WAR

Mission possible

President on a mission to facilitate a larger war with Iran

by Scott Ritter
31-Jul-2008 (112 comments)
The war between the United States and Iran is on. American taxpayer dollars are being used, with the permission of Congress, to fund activities that result in Iranians being killed and wounded, and Iranian property destroyed. This wanton violation of a nation's sovereignty would not be tolerated if the tables were turned and Americans were being subjected to Iranian-funded covert actions that took the lives of Americans, on American soil, and destroyed American property and livelihood. Many Americans remain unaware of what is transpiring abroad in their name. Many of those who are cognizant of these activities are supportive of them>>>

VIEW

Time's up

What is the Future of Iraqi sovereignty?

by sadegh
31-Jul-2008 (22 comments)
Negotiations over the future role and status of America’s armed forces in Iraq have been underway for some time, while any sign of agreement between the respective parties appears inconclusive and highly precarious. With the July 31st deadline already passed, the ongoing dispute over the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) shows little sign of resolution. The Bush administration has been somewhat desperate to push the measure through and establish a legal framework for the continued presence of US forces in Iraq since the UN Security Council mandate is due to expire this December>>>

TRAVELERS

Glowing ever so brightly

Hamid's glass gallery in Tehran

by Ali Moayedian
31-Jul-2008
On our 3rd day in Tehran, we visited a couple of museums and then went to the House Of Artists. On our way back, we were passing through Fakhrabad, one of the old neighborhoods in central Tehran, when my niece pointed at a glass gallery. The contrast couldn't have been more. In the middle of all these narrow and car packed streets, and among all these shops, there it was a small and beautiful gallery glowing ever so brightly! Since we were tired, we decided to visit the next night. On Wednesday night, we headed for Fakhrabad again. We parked the car a block away and walked to the gallery >>>

POETRY

My Heart Knows Best
by Cameron A. Batmanghlich
31-Jul-2008 (8 comments)
To my battered heart
By the thought of a new love
I keep screaming … ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!
But my heart shrugs it off, as if HE is the one in charge!
While the shadow of her smile
still covers the rays of my sun
While the sound of her name
still rings into my ears >>>

POETRY

هيچ معجزه ای نيست!
by shokooh.pasargad
31-Jul-2008 (2 comments)
هنوز نمی دانند
قهرمانان بازاری اند
پيامبران فرسوده
هيچ معجزه ای نيست
مگر عشق
ـ همان حيات هوشمندی که
تنها در سياره های زنده نفس می کشد،
از فرمان خدايان سر می پيچد،
و بر تن سيب بوسه می زند. >>>

VIEW

Something missing

Critical report on the 19th International Iranian Women's Studies Foundation Conference

by Roja Najafi
30-Jul-2008 (3 comments)
Today and about three weeks after the conference, I am sitting here going through my notes and reading some reports of the conference, thinking something is missing. I see an empty space for a critical review of this lively and interactive conference, the 19th IWSF conference; a review which doesn’t lack the essence of critical thinking: a review that not only praises the strengths of this conference but also points out the ways to improve weaknesses for the future conferences. As a member of the audience, I was not drained of my previous education, studies and personal beliefs and biases >>>

STORY

In the comfort of New York strangers

A short story about love, death, and betrayal in the Big Apple

by Kaveh Afrasiabi
30-Jul-2008
The guy was Arnold Schwarzeneger look-alike, all muscles and towering over me, obviously a red neck who wasn’t used to dealing with a Spanish detective before. “Sit down, will you?” I ordered and he obeyed, casting a half-inquisitive, half-demeaning stare at me. I pulled a chair and sat across the table in the interrogation room staring back at him until he buckled. “So what’s your question?” ”Why did you have to kill him?” I asked. He laughed and said, “what the hell was I supposed to do, invite him to dinner, Mr. burglar?” >>>

CAMPING

Unspeakable

I pinch Q’s arm. He shakes his head, whispering: ”Don’t go. Domestic affair. None of our business.”

by Azarin Sadegh
30-Jul-2008 (13 comments)
Flies and mosquitoes. An eagle flies above the trees, above the lake, above the sandy road, above the tent. I zip up the little window. The tent is hot and humid. My right hand is swollen. It’s 3 PM by Sucshahaungxuiamaulta lake. The wind is going to blow tonight. We have already burnt all the wood and all the marshmallows. But it doesn’t matter since tonight it’s going to be too hot for sitting around a fire.
“Too hot,” I say. “I’m dying.”
“Wait till the night,” Q says. >>>

LIFE

استخاره

استخاره کردیم ببریمش مریضخانه، بد آمد. توکل میکنیم به خدا، خودش شفا میدهد

by Shahriar Zahedi
30-Jul-2008 (2 comments)
نوش آفرین بیحال روی تشک افتاده بود و ناله میکرد. رقیه سادات قابله کنارش روی زمین چمباتمه زده بود و هاج و واج به او خیره مانده بود. پیش پای نوش آفرین، روی تشک، یک نوزاد قنداق شده از ته حنجره فریاد می‌کشید. شو هر، برادر، و پدر نوش آفرین بیرون، پشت در اتاق گلی ایستاده بودند. نوش آفرین دو قلو حامله بود ولی‌ بچه دومی بیرون نیامده بود. فقط یک دست کوچک، از آرنج به پایین،دیده میشد. رقیه سادات میدانست که بچه به آین طریق خارج نخواهد شد و مانده بود چکار کند. بعد از گذشت مدتی صدای شوهر نوش آفرین، که دیگر طاقتش به سر رسیده بود، از پشت در آمد که "ننه علی‌، چی‌ شد، چه خبره؟" >>>

STORY

The Scream (2)

Nothing was left, no images had been spared, and the world lay bare of its most famous icons,

by Niki Tehranchi
30-Jul-2008 (4 comments)
The second one gone was the Mona Lisa. It happened a couple of weeks after the Screaming Man incident. The Louvres museum in Paris now found itself in the same conundrum as its Norwegian counterpart. Again, this wasn’t a case of thieves stealing the famous Leonardo Da Vinci painting. It was much much worse. At least, with thieves, you could start an investigation, track down the suspects, hope that one day the painting would show up at an auction house or private collection and get it back. But this? This was… incomprehensible. The painting itself still hung right there, encased in its protective glass shell, in the most visited wing of the Louvres>>>

NUCLEAR

Enriched offer

Drawing a red line with Iran

by Anatol Lieven & Trita Parsi
29-Jul-2008 (82 comments)
If we in the West are to set a genuine red line that the Iranians can recognize as such, two interlinked things are necessary. This line needs to be rooted in international rules that the Iranians themselves have formally recognized, and it needs to have the full support not only of the Europeans, but of the Russians, Chinese and Indians as well. In other words, our red line must be strict, verifiable adherence to the terms of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, or NTP, accompanied by a list of detailed, concrete and severe sanctions that leading members of the international community undertake to impose if Iran breaks the treaty and moves to weaponization>>>

HERITAGE

Ray of light

Film director Makan Karandish begins a challenge on behalf of all Iranians

by Amir Fetanat
29-Jul-2008 (2 comments)
Iran is suffering one of the darkest cultural periods in its history. The old fruitful tree which once survived the coldest seasons is slowly withering away, her roots invaded by internal and external diseases. Our national identity is invaded by cultural agents of Arabs making us alien to ourselves as a nation. But there are always Iranians who endure the difficulties to remind us of who we are, and connect us to our roots and make us proud of ourselves, as a nation which has influenced world culture throughout history. In my opinion, “Iran the Forgotten Glory” is a very well crafted and innovative documentary film which serves this purpose>>>

MEMORIES

Strong bonds

PART 3: From Misery Alley to Missouri Valley

by varjavand
29-Jul-2008 (3 comments)
While the real story of one’s life begins with a scandal or with love affairs, my parents’ story began with marriage without any scandal or adventurous romance. I am sure my father had not seen my mother before marriage as was usual at their time and even today in many places. And, there was no love at the first sight. Their marriage was arranged, brokered, a blind marriage. It was like signing a contract and negotiating its terms and conditions afterward. It is really hard to imagine what would be your love life if you marry a person you didn’t know or even seen before. Remarkably, their marriage lasted for lifetime, until death do them apart>>>

STORY

نفوس مرده

یونس از وقتی به منزل بازگشت، طور دیگری به باباش نگاه میکرد. حالا وی در مرگ باباش رستگاری خود را می جست

by cyrous moradi
29-Jul-2008 (3 comments)
مش فرمان، پدر یونس سالها بیمار و گوشه رختخواب افتاده بود. اصلاً حرف نمی زد. در سکوت زل زده بود به نقطه ای در دیوار مقابل . فقط زنش خیر النساء که او هم حال خوشی نداشت، هر روز چندین بار به دقت نگاهش میکرد، گوئی میخواست با نگاه درون شوهرش را بکاود و علت ناخوشیش را کشف کند. برایش باورکردنی نبود که مش فرمان توت فروش معروف میدان تجریش این طور از رمق بیفتد. یادش می آمد آن وقتها که شوهرش جوان بود طبق های بزرگ توت را بر روی سر میگذاشت و از باغ های توت گلاب دره و شهرستانک تا بساطش می آورد. عین اسب مزرعه سالم بود و اصلاً خستگی نمیشناخت. خواب و آرام نداشت. تابستان ها توت و گردو و بستنی و زمستانها هم لبو باقالی می فروخت. تنها مشکل مش فرمان این بود که صدای خوبی نداشت و این نقص در جائی که هر کسی باید محصولش را با صدای خوش داد میزد، ایراد بزرگی بود.>>>

LIFE

لیوان خون

لورکا در طرف دیگر ایستاده بود تا من و نرودا راحت قدم بزنیم

by hadi khojinian
29-Jul-2008 (2 comments)
لیوان خون بر سر صبحانه ی آقا هر روز به همراه نان و کره و پنیر و مخلفات دیگر آماده است . هر روز ساعت شش و نیم صبح برادر بزرگ از خواب بیدار می شود دستی به سر و شانه اش می کشد . برادر کوچک به آرامی صورتش را می شوید تا خماری صبح ذهن آشفته اش را به یغما نبرد! رنگ خون امروز با دیروز و با فردا همیشه فرق خواهد داشت .سالهای دور فقط چای بود و تکه ای نان و پنیر ولی حالا اوضاع به کلی فرق کرده .لیوان های پر از آب میوه تاثیر خودش را از دست داده و خون تازه شجاعت شروع روز را به برادر بزرگ عطا می کند بی هیچ واهمه و دل واپسی !>>>
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