Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin & Clear Denial

The recent event put on by Glenn Beck this past weekend, showed me a lot about that portion of middle America that has been getting smaller and smaller and smaller. Yet the middle of these Americans seems to be getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Boy Oh Boy the world sure has changed for them! What used to be a porcelain complexioned rosy cheeked European immigrant, has shockingly morphed into a range of brown and yellow skinned slant and slit eyed, bushy and dark browed, beard and mustachioed horde of freaking heathens!>>>

Serving the Motherland

Upon our return to the U.S. from a trip to Iran attending the Second Great Congress of Iranians Abroad, held in Tehran August 2 and 3, 2010, I decided to give a call to a long-time political friend and a peace activist to inform her about the success of the gathering and AIFC’s plans to hold a public meeting to report on the event. In this Congress about 2000 Iranian professionals, doctors, engineers, economists, financial analysts, etc. participated to get to know each other and discover the areas they can contribute in the developments of their motherland>>>

رقابت با ولی فقیه

موازی‌سازی در جمهوری اسلامی یکی از مشخصات غالب این نظام بوده است. از دولت «امام زمانی» چندماهه مهندس بازرگان که با حکم مستقیم آیت الله خمینی سر کار آمده بود تا دوران خاتمی و پس از آن، این پدیده ظهور داشته است. تنها در دوره ریاست جمهوری هاشمی رفسنجانی، موازی‌سازی کمی تخفیف یافت. مهندس بازرگان از دخالت عوامل نامسئول در حکومت می‌نالید. بنی‌صدر از کنترل نهادها موازی عاجز ماند و مقام خود را در مصاف آنان از دست داد>>>

وادی غریبی است این گذشته

خواندن این کتاب در حقیقت تأییدی بود بر نظرقبلیم مبنی بر شیوائی داستان سرائی و مهارت نگارنده در نثر فارسی. جذبۀ داستانها، شیرینی و طنز شیوای این کتاب آن چنان دلنشین بود که حیفم آمد دیگر دوستان را از وجود چنین کتابی بی اطّلاع بگذارم و آنها را با آن آشنا نکنم. قصد دارم که این کتاب را از سه جنبه به نقد بکشم: شیوۀ نثر، طنز و سرانجام جنبه های تاریخی و اجتماعی کتاب>>>

A History of Movement

There was a point at which you called yourself good at something and you were just being foolish. All that had happened was that you hadn't come across somebody really good. Bahman knew it. He knew all that as he walked home from the field. But there was a time when you weren't thinking it to make yourself feel good any more. You were thinking it to figure out what you were going to do with what you had. It was when you realized that you saw something different from other people when you looked at a football field. Bahman saw opportunities there>>>

نقره ای

چشم، بی جستجو
پیام، تکراری
همه سر بسته
انگار پرواز
تلاش اجباری >>>

Islam's Kettle Calling Christianity's Teapot Black

I recently watched a vlog by Reza Aslan on the intolerance of the west towards Islam. I hear Reza's point but have to beg to differ with him on the real issue as I see it. Also I find it hard to take him seriously on any of his well put arguments, while he hangs a painting of a woman wearing the most inarguably oppressive symbol of Islam, the chador, on his condo wall. Dude, I'm sorry, you're never going to sell Islam if you don't ditch the chador>>>

Yes We Should

When we first started the One Million Signatures Campaign, we realized that the effort was unique. We were intent on raising awareness about women’s rights and the impact of laws that discriminate against women at the grassroots level by engaging in face to face discussions with ordinary citizens. At the same time, we realized that the Campaign would serve as a valuable experience for activists as well, who would be afforded the opportunity to learn from citizens and especially from women>>>

Memories of Home

I went to Spain for a holiday. Nothing fancy, just a group of old friends sharing rooms, splitting the cost, reminiscing. It surprised me to find Spain so advanced. Their public transportation must be among Europe’s best. The museums and public places run most efficiently and their subway runs better than other European countries I’ve seen. Barcelona in particular impressed me with its cleanliness. The last thing I expected in such a modern place was to see Iran of decades ago>>>

پری پیراهن پوش

حالا که قرار است در پیراهن باد جایت بدهم و از همان هوای بالای سرم، به پایین ات بکشانم، با صدای نیمه کوتاه صدایت می کنم تا بیش از این ها در چنبره حسرت و لمس نمانم. حالا که قرار است پیراهن ارغوانی را از تنت بیرون کنم تا لخت و عور، در برابرم بایستی با صدای نرم تو، دلم می خواهد به جز سکوت، هیچ چیز دیگری در اتاق نباشد. >>>

The Family Koran

Every day, early in the morning
My father, who in his childhood
Had memorized all thirty parts of the Koran,
Would put the holy book on the reading cradle
And recite it with my mother
In their bedroom>>>

All the Shah's Men (part 4)

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>>>