Archive - Oct 20, 2008 - Article

Silence coming to an end soon

In anticipation of President Ahmadinejad’s annual trip to the UN General Assembly, the Iranian Mission to UN has asked Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) to invite representatives of the peace movement in the US to meet with him in NYC. Fellowship of Reconciliation is a faith based peace and justice organization, which for several years has been active in the movement against a war on Iran. They have organized many citizen delegation tours to Iran in recent years. President Ahmadinejad has traditionally met with interfaith groups every year in NY and it appeared more natural for them to ask FOR to facilitate the meeting with representatives of the peace movement as oppose to more secular groups. Subsequently, FOR prepared an invitation and sent it to all the peace organizations and individuals that they had identified as being interested in such meeting with the Iranian President>>>

The Newlyweds (7)

Salam Dadash jan, Chetori? I just received your email with all the photographs from Kian’s birthday. You guys all look so happy. Maman especially shone in her new dress. Did my favourite four year old enjoy his gift from Canada? I miss you all so much. I am waiting impatiently for the day when you will write me with the happy words “We are coming for a visit…” Here, on the Northern front, things have been getting a bit frosty and I am not just talking about the weather. Nassim and I had our first fight. Yes, it took almost five months for the blissful, newly-wedded merry-go-round to hit a little snag. It happened last week, when my dearest parents-in-law threw yet another mehmani at their home. You know how those evenings go. This time, though, a couple of things were different right from the start. >>>

چهار نگاه به عشق

هنگامی که به سازمان خانواده و زناشویی از زاویه های سنتی، برخورد می شود هیچ گاه این پرسش به میان نمی آید که آیا دو همسر به یکدیگر عشق می ورزند یا نه؟ برعکس پرسش هایی از این دست طرح می شود: آیا عقد آنها مشروع است؟ آیا مرد صاحب درآمد است؟ آیا زن زایا است؟ تنها در جامعه ی جدید است که به بنیان عاطفی ـ جنسی پیوند دو همسر توجه شده و عشق جنسی به عنوان یک ارزش معنوی ستایش می شود. فردریش انگلس (95-1820) در اثر مهم خود "منشاء خانواده، مالکیت خصوصی و دولت" که به سال 1884 منتشر کرده، در فصل دوم "خانواده"، بخش چهارم "خانواده ی تک همسره" در این باره می نویسد:" تا پیش از سده های میانه، ما نمی توانیم از عشق جنسی فردی سخن بگوییم: آن زیبایی شخصی، انس زیاد، شباهت سلیقه و مانند آن که در افراد دو جنس مختلف میل آمیزش جنسی را بیدار می کند به طوری که مرد و زن نسبت به انتخاب همسری که می خواهند با او وارد این نزدیک ترین رابطه بشوند، خنثی باقی نمانند.">>>

For the Love of Faloodeh

“Did you bring me Faloodeh?” I demand, skipping all the common pleasantries and zealous Iranian courtesies. Enjoyably exasperated, she plays along and hands me a bag of Ajil to shut me up. And while I am stuffing my face, with me in tow, she concentrates on maneuvering through the crowd to reach the baggage claim and fetch her luggage. As long as my mouth is full, she sets a new record every year! The long ride home takes us through America’s fertile plateau and farm land. Once the Ajil is finished, she offers me a bag of dried Tut and Nochod, and then comes out a piece of Lavashak, followed by Tokhmeh, and finally a hardened Gaz. Meanwhile, she keeps talking, bringing me up-to-date with new births and recent deaths: >>>

The Duty of the Iranian Artist

In the past few years, the emergence of "The Free Iranian Artist" and Free Iranian art has become more and more popular as the discourse on Iran, the relation to Islam, freedom, and politics, has shifted out of first into second, possibly third gear. If you are an Iranian artist, in my opinion, your first duty is to yourself, and second, to me (as one of your fans), to be FREE. Free to express your art in any way that you want. To do this, you must obviously, simply, survive. You cannot stifle. You cannot suffocate. You cannot go to jail. You cannot die. That will silence you forever, or worse, taint your art with the polluted scent and everlasting stain of oppression>>>