Jahanshah Javid

Doctor X

Please ask god to get back to you on that.

I did. He told me that he couldn't give me a reply on any topic until he had a full consultation with you.

Has he called you yet? I understand you have a direct private line.

MY GOD, LEt it go woman.

Rosie

Your smarts and your intelligence are becoming a bit of a burden here on this site. Please ask god to get back to you on that.

And speaking of the greatest minds,

you wrote:

Meanwhile look at how we treat ourselves.

So, yes. Frye deserves the highest honor. But it is not a lot to expect a truly great man to have a heart. To care about what Iranian scholars (let alone people) are going through under this regime. To say a word or two in their support. Or to say, no thank you, I will not be a part of this political game.

Should we expect the greatest minds to surrender their conscience to the powerful? For material gain or fame and recognition? is it worth it?

__________

How can you sit there and pontificate about someone not having a heart and surrendering their conscience and being part of some game when for two days people were on sargord's blog agonizing trying to figure out whether you would've been able to filter a zionist google ad with a picture of an israeli soldier when you'd said you couldn't control the ads and then someone came with a link to google's advertising department that said you could and then there was a featured news item up that said there was over a 50 percent chance of israel attacking iran within a year and i kept begging you to answer our question and you kept ignoring us and then you sat there writing this and when sargord came here to ask you you acted like you never even knew he had a blog up and then you beat around the bush with mehrdad and now you're chatting about buddha and food, and you a great man, is it worth it? 

:o)

re:aynak

our sites are very popular.  because of the extremely large number of viewers and the disruption of bandwidth and lines and the near collapse of our servers because of it, we have decided to reduce our viewer by making it a paid membership as a way to turn away the unprecedanted number of viewers.

If you have ahd difficulty posting your comments, then maybe its because you're not a paid member.

 Other times , it could be that there is a problem in your system.  Please go to www.alarabiya.net and post something decent and see if it gets posted, then you might understand that middle eastern run sites have a differnet configuration.

Re:JJ may just be bitter

JJ may just be bitter

that he didn't get an invitation.

Remember the post he had about how he felt left out, when his friend was being contacted by the CIA to join.  In his post, he expressed his disappointment that CIA was not actually reaching out to him.

To put it very simply, JJ would have loved to recieve an invitation from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.  He would have loved to be recruited by CIA.

But, it is all about GRAND STANDING.  It's all about posting the Iranian invitation, then video taping it burning.  Or about how he blasted off the CIA after they ask him to join.  IT's all about grand standing.  Nothing more.

But when there is no invitation, obviously he feel that the other party either doesn't want you or more importantly for JJ- does care about you.

I think it was the same type of Grand Standing we saw when "CETCOM" wanted to post articles on ic and JJ replied that he wants them out.

GRAND STANDING- nothing more, nothing less.  It doesn't take a scientist to understand it.  We're Iranian, we know the feeling.

i’ve got to hand it to jj

i’ve got to hand it to jj for writing this blog as he may be the most knowledgeable amongst us regarding the subject of promoting iri without considering the atrocities committed by the regime.  not to mention the guilt that is associated with it.  some people did not promote iri from the get-go, some stopped after five years, 10 years, … and some are still promoting it.

i agreed with most that it is unscrupulous for the scientist/businessmen ex-pats to attend the conference with ahmadi in iran. why should artists and athletes be immune to this type of criticism? why should our adopted country still grant visas to iranian students?  so they take back the knowledge and help iri?  no way.  in fact, i think we should now start boycotting iranian khaarbaarforooshies as they get their products from iran and implicitly support iri.   persian rugs are another important area for boycotting: do not buy persian rugs either in iran or outside.  but of course, you shouldn’t buy it in iran (unless you live there) since someone who loves iran shouldn’t even go for a visit and tacitly support this regime with american greenbacks.  i hear turkish and chinese rugs aren’t that bad. i propose a cuban model for engagement etiquette with iran.  i know the cuban policy has changed and is more relaxed now but all the sanctions, embargo, and restrictions on cultural exchanges and travel in the past 61 years has paid off big dividends for cuban people.  if you don’t think so, then perhaps some people like frye ruined it for them and i’m not aware of it.

the true conscientious iran-lover™

Zara

I am waiting to see if the people who did this to Persian will themselves do the right thing and step forward while they still have the chance. Anyhow, if I tell the story, you won't be able to wrap your mind around what all they were up to while unbelievably complaining about corruption, greed and human rights abuses by other regimes. Note that I actually believe the values cherished by Iranian culture will prevail upon their conscience and they'll make us proud in the end but hopefully it'll be while there is still time for them to also reverse some of the effects of their deeds.

Connie...

You've done this often before, throwing out hints about a huge problem in this field without explaining.  No, we are not all cardiologists and astrophysicists, some of us are seriously interested and involved with Persian language and literature and still have no clue what you are talking about.  So please explain, because there is too much at stake to simply take anyone's word.  Give us the information to make some intelligent judgments of our own.  Isn't that what democracy is about?  Let's practice...

What is "ELM" without " ERFAN" ?

What is "ELM" without " ERFAN" ?

"Fryed" Knowledge? 

Q- take a deep breath and repeat- Q is embodiment of Greens

I only understood half of what Q said.  I hope he rephrases it and uses less sarcasm so it would be a bit more understandable.

But I would like to say that if there is anyone who embodies the spirit of the Green movement, it is Q.

No Doubt.  And the farther you are from him, the less you understand what Greens were really for.

I haven't really followed Q, but his post reveals he is a Gheyrati who wants to see a peaceful change in government, but at the same time does not wish to see Iran getting humiliated or punished because of Mr DayoosiNejad.

So, use Q as the barometer.  He is the pulse of the Green Movement.  I know because I was there.

I myself am more like the follower of the single member SWING group.  One day, I want the Iran to be nuked and sanctioned so that the fuckers in government learn their limits and come to see that no one in the world would help them in any which way.  Thus, this would make them focus more on Iranian interests rather than Palestinian ones.

On a different day, I feel upset that the sanctions will be hurting the Iranian people.

But at this point, I am coming to realize that "things are back to normal" with Greens being silenced again.  So sanctions and a surgical strike (hopefully on Tehran Univ Friday Prayer's first 3 rows) and others that cripples some infrastructure like communications (not nuclear sites) might really make the Iranian goverment realize that human rights/united nations talk is something the US doesn't give a hoot about when it has to take care of business.

SO there will be damage. 20-30 billion max.  We can make up for that in 2 years easily when gas projects are invested in.  Loss of life, the Americans will try to avoid that.

At this point, the Iranian government is not interested in any meaningful negotiation regarding anything; is once again embarrasing us with its stoning punishment (that even Saudis don't do), seems to think that the world is with it and most importantly thinks Mahdi will come and help it out. There is no way to rationalize with this government at this point.  Waiting 4 more years for a different result is pointless- we are losing atleast 50 billion dollars a year from this government's actions.

Its oil can't be sold.  Rajanews seems to be making fun of the sanctions.  

Quite honestly, I don't wait to see people suffer with sanctions.  Get to the real business and do it fast.  Nuclear or not- I don't think they are doing anything with the yellow cake.  It's all bluff and talk.

I want an a nice surgical attack on Command and Communcations infrastructure.  Let them lose control of the capital and provinces for a month, then they will come and do as is needed to join the community of civilized nations and not the community of state within state( hezbollah and Hamas).

Hope to see some action this year, while I'm gonna be in Iran.  That way I can atleast say, "Barikallah Amrica"  in the cab as it carries the Akhoonds in the backseat so that I can tell them, "Akhe mekhast dandatoon narmshed az Palestine eengadr defa nakoneed.  Hala rahat shodeen"

Bravo Richard Frye

Richard Frye has done a big favor for Persian Studies in the US by accepting the lifeline which the IRI held out to him. A lot of you guys are experts in cardiology and astrophysics so I don't blame you for not knowing about the holocaust we've had in Persian in the US for the past 30 years, especially the last decade since Persian became a so-called "critical language." If your knowledge of the inside of our Persian programs comes from all the newsletters, galas and parent-teacher day visits, you'll have to take my word for it, we are desperate for help from the IRI. The US government can't hear our pleas. The biggest loser in all of this is Persian language itself. Do not under estimate the effect on the language caused by the older generation not passing on the intellectual treasure to the younger generation. Last week I was in Tehran for this conference, mms://media.iransima.ir/tv5/tv5_13890509_009.wmv (Sorry, I think you can only view with Real Player on Windows) and believe me, it was the first time I felt surrounded by people who care about Persian. (By the way, there was no sandis served and the staggering costs of such a trip were paid for by my dear friend Barney who has  a meagre retirement pension but a huge passion for Khayyam and Hafez.) Really, the hope I felt while being in that environment sort of made me want to be like the next Mr. Marriott  //iranian.com/main/blog/bahram9821/mr-marriott-back only I'll sing for the opposite country. Believe it, it's the only hope at this late date.

I think you are dead wrong,

But first, can you please explain why some Iranians, Iranian Americans particularly, are so darn obsessed with meaningless and shallow trivialities as opposed to what really matters?

How many IRANIAN scholars have received this kind of treatment? None.

Let's face it Javid: When the neofascist community (that you are sympathizing with) found out that some Iranian scholars were given airplane tickets, they immediately began to call them traitors and shills as you are doing now, albeight indirectly.

We both know it doesn't matter if they received anything. It doesn't matter if Frye got a house or an outhouse, or nothing. Be honest with yourself, isn't this just an excuse to sound out anti-government gripes?

Now, I have to ask you a question. You have said that Frye deserves the house and the praises. What about all the other Iranian schoars who went? Some of the at top of their fields?

Is it possible that in fact you and along with the neofasicsts are the ones who truly have the Western-envy that you accuse Ahmadinejad of having?

Haven't those 100s of other Iranians accomplished anything? Hasn't Elahe Ensanni accomplished anything? Why is it that the vocals in this community want to reduce these Iranian scholars to sundis khor, but when it comes to Frye, he is either "praised", "used" or "just doesn't know any better". Seems like a clear double standard to me, doesn't it? If I'm wrong, please tell me who else you have praised at the conference?

It's nothing but a fuck you to the Obama Administration during the current crisis.

Have you considered that given what the US and it's Israeli allies are talking about doing, let alone the sanctions that have already been levied, that this may be what millions in Iran actually feel?

Excuse me, but when Obama said Fuck You to Iran and Brazil and Turkey, don't you think this was noticed by Iranians. Polls show it was noticed by the whole regions which is why Obama has had a gigantic popularity drop.

That Ahmadi was going to make this all about himself, is a given, that's what politicians do whenever they have a chance. Why are you helping him make this completely political as opposed to the real reasons people like Frye and other scholars attended? Let me -- in jest -- add to the comical accusations that you receive: are you working for Ahmadinejad?

Yes, Javid, we get it.
I'm not blind, I see what is being said but the loudest group.

I get it, you hate the regime.
I get it, you don't care about anything other than overthrowing the regime.
I get it, anybody who interacts with Iran in any capacity must either spit on the President or else he is a traitor.

I get it. I think these are irrational thoughts augmented by a healthy touch of anger and frustration. But that's fine, that is what this group believes.

My question is, does this group, and you, Javid, in this case, allow for different ideas?

Does anyone who may not think "overthrowing IRI" or some way of "dissing it", as they see it, have a right to an opinion without being called a traitor and Nazi? (or "fool", if he happens to have been born in North America, there's your "khareji parasti")

Does it have to be all hate, all the time? around here? Or are we allowed to think differently about what is best at any given time? Or what event is actually worthy of attendance and what event isn't?

You are right on the Money on this one JJ

I know that this guy loves Iran and really cares about being burid there.  However, going this far to accept it in this manner from these IRI animals is a slap in a face of everyone who cares about Iranians and their freedom. It just sends the wrong message to the people who are resisting this evil regime.

سلام

من کاملن با نظر نویسنده این مقاله موافقم. آقای فرآی درخواست قبر کرد، ان بهش یک واحد مسکونی در قالب قصر داد، اگرآقای فرآی در خواست یک واحد مسکونی میکرد ان چی از کسیه ي خلیفه هدیه میکرد!؟.

Lopsided argument

When Walter Annenberg donates millions to USC, everyone says "what a great man"

When Bill Gates and Warren Buffet decide to donate billions, everyone says "great men"

When Ms ANsari decides to fly to the moon for $20 million for personal fame rather than to donate it to a poverty stricken land, everyone says "first iranian astronaut"

Let's face the truth, most people tend to overlook all the cheating and swindling these folks did and will remember them for the money donated or title achieved.

So, all this idealistic bull is just that bull.  No university will name a single award after you because you chose to be fight for altruism.

Also, unless you have a business to run, a family to feed then we can see how altruistic one is.  All that goes out the window the second bills are due.

So what is better: to fight for altruism and in return suffer and make your family suffer?  What good was that is your family will remember you as someone who couldn't feed them and was forced to make their teenage son become a cab driver instead of going off to college.

It is no wonder that you see college students fighting for altruism.  Why? because all their expenses are paid- no worries.  Or if they work, they only pay for their own expenses.

I think, in this situation, JJ is no different than the college student.  Very few responsibilites- no pun intended- but actually meant to drive the point home.

So Mr JJ, if Mexico offered you a house, you would say no?  Are you then saying that the Mexicali and Mexican justice system are ok.  And who defines if it is ok or not?  Will you decide? Will you wait to see what Mexicans decide?  Will you ask Mexican Indians before you accept the prize?

There is no one standard to follow when if comes to altruism.  You are not reading a book by Kant or other philosophers.  Would a person stealing to feed his hunger be an ethical person to you?  So if he was forced to steal because of hunger, would you be willing to accept an argument that says that the guy was a bum, didn;t work and put himself in a position to starve and hence need to steal to feed his hunger?

Things in life aren't as black and white as you wish to make them to be.

It’s a shame…

It’s a shame but it’s the bitter truth,

Human pride and the love for material gain, feeling important, special and appreciated can get to the best of us and over run our ethics and higher values at any time.

He probably felt he had come across a once in a life time type of opportunity, to be recognized, praised and acknowledged and appreciated by the Persians and by the head of the Iranian government, and if not now then when and under what government or authority will he have a 2nd chance at being honored like this, no one lives forever!

The truth is, after we have past all of our material positions won’t make a deference, we will leave all behind…what will remain is the result of our actions and how people and history will remember us, if at all.
What will they say about us when we are gone, how will they remember us?

If I have to take a position

If I have to take a position on this issue, I go with JJ. But I think ultimately it's a fragile position. Here is a blog about IRI taking advantage of a scholar for propaganda purpose although his only value for IRI is to connect with our national sensitivity on one hand and his American identity on the other.

And here again, another personality becoming the centre of attention in a blog because of our national sensitivity on one hand and his American identity on the other.

Our problem is ourselves. Our dysfunctional social behaviour. Our incapacity to gather around the obvious: IRI must go. And we always find other issues to distract us from our chronic malaise. Blaming others for our own impotence is just tiring.

And to be honest, the true source of frustration

is that we Iranian are frustrated with ourselves.   We can not reach god, so we have to attack god or our perception in this case Frye?   Who is Frye?  

Most of us probably have not heard of the man until it all started a few weeks back. My opinion (positive) of him formed only when I saw Dehkohda called him Irandoost in 1952 (Mossadegh time).   Would Dehkhoda who gave Frye the title Irandoost, have given him that title in the 70's, when  Frye was cozying up to Pahlavi's?  Actually, knowing Dehkhoda, and how he started in politics but then left it all for the politicians and chose cultural work instead, I think the answer would have been yes.  Not only that, he would have probably not condemned Frye like some of us so readily do here for even hugging Ahmadi Nejad.  

You see, with our great culture, we still have to read our own history which we take pride in, not from the pen of an Iranian but from the ink of the like of Heredotes and yes, this despicable  Frye character, who is telling us we should be proud of our identity, for reasons that have to do much more with our achievement than racist ideas of genetic superiority.  

But our culture, with its good, has bad as well.   You would be a fool to think all the bad started with Ahmadi Nejad, as the very fact that our best had to bow or be murdered or exiled is the best testament to that claim, through our history.   Personally, I view Frye hugging Ahmadi-Nejad,  as another failure of our culture that is so unbearable and embarrassing  for us Iranian  to admit.   We have not been able to create a tolerant society where if you don't agree with the power that be, you can not even choose where you are buried!    So we are angry with Frye, who can see good in us, still, where we fail to do ourselves.  

And on top of all good points made in the body of this blog...

How the hell did their president end up having a mansion at his disposal?

“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”

Anahid jan, Frye's perspective cannot be of those in IRI jails

he is a remarkable scholar at the end of his life, who is conveying hope for change by a) accepting to be buried (leaving his body) in Iran  b) using his position (and perhaps wish) for some positive opening between the countries.  

Also, what Frye has read (or perhaps seen with his own eyes), is what He applies to His decisions in His lifetime. I don't expect Frye to fight the Iranians' fight - he never claimed to be a liberator of Iran and Iranians. His voice is his, not ours, certainly not the tortured and the maimed inside the IRI prisons.

I find JJ's point ideally moralistic or morally idealistic (which?!). 

You know Anahid, yesterday when I was reading Ari and Mehrban's exchanges on Frye, I really thought about what We expect of the world to do for Iran - We Project our wishes and hopes, all the time ... First I felt as perhaps Mehrban did which may be similar to JJ's position, then after trying to look at it from a humanistic view (maybe Frye's?) I realized Ari's point that: I, as the 1/70 millionth (do I even count there?!) am gladly handing over my share of that property, knowing that as a museum eventually it will generate some income for the people inside Iran. 

Mehraban jan: hear , hear.

Mehraban jan: hear , hear. Bravo. Scathing and impassioned commentry. thanks.

Frye is that other curse, the "IranDoost"

Beware of an "IranDoost" bearing gifts.

As you see, Frye, so desperate to be adopted by a country he has studied for so long, is willing to sell his very soul to the devil for the allure and romance of a balcony view of Esfahan.

And who could resist the flattery of such an obvious scholar!

While we must always be hospitable and kind and generous to those outsiders who love our culture and language and customs and traditions, we must never allow them to over-romanticize their love, to the extent of capitulating with those bent on it's destruction.

Now in his old age, having seen the best and worst of it, Frye is merely cashing in his chips, misplayed before the revolution, in the hopes that he can wind down his life, by blindly turning away from the continuing demise of Iran, thinking he will be celebrated (rather than suspected) by hiding away from Tehran in Esfahan.

That ain't gonna happen. Although as self imposed imprisonment goes, getting a free home in Esfahan is probably far better to Frye than the standard faculty housing at Harvard. Primarily because the Persian food at the free Harvard cafeteria probably sucks. 

But don't fool yourself sir, by going to Esfahan at the expense of the IRI you are condemning yourself to a life sentence, in more ways than you know.

We would have expected someone like you at least to stand for right over wrong, and to speak truth to power. As it is with this "honor" that has been bestowed upon you by no less than Ahmadinejad himself, I must suggest your title be changed from "IranDoost", to "IranForoosh".

The question is not why

he is receiving it but why "Ommaties" chose "him" to receive it.  He is the same Sufi pacifist in the tradition of Hafiz the enabler & appologist for the sins & deeds of the Bedoine & Mongol occupiers. For these pacifist elites there is no difference between free Sassanid Iran vs Bedoine or mongol occupied Iran since their motto is , tolerate, kneel to alien tyrant, change your loyalties & move on.

In contrast, Great Ferdowsi was not a pacifist but a patriotic activist who did not write Shahnameh the way sultan wanted, full of foreign icons, & got reprimended by a lesser reward which he proudly refused even in old age & poor health while his life savings had ran out. He had a choice & he dedicated his book to his heritage & his people rather than a Sultan and he paid for even in death when even his corps was not allowed to be buried in Muslim cemetries & was lynched by his elitist compatriots as an infidel among them shaikhak Attar who called shahnameh blasphemy. F em all pacifist shaikhs & their foreign versions.

JJ's stand is Ferdowsi's stand & gotte be commended. Gotte do another revised interview with him soon ;:)).

In contrast to the average blue collar, dehghan class Iranians who wear their flag on their sleeves, Iranian  elites & intelectuals have mostly througout history been the tools of treason & pacifism in face of native & foreign tyrants. From Ibn Moghafa to Ibn Eraghi all the way to their modern day traitors such as the crowd attending the diaspora conference in Tehran.

Path of Kiaan Resurrection of True Iran Hoisting Drafshe Kaviaan //iranianidentity.blogspot.com //www.youtube.com/user/samsamsia

Monda jan, why is Frye's message of hope so important?

Monda jan, I think JJ made a good point. With all due respect to Frye, why should i value his message of hope more than a message of hope that comes from a "razmande for azadi"? I think if I hear that some freedom fighter who is sitting in some jail in Iran has a messgae of hope, I value that a lot more. Frye is an Irandoost and has done much good but he I don't think he has ever fought against estebdad in his life so his message of hope, however nice is not that significant in my opinion.

And Monda jan, you might write and you actually already did that he has seen it all. First of all, he has read it all. Besides, in Iran, the case has not been that passed and this will pass too.  To achieve greatness in Iran, being Irandoost is not enough.  We are at a critical juncture that in addition to loving Iran and its history, we need to be critical of what has been wrong to get us to this point.

100% - ?

Never too old to care about moral issues, that's not at all what I meant. 

(Though whether an individual's scholarship and his personal morality are on the same page is not something that shines from the work -- life has taught me not to bother holding scholars to the same moral standard as artists and writers, I guess :-)

I just meant maybe he's not all there. And that's okay.

Lover of Iran taa goor

Frye's massage of hope for change in Iran is what matters to me.  Ari's and Zara's comments sum up mine. He has seen it all and he knows this/ IRI shall pass. After his death in his beloved land - Iran zendeh khahad bood as in all other episodes in history which Professor Frye's lifetime work was dedicated to. JJ, I think that the Judgment of 4-5 millions Iranians in diaspora, to a 90 year old of such stature should be secondary. And the 70 millions inside Iran have much worse to struggle with, than this scholar's acceptance of such gift. 

:)

Zara, sure. He deserves a break. As long as we all understand that it's a break.

Seriously, isn't there a line we should not cross -- especially if we are old enough to know better? Or is it that by that time we're too old to care about moral issues?

100+

Has anybody noticed that Prof. Frye is 100 years old this year?  Cut the guy some slack.  He might not be paying such close attention to what's going on recently. 

A Nuanced Life

Thanks Jahanshah for posting the Frye story.

If Iran's Arts had to stop because of politics - for the past 1400 years, we should have stopped producing anything and sat under the rule of this or that dictator.  Frye loves how Iranians have existed beyond politics, with their Art and Culture continuing regardless of the politics of the day.

I wanted to express my appreciation for all the achievements of this site - as I can disagree with Jahanshah - while fully respecting the colossal achievement of this site, that have benefited me countless times over the years.

Thanks JJ and thanks Frye. I respect you both. What I love about the Arts is that we can be from different political spectrums, and still love Hafez or Isfahan. The Arts help us to live more nuanced lives.