Ali Mostofi - Iranian Astrologer and Current Affairs Commentator.

John Carpenter, hamvatanam...

yes and no. Your attempt at historical analysis of Iranian religion is wonderful. But the Achaemenids did NOT impose a statal religion.  The problem was the Sassanids, and Islam could NEVER have triumphed in such a powerful nation as Iranzamin, were not the masses THOROUGHLY disugsted with the Sassanid theocracy's parasitism and barbarism. The flegling state of Khazaria north of Iran managed to withstand Islam for hundreds of years because its people were faithful to their tolerant leadership. And Khazaria served as a buffer state to protect emerging Russia--the counties of Kiev and Muscovy. While Sassanid Persia, far mightier than both of them, was Islamicized.  In any case, the complete Islamization of Iran took about five hundred years.  If one can call the hybrid that eventaully emerged Islam, I'm not so sure, but that's another story.

And anyway none of this changes two things:

1) spiritual Zoroastrians answer a call that is older, FAR older, and deeper, FAR deeper, than the Sassanid theocracy, and EVEN the Achaemenids, and

2) with ALL your intelligence and thirst for historical knowledge, WHY are you god-blessing America today, this decadent, hideous war machine?   WHY?

And how do you plan to enlighten people by laughing at them? It's a BAD strategy...and anyway, choose your battles wisely..the writer of this blog is not in need of enlightenment, but there are some others on this forum who COULD benefit from a little historical education.,,but I somehow doubt your tone will be effective...

Robin Goldsmith

Iran was Islamic since 651 A.D.

"The last of the Sassanid kings was Yazdegerd III, during whose reign (632-651) the Arabs invaded Persia, destroyed all resistance, gradually replaced Zoroastrianism with Islam, and incorporated Persia into the caliphate."

Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

--That is 1356 years ago that Iran became a Muslim country!!!

Zoroastrianism gradually emerged as the official religion of ancient Iran during the Achaemenid dynasty, which ruled from about 550 bc to 330 bc. Inscriptions from the reign of Darius I, from 522 bc to 486 bc, are full of the praise of Ahura Mazda.
Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

--That is religion forced on the masses by the government!!!

When the Macedonian Seleucids ruled parts of western Iran, from 312 bc to 175 bc, a merging occurred in the worship of Greek and Zoroastrian divinities—for example, Zeus with Ahura Mazda and Aphrodite with Anahita. Traditional Zoroastrianism was revived slowly under the Parthian (see Parthia), or Arsacid, dynasty, which ruled from about 250 bc to ad 224. By the time of the Sassanian dynasty, from ad 224 to 651, Zoroastrianism had become the popular religion among most groups in Iran and Central Asia and was practiced from the Middle East to the western border of China. In general it was tolerant of its Middle Eastern rivals, Judaism and Christianity. Sassanian Zoroastrianism produced unorthodox variants of traditional belief that also proved popular—for example, the idea that Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu were the warring offspring of Zurvan (time).

Arab Muslims conquered Iran and Central Asia during the 7th century ad. Over the next six centuries most Zoroastrians converted to Islam.

--Iranians Converted!!! They must have loved Islam or were disappointed with Zoroastrianism.

During the 20th century the Iranian Zoroastrian community experienced a few decades of well-being under the Pahlavi dynasty, whose rulers glorified Iran’s pre-Islamic past.

--Why did the Pahlavi dynasty do this? Because the clergy would not back them!!!

Approximately 60,000 Zoroastrians lived in Iran during the 1960s. During the late 20th and early 21st centuries, under the Islamic Republic, the number of Zoroastrians in Iran declined as a result of increased conversion to Islam and emigration to Europe and North America.

--Wow. More Zoroastian Conversions!!!

Iranian Zoroastrians currently number about 45,000 people, living mainly in the cities of Tehrān, Kermān, and Yazd.

Microsoft ® Encarta ® Encyclopedia 2005 © 1993-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Just wanted to enlighten the Iranian Masses!!!

Merry Christmas!!!
And God Bless America

Nezanin / Ali

Nez: Oprah does good work. Getting ANYONE to read ANYTHING other than a Cracker Jack box in MacDonaldstaan is admirable. I DIDN'T like it though the way first she came out FOR that guy who'd lied, saying it was nothing really, and then when her FANS complained about it, she re-emerged with Jehovah-like wrath, a veritable avenging angel, and totally character-assassinated him in public. You're probably right, it probably helped his sales more than it hurt them, but still I found it...ugly...

Ali, here's some fun for you. Rosie Tozieh's chart is ALL Leo, Sagitarius, Virgo, Capricorn and Scorpio, with a MAJOR ninth house stellium including SEVERAL personal planets. and Rosie has NO AIR. Zilch. Zero. Surprise surprise. What Rosie DOES have is Virgo in the Ninth, so somehow or other, she synthesizes and analyzes, synthesizes and analyzes, and over the years has SOMEHOW been able to get this tendency to RESEMBLE something...like...objective thought. Rosie also has an EXACT biquintile (0 degrees aspect) Sun, Neptune, Moon. So...The yin/yang solar/lunar forces just floooooow...like water...through...the White Goddess...and it is...divine...but it never helped me much to tie my shoelaces. I don't expect ANYONE here but you to understand ANYTHING I just said but I REALLY thought you'd get a kick out of it. My chart made existing on this planet QUITE a challenge. I have to give myself a pat on the back though...I'm still here!
Robin PS I already went to your website, dear...I am a BIG snoop...must be the Scorpio...
Robin

Ali you are seeing the tip of the iceberg

The entire demise of the Shah, bringing of Khomeini, Binazir Bhuto, Musharaf and all these incidents are part of the detailed plan of the British animosity towards the Iranians. The have their agents running our country in the religious clothings and people sit and chriticize Islam.

This has nothing to do with Islam. Many of the rulling Mullahs are coming from Jewish families in Iran and they pretend that they have converted.

Spend your energy on focusing on the main issue and for that you need to go a few layers below the surface and ask others who perhaps know more.

I know you are in Englans and perhaps under lots of paranoia of the British police, however it is better than what British have created in Iran.

Life is too short and if you do not listen you will end up like your dad fading away in oblivion. Only those who raise their voice agaisnt the British will have their name preserved in Iranian memories.

I will talk to you more later on....

Ali Savaki; what the hell are you doing on iranian.com?

Mr Savaki (otherwise aka Ali Mostofi),

What is your role on this iranian.com forum? Are you a member of "$75M club" sponsored by Uncle Sam trying to propagate hate and anti-islamic views?

How many OPECs does this beer cost?

Ali is great - the subject I wrote in is an example of what I enjoy about his blog - it usually has one-liners tucked in them. I don't agree with him, but he's older than I am and he has experiences that have influenced his beliefs, so I respect him. Actually, I respect him enough to say that I think he'd be a better leader than Reza Pahlavi! That's why I have a problem with monarchies - DNA based leadership/dynasty is not fair or right - another reason not to vote for Hillary! too much bush/clinton in this country!.


As for Oprah, I'm a fan of hers at least for her bookclub and Turkish Dr.Oz - she's got people reading, (even classics). Unlike Nafisi, she doesn't force her reading on others. The Million pieces dude was unfortunate, but if she said nothing, it wouldn't have helped out the author. The controversy including Oprah centered around the book turned out quite good for the author- same goes for Dr.Nafisi :)

Nezanin / Ali

Nezanin: Wow! That whole thing with Oprah and that guy, to me revealed more about Oprah than about him! Naficy...well...enough about Naficy, you've convinced me.
And good, both of you! As long as you both know you're both on the same side! I was worried there for a minute. But you're right, Nezanin. In re-reading, I realize I'd read quickly and didn't see the part about how you think Ali's blog is "cool". I was so influenced by the "pesky" and "ridiculous" that the other stuff just didn't sink in...shouldn't write when I'm in a rush.
Ali, I took no offense whatsoever! It's just that I am such a "cockeyed optimist", I wonder where you got the sense of me as a fatalist.

Ya know, sometimes I wonder, in my more mischievous moods, what would happen if...if....the neocons all fell into the sea (where they belong, except...poor sea...) and that caused Rafsankhameini to ALSO fall into the sea, and the referendum came...as I believe it will...

and what if...just hypothetically...just for fun...

the overwhelmingly youthful, vigorous, and ALWAYS surprising nation of Iran voted for...

a TRULY parliamentary...
Islamic...
monarchy...

What if? Just for the hell of it, what IF?

"The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things..."
Love,
Robin

Rosie T.

I dont find Ali to be on an opposite side, I just wonder about his beliefs.
As for our friend AZ, here's a quote:


''The men in these countries become very scared when women become conscious.'' - Azar Nafisi [NYT March 2003 NYT]


Now that Nafisi is famous and an "authority" on the Middle East, I she's destined to the fate of the non-fiction writer who went on Oprah and promised he was 100% truthful in his book A million pieces. The TLS review of her book ended with "this book is somewhat fiction".


She got what she set out for which I think was fame. If 9/11 hadn't happened, fewer people would have been interested in her story or the way it was told.


'We wanted people who weren't just famous or rich but who are doing something really cool,'' Mr. Brown said. He had an immediate response when Ms. Nafisi's name was mentioned by a Condé Nast publicist who used to work at Random House. ''A light bulb went off,'' he said. ''Azar is to literature what Audi is to cars.''

Rosie, sorry I did not mean

Rosie, sorry I did not mean to offend. Fatalism is the worst kind of idealism. We humans are stuck between the throws of Ohrmazd and Ahriman. Gozineshi or choice or Free Will, we will always have, and will always save us. And the Zend-Avesta spotted it before anyone else.

.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

Nazanin, as I have always

Nazanin, as I have always said to you, what I do is not for all. The great thing about Astrology, is that you can always tell, after you look at someones horoscope, whether they would benefit from Astrological advice. There are many a times, that I just refuse to give the advice.

.

As far as Zoroastrianism is concerned. Well, if you are remotely interested, then you really should not be making comments like, "Zoroastrianism is fancied up Mithraism." That would get you a C- in my class of Zoro 101. But I suppose you were not being serious.

.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

Fatalism???!!! Me?????????? Ali/Nezanin

Ali-joon, you''re reading me wrong! Or partially. Or something. We're not communicating...yet...

but we will..time (Zurvan) will tell...give me some "zamaan...zamin...zurvaan..."

Nezanin, leave it. It's an esoteric discussion. It has NOTHING to do with politics or with oppression.  Ali is a parliamentarian in the tradition of Gandhi. If I may be so bold as to speak for him, he has no interest whatsoever in imposing any beliefs on anyone.  He's ON your SIDE.  Let him and me babble about Zurvan. It REALLY HONESTLY   IS an esoteric discussion and it really DOESN'T concern most people, politically, ideologically, personally.... at least not in the form that Ali is expressing it, right now, to ME...It doesn't concern most people...all...that...much...for better or for worse...because we're stupider or wiser than others in our beliefs, and what difference does that make either?

Honestly, I'd worry MUCH more about Naficy telling Iranians to say they're Italian or debunking the serious reservations of those who are also ON YOUR SIDE and see hijab as a sign of apologism (I don't) than what Ali or I may think of Ohrmazd and Ahriman.  Really...it's much more important...I swear...

Best, Robin

those pesky "younger" religions

Hi ali,
May I ask you to explain how you believe or follow teachings of astrology that exclude discoveries of planets? the solar system? Zoroastrianism is fancied up Mithraism. It's all lost legend, and for good reason. I can't understand how people (not you, I'll bargain), ridicule the "younger" religions but feel superior believing in prophets and gods born out of rocks, spirits existing in fire and worst of all, a boy raised by wolves!? This zoroastrian revival is a real silly alternative when you get down to it. Anyway, I think your blog is cool. Thanks for the updates.

Rosie, thanks for your

Rosie, thanks for your comment. I read your articles and poems. You seem to be barking up fatalism a lot. But then I am a blind optimist. I believe that there is a positive moment all the time, and as an Astrologer I find those moments. Ohrmazd and Ahriman share time very well. We Iranians need to be more aware of the nuances in time, and be less idealistic and fatalistic. Opportunism and success comes to those who understand the ebbs and flows of time. I suppose that is why I never thought much of the younger religions. Life shows, and people do not see. They pray instead.

Ali Mostofi

//www.alimostofi.com

Ali, salaam....

You and I had a conversation here weeks ago once and you didn't answer me but I thought deeply and long about it, and it has informed my current views. I haven't responded to anything you've written since, because it's too deep and complex and deserved a more focused and diligent reading than I could give it at the time with all the hubbub about the censorship and whatnot going on, and me having to scramble for a way to somehow legitimize my own voice here. I just wanted to let you know that I'm starting to read your stuff carefully now, and also to ask you to please visit my article, currently on the front page, Forough and Me, and my blog from last week, Ruhollah and Me, when you have time.
Btw, I'm a lay astrologer, but in the past two years I've done more work with the Enneagram. But that's a discussion for another day, perhaps.....one hopes....
Best,
Robin Jayne Goldsmith
(Ayatollah Rosie Tozieh, Explanation of Problems...)