History

Touran Khanom

In the vicinity of Baharestan, the old Parliament, there used to be an elementary school that was a little gem of an establishment. Dabestan-e Farhad opened in 1958 in the building and grounds that had been home to Mirhadi family. Touran Mirhadi—or, as she is universally known, Touran Khanom—was the youngest daughter of the family and the principal of the school. Her old students, some now well into their fifties, still refer to themselves as Farhadi, and are perpetually in quest of establishing contact with each other and their old teachers. For those us living outside Iran, no trip to Tehran is complete without touching base with Touran Khanom>>>

From Shah to Ayatollah

We are approaching anniversary of an extra ordinary event in the history of our nation, which had a profound effect over the lives of every single Iranian in one way or another even if we had no contribution to it. I remember those days that when traveling on the roads, from one place to another, we would encounter mobs of people with clubs in their hands while blocking the road asking you to say “death to shah” so they let you go! Then they put a picture of Khomeini on the windshield of your car after getting what they wanted and before you run into another group of them a bit further. It was a truly unusual scene to see and live in those days in a country, which was considered an “island of stability” in a troubled region, not much earlier!>>>

حسن نیت؟

((نامه به دکتر محمد مصدق)): آقای نخست وزیر گرامی، مایلم پیش از آنکه شما آمریکا را ترک نمایید، مطلبی را به عرض برسانم. من اطمینان دارم که سفر شما [به آمریکا] بسیار ارزشمند بوده و موجب حسن نیت میان آمریکا و ایران است. ممکن است که سرمقاله امروز صبح در ((واشنگتن پست)) شما را مأیوس کرده باشد. آن سر مقاله منعکس کننده نظر انگلیسی ها در مورد ایران است و به باور من نظر آمریکایی ها را نمایندگی نمی کند. من مطمئنم که مردم و همچنین مقامات آمریکا در نتیجه سفر شما متوجه مسایل بزرگی که برای کشورتان مطرح است شده اند.

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Donald Duck in Ancient Persia

Strangely "Donald Duck in Ancient Persia” grew out of interest in horror films. Though Disney illustrator Carl Barks was no great movie-goer, he saw several horror classics which contributed to the stories eerie atmosphere. A quest to raise the dead, spells muttered over a magic pool, a frustrated marriage, and honor slaked by death – these are all motifs from Boris Karloff’s classic Horror flick The Mummy (1933); and the spooky old mansion on the hill looks like The Old Dark House in another Karloff movie. Even the mad scientist, with his high forehead and deep-set eyes resembles that veteran horror actor. >>>

The lost requiem

There are gaps in our history, lost episodes in our collective memory caused not by forgetfulness, but by the deliberate policy of governments and politicians. There are also courageous individuals who fight to bring such material back into the public light. Khosrow Sinai is one such individual. Author of "In the Alleys of Love", “The Inner Monster”, and “Bride of Fire”, Khosrow Sinai is internationally famous for over a hundred short films, documentaries and features. One of his works, “The Lost Requiem”, has never been publicly released. Sidelined and ignored for over a quarter of a century, its content has been deemed too politically sensitive to be shown. Now, at last, its official obscurity is coming to an end>>>

In search of morning

Last spring I read Dar Josteju-ye Sobh (“In Search of Morning”), the memoir of Abdorrahim Ja’fari, founder of Amir Kabir publishing house in Iran. It is an unforgettable book...Driven by equal measures of intellectual curiosity and enterprising spirit Ja’fari built his own version of the great Amir Kabir’s legacy. He educated the public as he educated himself. He saw the potential of the market for new works and ideas and devoted his considerable energy to building and expanding it. He helped create a reading public. By giving decent contracts and royalty to his authors and translators, the former print house worker ended up supporting a class of professional intellectuals. As businessmen go he was a rare breed; he took financial risks on the market for intellectual pursuit. And, lo and behold, Amir Kabir grew and prospered.>>>

آيا بابک خرمدين مال من هم هست؟

من می گويم هرکس که «می خواهد» جزو «ملت ايران» باشد نمی تواند شهريار شاعر و کورش پادشاه را از «هويت ملی» خود بزدايد و يا، بر عکس، هر کس بخواهد اين ها را از هويت ملی خود طرد کند ديگر ايرانی نيست و بايد برای مليت خودش فکری بکند و، تا زمانی که نتوانسته است تکه ای از خاک ايران را برای خودش «مستقل» کند، برود و به يک جائی از اين عالم آويزان شود تا از دست «فارس های خونخوار!» در امان بماند. >>>

Dirty business

I was spending my third night at the front line. I had already received a Klashinkov rifle with a magazine that could hold thirty cartridges and a few blankets to sleep in as Neekvarz had promised. That night it was cold and foggy. A storm was blowing from northwest raising sand and dust; making the air dark. Apprehensive about my sentries, I had visited all of them twice earlier at night either in Karamee‚s company or on my own. All of them were awake and vigilant; everything seemed normal except the storm that was lashing across the plain and the hill.>>>

رهائی واقعیت حیّ و حاضر

چرا باید حرفی زد که نه از نظر تاریخی وزنی دارد و نه گره ای از مشکلات امروز مردم فلسطین باز میکند؟ چرا باید سخنی گفت که آبی به آسیاب نژاد پرستان سفید پوست آنروز و امروز می ریزد و اسلحه ای بدست دشمنان قسم خورده ایران و لابی های قدرتمند آنها می دهد؟ اصلاً این معمائی است که چرا برخی از سیاستمداران جمهوری اسلامی اینقدر دلشان بحال دولتهای جابر اروپای ابتدای قرن بیستم مانند آلمان و اتریش و ایتالیا و فرانسه سوخته است که گناه نا بخشودنی و ضد انسانی نسل کشی و یهودی ستیزی آنها را بقیمت منافع ملی خود می شویند؟>>>

Glitters of empire

On October 26th, 1967 Mohamed Reza Shah Pahlavi was to Crown himself and his wife Empress Farah (Diba) as respectively the Shah and Shahbanou of Iran. It was also the very first time in 2500 years that a Persian Queen was to be crowned and certainly a unique event to this day in any Muslim country. And for that purpose, it was necessary to order a new crown. The honor fell on the famous Parisian jewellers Van Cleef & Arpels, who created the most awesome crown, along with new parures to be worn by the sisters of the Shah at the Coronation >>>