Shahri Estakhry: The Mother of San Diego's Persian Community - For fifty-five years, Shahri Estakhry has found her life's passion in volunteer work and humanitarian causes. How this Shiraz-born tour de force of a woman has become known as the "Mother of Our Community" in San Diego, California, is an inspiring story of how one person with an extraordinarily big heart and determined spirit can make a lasting difference in the lives of many. -PARSA 5/11/08
U.S. peace activists in Iran - Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, one of the first ten women rabbis in the history of Judaism, on Saturday visited the headquarters of Tehran Times newspaper and Mehr News Agency, heading a delegation of 21 peace activists. 5/11/08
US confession: Weapons were not made in Iran after all - In a sharp reversal of its longstanding accusations against Iran arming militants in Iraq , the US military has made an unprecedented albeit quiet confession: the weapons they had recently found in Iraq were not made in Iran at all. -CASMII 5/11/08
Iran qualifies for beach soccer world cup - Iran's beach soccer team qualified for the 2008 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup after beating China here on Saturday. -MNA 5/11/08
Iran's futsal team thrashes Kuwait - Iran's futsal team swept Kuwait in the 10th AFC Futsal Championship 2008 opener in Bangkok, Thailand, on Sunday. -MNA 5/11/08
Mother’s Day 2008: Peaceful Idealism v. Political Pragmatism - Sadly, this is the fifth Mother’s Day since Casey was killed in Iraq on April 04, 2004. The people who told me that “time will heal” were wrong, or maybe it just takes more time? I have spoken to many mothers who buried their child years ago, however, that tell me it does not get any easier. I suspect the mothers who have buried children are probably right. -Cindy Sheehan, Common Dreams 5/11/08
Iran looks to tap key oil field with homegrown crews - At this huge oil field in southwest Iran, one building stands out among the pumps and maze of pipelines: On its roof in giant letters, big enough for satellites or pilots to see, are the words: "We can do it." -AP 5/11/08
"Colliding with Nature's Best-kept Secrets" - If a fraction of Professor Nima Arkani-Hamed's novel theories are turned out to be confirmed by the forthcoming experimental work at the soon to be completed Large Hardon Collider in Switzerland this August, it would revolutionize our thinking paradigm about our very own essence, let alone the universe! The Nobel prize then is simply a miniscule token of recognition bestowed upon this quiet GIANT in his tender 30's! -David Rahni 5/10/08
Human Shield Movement to Iran receives 10,000th pledge - The Human Shield Movement to Iran today claimed its 10,000th pledge volunteer and warned President Bush that any attempt at military intervention against Iran would be met by a massive mobilization of human shields. 5/10/08
Photos: Praying for Rain in Qazvin, Iran - The people of Qazvin gathered on May 9 to pray for rain. Iran is among the countries grappling with an unusually dry year. 5/10/08
Iran's Hadadi wins gold in Super Grand Prix - Iranian discus thrower Ehsan Hadadi clinched the gold medal on Friday at the 11th Qatar Athletics Super Grand Prix at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium. -MNA 5/10/08
Featured Video
bahaaneh, bahaneh
Iran produces 5m sq.m of hand-woven carpets annually - Annually five million square meters of hand-woven carpets are produced in Iran, Director of Iran's National Carpet Center Morteza Faraji said here on Saturday. 5/10/08
Call for US to show evidence of Tehran weapons link - There were calls today for the US either to show evidence of "high level Iranian government involvement in the supply of weapons to militias in Iraq" or to retract their allegations. -Westminster Committee on Iran, UK 5/10/08
Hizbollah rules west Beirut in Iran's proxy war with US - Another American humiliation. The Shia gunmen who drove past my apartment in west Beirut yesterday afternoon were hooting their horns, making V-signs, leaning out of the windows of SUVs with their rifles in the air, proving to the Muslims of the capital that the elected government of Lebanon has lost. -Robert Fisk, Independent 5/10/08
..
Afghanistan: One Of The World's Most Difficult Places To Become A Mother - Death during childbirth is a scourge in Afghanistan. On average, a woman dies there every 27 minutes from complications during pregnancy, according to the nongovernmental group Save The Children. It is a chilling statistic that contributes to making Afghanistan one of the most difficult places in the world to be a mother. -RFE 5/10/08
Supply fears push oil beyond $126 - Crude oil prices have hit yet another all- time high in New York, tipping beyond $126 a barrel. 5/10/08
Iran's petrochemical exports to China to rise to $1B - Managing Director of National Petrochemical Company Mohammad-Hadi Rahbari said on Saturday that Iran's petrochemical exports to China is expected to reach dlrs one billion during the current year. -IRNA 5/10/08
Shell pulls out of Iran gas deal - Oil major Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) has pulled out of a planned gas project in Iran, after coming under pressure not to participate from U.S. lawmakers who were concerned about Iran's nuclear programme. -Reuters 5/10/08
PARSA Community Foundation Announces 2008 Norooz Grantees! - A core element of PARSA CF's mission is to strengthen entrepreneurial individuals and nonprofits that serve the Persian community. To that end, PARSA CF recently completed its grant review process with $105,000 in grants going to nine powerful ideas. 5/9/08
Chicago City Council Considers Resolution Opposing War on Iran - Leading Experts to Testify Against Military Action as Tensions Rise: With the prospect of a U.S. military strike on Iran looming, America's third largest city will decide next week whether to take a stand on this volatile international situation. -No War On Iran Coalition, Chicago 5/9/08
NIAC Selects 2008 Public Service and Journalism Fellow! - Congratulations to Artin Afkhami, a senior at the University of California, Berkeley. This summer, NIAC will sponsor Artin's internship in the office of California Senator Dianne Feinstein, where Artin will experience Capitol Hill first hand by attending committee hearings and researching legislation. 5/9/08
Lebanon: Increasing Violence Raising U.S. Concerns Over Iran - Despite the U.S. efforts to characterize Iran's strategy, countering it has proved difficult, however. And the violence in Lebanon is likely to be seen in Washington as the latest measure of the challenge. -RFE/RL 5/9/08
U.S. declines to help present nuclear deal to Iran - World powers will in the coming days offer a revised package of incentives to Iran but Washington has refused to send its own envoy to help present the deal, diplomats and a U.S. official said on Thursday. -Reuters 5/9/08
US Politician Wary of Iran's Retaliatory Attacks - US State Department official Thomas Shannon warned Washington about the possible grave consequences of imposing a war on Iran, saying Tehran may use South America as a springboard for retaliation. -FNA 5/9/08
..
Keeping Secrets From the CIA - The Senate Intelligence Committee is about to release a report that sheds new light on "inappropriate" back-channel contacts between Pentagon officials and a group of Iranian informants—including a key figure from the Iran-contra affair. -Newsweek 5/9/08
Whose side are they all on? - The Americans and the Iraqis find it hard to read the ambiguities in Iran's policy towards Iraq -Economist 5/9/08
Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan agree an anti-drugs plan brokered by UN - Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan have agreed to step up cross-border controls to stop the flow of illegal drugs, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) announced today in Vienna. -UN News Center 5/9/08
You never know what's going to happen next! - When I arrived, he said that he had pain in his chest and could not lie down. I called my doctor (and my guardian angel) Dr Shahnaz Atabak and explained the symptoms. Immediately she said that I must take him to an emergency unit, he most probably has had a heart attack. -Syma Sayyah, Tehran 5/8/08
Bam 6.6 sweeps the awards at Noor Film Festival 2008 - Payvand.com - The 2nd Annual Noor Film Festival was held from April 6 to April 13, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. This year's theme was on Women with emphasis on documentary films from Iranian filmmakers around the world. 5/8/08
New move is needed to develop Iranian spiritual cinema: Milani - Celebrated Iranian filmmaker Tahmineh Milani said that Iranian cinema requires a new move to improve its spiritual film genre. Milani has been labeled as the feminist filmmaker of Iranian cinema due to her women-centered films. -MNA 5/8/08
Six Iranian-Americans Receive Ellis Island Medal of Honor - On May 10, 2008 six Iranian Americans will receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for outstanding achievement in their personal and professional lives coupled with preservation of their culture and heritage and noteworthy citizenship to the United States. -PAAIA 5/7/08
Natural Dyes Return To Oriental Carpets But Without The Famous Insect Reds - When Iranian photographer Javid Tafazoli was walking through a weaving village in the mountains of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiyari province, far to the west of Isfahan, he saw an arresting sight. It was a cascade of recently dyed red wool hanging from a tree. -Charles Recknagelis 5/7/08
..
Report: US convenes on Iran war scenario - High-ranking US officials have reportedly held a special meeting to study options for a military strike against the Islamic Republic. The secret meeting was reportedly held on Tuesday either at the White House or at the US Department of Defense. 5/7/08
Satrapi Joins Jury of Cannes 2008 - Director of Jury Prize 2007 animated film Persepolis joins Sean Penn's Jury list -Darius KADIVAR 5/7/08
Iran ranks 87th in literacy rate - is ranked 87th in literacy rate among 139 countries in the world, state Literacy Movement Organization announced in Tehran on Monday. Over eight million illiterates have been educated since the formation of the Literacy Movement Organization in 1979. 5/7/08
"Visualizing the Sacred: Islam on Film" at UCLA Film & Television Archive - Since September 11, 2001, images of Islam in the mainstream American media have been virtually monolithic in their focus on terrorism and radicalism. At the same time, the on-going Danish cartoon controversy has sparked heated debate about the intersections of free speech and religious tradition, representation and tolerance. 5/7/08
Join Fictionville Studio in the production of FINDING HOME, a documentary about the girls of the Omid-e Mehr Center - The fringes of Iranian society can be a lonely place, especially if you are a teenage girl with few resources to fall back on. Finding Home follows four girls striving to pull themselves out of the margins by attending a one-of-kind rehabilitation center in uptown Tehran. Forget about the Iran that youíve seen before. With a virtually invisible camera, the girls of Finding Home take us on a never-before-seen tour of the underclass of Iran with their brave and defiant stories 5/6/08
..
"OBLITERATE" IRAN? A REAL THREAT OR SIMPLY MEANINGLESS JARGON? - Not only does showing animosity and anger against Iran not carry any adverse consequences, it actually helps show the so-called national security concerns and qualifications of the candidate among the bovine public. -Kam Zarrabi 5/6/08
Iran advises G 5+1 to give up precondition for nuclear talks - Iran on Tuesday advised the Group 5+1 to give up precondition for talks about dispute over Iranian nuclear program. Head of Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Alaeddin Borujerdi said that members of the Group 5+1 should withdraw their demand on suspension of nuclear enrichment, if they wanted to make a breakthrough in nuclear talks. -IRNA 5/6/08
Assassins of Peace - The "war on terrorism" now consists of a worldwide campaign to fund the "good" terrorist groups -Justin Raimondo , Antiwar 5/6/08
2nd Jiroft confab opens in Iran - The second International Jiroft Conference opened on May 5th in a bid to discuss the early Bronze Age civilization in the southeast of Iran. -Press TV 5/6/08
IAAB's Successful Student Summit Builds Connections and Strengthens Communities - Iranian Alliances Across Borders is pleased to announce the success of its first Iranian-American Student Summit. From April 4th-6th, 2008, thirteen Iranian American student organization leaders from ten universities and colleges around the nation convened at Wellesley College for a weekend of exchange, brainstorming and friendship. 5/5/08
..
Imported anarchy in Iraq - Recently, officials in Washington D.C., London, and Paris have claimed that, for ordinary Iraqis, the security situation has been improved by the surge in U.S. troops. However, the Iraqi people continue to suffer, with thousands dead, millions injured, and millions more displaced. What led to this anarchic situation and how can it be contained? -Arshin Adib-Moghaddam 5/5/08
Democracy Possible for Iran, Says Dissident Iranian Journalist - It is possible for democracy to take root in Iran, but it will not grow in the same way as democracy did in America, says Arash Sigarchi, an Iranian journalist who has been imprisoned for his outspokenness. 5/5/08
Hillary Clinton: I would still 'obliterate' Iran - "Why would I have any regrets?" Senator Clinton said Saturday in response to ABC News' question as to whether she had any regrets about threatening Tehran. 5/4/08
Secret Bush "Finding" Widens War on Iran - Six weeks ago, President Bush signed a secret finding authorizing a covert offensive against the Iranian regime that, according to those familiar with its contents, "unprecedented in its scope." -Andrew Cockburn, CounterPunch 5/4/08
Iranian-Canadian Samantha Tajik crowned Miss Universe Canada 2008 - Iranian-Canadian Samantha Tajik was crowned the 57th annual Miss Universe Canada on Monday April 28 in downtown Toronto. Tajik will represent Canada at the July 14 Miss Universe pageant in Vietnam. 5/3/08
Iran's weightlifting team clinches runners-up spot in Asia - Iran's weightlifting team came in second place on Thursday in the 39th Asian Weightlifting Championship in Kanazawa, Japan. Iran bagged 6 gold medals, 3 silver and 2 bronze in the tournament. China won the championship with 12 gold medals, 6 silver and 2 bronze. 5/3/08
Iranian Physicians Touring The United States To Promote Diplomacy - Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) and the Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) have launched an Iranian Physicians Tour in US to communicate medical expertise and promote diplomacy with Iran. 5/2/08
Iran is not the enemy - The "axis of evil" has no relevance for me when I think of Iran, a country I've found to have a human, loving, hospitable face throughout 40 years of encounters. I lived in Iran between 1968 and 1978, and started returning again, this time with peace delegations, in 2005. It is one of the great joys of my life to see the layers of misunderstanding and fear gradually fall away from those who visit Iran today for the first time. -Ellen Francis, FOR 5/2/08
Sr. Ellen Francis, OSH plans to co-lead a Peace Delegation to Iran in August 2008 - The purpose of this delegation, sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, is to seek alternatives to the current political standoff between the United States and Iranian governments and to affirm friendship and solidarity between the people of the United States and the people of Iran. This will be the eighth Iran Peace Delegation to be sponsored by FOR. 5/1/08
Meet Keiko! - A year after we had met, Keiko died – suddenly – of lung cancer. “I didn’t know Keiko smoked!” I said to the teary-eyed friend who brought the news of her death. “She didn’t,” he said rather hurriedly, and added after a silence, “she was born in Hiroshima.” Neither of us said much after that. -A poem by Fatemeh Keshavarz 5/1/08
MOON RIVER: Breakfast Talk with British-Iranian Model Sophia (Sepideh) Nooshin - Born in London of Persian heritage, Sophia's unique look distinguishes her from other models. Often compared to the gamine beauty Audrey Hepburn, Sophia started performing from a very early age when her mother took her to her first ballet class at the age of three. She went on to train at the prestigious Ballet Rambert School and graduated from the Roehampton Institute of Higher Education with a bachelor degree in Dance. -Darius KADIVAR 5/1/08
Gordafarid, Iran's First Woman Storyteller - Fatemeh Habibi Zad is Iran's first female storyteller. She is known by her professional name Gord Afarid, which is the name of a heroine in the Shahnameh. 5/1/08
..
Darius Shahinfar for Congress receives more national grassroots endorsements - Darius Shahinfar (D-Albany NY) marches along the path of the primaries in his stride towards the ultimate goal of securing the New York's 21st Congressional District seat in November, a position that was opened by the retirement of Congressman Michael McNulty. His vision as encapsulated in his motto: "Renew America's Promise" is capturing the interest of a national audience. -David Rahni 5/1/08
Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans Launches Nationwide - The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), a national grassroots membership organization dedicated to building an inclusive and representative voice in the public and political arena for up to a million Iranian Americans launches on Monday, April 28. 4/30/08
Jewish rabbi leads historic FOR peace delegation to Iran - In the wake of comments on April 21st by U.S. presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, who responded to a question of a theoretical future attack by Iran on Israel by saying, "I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran," a 21-person interfaith peace delegation to Iran will depart New York on Tuesday, April 29, 2008. 4/30/08
Profile: Iranian-American Artist, Rassouli - RASSOULI is a visionary artist who has come to the attention of the international art world in recent years. What makes his art so unique is the way he translates spiritual experience from his subconscious onto canvas through meditation at sunrise. 4/30/08
Iran Men's Sitting Volleyball Team takes gold - Iranian Men's Sitting Volleyball Team won the World Organization Volleyball for Disabled (WOVD) Intercontinental Cup after beating Russia in Ismailia, Egypt, on Tuesday. -MNA 4/29/08
Speaking of Faith: The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi Wins a Peabody Award! - A Peabody went to Speaking of Faith: The Ecstatic Faith of Rumi, from American Public Media. This edition of the long-running series explored resurgent interest in the 13th century Persian poet: 4/29/08
HYPOCRISY PAR EXCELLENCE - Israeli threats to "destroy the Iranian nation" in a retaliatory strike should Iran attack Israel seems perfectly acceptable to the US State Department. However, its spokesman, Sean McCormack, is voicing his strong condemnations against the Iranian officials when they respond in kind. How hypocritical is that? -Kam Zarrabi 4/28/08
ON "Why We Should Listen to Scott Ritter": Norooz among the Iraqi Refugees in Damascus - I was in Syria during Norooz and received a furious call from my mother "Didn't you think we would worry about you, it is Norooz and you have not called us and you are not in your hotel!" she screamed over the phone. Indeed, I had failed to call my mother; having lost myself in South Damascus, among the refugees of Sayyed Zeinab. -Roksana Bahramitash 4/28/08
Poetry of Rumi a Unifying Force of Civilizations - Dr. Nevit Ergin, a Turkish-American surgeon based in San Mateo, California, and translator of Jalal ad-Din Mohammad Balkhi Rumi's narrative poetry, visited India in connection with the 800th anniversary of the birth of the Persian poet. Though Ergin is a surgeon by profession, he has dedicated himself to the study of Rumi and his works for the past 50 years. -America.gov 4/25/08
..
Drawing Oriental Carpet Designs Is An Artform Of Its Own - Long before most town and city carpets are woven, the design is recorded on paper. The drawing, or 'cartoon,' is what the weavers follow to create their patterns. And when the designs are complex, preparing the cartoons becomes an art form in itself. -Charles Recknagelis 4/23/08
PROFILE: Parviz Homai, Parviz Art Fashion-NYC - Persians made their greatest contributions of art and culture through long and complex historical experiences that spread through many countries, and now its intricacy has reached the USA. 4/23/08
Persian, Pasionaria and Princess: In Memory of Mariam Firuz (1913-2008) - A month ago this day, on March 12th, a Persian Pasionaria, referred to also as 'Red Princess', died in Tehran at age 94, testifying to the tenacity of the foremost female Communist and feminist activist of Iran. Born a princess, Mariam Firuz never wavered in the pursuit of her aim to bring modernity and the emancipation of women to Iran. Yet, apart from a sympathetic obituary with some factual flaws, by Baroness Afshar in the Guardian (March 31st) and a few articles on Persian websites, the saga and the death of this remarkable woman has gone largely unreported. -Fatema Soudavar (Farmanfarmaian) 4/14/08
Film: Iran/America, A World Between - The film, directed by Nezam Manouchehri, premiered last summer on LinkTV and has been very well received by wide audiences across the country. Iranians living abroad find it to be a nostalgic and positive look at our culture, without being overly political, while Americans unfamiliar with Iran are consistently surprised by the warm sentiments by everyday Iranians about the people and culture of the United States. 4/9/08
Creating a US-Iran Bridge - Grassroots movements in Iran all say that they don't need outside help. Since the United States has allocated $75 million to an 'Iran Democracy Fund', the life of grassroots movements has become more difficult. Any direct – or indirect – help to the democratic movement in Iran coming from this fund is seen as an attempt of external regime change, says Leila Zand. 4/5/08
