IDEAS

The Red Persians

Islam, Marxism and Revolution in Iran

17-Oct-2010 (5 comments)
Neither Ayatollah Khomeini, nor his disciples Islamized Marxism. Instead, they derived exceptional benefits from it. During the 1960s as a result of the Shah’s systematic suppression of all political opposition, Marxism was pushed into two distinct directions: guerilla fighting and the intellectual sphere. It was in the hands of leftist Islamic intelligentsia, like Jalal Al-e Ahmad and Ali Shariati that Marxism blended with Shiʿism. The amalgam created a formidable revolutionary force in Iran. Shortly after, the militant-Marxists and the Marxist-Islamists in coalition with Khomeini overthrew the monarchy>>>

HERITAGE

Give Iran Some Credit

Impact on Western science and medicine

10-Sep-2010 (11 comments)
The ancient world contained only a few countries that had any form of knowledge of medicine and science, the main were Egypt, Greece China, India and Rome. Iran had for its time a through knowledge of the sciences more than most countries. From the Achaemenid Empire to the late Sassanian Empire Iran has had an effect on the worlds understanding of science. Even the civilised world was influenced by Iran’s vast amount of understanding of the sciences. A few examples include the fact that the Greeks used the same form of building as the Iranians, the Romans attempted to create their own form of “Baghdad Battery” which was invented by the Parthians>>>

RACE

Prince of Persia Strikes Back

Revisionism in both nationalist and anti-nationalist camps

08-Sep-2010 (8 comments)
Personally, I have experienced that for most Iranians interest in an Aryan heritage has nothing to do with historical reality. Instead, it is more about disliking the rest of the Middle Easterners, particularly the Arabs, and wanting to be like Europeans. Consequently, the issue is more about a sort of antagonism and inferiority complex than one actually concerned with any real understanding of historical mechanism. Thus I am as angered and frustrated as Mr. Zia-Ebrahimi with what can only be labeled as bigoted racism. However, in demonstrating the depth of this ignorance, one would do better in actually considering historical details than dismissing them wholesale or ignoring what they actually do depict>>>

IDEAS

Waiting in Transit

Iran’s Struggle for Independence

04-Sep-2010 (2 comments)
Such is the case with Russia who is holding out on a 2007 contract to sell Iran S-300, an advanced air defense system, worth $800 million dollars, using this as a playing card with the West for its own gain. And such is the case when a country is dependent on a superpower for help and protection. In the following, I hope to analyze two independent but inner-related narratives, when connected, will demonstrate how and why we have reached this point. The hand that fed us the poison is also holding the antidote>>>

PAHLAVIS

All the Shah's Men (part 4)

Mosadegh was definitely a patriotic but his abilities were in doubt

31-Aug-2010 (one comment)
The story of CIA coup against Prime Minister Mosadegh, other than imaginative skills of Kermit Roosevelt and Don Wilber, apparently had some roots in realities of some events that probably were organized by these characters to take advantage of them in future and possibly making some fortune from the oil companies that would benefit from the change of direction regarding oil in Iranian government policies. Kermit Roosevelt's background in OSS (Office of Strategic Services) where he worked as an officer in Middle East during WW II had provided him with an opportunity to become familiar with the history and politics of the region>>>

MOSSADEGH

A Few Good Men

Recollections of Hedayatollah Matin-Daftari, Mossadegh's grandson

23-Aug-2010 (2 comments)
Matin-Daftari has recently published a book on his father, titled Papers and Documents from the Nationalization of the Iranian Oil Industry to the International Court of Justice, 1951-1952. I had a chance to speak with him in Paris, on the eve of the anniversary of the 1953 coup. Dr. Matin-Daftari speaks about his grandfather and recollects the time he spent with him in Ahmad Abad where the Prime Minister was exiled by the Shah until his death.>>>

HERITAGE

Sasanian Seals

Seal impressions of generals

18-Aug-2010 (one comment)
This article brings to light some ten Spāhbed bullae which are housed at the Barakat Gallery in London. Their provenance is unknown, but they are dominantly (seven) from the kust ī nēmrōz “Southeastern Quarter” of the Sasanian Empire. There is also a bulla from kust ī xwarōfrān “Southwestern Quarter,” another from the kust ī xwarāsān “Northeastern Quarter,” and a unique, mostly illegible and unpublished bulla among the collection as well>>>

MOSADDEGH

«مصدق» در گیومه!

آقای مصدق نازنین، خیلی حرفها دارم که برایتان بنویسم

18-Aug-2010 (89 comments)
شما درست روز 14 اسفند ماه 1345 از این دنیا رفتید. خیلی برایتان متاسفم. مخصوصا بعد از آن همه بیماریها و تنهاییها. بابا هم متاسف بود. برای همین هم کلی نوشته و بریده ی روزنامه برایم به ارث گذاشت که شاید اگر آنها را نداشتم، لزومی نمیدیدم این نامه ی بلند بالا را برایتان بنویسم. ولی خب، بعد از کلی کشمکش، دست آخر تصمیم گرفتم حرفهای دلم را صاف و پوست کنده برایتان بنویسم. مثلا نامه ای بنویسم و آن را در یک بطری شیشه ای بگذارم و به دریا بیاندازم>>>

1953

All The Shah's Men (3)

Manipulation of people’s opinion, emphasizing magnificent powers of US intelligence services

18-Aug-2010 (8 comments)
In June 2009, President Barack Obama of the United States, in a speech that was directed at Islamic world and delivered in a visit to Cairo of Egypt, stated that: "In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government". Vague statements like this by American officials at different occasions along with a document which has been produced by some fishy characters with claims to link it with Central Intelligence Agency of United States, are the roots of all stories that some people continue to make a business of them while adding fuel to the burning fire of political differences among Iranians>>>

TIES

China and Iran

A historical look at relations

14-Aug-2010 (6 comments)
China and Iran have retained a strong sense of utmost respect for one another’s cultures. Throughout history it has been obvious that despite not having a border with each other and yet the two have never been to war and have been “natural allies” the Chinese have been allies with Iran for over 1,000 years. As well this China and Iran have heavily influenced each other; Chinese art seems to have intertwined with that of Iran while early Chinese military seems to have heavy influence from Iran such as the Parthian shot. In my view Iran and China will remain close allies for at least another 1,000 years to come>>>

PAHLAVI

All The Shah's Men (2)

Tudeh Party during critical time in Iran's history

12-Aug-2010 (36 comments)
Tudeh Party which had expanded its influence and operations throughout the country by taking advantage of democratic atmosphere of the country, had found a good foothold among working class especially Iranian oil workers in southern province of Khuzestan. Oil, once again became a hot topic in the politics of Iran. Americans who had a long term plan to enter the oil business activities in Iran and had failed the first attempt due to meddling of Tudeh Party and Soviets during Prime Minister Sa'ed, did not intend to let others get away with sweet deals that they were getting from Iranians without sharing it with them>>>

SHAH

کارنامه محمد رضا  سوادکوهی

فراخوانی برای نگاه بیطرفانه تاریخی به زندگی آخرین شاه ایران

29-Jul-2010 (26 comments)
اگر رضا شاه به سلطنت نمی رسید و نام خانوادگی پهلوی را اختیار نمی کرد شهرتش احتمالاً سواد کوهی می بود و پسرش نیز محمد رضا سوادکوهی خوانده می شد. و شاید استفاده از این ترفند زبانی سرپناه مناسبی برای گریز از کولاک حب و بغضی باشد که هنوز نام و کارنامه شاه را دنبال می کند و امکان داوری محققانه در باره او را از ما می گیرد. تقارن حکومت آخرین سلسله پادشاهی در ایران با عصر ایدئولوژی نیز به دشواری کار می افزاید>>>

PAHLAVIS

All The Shah's Men

Political life after WW II

29-Jul-2010 (8 comments)
Decades after Shah of Iran has been overthrown to accommodate implementation of certain policies in the region of Persian Gulf and Middle East to serve the interests of certain group of people in the world, we are still witness to the same propaganda nonsense that brought our nation to one of the lowest points in the history which is comparable to the times when Iran was overrun by Arab and Mongolian invaders centuries ago. To add more to this, one of the saddest issues of our time is glorification of ignorance under the guise of political correctness to justify and spread misinformation towards our history>>>

SASSANIAN

Master Builders

Influence of Sassanid architecture reached far beyond their borders

25-Jul-2010 (3 comments)
The glorious Achaemenid Persian empire dominated all of the Middle East commencing from 550 to 330BC , Alexander the great conquered the Persian kingdom and destroyed the capital city of Persepolis .By all means the Sassanians (who were the descendants of the Achaemenid Empire) wished to revive the former glory of the Achaemenid Empire, this included their structural design, the Greek conquest of Persia inaugurated the spread of Hellenistic art into Western Asia; but if the East accepted the outward form of this art, it never really assimilated its spirit>>>

HERITAGE

First Knights

European knights can be traced from little known Iranian cataphracts

11-Jul-2010 (4 comments)
Cataphracts or cataphracti were a form of very heavy cavalry that served as an elite they also served as an assault force, primarily used for impetuous charges to break through infantry and some forms of light cavalry formations. Some historians refer to them as the first knights because they wore heavy shining amour and were made up of the aristocracy. Iranians used cataphract cavalry for almost 1,200 years from antiquity to medieval era>>>