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Obama's War and Peace

No aggressor and occupying military force, such as the US-NATO armies in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan can justify and moralize its naked crimes against the peoples and institutions of those countries by labeling its barbarous acts of war and oppression as humanitarian and benevolent. The imperialist nature of the U.S. wars in the Middle East and South Asia region is the main reason that Barack Obama's Nobel Peace Prize speech on December 10 drew praises from such conservative and reactionary warmongers as former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich>>>

Dogs

The boy had been in America for a year, but still every time he saw a dog being walked on a leash by his master, he thought, 'How do you stand for this? How come you don't rise up? Nobody deserves to be pulled around by a leash.' He would look at the dog and the dog wouldn't seem to care. But from his bed at night he would hear the neighborhood dogs barking and it seemed like they were calling for their freedom. He didn't know about this place, where tyranny was not as close at hand as it had been in Iran, but the tyranny that was there seemed to go unseen>>>

زنِ ناشناس

یکی از کارهای همیشگی من، همسرم و دخترم یکشنبه ها رفتن به کافه است. البته نه به هرکافه ای؛ بر سر جادۀ باریکی که از درون روستای کوچکی آغاز می شود و بطرف طبیعت ادامه می یابد، کافه ای قرار دارد که پاتوق همیشگی ماناست. مثل هر یکشنبه به آنجا رفتیم. من مشغول خوردن آبجو بودم و همسر و دخترم با یک خانم دیگر در حال گپ زدن که به ناگهان در کافه باز شد و زنی با زیبایی سحرانگیزی وارد گردید. صدای همهمه مشتریان به سکوت مبدل گشت و همه نگاه ها به زن ناشناس خیره شد>>>

My Cosmic Tree

A twelve-year-old radiating heaven
I’m sitting high up in a huge walnut tree
standing in its glory in the midst of
Grandma’s orange orchard under
a roasting summer sun
on the shore of the
Caspian Sea >>>

To Live and Let Die

Critics consider Obama a Muppet despite promises of a change from George Bush. In January Obama invited the Islamic Republic to “unclench its fist”, something it has so far has failed to do. This is despite the olive branch extended to Khamenei & Co in March – the president recorded a special message to mark the Iranian New Year. He said he “would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. Naturally, we put him on hold. He’d ignored the crucial “us” and “them” divide in Iran, between the regime and the people>>>

Iranians eat their young

I have always been fascinated with Iran. Even before I met my half Armenian, half Persian wife. And when I met her, I was hoping to get close to a country and culture I always have admired. Instead I discovered that my wife shuns her Persian family and relishes in her Armenian side. When asked why, her answer was simple: Iranians eat their young. Now you may think she was a racist or self-hater, but reality is more complicated>>>

What About Elly?

I heard a lot about an Iranian film, About Elly, and I decided to watch it. This is the general plot as far as I could make it. The film is about three married couples who travel to northern Iran with their children. A young man named Ahmad and a young woman, called Elly, accompany the group on this trip. Ahmad is visiting Iran for a short time, and Elly works in a day care where Sepideh’s daughter attends. Sepideh has invited both Elly and Ahmad so that they meet and hopefully get married. Elly wants to go back home after a day as planned, but Sepideh prevents her from leaving. Shortly after, Elly disappears>>>

"دادن" و "گرفتن" به جای "کردن" و "شدن"

در میزگردی که روز یکشنبه ششم دسامبر ۲۰۰۹ در شهر ریچموند ایالت کالیفرنیا تشکیل شد مسئلۀ "آزادی جنسی در فرهنگ ایرانی" مورد بحث و بررسی قرار گرفت. در این میزگرد که از سری نشست‌های بنیاد فرهنگی همزبان بود خانم‌ها شهرنوش پارسی‌پور (نویسنده و اسطوره‌شناس)، عزیزه رضائیان (روان‌درمان‌گر کودک و خانواده)، فرزانه ثابتان (مترجم و اندیشمند مسائل فلسفی و جامعه‌شناختی)و دکتر بهمن دادگستر (روانشناس) شرکت داشتند. گردانندۀ این نشست منصور تایید بازیگر تئآتر و نمایشنامه‌نویس مقیم شمال کالیفرنیا بود>>>

مترسک

پایمان را کشیدیم فرسخها
تا بقدر جاده ای دراز شود
و آهوان خسته از آن بگذرند
دستانمان را بلند کردیم
از زمین تا سقف آسمان >>>

اگر بیدار.....

در حالی كه حق فریاد
بر مکث  حنجره
رویای خروج را دور می زند
و خمیازهء پرسش
هوشیاری پاسخ را
یاغی گری می خواند >>>

Sanctions at the end of the tunnel

Over the last several years—and especially since last June’s tainted presidential elections—any remaining moderates or pragmatists that were once part of the Iranian government’s decision-making structure have essentially been purged from the system. Today the country is being run by a hardline Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, who is surrounded by likeminded ideologues who have two overarching instincts: mistrust and defiance. They generally perceive proposals and overtures that are endorsed by the United States as poison pills>>>

Madam Elephant

We got a huge one this year – an enormous Christmas tree. It took three people to haul it all the way up the stairs into the living room. And we placed it by the window – right where it can get plenty of fresh air and a view of the other trees in the park. My goodness – it is enormous. How are we going to decorate it? Look. All those boxes of decoration, magically appear. All year they have been sitting patiently in the basement, waiting, waiting for this wonderful December day. Let’s open them – shall we? One at a time?>>>

راگو

خودم هم نمی دانم راگو چیست. نه این که نمی دانم، یک چیزهایی شنیده ام. ولی این که دقیقا بدانم، نه. همین قدر می دانم که با شنیدن اسمش زندانی می شوم. همین که به آن فکر می کنم چنین اتفاقی می افتد. یاد زندان هایی می افتم که هرگز نرفته ام. دیوار سلول ها یکی یکی که نه، که با هم می آیند بالا و دور و برم را می گیرند. یک در فلزی هم می آید با یک دریچه ی کوچک که بعضی وقت ها بسته است و بعضی وقت ها فقط چند تا میله ی گرد فلزی دارد و می شود آن طرفش را دید. همین چند سلول روبرویی و مقداری از راهرو پیداست>>>

مزد رسوایی

آنکه دیوانه و رسوای جهان ساخت مرا
دیده بر دیده من دوخته نشناخت مرا
مزد بد نامی‌ و رسوایی من بود که دوست
این چنین راحت و بی‌ دغدغه پرداخت مرا >>>

A Preacher and a Sly!

The long road slipped
on a patch of frozen time
I hit a moving memory
The pain saw the crime
It took me in
Sat me in the back seat of the regret
In between a priest and a silly vagrant >>>