IRAN-U.S.

Fighting together

Counternarcotics offers opportunity for U.S. cooperation with Tehran

by Michael A. Braun
24-Apr-2009 (10 comments)
On March 31, Washington took its first step toward engagement with Tehran through a diplomatic encounter with the Iranian government at the Afghanistan conference in the Hague. Even though the initial contact was awkward, it was clearly a step forward for the Obama administration, and both countries agreed that the opium/heroin trade was a destructive force in both the region and the world. As such, the United States should consider using collaboration on counternarcotics as an effective means to jump-start diplomacy with Iran. Although such an approach would be difficult, it could succeed if both sides focused solely on law enforcement, without the intrusion of politicians, intelligence operatives, and diplomats>>>

IRAN-U.S.

Common humanity

Despite the debris left behind by history, we have to move forward

by Taymaz Rastin
16-Apr-2009 (8 comments)
In the fall of 2004, at a time when the American and European governments were threatening Iran with retribution over the nuclear program, the municipality of Tabriz unveiled a new statue of Howard Baskerville. It may seem unusual that in a country ruled by Shiite clerics, an American Christian missionary who came to Muslim lands would be honoured by of all things, a statue, which is a form of bodily representation that Islam traditionally considered idolatrous. Yet, the fact that Baskerville was an American, or a Christian, or a missionary, is not as important as the fact that he was a courageous and selfless individual who battled for the betterment of his fellow human beings>>>

THREATS

The bluff that never stops giving?

Netanyahu and threat of bombing Iran

by Trita Parsi
08-Apr-2009 (87 comments)
In an interview with Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic, incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed to have told President Barack Obama that either America stops Iran or Israel will. Not surprisingly, the interview sparked quite a controversy and only a day later, General David Petreus told the Senate Arms Services Committee that "the Israeli government may ultimately see itself so threatened by the prospect of an Iranian nuclear weapon that it would take preemptive military action to derail or delay it." So once again, in spite of President Obama's best efforts, the military option was put back on the table and the atmosphere for dealing with Iran was turned into "Do as we say - or else...">>>

TALKS

Expect major catfights

The Iran-U.S. rapprochement dance

by Reza Fiyouzat
01-Apr-2009 (8 comments)
The Obama administration's recent overtures for a reconciliation with Iran have come in the form of sweet talk of opening up of fisted hands, accompanied with a quotation from the wily and clever Sa'di, one of our more popular poets (1184-1283?). The initial Iranian responses to these Obama overtures are starting to resemble the coy Iranian bride's ladylike silence upon first being asked if she would take the man. Initial reactions from the Iranian government were predictable rebukes and denunciations to the effect that nothing has changed in reality, that the Americans should draw some lessons from their past and present behavior if they really want better relations with Iran>>>

HYPOCRISY

What is happening to us?

Are we programmed to forgive our own tormentors and only raise our voices against “outsiders”?

by Shahriar Zangeneh
01-Apr-2009 (3 comments)
Whenever the victim(s) is Muslim and the aggressor not, the probability of Muslim outrage is exponentially far greater than when both are Muslims. When there is a role reversal that is the aggressor is Muslim and victim is not this observation does not hold. For example lets take the case of the eight year war the late Saddam Hussein started and imposed on Iran. Although no reliable statistics exists, the number of victims are put at anywhere between one to two million. That is one to two million victims with zest for life, beloved families and unfulfilled dreams who overwhelmingly were Muslim>>>

TALKS

When and how?

US-Iranian engagement

by Ahmad Sadri
30-Mar-2009 (11 comments)
On Nowruz, the day when Iranians celebrate the coming of spring and the new Iranian calendar year, US President Barack Obama took the helm of American foreign policy towards Iran and dramatically communicated his will to chart a new course away from the failed policies of the past. "My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us", Obama said in a video message to Iranians. But given the upcoming Iranian presidential elections in June, the real challenge for the United States is when and how to further engage Iran. Obama understands that there are vast areas of convergence between the United States and Iran when it comes to Iraq and Afghanistan, and many more areas where constructive engagement could produce tangible results for both sides>>>

CRISIS

Literary tranquilizers

Maintaining sanity, have some fun and enhance our survival and quality of our lives

by Ali A Parsa
30-Mar-2009 (7 comments)
I have coined this title for referring to my collection of the most potent, popular, brief and soothing words of wit and wisdom mainly Persian. My aim is to provide an alternative for ever-increasing trend in substance abuse or myriad of over-the counter or prescribed pills that are popped daily to cope with increasing stressful conditions associated with our 'modern' technological age. The greatest advantage of literary tranquilizers are their virtually no cost and lack of side effects provided that one gets addicted to them and loves them. Resorting to these should beat all other devastating addictions >>>

PEOPLE

The outsiders

Millions of highly educated Iranians feel disconnected from their own country and government

by Mohammad Alireza
28-Mar-2009 (31 comments)
Instead of being motivated to be a participant and contributor to a brighter future their top priority is to find a way to leave Iran. Instead of voting for the next president they are voting to never to have anything to do with Iran. The extent of this alienation is so deep that it was not uncommon to hear some Iranians being in favor of Iran being bombed by Bush so as to bring about change. What does this tell you about the situation in Iran? It says that given the slightest opening, opportunity, chance, or circumstance, --- even being bombed! --- the Iranian people will remove those in power. >>>

ZOROASTER

کدام زرتشت؟

انديشه ورز يا پيام آور؟

by Esmail Nooriala
28-Mar-2009 (5 comments)
فرارسيدن ششم فروردين، زادروز خيالی (تصوری، قراردادی اما بجا و مفيد و خجسته) ی زرتشت، يکی از شخصيت های افسانه ای شده و جهانگير ايرانزمين، فرصتی يگانه را برای پرداختن به برخی از نکات قابل بررسی فراهم می سازد که من نيز می خواهم مقالهء اين هفته ام را به چند نظر گذرا در همين زمينه اختصاص دهم؛ بی آنکه مدعی باشم «زرتشت شناس» ام و نيز بی آنکه قصدم طرح مسائل مربوط به نوانديشی های مذهبی باشد. پس، آنچه که مطرح می کنم صرفاً نگاهی است پديدارشناسانه و جامعه شناختی به آنچه که می توان «معمای زرتشت» خواند ـ «معما» بدان خاطر که دربارهء اين چهرهء تاريخی / افسانه ای که حدود 3500 سال پيش در خراسان بزرگ می زيسته (و من نيز با آنها که معتقدند «مزار شريف» در افغانستان آرامگاه اوست هم عقيده هستم) حرف ها و حديث های گوناگون و متضادی مطرح می شود.>>>

CRITIC

Postcard Diplomacy

A dissenting view on President Obama's Nowruz message

by ganselmi
22-Mar-2009 (69 comments)
On Friday morning, President Barack Obama released a video to congratulate Iranians around the world on the occasion of the Persian New Year, or “Nowruz.” BBC Persian’s hugely popular and officially-banned satellite channel has broadcast the message in its entirety to Iran. This video “postcard” to Iran reflects the new administration’s emphasis on renewing American soft power and public diplomacy to tackle the many foreign policy challenges facing the US and its allies. Politics aside, President Obama’s typically eloquent rhetoric is sure to impress the Iranian masses. And his demonstration of genuine appreciation for the artistic and literary contributions of Persians (he even quotes Saadi!) is a major improvement over George W. Bush’s often culturally tone deaf approach to Iran>>>

IDEAS

Opposits don't attract

Incompatibility of Islamic theocracy & American values

by kondyak
22-Mar-2009 (11 comments)
On February 1, 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile to the cheers of millions of Iranians, ousting the pro-American Shah and instituting an Islamic Republic in what would later be known as the Islamic Revolution. To put it mildly, US-Iranian relations have been strained ever since, beginning with the 1979 hostage crisis in which over 50 US diplomats were held in Iran for over a year. Even today, there are no official diplomatic US relations with Iran. Many of the policies instituted by the Islamic theocracy in Iran since 1979 are incompatible with the most basic and traditional American ideals – the separation of church and state, freedom of speech, and equality for all.>>>

IRANIANS

The Quest for Authenticity

The desire for freedom protected from state interference is widespread amongst young Iranians

by sadegh
18-Mar-2009 (6 comments)
Today inside Iran an altogether more perplexing variant of the tradition of estebdad continues. Iranian dissidents have gone so far as to declare that a form of sultanism, albeit in theocratic garb, continues to stymie Iranians' hopes for a democratic future. Unlike the Shah's dictatorship in which absolute power was amassed by a single individual and then later consolidated with the formation of a one-party state in 1975, however, the situation in Iran today is more intricate and elusive. While undeniably the lion's share of power rests with the Rahbar (Supreme Leader) and the various governmental, military, and parastatal organs under his command, multiple sources of power work against the kind of sultanism typical of the Shah's regime>>>

IDEAS

Eastern Democracy vs Western Democracy?

Human Rights and freedom are all “universal”

by Farhad Kashani
18-Mar-2009 (33 comments)
One of the things that the Left does so well is re-defining terms. By re-defining, the Left has succeeded to take away the essence and spirit of many concepts important in achieving a better world. The most important terms that Left has re-defined are Human Rights, Liberalism and Democracy. It is to be said that the Left does that in hope to devalue the achievements made through enormous sacrifices in Western countries, most specifically U.S, England and France, in Human Rights and Democracy as means to discredit and demonize those countries. This trend started in the Soviet Union, Godfather of Leftism, and later on spread out throughout the world by Leftist thinkers and propaganda machines>>>

IDEAS

Neo-con agenda is dead? Really?

The Obama admininstration is still using the doctrine of preventive war-making

by Reza Fiyouzat
16-Mar-2009 (13 comments)
In an article titled, "Blueprints for a Police State", Marjorie Cohn, sets out clearly the role of two key figures in the drafting of a set of memoranda that overturned the most basic protections American citizens had against arbitrary state harassment and violence, effectively turning the U.S. into a police state. Cohn has consistently recorded former administration of George W. Bush's violations of some of the most fundamental laws protecting civil liberties. So, we must ask: What is law? And is the U.S. a country based on laws? Clearly, 'law' has many aspects, and there are different kinds of laws. There is contract law, property law, trust law, tort law, and criminal law>>>

ELECTIONS

مستضعفان! دوباره با شما کار دارند

ميرحسين موسوی خود را آماده می کند تا در خرداد ماه آينده، با بوسيدن دست رهبر و ولی فقيه، ناخدای کشتی در گل فرو رفتهء حکومت اسلامی شود

by Esmail Nooriala
16-Mar-2009 (17 comments)
کاملاً معلوم است که اوضاع کشور، بخاطر بی لياقتی ها، فساد فراگير و ماجراجوئی های ابلهانهء کابينهء محمود احمدی نژاد، رفته رفته شکل اوضاع دوران جنگ را بخود گرفته و فقر و بینوائی به سرعت جامعه را در خود می کشد، بی آنکه از آن درآمد باد آوردهء دوران خاتمی و بخصوص احمدی نژاد چيزی باقی مانده باشد. ميرحسين موسوی، بعنوان متخصص ادارهء دوران عسرت، خود را آماده می کند تا در خرداد ماه آينده، با بوسيدن دست رهبر و ولی فقيه، ناخدای کشتی در گل فرو رفتهء حکومت اسلامی شود. در اين ميان، و بعنوان «دشت اول»، نکتهء جالب آن است که او، در همين اعلاميهء اعلام نامزدی خود، می کوشد تا به مضامين اوليهء آنچه «انقلاب اسلامی» ناميده می شود برگردد و خود را ناجی مستضعفانی نشان دهد که تعدادشان اکنون ده ها برابر بيش از دوران رژيم سابق شده و هر لحظه نيز بر شمارشان افزوده تر می شود. >>>
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