As THE IRANIAN AMERICANS shows, the Iranians’ story begins more than two millennia ago in the Middle East, in a land that came to be called Persia. They built an empire that stretched from North Africa to India, from the Caspian to the Red Sea.

A people of diverse ethnicities and faiths, they developed rich traditions that endured centuries of migrations and conquests. In the second half of the 20th century, the nation, now known as Iran, was racked by political and religious upheaval, leading ultimately to revolution. In 1979, the revolution thrust Ayatollah Khomeini into power, beginning an era when dissent was not tolerated. Tens of thousands of Iranians left their homeland for the United States, a country they would come to call home.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Iranians had been immigrating to America in small numbers for decades, primarily for education, but 1979 saw massive migration. THE IRANIAN AMERICANS is an emotional account of displacement told by more than 25 Iranians who were uprooted from their home and heritage and built completely new lives in the U.S.

Iranian Americans, also called Persian Americans, who are featured in the documentary come from diverse backgrounds. They are educators, politicians, diplomats, scientists, comedians, bankers and writers, to name a few.

Among the Iranian Americans who provide an emotional and personal perspective on their experience are:

Goli Ameri –The former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs and a former delegate to the United Nations. Currently, she is Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Values and Diplomacy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Goli Ameri

Goldberg, the film’s director and executive producer, is the founder and owner of Two Cats Productions in New York, NY. For nearly 15 years, he has produced and directed news and documentaries for such networks as PBS, ABC and CBS, along with numerous networks internationally. THE IRANIAN AMERICANS was written by Goldberg and producer Sara Goldblatt, narrated by CBS Sunday Morning senior correspondent Martha Teichner and edited by Jane Wagner. The director of photography is Claudia Raschke-Robinson.

Major funding for THE IRANIAN AMERICANS is provided by Bahman and Hamila Atefi, Joseph and Mahnaz Moinian; Y&S Nazarian Foundation; Bita Daryabari; Hamid Moghadam and Christina M. Gwatkin; Pivotal Foundation/F. Francis Najafi; Nasser J. Kazeminy; Farhang Foundation; Shahbazi Family.

Related Posts:

1. Photography Exhibition – Document: Iranian-Americans In Los Angeles
2. Iranian movie “A Separation” wins best foreign language Oscar

» » » Continue reading more Iran and USA related News from 4 corners of the world

Related Posts:

1. Payvand’s top 10 News stories of 2010
2. Payvand’s top 20 News stories of 2011

Human habitation in the area dates back at least 75,000 years. Recent excavations in Goher Tippe provide proof that the area has been urbanized for more than 5,000 years. Mazandaran was among the last parts of Persia standing against Muslim conquests.

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Photo Source: Mohammad Rezaei from jamejamonline

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2. Photos: Tribal schools of Khuzestan Iran

“A Separation” has been sweeping the awards circuit in Europe and the United States. It was the second Iranian film to be nominated for an Oscar and the first to win.

“At this time, many Iranians all over the world are watching us and I imagine them to be very happy,” director Farhadi said while accepting the Oscar.

“At a time of tug of war, intimidation and aggressions exchanged between politicians, the name of their county, Iran, is spoken here through her glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of politics.”

“I proudly offer this award to the people of my country, the people who respect all cultures and civilizations and despise hostility and resentment,” he added.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Farhadi, who works and lives in Iran, has been reluctant to entertain theories that his film is a parable for the struggles between Iran’s young dissidents and its paternalistic mullahs, saying it is up to audiences to take from the movie what they will.

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The film has appeared on numerous critics’ top one film to see list for 2011

– Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
– Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal
– Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
– Mike D’Angelo, Freelance
– Nathaniel Rogers, The Film Experience
– Kristy Pushko, The Film Stage
– A. A. Dowd, Time Out Chicago

Tickets to see  “A Separation” in USA

Cast
Leila Hatami – Simin
Peyman Moaadi – Nader
Shahab Hosseini – Hodjat
Sareh Bayat – Razieh
Sarina Farhadi – Termeh
Babak Karimi – Judge
Ali-Asghar Shahbazi – Nader’s Father
Shirin Yazdanbakhsh – Simin’s Mother
Kimia Hosseini – Somayeh
Merila Zarei – Ms. Ghahraei

Crew
Asghar Farhadi – Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Negar Eskandarfar – Executive Producer
Habib Majidi – Still Photographer
Hamid Reza Ghorbani – First Assistant Director
Hassan Mostafavi – Production Manager
Hayedeh Sayifari – Editor
Keyvan Moghadam – Costume Designer
Keyvan Moghaddam – Art Director
Mahmoud Kalari – Cinematographer
Mehrdad Mirkiani – Makeup Designer
Mohammad Sammakbashi – Production Sound Mixer
Mohammad-Reza Delpak – Sound/Sound Designer
Reza Narimizadeh – Sound Editor

Related Posts:

1. 2011 Sundance Film Festival Presents Circumstance by Maryam Keshavarz
2. Art Gallery: 1000 Ceramic Birds by Keyvan Fehri

These viral articles are a reflection of what captured our attention the most in 2011.

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20- How U.S. Laws Can Affect Your Personal Affairs in Iran

The current economic and political instability in Iran is causing many Iranian-Americans to sell properties in Iran they did not sell before moving to the United States, be it offices, farmland, factories, or even former family homes.  A number of others are going through Iranian courts to reclaim properties that were seized by the government after the revolution.  What most Iranian-Americans unfortunately do not know is that U.S. laws require U.S. persons (as defined by the applicable regulations) to obtain a license from the Treasury Department to engage in transactions related to the sale of their personal property in Iran.

19- Caspian Sea Is Dying

Caspian Sea is dying and its littoral states (Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan) are not able to decide who owns what and what their responsibilities to the Caspian Sea, towards each other and the non-littoral states are.  The main problem is that the newly independent countries (this includes Russia which is not the USSR) around the Caspian Sea are not ready to give an equitable share of the Caspian Sea to Iran

18- 2011 Sundance Film Festival Presents Circumstance by Maryam Keshavarz

Teenagers Atafeh, and her best friend, Shireen, are experimenting with their burgeoning sexuality amidst the subculture of Tehran’s underground art scene when Atafeh’s brother, Mehran, returns home from drug rehab as the prodigal son.

17- Photos: Facebook curly-hair community gather in Tehran’s park

MooFerferia (curly-hair in Persian) Facebook community has about 8000 members worldwide,  and for the first time gathered in Tehran’s Nation Park in January 2011 for a few hours before they were asked to leave by park police.

16- Photos: New Year 2011 at the Vank Christian Church in Isfahan – Iran

The Vank Cathedral was one of the first churches to be established in Isfahan by Armenian immigrants settled by Shah Abbas I after the Ottoman War of 1603-05.

15- Iran: Second anniversary of Neda Agha Soltan ’s killing highlights near-total impunity for officials

Two years after the death of Neda Agha Soltan was captured on a mobile phone and came to symbolize the brutal repression meted out by security forces after the disputed presidential election of 2009, Amnesty International is renewing its call on the Iranian authorities to end impunity for officials responsible for unlawful killings, torture and other human rights violations.

14- The NBC Report That Could Have Been Produced By Iranian State TV

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad prays every morning at 5 a.m., then goes jogging with his bodyguards “at times seemingly ‘Rocky’-style.”

He then heads to the gym. The early bird Iranian president works out for 30 minutes every day before reaching his “spacious but simple office” before 7 a.m.

13- Iranian Actress Marzieh Vafamehr Arrested

According to Iran Green Voice, Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr, wife of film director and screenwriter Nasser Taghvai, was arrested two weeks ago in Tehran and remains in detention.

12- Persian Gulf: A Name for All Seasons

The famous Greek mathematician and astronomer of 2nd Century BC, Claudius Ptolemy was a great geographer as well. His world map is in the shape of a vast hemisphere showing at least 8000 places. In this map, the Persian Gulf recorded as Sinus persicus is clearly shown. Parallel to it, toward south, we find the name Sinus Arabicus or Arab Gulf. From this important map, which together with its marking method – attracted the attention of Islamic scholars a more important point can be derived: Persian and Arab Gulfs were two distinct seas whose names and limits were known even before Christ.

11- Iran photos of the year by Fars

Nineteen Photographs of Iran from 300 images submitted by 90 Fars photographers in 1389.
10- Photos: Lake Urmia-Iran, the third largest salt water lake on earth

The lake (in northwestern Iran) is named after the provincial capital city of Urmia, originally a Syriac name meaning city of water.

Lake Urmia has 102 islands, the second largest island, Kaboudi, is the burial place of Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan.

9- U.S. worried China, Russia will gain access to RQ-170 drone

The controversial U.S. spy drone, which was successfully brought down by the Iranian military in the northeast of the country near the city of Kashmar, is one of the most state-of-the-art espionage instruments in terms of technology and design.

8- I Dream of (A Persian) Jeannie

Stranded on a desert island after his spacecraft malfunctioned, NASA astronaut Tony Nelson comes upon a strange bottle and releases a beautiful girl genie. “Jeannie” as she is called, is more than two thousand years old, is from ancient Persia, and can materialize objects or control any situation with the blink of an eye.

7- Farah Pahlavi’s interview with French Magazine Point de Vue

Ever Since her exile and the death of her husband the Shah of Iran, the life of Empress Farah could have been a succession of tragedies. ” There are moments of great joy “, confesses the Empress to our reporters surrounded by her family in the outskirts of Washington.

6- Designation of Iran Air on OFAC’s SDN List and Restrictions for Iranian Americans

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Department of the Treasury announced that it has added Iran Air, the largest Iranian air career, to its “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List” (SDN List).

5- Photos: Bear Cubs Separated From Mommy Bear

Two bear cubs are being cared for at the quarantine center in Lorestan Mountain Park in Khorramabad, western Iran. Environmental protections agents discovered these cubs recently in a box a hunter was carrying with him. The hunter escaped leaving the cubs behind along with unanswered questions about where they had come from and how they had been separated from their mother.

4- Remembering Princess Leila Pahlavi

June 10th is a sad day for the Pahlavi Royal Family in exile. It is marked by a simple gathering in the Passy Cemetery in Paris ever since the demise of the youngest daughter of Shahbanou Farah, the former Empress of Iran, in 2001.

3- Bon Anniversaire Votre Majesté

The Month of October is a joyful one for the Pahlavi Family for it corresponds to several timely birthday celebrations and happy symbolic memories linked to their dynasty that of respectively the Coronation of 1967 and Persepolis Celebrations of 1971. The reason is that October corresponds to the birthday month of the late Shah of Iran ( October 26th, 1919), the Shahbanou (October 14th, 1938) and their eldest son the Crown Prince Reza (October 31st, 1960).

2- Photos: Ali-Reza Pahlavi 1966-2011

Alireza Pahlavi, 44, the youngest son of the former Shah of Iran, died Tuesday morning Jan. 4 2011 at his home in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ali-Reza Pahlavi was born on 28 April 1966. He lived in the U.S. where he received a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, a Masters of Arts degree from Columbia University, and studied at Harvard University as a Ph.D. student in ancient Iranian studies and philology.

1- Photos: Murder convict hanged in public in Iran

Alireza Mollasoltani was hanged today, Wednesday, after the appellate court confirmed his death sentence for the murder of Ruhollah Dadashi. ISNA reports that Mollasoltani was hanged in public in the Golshahr area of Karaj.

Related Posts:

1. Photos: Ali-Reza Pahlavi 1966-2011
2. Payvand’s top 10 News stories of 2010

This app includes:

The Persian alphabets and numbers with sounds
32 Words with sounds
Interaction scenes to increase word and alphabet recognition

We need your feedback to make this app better, you can join us on Facebook and Twitter or just email us from our web site. Take a look at www.acvenco.com for more details.

iPersian on itunes

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"The idea for the App was initiated to find a way to teach my own daughter Persian" iPersian developer

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iPersian app is designed for both iPhone and iPad

$1.99
Category: Education
Released: Dec 14, 2011
Version: 1.00
Size: 20.7 MB
Language: English
Seller: Acvenco Systems Ltd
© 2011 Acvenco Systems Ltd

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 5.0 or later.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Related Posts:

1. Persian iPhone applications
2. Video: Photo Series Inspired by Persian Poetry – PG13

Here is a list of top 10 sellers in 2011, reflecting our state of mind.

1- The Shah

Though his monarchy was toppled in 1979 and he died in 1980, the life of Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlevi, the last Shah of Iran, continues to resonate today. Here, internationally respected author Abbas Milani gives us the definitive biography, more than ten years in the making, of the monarch who shaped Iran’s modern age and with it the contemporary politics of the Middle East.

Author: Abbas Milani

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2- A Time to Betray: The Astonishing Double Life of a CIA Agent Inside the Revolutionary Guards of Iran

A true story as exhilarating as a great spy thriller, as turbulent as today’s headlines from the Middle East, 2010 National Best Books Award-winning A Time to Betray reveals what no other previous CIA operative’s memoir possibly could: the inner workings of the notorious Revolutionary Guards of Iran, as witnessed by an Iranian man inside their ranks who spied for the American government.

Author: Reza Kahlili

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3- Kaveh Golestan: Recording the Truth in Iran 1950-2003

On April 2, 2003, while on an assignment for the BBC in northern Iraq, the Iranian photographer Kaveh Golestan stepped on a land mine and was killed. A photojournalist since 1972, Golestan had witnessed the recent history of his country like no other and had been a tireless chronicler of its conflicts: he documented eight years of war with Iraq (including Halabjeh in 1988) and the repression of the Kurds in both Iran and Iraq.

Authors: Masoud Benhoud , Hojat Sepahvand

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4- Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World

In today’s increasingly interconnected world, how do we prepare our children to succeed and to become happy, informed global citizens? A mother of three, Homa Sabet Tavangar has spent her career helping governments develop globally oriented programs and advising businesses on how to thrive abroad.

Author: Homa Sabet Tavangar

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5- Immortal: A Military History of Iran and Its Armed Forces

Immortal is the only single-volume English-language survey of Iran’s military history. CIA analyst Steven R. Ward shows that Iran’s soldiers, from the famed “Immortals” of ancient Persia to today’s Revolutionary Guard, have demonstrated through the centuries that they should not be underestimated.

Author: Steven R. Ward

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6- A Century of War: : Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order

This is a story about power, power over entire nations and continents. The story describes the vehicle to that unparalleled power over nations, oil, and the vital role it has played in peace as well as wars in the past century. Henry Kissinger, the former American Secretary of State put it succinctly during the first oil shock of the early 1970’s. He declared, “Control the oil and you control entire nations.”

Author: F. William Engdahl

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7- Mullahs, Guards, and Bonyads: An Exploration of Iranian Leadership Dynamics

The U.S. ability to ‘read’ the Iranian regime and formulate appropriate policies has been weakened by lack of access to the country and by the opacity of decision-making in Tehran. To improve understanding of Iran1s political system, the authors describe Iranian strategic culture; investigate Iran1s informal networks, formal government institutions, and personalities; assess the impact of elite behavior on Iranian policy; and summarize key trends.

Authors: Charlotte Lynch, Jerrold D. Green, Shahram Chubin, David E. Thaler , Alireza Nader

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8- An Enduring Love : My Life with the Shah – A Memoir

It was like a fairy tale. At twenty-one Farah Diba married Mohammed Reza Shah Pahlavi, the shah of Iran, and became an international celebrity. But twenty years later unrest shook the country, sending Farah and the seriously ill shah into exile. For the first time, Farah Diba tells the wrenching story of his last years, and of her love for a man and his country.

Author: Farah Pahlavi

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9- The Host and The Parasite: How Israel’s Fifth Column Consumed America

The U.S. republic founded in 1776 bears no resemblance to the anti-democratic police state that has declared war on its citizens, and provokes needless wars in the Middle East at the behest of Israel. At the center of it all is the parasitic control of the Israel Lobby on the U.S. government. The Host and The Parasite shows how the Lobby, evangelical Christians and neo-cons rode to power in the 1980s and proceeded to turn the United States into Israel’s willing executioner.

Author: Greg Felton

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10- Celebrating Norouz

Simple and colorful, this book introduces the Persian New Year to young children. It includes 3 simple crafts which provide parents and teachers practical and easy ways to celebrate Norouz at home and at school.

Author: Yassaman Jalali

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Honorable DVD mention

- Iran the Forgotten Glory: An Awe-inspiring Journey into the Majesty and Splendour of Ancient Persia

Discover the splendor of ancient Persia through this in-depth documentary series, which charts the rise of the Achaemenid and Sassanid empires, visits extraordinary locations, and profiles influential figures like Cyrus the Great, Darius and Xerxes. An illuminating look at the Iranian plateau’s rich history and culture, this program features fascinating stops in places like Bishapur, Darab, Persepolis and Firuzabad.

Director: Makan Karandish

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Wordle from popular book's description

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1. Payvand’s top 10 popular books for 2010
2. Payvand’s top 20 News stories of 2011

With a quick look at the works visitor can understand the general view of the participating cartoonists, who tried to direct public attention towards the point that in spite of the world being inundated with different sorts of communication means like internet, satellite and TV still book remains the most steadfast friend of mankind.

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First Prize: Mehdi Mohammadi Rouzbahani from Iran

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Second Prize: Naser Moghadam from Iran

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Third Prize: Florian Doru Crihana from Romania

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Special Prize: Jugoslav Vlahovic from Serbia

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Special Prize: Oleksy Kustovsky from Ukraine

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Special Prize: Paolo Dalponte from Italy

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Special Prize: Saman Ahmadi from Iran

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Special Prize: Sevket Yalaz from Turkey

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Special Prize: Shahram Rezaei from Iran

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Special Prize: Valentin Druzhinin from Russia

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Ali Paknahad from Iran

Source: PressTV and  irancartoon

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“The sky is mine” was key theme of the exhibition and the aim was creating a healthy competitive environment for growth and promotion of young talents.

This year’s jury panel included Rima Eslam-Maslak, HamidSouri, Morteza Nematollahi, Malek Dadyar and Kourosh Golnari.

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Photos: Ali Mohammadi from IIPA and  Nazanin Kazemi from JameJam

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2. Exhibition: Tehran-New York

The Tehran Metro is a rapid transit system serving Tehran, the capital of Iran. On all Tehran metro trains, the first and last carriages are reserved for women who do not wish to ride with men in the same car. However, women can still ride other cars freely. The Tehran Metro carried an average of 1.26 million passengers a day and 447 million passengers per year in 2009-2010.

Below are 25 of 31 illustrations.

boronze (Tanned)

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Daneshjoo (University Student)

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Daneshjoo-e sharifi (Sharif Univesity Studend)

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Dehati (Villager)

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Diploma (Graduate)

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Fasion (Fashion)

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Foroshande (Salesperson)

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Honari (Artist)

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Karmand (Office employee)

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Khanoom (the lady?)

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Kharidar (Shopper)

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Khoffash (Bat)

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Kom (from city of Gom?)

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Kopoli (Chubby)

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Mo Ghermez (Red Head)

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Madar (Mother)

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Moallem (Teacher)

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Pirzan (Old Lady)

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Por Mashghale (Busy)

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Posht Konkori (Not Passing University Entrance Exam Yet)

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Qalb (Heart)

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Roshanfekr (Intellectual)

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Taro Tamiz (Clean Cut)

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Untitled

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Varzeshkar (Sportsperson)

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Source: Irancartoon

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According to the Qur’an, pomegranates grow in the gardens of paradise. The Qur’an also mentions pomegranates twice as examples of good things God creates. Pomegranates figure in many religious paintings by the likes of Sandro Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci, often in the hands of the Virgin Mary or the infant Jesus. Pomegranates were known in Ancient Israel as the fruits which the scouts brought to Moses to demonstrate the fertility of the “promised land.

Pomegranate was the symbol of fertility in ancient Persian culture and even in today’s Iran pomegranate sometimes implies love.

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Photos: Erfan Kouchari from Shabestan

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The lake’s salts are considered to have medical effects, especially as a cure for rheumatism. The main cations in the lake water include Na+, K+, Ca2+, Li+ and Mg2+, while Cl–, SO42–, HCO3– are the main anions. The Na+ and Cl– concentration is roughly 4 times the concentration of natural seawater.

Due to drought and increased demands for agricultural water in the lake’s basin, the salinity of the lake has risen to more than 300 g/L during recent years, and large areas of the lake bed have been desiccated. Although measures are now being taken to reverse the trend the lake has shrunken by 60 percent and could disappear entirely.

From March 2010, a series of serious protests and rallies demanding take action to save Lake Urmia was held in Iranian Azerbaijan.

Lake Urmia has 102 islands. The second largest island, Shahi Island, is the burial place of Hulagu Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan and the sacker of Baghdad.

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Photo Source: Majid Haghdoost of Jamejam

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Works by 8 of the most promising Iranian contemporary artists will be on free public exhibition at the prestigious Royal College of Art in London during London’s Frieze Week from October 10–15, 2011. The exhibition concludes with a charity auction of the exhibited works conducted by Christie’s – directly followed by an announcement revealing the MOP CAP 2011 Winner.

This unique Prize was established in 2008 by Magic of Persia (MOP) as part of their efforts to nurture and develop Iranian cultural practitioners of the arts outside of Iran. Proceeds from the auction of Finalists’ works are dedicated to sustaining the Magic of Persia Contemporary Art Prize (MOP CAP).

Dariush Nehdaran - The Life of-Shadows

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Hesam Rahmanian - Ahmadinejad (Green)

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Arash Fayez - Ramblings of a Flaneur

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Babak Golkar - Blue Gold

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Mehdi Farhadian - Plague

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Shirin Sabahi - Swede Home

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Niyaz Azadikhah - Line 1

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Shahrzad Changalvaee - Motherland

Selected from over 100 nominees, the Finalists were chosen from a shortlist of 25 who were exhibited at Traffic, Dubai during March 2011.

The winner will be selected by a revered judging panel whose members include leading figures from the Iranian and International art scenes:

Zaha Hadid – Founding Partner, Zaha Hadid Architects
Ramin and Rokni Haerizadeh – Artists
Shirazeh Houshiary- Artist

Ali Khadra (Chair) – Publisher & Editor in Chief, Canvas Magazine
Idris Khan – Artist
Abaseh Mirvali – President, Mirvali Projects

Mohammad Mottahedan – Art Patron
Hans Ulrich Obtrist – Co-Director of Exhibitions and Programmes, and Director of International Projects, Serpentine Gallery, London

The MOP CAP winner will be awarded a solo exhibition at a leading gallery in London in 2012. For MOP CAP 2011, the winner’s prize has been generously sponsored by Mr Farbod Dowlatshahi.

For information on Magic of Persia, visit: www.magicofpersia.com

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2. Photos: Eighteenth International Youth Visual Arts Festival, Gorgan-Iran

Countries participated in the event included Pakistan, Turkey, Brazil, Italy, Lebanon, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Tajikistan, India, Tunisia, Croatia, Syria, Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana. Iran’s 2011 International Youth Visual Arts Festival was held from September 10 to 14, 2011.

Photos by Aghil Mahghani from Shabestan

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Related Posts:

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Photos by Milad Beheshti from jamejamonline

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Play review in Persian can be found here.

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The members of the general public in Iran have also been encouraged to undertake killings of dogs, and are even being rewarded for it.  Many such inhumane attempts result in prolonged suffering for the hapless victims.

Many of us understand and respect the Islamic views on dogs and their cleanliness.  However, as citizens with no affiliations other than to our conscience, we also value life bestowed by God, and consider sinful acts that inflict suffering upon animals.  Therefore, we ask the Iranian government to stop any unnecessary taking of dogs’ lives, and refrain from causing needless suffering for these animals.  We feel that the issue of lack of cleanliness of stray dogs and their presence in and around towns and cities should be viewed in the light of a larger picture of hygiene in the Iranian society, where not enough attention has been paid to other health-related matters such as general food safety, disposal of clinical and hospital waste, road safety, air pollution, contamination of rivers and reservoirs that feed into waters that are used for public consumption, etc.

Rescued dog in China

We believe that the decision to destroy stray dogs in Iran has been taken as an easy choice and without any proper assessment of other possible options.  In view of the gravity of the matter, we therefore urge the Iranian government to review their course of action, and show the merci that was shown to them by the Prophet of Islam (PBUH).  Their on-going actions do very little for their image both within and outside Iranian borders.  We sincerely urge the Iranian government to undertake consultations with animal welfare groups and societies both within and outside Iran to find better and more humane ways of tackling the problem of stray dogs in Iran.

The link to see and sign the petition is
http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/killingdogsiniran

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Haiku is a neutered male Husky – about 1 year and 3 months old.

He is currently living in Iran and his family needs to get him out as there’s been major crackdown on homes with dogs! Even though the law has not been ‘officially’ put in to effect, authorities are giving some large dog owners ultimatums. Haiku’s family reached out to Vafa Shelter to see if they can help find him a loving home in the US.

Haiku’s dad says:
He’s very friendly with people–especially likes men, as his best friend is a man He would love to be a family pet where he can get lots of love from his human pack members. He doesn’t care for aggressive or growling dogs so he sometimes growls back at them as all huskies do, Haiku needs minimum twice daily exercise as he’s full of energy. He’s had all his vaccinations, and will have had his rabies and microchip done before arriving in the US.

Hakui

We are hoping to fly him to SFO (San Francisco Bay Area) by Mid-September.  Ideal would be to find a loving family who is experienced with the breed or is up to the challenge of adopting a Husky dog. Living in SF Bay Area is ‘not’ a must — IF you are that perfect family

If you are interested to learn more about Haiku and like to meet him, please fill out this online application at http://tinyurl.com/vafa-animal-shelter and feel free to contact me.

Farah Ravon
408.431.6954
kfravon@yahoo.com

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Stray dog issue in Iranian Press

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