Azarin Sadegh

Bangladesh Bangladesh

by Nazanin Ghasemian on Sat Sep 29, 2007 08:51 PM PDT

Hello Jeesh, First, I want to tell you that your article after Live Earth concert was brilliant. I'm still laughing, especially whenever I see the DVD cover in Borders Books, and the yuppies who consider themselves compassionate for buying the DVDs. 
On this award I disagree with you, though. I have to. I'm related to Sharam Nazeri. Just kidding. But I think that if you put aside your cynicism and consider the value of arts and humanities (Iranian people don’t value these as much as they could), you wouldn't view this award as a means present a "silly" mystical image of Iranians & diminish their contributions in science/tech and medicine.
I do agree with part of your point. Citing a personal example, I doubt George Bush will never recognize my dad for doing the thousands of transplants and prostate surgeries he performs, not to mention how challenging it was to become licensed after leaving Iran. Nicholas Sarkozy probably wouldn't even let an Iranian touch him, much less operate on him. Nonetheless, I think artists deserve more value than they receive. Your characterization of opium addictic musician is an example. Surgeons and engineers, in Iran and elsewhere, are valued more and seen as serious. The more recognition they give artists, the better because it's long overdue. Especially considering how most Iranians view artists – addicts and lazies. You compare their contribution to vegetarians and lesbians in the your other entry.
I understand that you view these awards (Shirin Ebadi) with cynicism, and it’s important that you do, because I think you’re right about how most non-Iranians view us as a result. But this time, I think you’re wrong, but that’s because I value the role of art & because I think this award is important to Iranians as it refreshing coming on the heels of constant negativity.

No please continue calling me Jeesh, "urine" is not Persian :)

by Jeesh Daram on Sat Sep 29, 2007 02:04 PM PDT

Dear Azarin,

I did not say that such news should not be distributed, where did I say that?

I contemplated the wish that while our artists who soothe our hearts and are given awards; our heart and brain surgeons who save those hearts from excessive endulgement on opium and alcohol are also recognized by the French. They only award us when we are flying in our mysticism and when we are drunk in our prayer for Kismet.

So far their biggest award to us was protection, preparation and delivery of Khomeini from under an apple tree in Nofle le Chateau to Tehran. Then they prepared the stage to have Bakhtiar beheaded. It's a long story.

So:

Afghanistan should produce opium

Iran should smoke it and endulge in mysticism

Turkey to charge transit fees and smuggle it and get rich

Iraqi get nothing even to make morphine for their wounded children (PBS August 2007) until they get mystic enough to deserve opium

Dear Jeesh

by Azarin Sadegh on Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:20 PM PDT

Hi,

I totally understand your point of view, but still considering the current state of the world and the negative image of Iran -that only shows the bad news, stupid comments, failures and atrocities- why not showing these other images - the positive images - of this same country to the world? To tell them that Iranian are also human beings capable of creating beauty and feeling empathy. To tell them that there is also this other Iran they don't know yet.

The emotions created by a beautiful piece of music, are universal, and have no boundaries. And I am sure, once someone is touched by this beauty, it would be too hard for him to hate or to easily dismiss the ones who have created this same music only because of politics.  I truly think Art is capable of linking human beings together no matter where they come from.

Azarin Sadegh 

ps: BTW, to be polite should I have called you Dear Urine?

Heart vs. brain?

by Zara Houshmand (not verified) on Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:14 AM PDT

Jeesh-jaan, this is not a zero-sum game. The energy that goes into science, technology, medicine, engineering, etc. does not come at the cost of art, music, poetry, and mysticism. The life of the heart does not diminish that of the brain. It is this false notion of competition that has left American culture spiritually bankrupt, and we see the results in every aspect of life, from immoral foreign policy to empty materialism in everyday life, to narrow-minded fundamentalism in the so-called spiritual life. There are realms where Iranian culture is far ahead of the West, and we don't have to deny them to advance in other ways.

But I agree with you 100% about solo instruments.

Légion d'honneur

by Jeesh Daram on Sat Sep 29, 2007 09:22 AM PDT

I respect your taste and Shahram is a good singer but:

Legion d'honneur should be given to thousands of Iranian scientists, doctors, technicians, university professors, innovators, designers and teachers who have made American institutions and corporations as well as French and other European countries to be amazed of Iranian talents, and the mothers who raised children like that in foreign lands, many of them under hardship.

 

My comment has nothing to do with Shahram, but entirely focused on the ulterior motive behind the French act of generocity. The intention is to push Iran (as they have done in the past 30 years) towards mysticism and passive life, just like the blacks in America that they are told "you are the best singers and dancers" and they give them lots of awards.

 

Where are such awards for our surgeons that save thousands of lives each year? Or our scientists that are constantly innovating new ideas behid the scenes? The West repeatedly puts the emphasis on our Rumi and subliminal message to the young to go and smoke opium and "beekheealesh" and be a Dervish.

 

As for music if I can interject my point of view. The Iranian music is truly manifested in solo instruments, listening to a tar or se-tar but solo, no tunbak or voice or anything, that is the best representation of Persian music, when it comes to singing then 90% of our calssic style follows the paths of 12 Imams and naneh-man-gharibam, and as for the modern music, well we all know about that.

 

We are Iran we are not India. We should close this dirty chapter on mysticism and get on with the reality. We need oil refineries so that we resist threats of blockade, we need atomic bombs to withstand and take first strike opportunities. We need to set aside passiveness for a while. Why shouldn't we become an industial nation?

 

 

Chon shir beh-khod sepah shekan baash

Farzandeh khesaleh kheeshtan baash

 

Thanks