Archive - 2008 - Article

The Golden Age of Persia

The Arab Islamic conquests of the seventh century were of the same magnitude as the Persian conquests of 500 BC, Macedonian’s of 300 BC, Rome’s in 100 BC and Sassanians of 200 CE. The united and faithful barbaric tribes of Arabia were able to defeat two glorious civilizations of Persia and Byzantine, and took over an immense empire stretching from Morocco to India. The Arabic language grew from a limited Semitic tongue to dominate the Middle East, and Islam reshaped the Eastern cultural and religious outlook. Sadly, western Iran was decimated by the Arab invasion, but the Persian culture survived in the Eastern provinces (especially Khorasan), where there was less resistance from the general populace and the Parthian minded nobility.>>>

این روزهای من

دیروز وقتی کارولاین از زندگی ام پرسید گفتم : بهتر از دیروزم هستم و برای یک لحظه دست از کار کشیدم و با خودم زمزمه کردم چه خوب ! وقتی میشل با خنده گفت : این جا رو بیشتر از کشورت دوست داری ؟ گفتم نه ! این جا هم بدی های خودش را دارد ولی اگر صادقانه بخواهم جواب بدهم آره ! این جا رو ترجیح می دهم چون به خوبی دارد زیر و رویم می کند و بیشتر از همه این تنهایی خودخواسته باعث رشدم شده که از این بابت خیلی خوشحالم .کی می توانستم در ترافیک فکرهای به هم ریخته و آشفته تهران فرصت بازپروری خودم را داشته باشم ؟ . به همه کارهایم به موقع می رسم .به وقت مریضی می دانم چه باید بخورم و چه نباید .به وقت درس خواندن حواسم به درس و مشقم است نه بازی با افکار احمقانه و بیهوده . به وقت خرید دقیقا مواظب این هستم که چه بخرم که واقعا به دردم بخورد و چه نه .در بازی های پرخاشگرانه شرکت نمی کنم چون این کار در این جا معنی درستی به دست نمی دهد . >>>

War on Ignorance

America’s founders defeated the biggest colonial power and created the government of the people, now government of a few; invented the best public school system in the world, now one of the worst; created an immigrant nation that is pulled apart the seams by immigrant bashing; made America the hub of science and technology by attracting global talents, now other nations are getting ahead of us; gave new meaning to human rights, rule of law and the use of ballot rather than bullet, now we are reversing it not only on global basis but even in America; kept religion out of government, now we are yielding to war and hate mongering politicians who consider invasion of other countries ‘The Will of God.” This is, but one of millions of comments across America regarding oil-producing countries that no longer do what we say, “Thank God our armed forces are killing them and they are killing each other.”>>>

دیار حبیب، بلاد غریب

فرهنگ دانشگاهی ایران در کف شیر نر خونخواره "عدم امانت علمی" گرفتار است ولی ناامید نشویم که تسلیم و رضا تنها چاره ما نیست. چاره جدی گرفتن بیماری و یافتن مداوای اساسی است نه حمله به علائم مرض. البته نخست باید عمق فاجعه را وجدان کنیم، که با دو رسوائی اخیر دکتری مجعول وزیر مملکت و مقاله علمی "ببر و بچسبان" مدرس دانشگاهی که کارش تربیت مدرس دانشگاه است نباید کار سختی باشد. بدتر از وزیر متقلب مدافعان اویند که بجای سرافکندگی در کنج اعتذار آب را گل آلود و شهر را شلوغ کرده و برای دستمال یک مدرک مجعول میخواهند قیصریه همه مدرک داران را به آتش بکشند. آنان که رایت اخلاق و معنویت را در مجامع بین المللی بلند و جهانی را موعظه میکنند بدانند که توجیه و تبریر این نادرستی ها در بالاترین سطوح مملکت از نظر ها پنهان نیست و دور نیست که از عطار پر گو بپرسند که این مشک چرا خود نمیبوید؟ >>>

The Newlyweds (10)

I am writing to you on one of the most important dates of American history, the day when this country celebrates its independence with fireworks, food, family and friends. There is a level of excitement in the air that reminds me of our own Norooz, where everyone in the street is so happy and giving each other these twinkling looks and bright smiles, on their way home to have a good time. But tonight, I am neither at a party nor am I hosting guests. I am sitting at home alone. Yes, Shahab is here too. He is in the living room watching T.V. and drinking his beloved Vodka. As I have said, I am alone. Forget tonight: We have never had any guests over. Shahab has not invited anyone or introduced me to any of his co-workers or friends (if he has any!). He is obsessed with people finding out “what goes on” in his private life.” Why? >>>

Iran Journey of Life

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منشور کورش بزرگ

بمناسبت بزرگداشت روز کورش کبیر که امسال بخاطر نزدیکی آن با روز Halloween ما هردو را با هم جشن خواهیم گرفت که خرجمان کمتر شود، خواستم در مورد "لوحه کورش" که به آن "سیلندر کورش" نیز میگویند قدری با هم صحبت کنیم. اخیراً حتماً با خبر شدید که یک خبرنگار نشریه اشپیگل آلمان بنام شولتز نقل قول کرده بود از قول تاریخشناس آلمانی کلاوس گالاس که او هم به استناد به گفته های یک استاد تاریخ دیگر آلمانی بنام جوزف وایزهوفر ادعا میکند که بله "کورش، یک پادشاه دوران امپراطوری ها و کشور گشائی ها نمیتواند اولین منشور حقوق بشرو آزادی ادیان را شخصاً صادر کرده باشد چون او شاه کشوری بوده که مردمش از ترس باید پای او را میبوسیدند"، و اضافه میکند که "این یک دروغی است که محمد رضا شاه در 1971 در جشنهای دوهزارو پانصد سال شاهنشاهی علم کرد!" >>>

خانم سفیر

خانم مهرانگیز دولتشاهی، خواهرزاده صادق هدایت و اولین زنی که در ایران سفیر شد، در سن نود یک سالگی به دنبال یک بیماری طولانی درگذشت. مهرانگیز دولتشاهی متولد سال ١٢٩٦ در اصفهان است. خانم دولتشاهی در سال 1354 یه مقام سفیری منصوب شد و به دانمارک رفت و تا زمان انقلاب در همین مقام بود. مهرانگیز دولتشاهی تنها اولین و زنی است که در تاریخ ایران به مقام سفیری نائل شد. پس از انقلاب مهرانگیر دولتشاهی ساکن پاریس شد و در طول اقامت سی ساله اش در پاریس "انجمن فرهنگ ایران" که یکی از قدیمی ترین و معتبرترین انجمنهای فرهنگی ایرانیان است را بنیانگذاری کرد. او با گذاشتن جلسات سخنرانی برای پژوهشگران و فرهنگ دوستان ایرانی، فعالیت های فرهنگی خود را پیگیری می کرد. مهرانگیز دولتشاهی در سال 1997 از طرف "بنیاد پژوهش های زنان" به عنوان "بانوی برگزیده سال" در پاریس مورد تقدیر قرار گرفت. کتاب "جامعه، دولت و جنبش زنان ایران" 1381 یکی از آخرین آثار خانم دولتشاهی است.>>>

Remove sanctions

Please allow me to make a couple of possibly radical points, and then explain myself. First, sanctions help the Iranian government. Second, removing sanctions against Iran will actually be a more powerful tool to creating an internationally-friendly Iran. Essentially the purpose of sanctions is economic isolation. That step seems to work. But proponents of sanctions think that economic isolation leads to governmental weakness. But we don't see this happening in Iran. Why not? Generally speaking in Iran today, we have two very identifiable camps: religious poor and connections-heavy elite. I call the elite "connections-heavy" because Iran lacks a solid rule of law, and therefore, many individuals who reach economic success in Iran do so through their connections>>>

Goli's Story

“Hey, hot date tonight?!” Her co-worker asked her in the mirror, as she washed her hands in the office bathroom sink, while Goli finished putting on her makeup at 5:30. “Heeh, no, not really. He’s just a friend.” She said. Her co-worker asked “Anyone special?” She said “Well, yes.” checking her reflection in the mirror. “I think he’s very special. He is a guy I have known for a while. He is a friend I met through a group of my sister’s friends. Later I started working with him on some volunteer projects having to do with ‘No War On Iran.’ I have been really attracted to him for a while and we have so much in common, but I’m not sure he’s interested in me. He has never said or done anything, always friendly and polite>>>

Lily's Magnolia

Lily Flower had never worked in her life. She was the last member of Flower family, well-known in Hustonville, Tennessee. At ten, her parents called her their little genius. She could sing the most difficult tunes and play the most complex songs on piano. At sixteen she dreamed of being a famous actress. But her parents died in a car accident and she inherited their fortune at twenty-four. Once the time of her grieving was over, she sold everything, left her hometown and moved to New York. She lived in a luxury house at Soho for the first six years, but the day she realized nobody had ever recognized her talents - excepted for her parents- she moved to this apartment building. Santa Fe Apartments, 43210 Stone Ave. “No pet allowed”. The concierge told her on the first day she moved in. But she didn’t care. Young and hopeful, “I’m going to get married,” she had thought. “Who needs a pet?”>>>

I slip through the mirror

I’m astonished at this garden

Kissing

             The hand of autumn!

I’m astonished at this perfume

Sparkling itself

                          onto corpses >>>

Bipartisan militarism

So here we have, yet again, our glorious Foreign Policy Community threatening another country -- one which hasn't attacked us and can't attack us -- with war, threatening to bomb them with "devastating strikes" that "would probably last up to several weeks and would require vigilance for years to come." And they want the next President, beginning this January, to "build up military assets in the region" in order to threaten and prepare for those attacks. It's just objectively true that there is no country in the world -- anywhere -- that threatens to attack and bomb other countries as routinely and blithely as the U.S. does. What rational leader wouldn't want to obtain nuclear weapons in a world where the "superpower" is run by people like Dan Coates and Chuck Robb who threaten to attack and bomb whatever countries they want?>>>

How do men feel?

I got in the back seat of the Taxi. There was a young man who got on before me. He was talking loudly on the phone….”Yes dear Hamid. These medications have affected my hearing and eyes. Sounds are louder and everything is brighter. Note all the changes I tell you. Take care and good bye.” After a while a girl got into the Taxi and sat on my other side and we drove off. I immediately took out two notepads from my bag and gave it to both of the passengers. The girl thanked me and started reading it. The young man also shook his head in appreciation. A little later he asked: ”Oh, are you the same one million signatures campaign?” I got excited that once again I had met someone who was familiar with the campaign>>>

The Newlyweds (9)

Khaleh Joon, I hope you haven’t been worried if your phone calls have remained unanswered for the past few days. Shahab and I were gone for a short vacation. I know this will come as a surprise to you after how low I have been feeling ever since our big fight. I was even more surprised than you must be at the way things turned out. About ten days ago, I came out of the shower to see the table set with candles and flower, the lights dimmed, some nice Persian music playing on the radio, and the smell of something yummy coming from the kitchen. I was in awe and did not know how to react. Shahab finally came out of the kitchen, came towards me and took my hand, which he kissed tenderly. He led me towards the table and pulled the chair out for me>>>