes; to look at life to see how you can change it. He tried to teach passion for learning...FULL TEXT

* Radio show: Shahin and Sepehr on Radio Velayat

Join the dynamic duo as they help celebrate Radio Velayat's second anniversary. You may call (703) 876-9753 in the U.S. during the Silk Road radio show and talk to Shahin and Sepehr live on the air on Saturday October 10, between 11 am - 1 pm U.S. Eastern Standard Time.

Listen to cuts from their new CD "World Cafe" and hear about their upcoming tour schedule. Silk Road is rebroadcast every Wednesday, 10 am - 12 pm EST on the Internet at www.fcac.org/webr and click on "Listen Now."

You will need RealAudio to listen to this show. For more information about the shows on Radio Velayat you can call (202) 672-7203, or write to: Radio Velayat, P.O. Box 16275 Washington DC 20041, or email: babak@fcac.org


New section

Music CDs
Persian and general music CD store

 More news

Khatami confronts election body

LONDON, (BBC) - President Khatami and his followers are regarded as liberals in Iran President Khatami of Iran is reported to have protested to an electoral body which disqualified most of his supporters from standing in a crucial election this month. No details have been released, but Mr Khatami is believed to have expressed his deep concern about the way the body screened candidates for the Assembly of Experts, a clerical council which has the power to appoint and dismiss Iran's supreme leader - currently Ayatollah Khamenei... FULL TEXT

Writers told not to organize, reports say

TEHRAN, Iran (Reuters) -- Iran's Islamic authorities have told a group of prominent writers to give up efforts to re-activate an independent association of authors, Iranian literary sources said on Monday. An Islamic revolutionary court has in the past few days repeatedly questioned several cultural activists and writers, including the prominent novelist Houshang Golshiri, a source told Reuters... FULL TEXT

Iran warns Taleban its ``patience has limits''

TEHRAN, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Iran warned the Afghan Taleban on Monday its ``patience has limits'' and Tehran might take action unless the killers of Iranian diplomats were punished. ``The Taleban must meet the demands of Iran and the international community,'' Iranian television quoted Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi as saying... FULL TEXT

British official in Iran trade, investment talks

TEHRAN, Oct 4 (Reuters) - A top British trade promoter met Iranian officials on Sunday seeking the first fruits of improved relations between the two countries after settlement of the Salman Rushdie affair. Britain and Iran are beginning a new chapter in their relations after agreeing two weeks ago to put behind them differences over the religious death decree against the British author for alleged blasphemy against Islam... FULL TEXT

German coach off to Iran

TEHRAN, (Hamshahri) - A German coach who's had a lot of experience in Iranian first division leagues will arrive in Tehran later this week to coach the Iranian national team ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN

Sepehri's 70th birthday

TEHRAN, (Hamshahri) - Some say Sohrab Sepehri did not write poetry about social ills. But so what? ... FULL TEXT IN PERSIAN


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Quote Unquote

Women & Jihad

Women's jihad (holy war) is good housekeeping.

Majlis Speaker Ali Akbar Nateq Nouri
Quoted by "Zan" daily
September 27, 1998


The Web

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The 24-hour TV network for Iran targetted at expatriates.

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Music

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Nizami's Layla and Majnun

Translated by Colin Turner

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