Archive - Oct 12, 2009 - Article

Mourning Mothers

We may think this kind of protest is new in Iran, but Iranian mothers have always spoken out against violence, disappearance and the torture of their sons and daughters. Prior to the 1979 revolution, only two mothers’ organizations existed in the country. Both were affiliated with underground groups involved in struggles for democracy. They worked in opposition to the monarchy of the Shah’s regime, who’s policies had turned, at the end, to the jailing and torture of intellectuals, feminists, students, and labour union advocates>>>

Comfortably Numb

Our parents’ generation had a question, or a dream: how to build a utopia. Different groups had different answers to that question; some thought the answer is Communism, or as a friend of mine always corrects me, Marxist-Leninism. Some thought the path to Utopia was going through the gates of civilization. Some thought religion was the only way to redemption. Some mixed up a couple of these and came up with new ideas, like Islamic Marxism! There was a common question that people were trying to answer, and even though they had different answers to it, they had something in common: believing in Utopia>>>

The Orange ‘n’ Torange Girl

I was sorting eggs on a leaf when I looked out and gazed at the blue palace gilded by the sunset light. Years ago, I had flown down the Mount Qâf and met with the childless Persian Queen on her way back from the Temple of Anahita where she had made a vow and an offering to help her bear a child. I wished her well and handed her three of my golden feathers to be given to her future child on her or his eighteenth birthday. The Queen had vowed to give away honey and cooking oil for charity if she got pregnant. Eventually she bore a boy and named him Mehrbun, but she forgot to make good on her promise>>>

نون بیار، کباب ببر

نمیدانم از کی به موضوع طراحی روی سنگ قبرم علاقمند شدم. شاید از زمانی که رفته بودم مجلس ختم یک از آشنایان. خطیبی که صحبت میکرد در آخر اینگونه نتیجه گیری کرد که عزرائیل قبل از آنکه بر کسی ظاهر و وی را قبض روح کند ،به اشکال مختلف با کاندیدای مورد نظر تماس گرفته و به وی تذکر میدهد که خود را آماده رفتن کند. از آن به بعد هر ناشناسی را که در کوچه و خیابان میدیدم و نگاهایمان اندکی به هم گره می خورد ، به یاد حرفهایی می افتادم که آن روز در مسجد شنیده و طرف را عزرائیل در لباس مبدل تصور و به قیافه اش زل میزدم تا ببینم چه پیامی برایم دارد>>>

هوس ۳

بی کار و بی حوصله خود را بروی مبلی رها کرد و تا نیم ساعت بعد که مریم با چندین بسته خوراکی که بیشتر کنسروهای گوناگون بودند از راه رسید از جای تکان نخورد. هنگام صرف نهار هر دو ساکت بودند. پیدا بود که هیچیک اشتهایی برای خوردن ندارند. با این حال سرانجام ستار سکوت را شکست و گفت: "آپارتمان خیلی بزرگی است". مریم بی آنکه به او نگاه کند تنها با تکان سر به او پاسخ داد. ستار ادمه داد: "آنجا، در آن اتاق، روی آن میز، در آن عکس تو و سه نفر دیگر." مریم ناگهان سر بلند کرد و با نگاهی سرشار از خشم به مرد جوان نگریست بطوری که او بی درنگ شروع کرد به توضیح دادن . >>>

Kiss

My dear when you pour on me
Your kisses,
Watch out!
You will drown in my tears! >>>

Smitten

You might think I've gone mad.
You would be of course right.
What she did to me
in those three flashbacks
altered forever my world.
>>>