Archive - 2008 - Article

Faraway

On a misty day
My face feels air like the old memories…
I look back and pray, not once
But so many times, over and over
Calling your name and longing for your touch
And hoping somewhere out there … faraway,
You have closed your eyes and thinking of the one, who >>>

پینوکیو در نیویورک

پیش بینی می کنم احمدی نژاد پس از بازگشت به وطن نیازمند جراحی دماغ بشود، بعید می ‏دانم یک رئیس جمهور در طول تاریخ در عرض یک روز این همه دروغ گفته باشد. محمود ‏احمدی نژاد در مصاحبه با چند رسانه مهم گروهی آمریکا شرکت کرد و با توجه به اینکه ‏مطمئن بود کسی دوروبرش نیست، هر چه دلش می خواست گفت... احمدی نژاد در مصاحبه هایش اعلام کرد در ایران ‏زندانی سیاسی وجود ندارد، استادان دانشگاه تحت فشار نیستند، در ایران آزادی مطلق وجود ‏دارد، 98 درصد مردم از دولت حمایت می کنند، قانون مخالف همجنسگرایی هفتاد سال قبل ‏تصویب شده، در ایران کسی فقیر نیست ومن نماینده دانشگاهیان بودم و در انتخابات پیروز ‏شدم. حالا چکار کنیم؟ به نظر شما اگر کسی تصمیم بگیرد رسما دروغ بگوید چه راهی برای ‏نشان دادن دروغ هایش وجود دارد؟ و اگر ثابت شد دروغ می گوید با او چه می شود کرد؟ ‏ >>>

Propaganda is a Two-Way Street

In the ceaseless and invariably bellicose calls for war (both open and clandestine) against Iran, perhaps one argument invoked by pro-war pundits and politicians stands out and takes pride of place above all others: Iran, it is claimed, "poses an existential threat to the state of Israel." It's certainly been a favorite of Republican presidential nominee, John McCain. Furthermore, Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, when asked about America's response in the event of a unilateral Israeli military strike against Iran, repeated an astounding three times the AIPAC-by-rote reply: "I don't think that we should second-guess the measures that Israel has to take to defend themselves and for their security.">>>

Sacrifice to success

It was in the midst of the horrific slaughter of the Iran-Iraq War that I received a call from a distraught, but concerned father who wanted to save his only son, twelve years old at that time, from the certain fate that awaited him. The caller was my brother who had been teaching with his wife at the Iranian school in Kuwait for the past three years. He had received a notice from the Ministry of Education to immediately return to Iran with his family. My brother and his wife were ready to go back and continue with their teaching at home, but they wanted to know if they could send their son away on a temporary basis? The wish and aspiration of my Atlanta born wife and I, as it was with many other Iranian ex-patriots, was to save as many children as we could>>>

Kish

With the borders closed, many turned their gaze inward and began exploring parts of Iran they had not seen in years. Despite the ongoing war, there was a boom in the tourism industry; this time it catered not to foreigners but to Iranians themselves. There was plenty to see that was out of range of artillery shells and mortars, so we took every chance possible to visit parts of Iran that neither of us had been to previously. One of our first trips was to the island of Kish, a windswept strip of coral in the Persian Gulf. Prior to the revolution, the Shah had spent millions converting the barren piece of land into a world-class resort that catered to rich Iranians and Arab sheikhs>>>

سه کلوز آپ از "شکیبا چون خسرو!"

خسروی خسروان، من و تو، با کمی پس و پیش، جز این که از یک دانشکده عبور کرده باشیم هیچ پیوندی نداریم. پس دانشکده بود و تئاتر بود و دانشکده هنرهای زیبا بود و صادق هدایت روزی در آنجا کار کرده بود و شما بعدها به دانشکده پای گذاشته بودید و دپارتمان تئاتر بود و رئیس دپارتمان در آن سالها بهرام بیضایی بود... خاطره اولم برمی گردد به دیداری در پیش و یا در آنتراکت و یا در پایان اجرایی از برشت در یک حیاط یک مدرسه. تابستان پنجاه و هفت بود. من تازه از اولین سفرم به اروپا برگشته بودم و موهایم را کوتاه کرده بودم و پیراهن مردانه و آبی بلند پدرم را با شلوار جین پوشیده بودم. آن شب در حیاط آن مدرسه، چندتایی از بچه های دانشکده هم بودند و تانیا (همسر سابق ات) هم بود و تو هم بودی. با هم سلام و علیک کردیم و تو از من تشکر کردی و من هاج و واج ماندم که چرا؟ >>>

Partner

Ali met Bita when they were both at university in Tehran. It was the autumn of nineteen ninety-eight. They were arguing politics at a friend’s rooftop party, one exchange led to another and they left with each other’s phone numbers. They were married by the following spring. Ali’s father had agreed to let them stay in an apartment he owned, for six months. It was furnished but the bed was a bit creaky so they got a futon. Months later, after Ali’s arrest, Bita found herself sleeping on it alone, with only a pillow to hug. That first summer, Ali, along with Sam, the boy at whose dinner party they had met, had helped to organise a number of sit-ins in the student protests of June nineteen ninety-nine. The men who whipped them assured them they would never be able to sit again>>>

A better tomorrow

You have become the symbol of “Hope and Change” for most Americans, including the youth, elderly, Black, White, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Immigrants, and others. I think you are going to win this election and that’s why I have some concerns. Although The Reform movement in Iran gave Iranians a “taste of freedom,” but once in power, they failed to deliver the promises that they had made. Hence, they lost people’s trust. I am afraid, this could happen here too! As you know, many analysts in the US and Iran have been saying that George W. Bush and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are very similar, in terms of political policies, worldviews, and religiosity. I agree with them, but the good news is that there are many similarities between you and Mr. Khatami as well.>>>

آیا سارا پیلین یک فمینیست است؟

پس از انتخاب سارا پیلین به عنوان معاون رییس جمهوری از سوی جمهوری خواهان، گفت و گو های زیادی درباره این انتخاب مطرح شد. یکی از این بحث ها مساله ای بود که توسط برخی رسانه ها مطرح شد مبنی بر این که سارا پیلین یک فمینیست است (همان رسانه هایی که در حالت عادی به هیچ عنوان اسمی از فمینیسم نمی آوردند). در زمانی که حتی وجود یک سقف شیشه ای (نامرئی) برای کسب سمت های مهم توسط زنان از طرف محافظه کاران آمریکایی انکار می شد در عرض یک شبانه روز همان افراد به طرفداران سر سخت شکستن این سقف تبدیل شدند و شروع به صحبت از این کردند که خانم پیلین این سقف را خواهد شکست. این بحث باعث شد که فعالان حقوق زنان و فمینیست های معتبر از نسل های مختلف دست به قلم ببرند تا این آب گل آلود را کمی صاف تر کنند و با شفافیت به این سوال بپردازند که آیا سارا پیلین یک فمینیست است؟ >>>

مرگ‌زدگي

در آن شب تاريخي كه سعدي با دوستش در باغ دلگشا به‌سر مي‌برند تغييري روحي در سعدي حادث مي‌شود. او با خود مي‌انديشد حال كه مرگ نزديك شده بهتر است كه به‌جاي گزيدن عزلت و عبادت انفرادي، از نيروي آفرينندگي خود استفاده كرده و چون خداي باغدار، گلستاني بيافريند كه گلهاي آن جاوداني باشد و پس از مرگش باقي ماند. پس روز بعد وقتي كه با دوستش از باغ برمي‌گردند سعدي از او مي‌خواهد كه دامن پر از گلي را كه با خود آورده به‌ زمين افكند چرا كه او برايش كتاب «گلستان»‌ي خواهد آفريد كه گلهاي آن پژمردني نباشند: «گل همين پنج روز و شش باشد ـ وين گلستان هميشه خوش باشد» سعدي در همان روز دو پاره از كتاب «گلستان» را مي‌نويسد و تا پيش از پايان فصل بهار تمام آن را به‌ پايان مي‌رساند. جالب اينجاست كه او كتاب خود را چون باغ بهشت به هشت باب تقسيم مي‌كند، زيرا او از يك طرف ميان بهشت آرماني و بهشت ادبي خود و از سوي ديگر ميان خالق طبيعت و ناظم كتاب «گلستان» پيوندي مي‌بيند. >>>

Shoes

What pair of shoes should I choose
For the upcoming dandy dance?
Are my feet better off in blue
Bright shoes or black buckle shoes?
What of these fancy cocktail shoes?
Look, there’s a paper stuck
To my pretty pointy shoes >>>

Canary Claims Announce Their PPI Claims Service

Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) policies can be a real benefit, but often they are sold to unsuspecting customers. Canary Claims announces a PPI claims processing service. >>>

Shall we dance?

Born in Tehran in 1930 into a mixed family of a Tartar mother and an Azerbayjani father, Haideh Ahmadzadeh started dancing at the age of seven in a country that was struggling to keep up with modern times. Dancing for girls was not an accepted or desirable occupation. Her love of dance made her overcome many obstacles and with the approval and backing of her mother and later her husband Nejad, she got to the top of her profession. With a great deal of hard work, discipline and drive, Haideh and Nejad founded a Ballet Academy, Iranian National Ballet Company and Iranian Folk Dance, Music and Song Group. They performed regularly for State guests at home and abroad, their travels wrought with a great deal of incident and adventure>>>

in the event of a war

While the possibility of a war against Iran seems to ebb and flow from day to day, the actual war itself may entail internment of the Iranians in the west, especially in Britain and the US. As painful as the thought may be, let us review the historical perspective on this issue. Ronald Reagan was the first American president who at last acknowledged the injustice and tragedy inflicted upon the Japanese-Americans during WWII. As we know the Japanese, some of whom were second or third generation Americans, were swiftly interned and their possessions confiscated never to be returned to them>>>

ما سکولار هستيم

پذيرش سکولاريسم موجب می شود که ـ چه يک شخص و چه يک گروه يا حزب سياسی ـ بر چهارچوبی تکيه زند که از ايجابات سکولاريسم ساخته شده باشد. مثلاً، چگونه يک انسان سکولار می تواند، در راستای مبارزه با يک حاکميت ضد سکولار، با يک فرد موافق حکومت مذهبی، و نيز يک فرد مخالف سکولاريسم، ائتلاف و همکاری کند؟ عقل عملی به ما می گويد که چنين ائتلافی يا نتيجهء سستی مبانی سکولاريسم در نزد شخص مدعی سکولار بودن است و يا حاصل بی خبری او از تضاد مبارزه با دشمن، در کنار دوستان آن دشمن؛ و يا آن را بايد صرفاً نوعی پيروی بی محتوا از مد روز تلقی کرد.>>>