PROGRESS

It is easy to comment without knowing the people

I know several of people in this conference. One is a person who has been working for human rights and women's rights in Iran for many years. At least as far back as 8 years ago, she was telling me to do translations and other activities regarding women's rights and human rights in Iran.

I don't know who demo is and for that matter who Farah Rusta is. I know people in conference and they are the ones who have been working for human rights.  Some of these people have had loved ones executed and jailed or they have been persecuted and/or jailed themselves in Iran. They should smile and be proud that they have worked tirelessly for the cause. 

Mehraban Jan: Couldn't agree

Mehraban Jan: Couldn't agree more.

Do Not Worry, Be Happy

Here take some of the comments below & read them note by note here if you're not happy!!!

How low can we go? All in these types of "reunion"ization processes & in these sorts of "Con"fereces soon are going to look like Mr. William Royce in Slide #29 sitting on a bench with a cane on their hands, with "No-Akhms" on their faces, and with "zero" meaningful accomplishments. Guranteed.

PS: Thnx to Comrade & FR for her first comment with or without "Akhm" on their faces. 

Khanoom e Rusta

I watched this event on the net (partially).  There was a man there in the Q&A segment who had been a prisoner at Evin.   He said something along the lines of what you are saying, that, in the conference, there was no mention of the names of the prisoners in Iran and or description of their work and their condition.  He also suggested that there may be a prize to honor the prisoners in Iran which would mean a lot to them (prisoners).   While I am grateful for this conference,  I have to say that your critic is valid.

Are we taking the non violent idea to mean timid? 

گفتم برقص نگفتم قر بده

تعارضات دوستان به نوشته من مرا به یاد روایتی انداخت که گفتم شاید ذکر اون موجب انبساط خاطرشان گشته لبخندی بر لب روا دارند:
یه زنّ و شوهر  تازه ازدواج کرده ولی خجالتی دعوت شده بودن به یه پارتی. یک ساعت که گذشت مجلس رقص و ساز و ضرب برقرار شد و مهماندار همه خانم‌ها رو میکشوند وسط که برقصند. به تازه عروس که رسید هرچه کرد حریف نشد تا بالاخره با اجازه گرفتن از تازه دوماد که به عروس خانم گفت میتونی‌ برقصی نو عروس به وسط اتاق رفت و حالا قر بده کی‌ قر نده! 

خلاصه مجلس رو قرق کرد طوریکه همه مرد و زن رفتن کنار و کف میزدن و قر و غمزه عروس خانمو ور انداز میکردند. شوهر بیچاره که حسابی‌ خجالت کشیده بود و دید داره آبروش میره پرید دست زنشو گرفت و بردش بیرون و سرش فریاد زد:
فلان فلان شده فقط گفتم برقص دیگه نگفتم قر هم بده!

حالا ما نگفتیم کسی‌ اخم کنه اما دیگه چهچه و قهقه هم زیادیه.

FR

Marg bar Akhm!

How true MPD jon.

Let's make this "Marg bar Akhm" our true slogan!

Why people think that to be taken in serious, we must pretend to be akhmoo?

The more Akhmoo, the more ignoring the quality of life (in my opinion)

Kudo to MPD (joon)

PS_If this (joon) can make someone unhappy, let her do Akhm, LOL

Great photo essay, and…

… there is nothing wrong with smiling, laughing, having a good time, looking dashing and attractive.  Happiness was once one of the pillars of a great religion in ancient Persia till it was reversed and misery became the pillar.  Today, we are governed by regime that on national television promotes a culture of martyrdom, death, and destruction.  One way of defeating that kind of mindset is to show them that we refuse to be miserable.

I personally know some of these people, with their smiley faces in those pictures, work restlessly every day of their lives for human rights, and I know they are not bitter but hopeful for a great future.

We are not defeated.  Marg bar Akhm!

Let's blame it on "cheese"

with or without smile, the aged or aging crowd worries me the most. The bell is getting too skewed.

Never increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything.

First of all, Great work Nazy jan, second to Farah Rusta

First of all, I wanted to thank Nazy Kaviani for her great work reporting about the conference. Through her blog last week and now by the pictures, we are able to know what happened in conference.

Farah khanoom, your criticism is not warranted. Did you see the women in pictures? they were not made up like average Iranian woman that you see in concerts. Some of the people in pictures have been involved with issue of human rights in Iran for decades. Just because someone smiles at camera, that does not mean they are not concerned about what happens in Iran.

Has something gone amiss here?

whatever it is, it is not Nazy's quality of reporting and
photography. Her work is superb. In fact. was it not for her
illustrative photography and informative captioning, I would not have
noticed what I noticed.

The problem is with the conference or perhaps I
should say with the its attendants and organizers and this is not only
about  some of their past and present associations with the very regime
that they had gathered to expose. But was that all they were exposing?
Let me explain.

If I was not told what this conference was about, I would have guessed
that this was a gathering of art, film and literary critics to discuss
the latest trends and developments in their corresponding industry.
Perhaps a book reading followed by a book signing event. I could never
have guessed that the people in this gathering were coming from a
country with the largest percentage of executions in the world (source:
Shirin Ebadi). I could hardly have believed that these people had
relatives who were, or were personally, subjected to human rights
abuses in Iran. Not a single grim or even a concerned face in those who
posed for a photograph. The people in these pictures are too "dashing"
and dapper to be representatives of a country suffering from the
worst abuses of human rights in the world. Participants are snapshot
happy and ready to pose for photos - all smile and laughing widely in
front of the camera,  like ther are more concerned about their looks than those who
have gathered  to look for a solution to a very complex and emotionally
consuming problem. 

This says something about our collective conscience doesn't it? Perhaps
this has something to do with being an Iranian-American? If there were similar gatherings in, say, France, Germany, or Turkey, would they
have looked or behaved the same? 

In short: a great social gathering? Definitely! A glimmer of hope for the people back home? Doubtful!

FR

Much appreciated

Like Darius said: "constructive reunion" ! This is the spirit we need

Great Work Nazy Jaan - In Tribute - "Come Together"

Come Together - John Lennon:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5oID2_1FPI

Look forward to more of such constructive reunions in the future !

Good Job ! 

khanom dastet dard nakoneh!

Deeply appreciated.

You did a great job. I wish I was there to hear every one of those great activist, but even though I wasn't present, I could enjoy it by your very elaborated report of the conference.

More power to you, Nazy khanom.

You are a gem to this site. 

DEEPLY

DEPRESSING!

" Thank god for botox; my facial expressions are wearing rather thin...."

Nasrin Sotoudeh must be freed

The life of the women activist and one of the foremost advocate of women equality is in danger. Shirin Ebadi's tireless work for her release is an example of the Velvet revolution which taking place across all walks of life in Iran. Why is Nasrin Sotoudeh in Evin Prison? What is her crime? According to her husband Reza Khandan, they have very little news of her. Hadi Ghaemi campaign to release Nasrin is remarkable and should be followed by all Iranian opposition groups and the Green Movement. Nasrin was my lawyer and worked for many years and I know she is woman of integraty and honour and must be released immediately.

........

Thank you for the very moving photo essay.....I read all the captions......I like Ebadi's speech a lot at the end of the photo essay....It is super sad that the Bam earthquake victims were neglected while Hezbollas got loads of the free money.....'

Thank you for your hardwork......I know it is time-consuming to make a photo essay!

P.S. Rudi Bakhtiar is sooooo beautiful!