VIEW

Let there be light

Iran’s Dark Ages

by Omid Parsi
13-May-2008 (71 comments)
The dominant political theories of the European Dark Ages and the premises of Iran’s present ruling establishment are more or less the same. As the so-called divine rulers helped to destroy the Roman Empire and plunge the Western world into the Dark Ages, Iranian so-called divine rulers are doing the same with the Iranian nation. During the Dark Ages in Europe, there was complete rule by the church and warrior elite, no human rights to speak of, and degenerate, and inhuman behavior. For human liberty, the period was indeed dark>>>

BOMBING

Iran’s response

The options at Iran’s disposal are many

by Mohammad Alireza
13-May-2008 (11 comments)
For the past several weeks the Pentagon has rolled out a justification for the upcoming attack through allegations that have yet to be supported by any solid evidence. Let’s skip over the issue of if the Pentagon is right or if all this is just another case of aluminum tubes or yellowcake or being 45 minutes away from witnessing a mushroom cloud over some American city. Let’s instead jump to the immediate moment after the camps have been bombed. The question is; how will Iran respond?>>>

STORY

The Spider Killings: Conclusion

Roxanne had pieced together the story of how the elusive serial killer had met his demise

by laleh haghighi
13-May-2008 (7 comments)
Roxanne had just finished emailing her story to the newspaper office in Tehran. “The Spider Killer Dead in His Own Web!”, the headline of the newspaper would read in the special evening edition. They had found the remnants of seven bodies buried in Sharif’s garden, and they suspected that the oldest one was that of his wife, Azam. Along with the more recent victims found scattered inside and in the outskirts of the city of Mashad, the body count totaled sixteen. There was no doubt that Sharif was the Spider Killer as each corpse found interred in his backyard had the telltale signs of having been strangled to death>>>

DIRECTOR

The last TV tycoon

An interview with Reza S. Badiyi

by Darius Kadivar
13-May-2008
Born April 17th 1930 in Tehran Iran, Reza Badiyi moved to the United States in the 1960s to pursue a film career. He was educated at Syracuse University. He has Over 40 years of industry experience which include over 400 hours of primetime television, four feature films, and more than 60 documentaries. His directing credits include episodes of Mission Impossible, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Hawaii Five-O, The Six Million Dollar Man, Starsky and Hutch, Cagney & Lacey, Falcon Crest, Baywatch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, La Femme Nikita and dozens more. He received the Gold Medal of Art from the hands of the Shah of Iran in the mid 70's. >>>

RIGHTS

شب همبستگی

گزارشی از برگزاری مراسم همبستگی با زندانيان و دا‌نشجويان سياسی در استکهلم

by Shirin Mehrbod
12-May-2008 (2 comments)
عصر روز جمعه، مراسم شب همبستگی با زندانيان و دانشجويان سياسی، در پی فراخوان «ايرج جنتی عطايی»، ترانه‌سرای نامدار ايران، در مرکز آموزشی کارگران سوئد ABF در استکهلم برگزار شد. به همت کانون نويسندگان ايران در تبعيد، اين برنامه علاوه بر استکهلم، ديروز و امروز در دو شهر ديگر سوئد، گوتنبرگ و مالمو نيز برگزار شد. >>>

HERITAGE

Legacy, tradition and perseverance

What Iran has given to the world and why they matter

by Mehdi S. Shariati
12-May-2008 (9 comments)
An invitation to revisit and re-examine facets of one of the most ancient civilizations – Iran – so as to reclaim that heritage and to exercise a degree of control over a historiography which it represents: The purpose is to add to the voices expressing discontent with the Eurocentric – more specifically Anglo-Saxon – approach to history which considers European history as the core history while the rest of world history languishes in the shadows and on the periphery. It is an invitation to reject the Eurocentric attempt at de-nationalization and de-culturalization of the history of those labeled “people without history” and fabrication of a superficial national identity subject to manipulation>>>

EATS

Viva España!

If you haven’t yet made it to the shores of this wonderful and culturally-rich country

by Shabnam_Ghayour
12-May-2008 (8 comments)
Modern day Spain has etched its place in the world as a country so diverse in its regions with 5 languages spoken and a multitude of different dialects throughout. A country rich in culture, history and influences… many of them the remnants of the Moor rule that can be traced back to 711AD lead by Tariq Ibn Ziyad and the subsequent invasion by the Al-Mohads from Northern Africa conquering Spain in 1147. Although these attacks devastated the Spaniards and cause great bloodshed, some of the things they have left behind in the wake of their destruction have enriched the strengthened today’s Spain greatly>>>

STORY

How the hyena got its laugh

Nugget had never seen anything like it before

by Jina Falahati
12-May-2008 (13 comments)
In the largest and most famous pack of hyenas in South Africa, lived over 90 dull, dangerous aggressive spotted hyenas…OK, maybe they weren’t so famous, and there wasn’t so many of them, but one thing is true though, and that is, that this story is very ancient, and that is exactly why you should hear it now, before it is lost in the mist of time. Now among them lived a playful and happy baby hyena. Now be prepared for a shock. These hyenas did not have a laugh, they never even imagined having one>>>

LOVE

رنگ آمیزی چشمان بی رنگ تو

تماشاگر مبهوت نقش آفرینی های تو بودم

by hadi khojinian
12-May-2008
آرام از کنار خانه ی تو گذشتم بی آنکه درش را بزنم .آرام بی آنکه حتی گل های آفتابگردان سرشان را بگردانند و نیم نگاهی به رد پای من بکنند. از کنار نرده های خانه ات که می گذشتم به رنگ آمیزی در و دیوار نگاه کردم و به یاد آن روزی افتادم که برای نقاشی صدایم کرده بودی. ساعت نه صبح بود که زنگ خانه ام را زدی. تازه میز صبحانه را جمع کرده بودم ، فنجان قهوه به دست در را باز کردم .با کلاه حصیری قهوه ای رنگ و لباس کار ایستاده بودی. دوچرخه ات را به نرده خانه تکیه داده بودی باصدای نرمت گفتی هنوز آماده نشده ای؟>>>

TRIP

Thinking of you

Short/fun film from a conference trip to Barcelona

by Siamack
10-May-2008 (11 comments)
...>>>

FICTION

Dream of becoming

Should I wake from this nostalgic dream into the nightmare of living?

by Azarin Sadegh
10-May-2008 (14 comments)
It is dark. Lying under my bed, touching the thick harsh wooden board that holds the mattress, touching the cold metallic bed frame, listening to the drum-like sound of artilleries aimed at invisible enemies. The darkness of night blankets the absurdity of the situation, and still knowing that does not help me to calm down. I lower my hands to the ground, pressing the floor, hard, as if I am trying to dissolve into it, to transform into cold grey vapor--smoke and ashes. My body, my fingers, my back, feel numb, but still not as numb I dream of becoming>>>

LIFE

امشب لوچیا می رقصد

لوچیا، لوچیای بی آزار و مهربان، صدای خاموشان جهان است

by Mahasti Shahrokhi
10-May-2008 (4 comments)
لوچیا ارام و باهوش و بی سر و صدا و بی جنجال است. وقتی سرش را کلاه میگذارند، لوچیا خاموش می ماند و با دستهایش، با همان دستهای فرز و مهربانش تند و تند چیزی را تکرار می کند که من دقیقاً نمی فهمم و لوچیا نفس عمیقی می کشد و دوباره همان را از سر تکرار می کند و آنقدر تکرار می کند تا بفهمش. وقتی می فمهش و از آنچه بر سرش آمده خشمگین می شوم و فریاد می کشم، لوچیا نفس عمیقی می کشد و ساکت می نشیند. >>>

INJUSTICE

Marriage at 10

Victims of both discriminatory laws and punative and traditional discriminations

by Mahboube Hosseinzade
10-May-2008 (8 comments)
It is said that in the slums of Zahedan, there are many houses where several families each occupy a single room in a house. There was an opportunity for us to enter one of these houses. The mother, sister, wife, sister-in-law, father and two brothers of the man who has asked us to go in, as well as several little children all live in a single room. One of the women is 27 and has a 12-year-old son as well as a little girl who is only a few months old. When I ask her at what age she got married, she replies: "At the age of 10!" And later other people tell me that in some of the towns in this region 10 to 11 is indeed the usual age of marriage>>>

STORY

The Spider Killings (20)

Azadeh’s spit landed squarely in the middle of the man’s face

by laleh haghighi
10-May-2008
Ever since he had caught a glimpse of Azadeh wailing over the body of her dead friend in front of the Mausoleum of Imam Reza, Sharif, like a hungry tiger fixated on its prey, had kept close track of her. He had followed her to the police station, wondering when she would be released from questioning, hoping he could approach her for a ride then. But for the two days that Sharif kept his vigil, he had been thwarted in his plans. Coming and going, Azadeh was always accompanied by an older woman. An older woman who struck Sharif as one he had seen before. Well obviously, she must be a prostitute too. These morally ill women stuck together after all>>>

POETRY

Mother’s Day
by Ghahremani
09-May-2008 (9 comments)
Before I became “Mother”
Worry was just a word
Sleep meant long, peaceful nights
Didn’t need fairytales, lullabies or sweet lies
Before I encountered motherhood
Tiny fingers wouldn’t tug at my heart
Someone else’s pain couldn’t make me die >>>
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