Iranian of the Day

royal vacation!

they look like anything but royalty!one wonders what was going on the crown prince's mind when he chose this yasmine etemad-amini as a wife and possible queen of iran!she is never composed, on official photo shoots she always displays a fake cheshire cat smile just to show off her veneered teeth,and insists on displaying her cleavage regardless of time and place,has no sense of style and is just a big massive failure for where she is.AS THE OLD SAYING GOES: LOVE IS A SOLDIER'S RELAXATION, AN IDLER'S OCCUPATION AND A SOVEREIGN'S RUINATION...

YOU DID THE BEST¡¡ CONGRATULATION¡¡¡

THE ROYAL FAMILY PAHLAVI,

HAS THE RIGHT TO ENJOY THIS WONDERFUL DAY.

SAME AS ALL OF US WE HAVE IN OUR PRIVATE LIFE, YOU HAVE ALSO THE SAME RIGHT.

HOPE YOU ENJOY WITH FAMILY¡¡ AND CONGRATULATION¡¡

Who gives a damn about the

Who gives a damn about the thief Reza Pahlavi or should I say Reza Khan II still living off his father's spoils from our beloved country..,

Vacation?

If I'm not mistaking they've been on vacation for 40-50 years with the millions they "took" from Iran.
But then again everybody "takes" as soon as they get the power and opportunity.

Paolo,

I am most certainly not engaging upon any crusade. What I thought (apparently erroneously) is that we are engaging in a discussion or debate. It seems that I underestimated you in believing that could be accomplished without you engaging in personal attacks or insults.

The term "you people" is pejorative, especially in the context that you used. So, if you indeed have the "utmost" respect for Iranians, I suggest that you choose your words with greater discretion. Also, stating that many of your greatly valued friends, who are dear to you and your family are Iranians sounds very patronizing and just plain disingenuous.

And as far as vulgarity is concerned, it's very presumptuous of you to say that I don't know better. Not to mention rude.

Al the best.

get a life

and get off line at the same time. that'd be the best favor you could do yourself.

Lekhaim !

Dear Kaveh PS Farzaneh, Paolo, Lost

YOu know I told you I loved your writing Kaveh, but in this case I'm getting confused.  Of COURSE things become political and religious issues, and they SHOULD, they HAVE to, because these are the rifts which divide Iran, and they need to be aired and scrutinized in a safe place....and as for the demon that lurks, sexuality, well it too must be scrutinized...man is...half animal half angel, and animals DON'T have laws about age of consent....animals even eat their children, and some humans do too...in culturally sanctioned contexts...cannibalism TOO is a human reality...and all facets of human experience, both animal and angel and the broad gray middle MUST be scrutinized.....and well....jj would say NOTHING is sacred...and I would say EVERYTHING is sacred....and there the twain shall meet...LET the guy admit he's fantasizing about the young girl...and let the conversation scrutinize it....it's better than going to bang-cock, thighland, after all, isn't it?  Have you any idea HOW MANY WESTERN MEN GO THERE AND SPREAD AIDS TO YOUNG POOR VIRGINS?  It IS defacto culturally sanctioned within the economics of the global village.  It EXISTS.  IT IS.  Let's air it and see what happens from that conversation....

And also, I have to say in this case that I just have no problem with Paolo bringing up the Old Testament to bolster his argument about sexual mores as they appear scriptuarally in Islam.  Islam itself can be seen historically as a synthesis of Judaism and Christianity...a kind of missionary religious nationalism, stripped of the pagan mystery elements of Christianity and back to the stark basics of Judaism but incorporating NOMINALLY the teachings of Jesus, however favoring Old Testament Justice over Mercy, the GREAT contribution of Christianity to mankind, in potential at least....I just don't see what Paolo did wrong...he was talking about that comment on the underage girl....of COURSE Christianity once adopted as the political tool of the Roman Empire betrayed most of its own values and was corrupt and violent..and yes, the priests are involved in paedophilia...but it isn't in their SCRIPTURES...and it IS in Islam, and tacityly in Judaism...not with girls as young as Ayesha, but with girls who by TODAY's standards WOULD be considered under-age. ANd Paolo HIMSELF has said that due to the cultural-historical disconnect over time, he WOULDN'T use the word paedophilia because in that day and place, the concept didn't exist....

PS Farzaneh, they're not "supposed" to de anything except explore and attempt to communicate.  Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't, but....that's all they're supposed to do.  And I think this is a GOOD thread, I really do....with the exception of my being singled out as the one who needs to get laid for participating in a discussion about sexuality initiated by MEN, just because I'm a woman, I don't see anything harmful here...an unfortunate miscommunication I see....and well...Paolo...if someoen TELLS you you sound arrogant in the Iranian context, I've found it's best to take heed...but REALLY the only HATEFUL thing I found was Lost in Space's comment to me...but HE doesn't know how hateful it was....and so he never apologized...and as my mother always says, "That's what makes horse-racing...."

Palo

In the spirit of Arcadius asking Yazdgerd I to become guardian to his son Theodosius, I begin this post!

In the Chronicle of Se'ert, it is said that Shapur took valerian prisoner and took him to Nabateans, but he did not kill him. Valerian's cause of death was said to be "grief." In other words, he  skinned and stuffed Valerian and put him on display in his court.

Of course, Tabari says, Valerian and his army were taken captive and forced to build a dam in Sostar. He also says, Valerian was released by Shapur after his nose was cut off.

Well, having a nose would seem a bit ridiculous on a flag, so they opted for a hand! I think the movie Sleeper might have been based on this event!

Amirrostam. . .

Of course I will ask him, and let you know in due course.

 However Hand of Caesar was a symbol and heraldry such as the Roman Golden Eagle, and equivalent to the Sasanian sign of “Moon and Crescent” symbolises the royalty and power!

Favour from Paolo

No apology needed, I just wanted to give the correct version of what you said for Koos and your latter corretion makes more sense for a percussion. But reason for writing is to ask a favour from you and your historian friend. If you would please provide some historical references about origin of Caesar's hand, I will be very grateful. The account of Valerion's death by Lactantius is disputed and there is no mention of his hand being cut off.

In Shia 'history' (history with a pinch of salt, made up mostly by mollahs) the hand carried in Ashura represents the hand of Abbas, whose hands were cut off in some versions of his death.

Amir Rostam

no kidding Paolo !

''I believe this has become too time consuming for me. ''

finally !

Kaveh . . .

Please before starting a crusade here, read my previous post again. Read the sentence leading to "you people" which is and I quote " . I have a question for you, and other Iranians in this site . ." - PEOPLE OF THIS SITE - and not the people of Iran!

   I have outmost respect for Iranians and many of my greatly valued friends, which are dear to my family and I are Iranians! So please don't twist my words!

    Also, if you believe your comments were not vulgar, read them again – and if you don’t see the vulgarity there – well no wonder, it seems you don’t know any better!

  Finally, this is my last reply to you, as I believe this has become too time consuming for me.

Re: Caesar's hand - clarification for Paolo

Mr Amirrostam - Thank you for the correction.

My appologies, as I made a mistake in naming the instrument! I've checked with the said historian friend, and the musical instrument is called Sanj which is a form of Cymbal. Also the ceremony was called Porsa, (the remembrance of deaths).

Caesar's hand - clarification for Paolo

Ciao Paolo

The perscussion instrument was in fact called Koos in Persian (as in Foot) meaning drum.

Amir Rostam

Paolo....

I am very relaxed, just so you know. My writing style is very blunt and direct, something that is the clear opposite of typical Iranian behavior.

My point, which may remain unclear to you, is that this Yaghoub Kohan character made what we all know to be a disgusting comment regarding one of the children. Rather than citing the comment for its sick and disgusting nature, you chose to mention religious laws as they pertain to pedophilia. That's what I take issue with. Sick and disgusting is sick and disgusting. As far as pedophilia is concerned, there is no grey area.

As far as the choice of language used on this site, I cannot and will not speak for others. I feel that everyone is accountable for their on actions and choices. I take issue with your use of the words "you people", as it carries a condescending tone in that broad brush you wish to paint with.

This website serves to allow Iranians something that they cannot do within Iran....speak freely. That is the very reason why this website isn't even accessible in Iran. If the street vocabulary offends you, there is nothing to compel you to log on. Bill Gates put a red "X" at the top right hand corner of your screen. Yes, I am able to use prison and street language to the point that I can cause a sailor on shore leave to soil himself with embarrassment, and I am able to carry on a discourse with anyone without such vocabulary. If I wish to use the term "shithole", that shouldn't offend you, as I am not using it to attack you or anyone else, but rather as a description of an inanimate entity. It's an appropriate one as well, considering the fact that Iranians have this gene that creates this powerful urge to, dare I say, "defecate" on everything good. I am entitled to say that, whereas others who are not Iranian cannot enjoy that privilege, as they have not lived through what we have.

For example, I am fully aware that Italy and Italians, as wonderful as the country and the people are, have shortcomings and charcater flaws that stretch for miles. But I don't dare criticize, for one reason. It's not my place. I also wouldn't characterize Italians as "you people" either, as that's contrary to civility and courtesy.

EASY.. guys,...

EASY.. guys,...
you are supposed to comment about the picture here not to prove/disprove yours/other proples ideas...
Grab a glass of ice cold water & for God's sake drink it.

Kaveh

For me there is no difference between any of the world' religions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam or whatever other plagues exist known to man as religion. So relax!

 You said about your country’s situation, and I quote: “No wonder our homeland is such a shithole”, one of the reasons is that you guys haven’t learnt the concept of “Let’s agree to disagree”! 

However, I have a question for you, and other Iranians in this site - what is with the vulgarity and foul language? Can't you people express your opinions in a civilized and courteous manner, and deploy the language of logic and reasoning?

Rosie....

I have no ill will towards Paolo, but I found his comment to be inappropriate.

As you know, this "Yaghoub Kohan" or whatever/whoever he is made a very inappropriate comment initially regarding a child. Not inappropriate.....more like SICK. On that I think we can all agree.

I personally couldn't care less what anyone's religious beliefs are. One's religion or faith is a personal matter, and I honestly believe that if it were kept that way, there would be a lot less hate in this world, because if history has taught us anything, it's that there are entirely too many ignorant, stupid people roaming the planet.

What I take issue with is Paolo's poor decision to bring up either Islamic law or Jewish law in this context. I'm not suggesting anti-Jewish or anti-Islamic rhetoric or beliefs on his part, but rather ignorance and stupidity in comparing (any) religious law to the disgusting kiddie porn fantasy of some sick SOB that's using a pseudonym he picked up from a yeshiva's faculty list.

If no offense was intended, then why exclude Christianity? After all, the Roman Catholic Church, probably one of the single most richest entities in the entire world, with known assets valued in the BILLIONS of dollars has known their own priests have engaged in acts of pedophilia for DECADES and have been looking the other way. Now, and only now, have they decided to "take action", by throwing cash settlements around.

 ("Here's a check for 2 million dollars for your child being raped by Father So and So when he was 8. By the way, we are asking for everyone to contribute to the Church's legal defense in order to pay for these settlements.")

The more I log on to this website, the more disappointed I become. Everything, every post, every picture, every blog, ends up becoming a political or religious issue. Or worse, an opportunity for some sick bastard to express his sexual lust for minors. Even when the original topic has nothing to do with politics, religion or sex (legal or illegal).

No wonder our homeland is such a shithole.

Roxane

Da allora in poi, sono un Italiano :) 

One of my friends have carried out an extensive research on the usage of Caesar’s Hand during the Ashura event. According to his research the Hand of Caesar was captured by Sasanian forces during the reign of Shapur I after defeating the Emperor Publius Licinius Valerianus.

  However, in later dates Sasanians used it to provoke Iranians prior to any war with Romans, as a remainder of the lost lives of Persian soldiers. Apparently Sasanians were paying women to carry out the moaning scenes by loud exclamations and pouring earth over their heads, accompanied by some percussion instruments (I think was called Kus or Kaws) -- and after the fall of Sasanian dynasty, Iranians continued this old tradition, under the banner of Shia Islam.  

  I believe after the above comment, a Fatwa will be issued against me, or I will be labelled as anti-Shia!

Paolo,

Cinquanta percento italiano e italiano!  Mezzo italiano, ma italiano!

I did not KNOW there was a hand of Caesar on the banner.  That is FASCINATING....well there you go, see what I mean about Greece, Italy and Iran having tons of cultural connections...well Im sure you're aware of lots of them....I am going to google it....do stop by my blog spot too...

Oh, and this is for Lost in Space in France: I would do the same thing if Paolo were a 90 year old woman if I wanted to continue a conversation that was off the topic of the thread... did YOU know about the hand of Caesar on the Ashura banners?

Roxane

Sei sicuro che non sono Italiano, perche io sono cinquanta percento Italiano, e cinquanta percento Grecho!

Tuttavia, I'll visit your blog, as I also have found Ashura and the Hand of Caesar at the top of the Ashura banners, quite interesting.

Paolo Vizzini

Paolo, Kaveh

You two don't seem to be getting on too well and I don't really understand why.  Must be a "guy" thing....just kidding! (don't wanna be accused of being mansogynist...)

Actually there is a rather amazing discussion going on under the Ahmadinejad/Ashura thread on the homepage and I want to get back to it. Maybe you'd enjoy it.  Ashura fascinates me.

But anyway, Paolo...pensavo che sei italiano ma non stavo sicura...and that's all I'll do with the Italian because when I speak Italian it's "macarroni"--mostly Spanish and French, with some Portugues and Latin thrown in. It is odd indeed on a website with so much covert and overt anti-Semitism for someone to WANT to pass himself off as Jewish and portray the Jews in a favorable light. The human imagination is tirelessly creative and infinite in scope.  Why ANYONE would do that is beyond me....and it RANKLED me, it really did...because a CULTURE is such a SPECIFIC and also in a way PRIVATE thing...I started smelling the meat loaf my grandmother used to make, and feeling the silk of my father's prayer shawl, and it was like...I KNOW he MEANS well, but HOW DARE HE intrude on my childhood in this way....funny...Isaac Goldsmith...happens to be my real last name...

It's not surprising that there are so many affinities between Iran and Italy and Greece.  There are tons of historical/cultural commonalities.  But here I WILL defer to my friend, Lost in Space in France and say we're going waaaaaaaaaay off the topic of the thread...so....if you want, you can contact me at my blog spot by clicking on my blue name here.....or........I'll see you at Ashura, I'll be flagellating myself for sure.....or.......see you somewhere else on the website one of these days.....take care,

Roxane

Me agian!

Dear Ms Rosie – Please don’t waste your time responding to “David Stein” character! He is the same person who previously signed his posts as “Issac Goldsmith” as well as “Yaghub Kohan”! His style of English, deploying wrong terms to pretend that he is Jewish (Jewish European!) and most importantly “time of his posts”, forms a pattern! As for your question of my origin and connection with Iranians, I’m an Italian-Greek, and have worked in Middle-East, including Iran for number of years with Agip, and am quite familiar with their culture - also I have many Iranian friends! Interestingly, I’ve found many aspects of their culture very similar to Italians and Greeks! The sharing aspects are that majority of them are very kind, passionate, proud, intelligent, respectful and cultured; -also bad points that we three nations sharing are stubbornness and arrogance! Nonetheless, what we are not sharing, and I believe that is their downfall, is the lack of management and lack of teamwork! If Iranians learn to overcome these two bad habits and start working together as a single unit, I’m quite sure, they will be one of the world superpowers, in less than 50 years! 

Paolo....

#1....If you mean no disrespect.....then be respectful.

#2....Your assumption that I am Moslem.....is incorrect.

#3....Don't compare biblical times to the present day. You'll find more similarities between a pig and a fish.

I swear, the goyim are hilarious. Some shaigits eats a kosher hot dog...now he thinks he's a rabbi.

Dear Lost,

I was participating in a discussion with Kaveh and Paolo about paedophilia that emerged from YOUR hamvatans' focus on RP's wife and underage daughters in bathing suits and you're talking about finding ME a BOYFRIEND....get real...

Then Paolo was accused of anti-Semitism and I REALLY feel obligated as a Jew to stick up for people who I don't find anti-Semitic when they are accused of being so.  It is the ETHICAL thing to do and ethics  knows no particular boundaries of threads.

I did not INSTIGATE ANY ONE OF THESE DISCUSSIONS.  RP's family as sex "objects", Paolo's alleged anti-Semitism, and now this David Stein thing...ALL OF IT WAS BROUGHT UP BY MEN.  I have only RESPONDED, I have not INITIATED ONE SINGLE TOPIC ON THIS THREAD.

Therefore, I suggest that, whether you are a man or a woman you are misogynistic to the BONE, and plus YOU HAVEN'T READ THE THREAD CAREFULLY. As such, you have NO RIGHT TO MAKE A DETERMINATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT MY COMMENTS ARE APPROPRIATE.

SO, as they say in French....can it. Tu n'as aucun droit, absollument aucun droit de parler de moi comme ca.  C'est tout a fait inmonde. Ton nom revele ton etat d'esprit...perdu....mais tu ne vas PAS t'orienter en m'utilisant comme une cible.  Ca, je ne le permets pas

(translation: he has no right,he is "lost," etc. etc.).

> sorry to interrupt

Just to recap, we started with the pool > to pre-79 Pahlavi Iran > to Israel > and finally where do Ashkenazi come from .

hellO o-o ? Are you guys o.k ? I mean seriously , having-the-last-word-syndrome CAN be cured nowadays.

p.s : please find Rosie another iranian b.f , rahat shim be khoda. thx in advance.

Dear David Stein,

what was the name of your grandparents' shtetl?  Are you Orthodox, Conservative or Reform?  What is the difference?  Do you know what an "afikoman" is?  What about "tefillin"? Why do you say Jewish European and not European Jews like we all do?  Why on earth would you claim the Ashkenaz came from Jerusalem when they actually went to Europe from all of Judea? If you are not in Europe, given your anti-colonial ideology (which is the same as mine) why do you use the verb "came"?  It is Eurocentric. And why do you call them Ashkenaz when at the time of both Exiles there was no such distinction since those that went to the Roman empire only much LATER split into Ashkenaz and Sephardim, and those that went to the Babylonian, later Persian, empire, were clearly Sephardim? 

 Questions,  questions, so many questions....

Dear David Stein, if indeed you are "Ashkenaz", you were not brought up in any place where that culture is taught in anything remotely resembling my experience or that of European Ashkenaz I've known.  Perhaps your family was Ashkenaz and was then transplanted to Iran?  Is David a common kalimi name in Iran? Or would you say Daud? I AM Ashkenaz and I am baffled....

 Dear David Stein, if your name IS David Stein, why do you say you are a GRANDCHILD of European Jews, since in the US/Canada we generally still consider ourselves and our parents to BE European Jews, and if you are in Europe, CLEARLY your parents would ALSO be European Jews, at least one of them, anyway.... 

You see, I don't think you're David Stein.  And your intentions are noble, but the end doesn't justify the means.  The means IS the end...always....unfailigly....do you understand me?

Paolo, you are wrong once again

As a student of Islamic History and a Grand child of Jewish European you are wrong on all matters. Ashkenazis came to Europe from Jerusalem. Neither you nor anyone else can say otherwise.

It is people like you who deny the Holocaust.

Stop attacking Mohammad, the Prophet of the Muslims.

You seem to be a bigot.

As I recall, Europe had Stalin, Hitler, Mussalini, the crusades, and every other evil thing under the sun.

Paolo, who did the most damage to the world?

Jesus was a Jew, he spoke of peace. The crusade were about war.

I can go on and on.

You are wrong and your historical facts are flawed arguments.

And by the way, Columbus didn't discover America. He killed Native Americans. And that is GENOCIDE.

Let us not forget the Serbs and Croats killing Bosnian Muslims for no reason what so ever just several years ago.

Mr. Paolo, you should be ashamed of yourself.

When a Bedoin married 1400 years ago is not for you to say. How old the female was at the time is also not your place to write about. You are a bigot.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

6 million Jewish people died in the Holocaust at the hand of Europeans.

Unfortunately (for the purposes of this discourse) I'm not

Iranian--I'm an American of Askenaz Jewish ancestry--Byelorussian/Moldovan.  Which means I'm probably part Khazar Turk. Please go to my blog spot by clicking on my name in the blue letters and you can look at some of my writings if you're at all interested in what I'm about here.  In any case, please keep writing.  Do you have any Iranian background yourself.  Your name sounds either Italian or Portuguese....

I didn't mean to imply that you didn't say exactly what you wanted to say.  I only meant to say that it was being read incorrectly, as far as I could see.

It is true that "paedophilia" is a modern construct.  Nevertheless, the phenomenon that the construct refers to is an age-old biological urge, well-attested, across cultures and time. 

Interestingly some of the discussion on this thread reminds me of none other than the Prophet himself!  You see...some like Khadigeh's "rack" and tummy...and some like Fatima Zahra's boyish charms....and many like both....and somehow that dichotomy trumps even the highly polarized (and dearly cherished) political rift on this thread...it's really funny if you think about it....I hope SOMEBODY other than I is laughing....    :D 

I’m only Anti-bigotry & nothing else!

Dear Ms. Rosie T. Many thanks for your kind comments and clarification. Obviously you are one of the very few Iranians in this site who is quite composed and educated to respond so eloquently (some of the participants here, are in desperate need of anger management courses)!        

However, what I've written, I meant it - obviously, I meant no  offence!

However, I was conveying few historical facts - as you have rightly observed! Unfortunately these days when people cannot handle the facts and truth, will immediately label you as anti- this and anti- that – regrettably this is a new-American “MY WAY OR HIGHWAY” or “EITHER YOU ARE WITH US, OR WITH TERRORISTS” mentality that like disease is taking over the world!

However, Mr Kaveh Nouraee written, and I quote: “. . . it is highly offensive (not to mention grossly incorrect) to suggest that either Islamic or Jewish law advocates, condones, accepts, endorses or encourages such behavior. There is nothing in any of the scriptures to suggest that pedophilia is acceptable.”         

 Again no disrespect, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Moslems’ prophet, who married Aisha, daughter of Abu Bakr (in 622 CE) when she was only 8 years and 8 months old (9 years of lunar years) while the prophet himself was 52 years old man? Nonetheless, I don't say that he was a paedophile, since it was common practise among the Bedouin Arabs to so, and it was no alien to their culture to marry 9 years old child - - and still to this date in Islamic Iran (since 1980) and many other Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, marrying a 9 years old girl, according to Islamic law is permitted? 

In further response to Mr Noureen, if my ancestors had worn "Olive Wreaths", or let's assume they were members of Mafia, (as you’ve put it so gently), it doesn’t mean that I should follow suit – however, in your case it is quite different! You as a Moslem have duty to follow the Sharia law, sine according to Islam, it is the last religion brought to man, and its creed should be observed and practised until the judgment day – including marrying an under age girl!     

However, I’m hoping, Mr Nouraeen won’t practise his religion oustise Saudi or Iran, as he surely will end up in prison for quite a long time!

Khudaafiz :)