STORY

Made my day, my friend

Ayatollah Ozmai Majnon indeed, (maliat keh nadareh).

"Promise of a rendezvous with jojo jitsu", was written after Malakot, early 1350's, and though it's not anything like Malakot's grotesque bloody nihilism, it's in a level of satire all its own. Jojo Jistsu is the name of a mouse residing in a hole in the neighborhood's grocery store, which gives the author a view to the public phone, and the public...

On  second thought, perhaps we could take a step back, take our time with the blog and do it in a bit more thorough fashion. Perhaps a blog on Iranian Surrealism, starting with Hedayat, Sadeghi, Shahrnosh Parsipor ( Toba and the meaning of night), Javad Mojabi,...I.C.'s own Cyrus Moradi... Don't mean to put the burden of all this on your shoulder, just merely a proposal for sort of a  format, where everyone can participate in whichever part they like. And now it's time for some herbal tea, cheers

Dear Mash Ghasem

Your wish is my command. I write a short blog to start the flow. I try to find more of the stories online whilst you search for that masterpiece.

...

I'm still looking for the print copy. Don't mean to exaggerate but there are piles and piles of manuscripts and prints and paper in here. and if it's not here it must be in one of the boxes in the basement. But rest assured, by hooks or crooks I shall find it. I'm also sending an email to Akbar Sardozami (found the story on-line on his site first) he might have a copy. He himself (Akbar Sardozami) has many great stories about Hoshang Golshiri (his teacher) and the Chain Murders.

As for the blog for Sadeghi I was hoping if you could initiate it, in a sort of a free flow format. So the blog could provide a platform for all interested to submit his works or their critiques and comments. Now that I'm thinking about Sadeghi, there was also a literary jouranl published in Iran back in 1360's called MOFID, they had a special issue on him with many, many great articles. Maybe we could find those articles and more through the blog? cheers

Dear Mash Ghasem

I am still holding my finger cross for you to find the jojo jitsu story. With the blog please let me know how you wish to do this. I will be happy to find as many stories and provide you with the links if you wish to write it. Let me know how you wish to do this.

...

You're welcome. I'm very glad that at least you appreciate his writings and his place in Iranian literature. We really ought to have a blog for him, with as many stories as we could find (in alphabetical order). I'm still looking for Vadeh Didar Ba Jojo Jitsu, can't find it on the internet anymore, but I'm sure there's a print of it somewhere (I was starting to translate it),  just have to find it! cheers

Hamidbak: you are very lucky to have had that lobatomy first ...

... otherwise, pulling your tooth with no anesthesia could have been very painful ... lol.

مش قاسم جان

با سپاس از زحمات شما در پیدا نمودن برخی از داستانهای بهرام صادقی با کمال خوشحالی متوجه شدم که دو داستان دیگر "غیر منتظر" و " آقای نویسنده تازه کار است" نیز در صفحه ارسالی وجود داشت. داستان "سراسر حادثه" در چند مجموعه مختلف به عنوان یکی از شاهکارهای بهرام  صادقی عرضه شده و جای خوشبختی است که دوستان علاقمند می توانند این داستان نسبتاَ بلند را در صفحه ارسالی بخوانند. دست و پنجۀ آن که این همه را تایپ کرده درد نکند. این هم داستان کوتاه "کلاف سر در گم" که نمونۀ خوبی از سبک او است.

//forum.gigapars.com/%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%86%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%B3%DB%8C-226/%D9%83%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%AF%D8%B1%DA%AF%D9%85-47547/  

Hamidbak

Or you could have spent it to build a toilet in your house so you wouldn't need to come here for your bodily functions. It however seems that it is not only that five minutes that you have wasted.

سراسر حادثه

...سنگر و قمقمه‌های خالی

Here's a link to one of Sadeghi's short stories.

//ravayt.blogspot.com/2005_11_13_archive.html

The site below is where it was found, this is a good collection of writers.

//sardouzami.wordpress.com/%D9%85%D8%AC%D9%85...

5 minutes

Crap, here is 5 wasted minutes of my life I'm never gonna get back...could've had my tooth pulled instead, with no anesthesia.

Dear VPK

My comment was general and not specific to Iran. I however think whilst positive image of nationhood could be constructive, a narrow minded nationalism could be as bad as theocracy and can effectively suffocate any ideology that is not aligned with such patriotism.

Divaneh Jan

In my humble opinion the only way to save Iran is nationalism. We have nothing else left. I remember as a child telling my mother (a nationalist; Mossadeghi and hard core). that I thought nationalism was stupid. Why should it matter if I was born this side of a river or that side of it. Now I realize that my nation needs it. As much as nationalism is stupid it is our only hope. To have an Iran we may be proud of. Men like Ferdowsi and women like Gordafarid gave their lives for it. Maybe they were on to something ....

Welcome back Maziar jaan

Paarsal doost, Emsaal Ashena. Good to see you back, we missed you in here. Thanks for your kind words, and hope that you won't go on gheibat kobra again.

WOW

so nice to bring such a simple but insightful subject; Thanks

kash man ham divaneh boodam  Im. Khom. ( laana....)

Maziar

Shazde jaan

I agree that any ideology that can indoctrinate people and give them dogmatic beliefs. Such ideologies are as harmful as religion, being a political discipline, nationalism or anything else that give people a narrow view of the world.

Dear Amir Sahameddin

Thanks for your insightful comment. Unfortunately this is the ugly side of the capitalism. I hope people can one day realise that living in unequal societies is bad for everyone across the spectrum.

Divaneh jan: of course it is possible, but ...

... it is hard to see where belief starts and faith ends.

Example 1: the secular western civilization is actually the fully grown child of the Protestant Christian faith.

Example 2: the communist ideology is actually the fully grown bastard of mono-theism (one "good-being" rule).

متاسفانه همه چیز داره دګر ګون میشه

شاید آنانیکه برنامه ریزی کرده اند  بین مردم نفاق کینه  تفرقه انداخته اند و خودشان ګل چینی میکنند  مثلا در همین آمریکا  بتو وام میدهند با وام کاری درست میکنی  قالتاق ها و غارتګران  و دزدان کارت را از بین میبرند نه شرکتهاای بیمه به کمک میآیند و نه دیګران   ولی آنان که بتو بدهکارند  در جای سفت نشسته اند و دسترسی به آنان نداری ولی طلبکاران دست از سرت بر نمی دارند 

خوب این هم نوعی آزادی هست که یک عده غارت میشوند ویک عده به نان نوایی میرسند؟ پلیس بی خاصت دادګاههای ګران آمریکا هم تنها در خدمت سرمایه داران هستند که مثلا با وکلای خبره وګران قیمت حقشان را وصول میکنند باقی مردم ول معطلند  یکی ۵ میلیون دلار خرج یک شب مهمانی میکند و کسی دیګر باهمان مدارک بیکار است و غارت شده؟  آن چیزی که مسلم است سران و ثروتمندان هر دین هر مکتب اجتماعی از آن مکتب و مذهب استفاده میکنند و دیګران بایست تاوان پس بدهند   یا به عنوان بهایی یا مسیحی و یا ایرانی و یا شرقی و غیره    متاسفانه ما باهم متحد نیستیم ولی آنان متحد ند   ما تنها بلد هستیم سرهم کلاه بګذاریم و در برابر آنان بخاک می افتیم؟ 

Dear Mash Ghasem

I hope you can find that story by Bahram Sadeghi because now after your description I must really read it.

With respect to the early Baabis (who were later divided into a majority of Bahai and a minority of Azali) you must be right that there was a great deal of violence. My information about the history of Baabis and Bahais is mainly limited to the Bahai sources which portray Baabis and Bahais as victims with the good possibility of these sources being biased in one direction. I desperately need to get my hand on the Kasravi's book as given his integrity it must be the most reliable source.

To get an understanding of the mindset of the early Baabis we have to see who they were. They were the people who had found the Imam Zaman and were now fighting for him. The idea of Mahdi itself which has its root in the pre-Islam Iran is a violent belief itself as we know. Obviously with such mindset they must have taken the law into their own hand and probably not thought much of killing the enemies of the god. Of course when you prime a society for the appearance of the Mahdi (as was the case of Iran at the time) , people will find the Mahdi. When you look deeper you see that almost all early Baabis were Akhonds and ultra religious people. Look around today, which people are so obsessed with the idea of Mahdi? Deeply religious people such as brother Majous Parsi. It must have been the same those days. Let's however not forget that many of them were victims of the massacre by the government after the failed terror attempt on Naassereldin Shah. They did suffer in the hands of the state and Shia clergy prior to that event too.

I disagree with you that crushing Baabis was the point at which Shia clergy got integrated into the state. The Shia clergy got integrated into the state at the time of the Safavids and brought the demise of that dynasty through its corruption. It is well known that the injustice that Iranian Sunnis such as Afghans suffered in the hands of the Shia ruled Safavids (that was heavily influenced by molas) caused the invasion of Isfahan by the Afghans and sow the seeds of problems that eventually cost Iran the separation of some of its most historic parts in the form of Afghanistan.

Today, history is repeating itself and we will be lucky if the injustice suffered by the Iranian Sunnis don't cost us Kurdistan or Baluchistan.

...

I'm trying to find Bahram Sadeghi's short story " Vaadeh Didar Ba JoJo Jistu" and post it, perhaps an intro by you would be  apt.

I don't mean to diminish any respect from the Bahai faith, or Babyan, before them. But when you read the history of the Babi movement, and their splits and sectarian wars amongst themselves, it was incredibly violent. Not to mention the unspeakable violence that was used from the Ghajar state, with the aid of akhonds and mullahs to kill all of them. Obviously the Bahai community has evolved in the past 150 years, and its principaled practice of non-violence today  is a great contribution.  But let us not forget the initial history of Babyan and Bahais and how utterly violent it was. 

More important than all of that,  is  how the crushing of the Babyan movement was the point at which Shia clergy became an integral part of the State in Iran. This integration of the clergy into the State, is an incredibly significant point that most historians don't even mention, cheers 

Dear Bavafa

Thanks for reading and your kind words. You were lucky indeed. I have to say that my dad was not religious either. He did the minimum required but was not overly religious. For example whilst he did not drink alcohol (yes unfortunately it is banned in there too) I never saw him saying hid daily prayers. With Bahais it is however the community that can influence your religious beliefs more than your parents.

شازده گرامی

با سپاس از سخنان پر مهر و بی شیله پیله شما باید بگویم که در خاورمیانه این تنها یهودی و بهایی و مسیحی و کافر و بیش از آنها مسلمانان نیستند که رنج می کشند، حیوان و گیاه خاورمیانه نیز در رنج است. خاورمیانه راهی ندارد مگر این که عوض شود. متاسفانه هم نفت در آن پیدا شده و هم مشتی سفاک که به پشتوانه نفت بساط دیکتاتوری را پهن کرده اند و نه تنها در خاورمیانه بل که در بقیه دنیا نیز مشغول فساد و خرابکاری هستند. برای نمونه همین آمریکا و اروپا را ببینید که چگونه دیکتاتورها با پول نفت در پی فاسد نمودن دستگاه سیاسی آن هستند. تا ببینیم عاقبت از پرده چه برون افتد.

شازده جان این یکی را گل گفتی که " خشت و گل هر تمدنی، منطق و عقل اون ملته - ولی‌ اون چیزی که باهاش میسازند، زاده باور‌ها شونه." حرف حق را نمی شود رد کرد اما حالا حتماَ این باورها باید مذهبی باشه؟ نمیشه که ملت ما هم اساس باورهاش اتحاد ملی و ترقی کشور باشه و مذهبش رو هم قاطی امور مملکت نکنه. به همون خدایی که قبول ندارم میشه ولی نمیذارن. والا ما ملت همدیگه رو دوست داریم اما این دیکتاتورها نمیذارن چون اساس قدرتشون روی همین نفاقها است. 

Divaneh jaan: Great story with a great conclusion

I was fortunate enough not to have my parents instill any religious belief in me and at an early age I doubted and questioned all organized religion and its head master (God). One thing I learned from my parents, my dad particularly, was to tell me 'try to be a good human being and do as you like to be done to you' and if there is a [just] God, then you will be OK and safe. If there isn't, you still be OK and will be ahead.

Thanks for the great story

'Vahdat' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

چند شخصیتی عزیز

شرمنده می فرمایید. از این لطف و حمایت دائم شما بسیار سپاسگذارم. 

دیوانه جان: قربون انسانیتت

همیشه فکر می‌کردم که چرا ذاتت کم شیشه خرده است و کم بد جنسی‌ ... نگو بهائی بودی ناقلا!

تو ایرون فقط یه دوست بهائی داشتم که دوستیمون محدود به بازی فوتبال بود، سر کوچه. سیزده چهارده ساله که شدیم و دم در آوردیم، پدر مادرش ما بچه‌های محل رو گذاشتند تو لیست سیاه، و فری رو ممنوع الفوتبال کردند. هر چی‌ هم دم خونه شون می‌رفتیم و زنگ میزدیم، کسی‌ جواب نمیداد. ما که لات و پیت شدیم رفت ... خدا کنه اون رستگار شده باشه!

تو آمریکا از سال اول دانشگاه تا حالا همیشه یکی‌ دو تا دوست بهائی داشته ام. دوست صمیمی‌ که خیر، چون "صلاح کار کجا و من خراب کجا؟" همیشه از سادگی‌ و محبتشون هم لذت میبردم و هم حرص میخوردم ... حالا میفهمم که اشکال کار از کجاست. وقتی‌ رئیس تون از لگد کردن یه مورچه هم ابا داشته، وای به حال خانم بازی، عرق خوری و علف کشی‌!

"کللن و عمرن" جای شما و یهودی‌ها تو خاور میانه نیست. یا شکست می‌خورید، که مثل مورچه له تون میکنند - یا پیروز میشید، به قیمت له کردن بقیه و از دست دادن اون هدف اصلیتون. چند وقت پیش، یه کتاب میخوندم، در مورد پایه گذاران اسراییل. مو به تنم راست شد - ز بس این موجودات ایده‌آل گرا و رمانتیک بودند. ولی‌ همچین که چاهشون خورد به فاضلاب خاور میانه ... عجب گهی فوران زد!

خاور میانه همیشه جای جنگ جویان بیرحم و شمشیر کشان خونخوار بوده و هست! مورچه و حشره شیش پا که چه عرض کنم، یه آدم دو پا هم که از اون ور خیابون رد میشه، میخواهیم خفه‌اش کنیم. تحمل قیافه خودمون رو تو آینه نداریم، چه برسه به بهائی، یهودی و مسیحی‌. خلاصه "گود لاک" با مور و ملخ ها.

البته این داستان زیبای تو چند بعد دیگه هم داره. چون دلتو وا‌ کردی و قلم رو دادی دستش، منم چفت و کلون دهنمو ور میدارم و ... بگرد تا بگردیم.

"همیشه در اندیشه بودم که چگونه میشود مورچه‌ها له نشوند ..." این جمله میخ کوبم کرد به قصه ات، و مجبور شدم بجای یه نگاه سطحی و یه کامنت تخمی، تا آخر بخونم. راستی‌ چگونه میشود که مورچه‌ها له نشوند - ضعیف تر‌ها له نشوند - فقیر تر‌ها چلانده نگردند؟ یاد نصیحت حاج آقا به پسرش افتادم تو داستان صادق هدایت که؛ "تو دنیا دو دسته موجود هستند: اونهایی که میخورند و اونهایی که خورده میشند!"

"... ما هم همه چیز رو خراب می‌کنیم تا واسه خودمون چیزی درست کنیم." مگه میشه بدون خراب کردن ساخت؟ بدون کشتن خورد؟ بدون جدا شدن از طبیت، بر اون فائق شد و از اون بهره کشید؟ پس ما هم یه روز مثل مورچه‌ها له میشیم؟ با همه تلاشی که در خط کشیدن و جدا کردن خودمون از بقیه طبیعت و باقی‌ موجودات زنده می‌کنیم - عاقبت دچار همون دو دو تا چهار تای ازلی و ابدی میشیم؟

"تنها یک فکر محدود و مذهبی‌ میتواند باور کند ..." ولی‌ دوست من، اگر بخاطر همان فکر‌های محدود و مذهبی‌ نبود؛ تا حالا تمام مورچه‌ها له شده بودند. خشت و گل هر تمدنی، منطق و عقل اون ملته - ولی‌ اون چیزی که باهاش میسازند، زاده باور‌ها شونه.

داستان بسیار جالبی بود

این داستان نشان می‌دهد که حتی یک موضوع کوچک هم می‌تواند در دستِ یک نویسندهء با‌ کیفیت تبدیل به یک شاهکار فکری عظیم گردد.

Dear Divaneh..what a beautiful irony!

       Follow religious guidance to free oneself from religion itself! What an irony and what a journey!

Now I know why you call yourself Divaneh. Perhaps those friends and family whom you left behind consider you mentally unfit and struck by a disease. Rest assured my friend its them who have mental issues and are delusional! 

Dear Anahid

I was about the same age when once I read a prayer that literally meant that people should get up at dawn and pray to god. Despite being allergic to morning since childhood, I decided to get up every dawn and pray to the god. Sometimes it was so cold and I had to say a short prayer very quickly and get quickly back in the bed, I think I did that for about 2 months but then decided that god had to listen to me at other times of the day.

Dear Disenchanted

As I do not believe in the god I cannot consider myself a Bahai. I do not believe in supernaturals or anything that defies the wisdom. I however have to be fair and state that I was freed from the chain of the religion by following the Bahaullah's guidance who encourages the believers to seek the truth and to match their religion to their wisdom. In an ironic way my strong religious beliefs that forced me to follow all his orders, set me free from religion. In search of the truth I read about other religions and philosophies and Bertrand Russell was the first thinker to dent my strong belief in the faith.