Archive - Sep 12, 2008 - Article

Patriots who want their country destroyed

I was sent a file by a “patriot”, Arash Irandoost, with a note saying “see Mossadegh not from an Iranian perspective (which is mostly biased), but through the Western Eye. Read and decide for yourself.” Evidently though, he wanted me to ‘decide for myself’ based on the pertinent highlighted text. Yet another ‘patriot’, Roxanne Ganji,suggeststhat I read a couple of books as “proof the true face of her dear Dr. Mossadegh.” This time I see the infamous Hassan Dai’s name in the correspondence. Certainly I don’t find the truth objectionable. In fact, as a researcher, my fidelity to knowledge is paramount. But my problem is the irony of the situation.>>>

The country that is not

A renowned and experienced Swedish diplomat by the name Ingmar Karlsson has recently been the top news in Sweden. Some angry bloggers and newspaper columnists want him fired and some cheer him on. The reason has got nothing to do with his diplomatic work. It has to do with his latest book: Kurdistan, a country that is not (Kurdistan, landet som icke är). The title of the book (beside Kurdistan) is derived from a Swedish poem about a wonderful place that exist only in dreams and not in reality. Since the release of his book Mr Karlsson has been under heavy fire. >>>

Haleh's Story

You love someone else, you say
I am confused and anguished for having put my guard down
Long enough to let you into my heart
I so want to be done thinking about you, so I try but
It is her I can’t get out of my mind
It is not about her looks
It is not about her youth
It is not about her figure, what has me thinking about
For what difference would any of that make? >>>

Taking the lead

Parwin is in a middle of a conversation with one of the IFF volunteers in café de Balie in Amsterdam, when I arrive too late and all whet due to another Dutch September rain storm. Like a committed and skilled manager who is in the business for years, she delegates tasks and preparations for the Iranian Film Festival. It is a lot of work to organize a three day long festival while having a fulltime job. As a program manager at an idealistic organization she unites people of different cultural backgrounds by introducing art and film-related projects. Parwin speaks enthusiastically about the variety she is going to offer in the program of the IFF 2008. She was only 5 months old when her parents brought her to The Netherlands>>>

مانيفست درماندگی؟

بخش هائی از گفتگوی آقای اکبر گنجی با راديو فردا براستی اسف برانگيز است. کسی که روزگاری به کنفرانس برلين آمده بود تا توضيح دهد که چرا اصلاح طلبی آيندهء ايران را رقم می زند، و بخاطر آن به زندان افتاد، و در زندان دست به مبارزه زد، اعتصاب غذا کرد، «خامنه ای بايد برود» را نوشت، «مانيفست جمهوری خواهی» را رقم زد، تبديل به يک قهرمان ملی شد، و آنگاه يک باره و غافلگير خلاصش کردند و پاسپورتش را به دستش دادند تا از کشور خارج شده و جايزهء های رنگارنگ حقوق بشر و دموکراسی خواهی و روزنامه نويسی را درو کند و شهروند افتخاری شهرهای استخواندار دنيا شود و با بزرگان عالم انديشه بنشيند و برخيزد، اکنون ـ دو سال و اندی از آن خروج، و در پی ده ها نامه و مقاله نگاری، اعتصاب غذا و سخنرانی ـ نتيجهء مطالعاتش را از ميکروفن راديو فردا، به مخاطبان نشسته در ايران، چنين گزارش می کند که: «آن چيزی که الان هست٬ صرفاً ادعا است ـ ادعای اين که اپوزيسيون وجود دارد. ولی واقعيت مطلب اين است که اپوزيسيونی که منتهی به عمل شود اصلاً وجود خارجی ندارد».>>>