Persian Heri tage Persian Heritage Vol. 20, No. 77 Spring 2015 www.persian-heritage.com Persian Heritage, Inc. FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK 6 110 Passaic Avenue Passaic, NJ 07055 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 8 E-mail: [email protected] NEWS 9 Telephone: (973) 471-4283 Golden Eagle Danube Express Train 9 Fax: 973 471 8534 The Air Car by Tata Family 9 EDITOR Someone to Watch 10 SHAHROKH AHKAMI Monument to Jewish Soldiers Killed in Iran-Iraq War 11 EDITORIAL BOARD Fans of Iranian Blues and Jazz in Tehran 11 Dr. Mehdi Abusaidi, Shirin Ahkami Raiszadeh, Dr. Mahvash Alavi Naini, Excavations at Persepolis 12 Mohammad Bagher Alavi, Dr. Talat Bassari, Mohammad H. Hakami, COMMENTARY Ardeshir Lotfalian, K. B. Navi, Dr. Kamshad Raiszadeh, Farhang A. How Iranian Immigrants Cope with American Culture 13 Sadeghpour, Mohammad K. Sadigh, M. A. Dowlatshahi. (Hassan Bakhtari) Yari Ostovany 15 MANAGING EDITOR HALLEH NIA THE ARTS & CULTURE ADVERTISING REVIEWS 16 HALLEH NIA Giosofat Barbaro and Shah Ismail Identity (Kaveh Farrokh) 17 * The contents of the articles and ad ver­ tisements in this journal, with the ex ception Persian Dance (Nima Kiann) 18 of the edi torial, are the sole works of each in di vidual writers and contributors. This maga­ Stone 21 zine does not have any confirmed knowledge as to the truth and ve racity of these articles. American Pioneer in Persian Arts (Nahid Guilak) 22 all contributors agree to hold harmless and indemnify Persian Heri tage (Mirass-e Iran), The Logistics, Support ... of Sassanian Spah 25 Persian Heritage Inc., its editors, staff, board of directors, and all those in di viduals di rectly (Kaveh Farrokh & Reza Karamian) associated with the publishing of this maga­ zine. The opinions ex pressed in these articles Something to Think of... 27 are the sole opinions of the writers and not the journal. No article or pic ture submitted will be Interview with Dr. Heydari-Malayeri 28 returned to the writer or contributor. All articles (Shahrokh Ahkami) submitted in English must be typed. * The appearance of advertising in this maga­ Norouz 32 zine does not constitute a guaran tee or en­ dorsement of the products by Persian Heri tage. In addition, articles and letters published do not reflect the views of this publication. * Letters to the Editor should be mailed, faxed or Important Notice Advertise e­mailed to the above addresses and num bers. The journal reserves the right to edit same for All written sub missions to space and clarity or as deemed appro priate. Persian Heri tage with the ex­ Your Business * All requests for permissions and reprints must be made in writing to the managing editor. pec tation of publication in the or Serv ices in maga zine must include the PUBLISHED BY PERSIAN HERITAGE, INC. writer’s name, address and tele­ A corporation organized for cultural and phone num ber. When an article lit erary purposes Per sian Her itage is submitted we assume the au­ Cover Price: $6.00 thor has complete ownership of Subscriptions: $24.00/year (domestic); $30.00 & 50.00/year (International) the article and the right to grant (973) 471-4283 Typesetting & Layout permission for publication. persian-heritage.com TALIEH PUBLICATIONS Spring 2015 5 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK My dear readers, once again we have the arrival of spring harassed his child over the hostage taking. He told me he had and once again we celebrate the wonderful holiday of Norouz. no idea that this occurred until recently.) Three students then Norouz as you know, represents the birth of nature, flowers saw the signs and shouted, “Hey this is ‘I (EYE)ranian’ food, bloom, trees blossom and the brownness of the winter becomes from ‘I’(EYE)ran’ don’t taste it because it is poison.” One of a palette of color. The season of Norouz, also represents the the students picked up the dish, threw it in the garbage and tore birthdate for Mirass- Iran, Persian Heritage magazine. This up the sign. During his action he repeated, “this food belongs year I am proud to say marks our twentieth anniversary. It is in the garbage and one day our ‘I (EYE)ranian’ classmates hard to realize that so much time has passed. It seems as if it should be in the garbage.” His child horrified and crying was yesterday this magazine began. We wanted this magazine rushed to the principal’s office. The principal fortunately was to be a source of information on the beauty and culture of Iran/ very compassionate and well educated and spoke to the child Persia for second and third generation Iranians, living outside with kind words, hoping to ease the emotional state of this of Iran. Prior to the first publication of Persian Heritage our child. The principal explained that the events of Iran now on children and most of the general public knew Iranians only the news, are political and had nothing to do with the child’s from reports of the nightly news, which were very disappoint- parents, in fact the principal stated, “ Your parents immigrated ing and created so much anxiety for our families. to the United States, long before any of this happened and A generation has passed but the events over the past you were born here. So remember you are American with thirty years may have caused the young generation to shy Iranian roots and ethnicity just as your other classmates have away from their culture and ethnic roots, to be ashamed other ethnic roots. And you like them have the same rights of their heritage and even to deny it. When I realized that of all other American citizens. Be proud of the rich culture these negative publications and news could negatively affect and civilization of Persia/Iran. Be proud of who you are and the progress of Iranian Americans, I decided to publish this your potential. One day these events will simply be history magazine. We did it in two languages, English and Persian, and you and other Iranians will be able to show their abilities to inform our children about the “ real” Iranian / Persian, and make their dreams realities.” not the one depicted on the news. We hoped that it would be As I listened to my friend, I was grateful for this principal. passed to non-Iranian friends and colleagues to teach them I then asked him what happened. He told me the words of this about the true Iranian. principal had a tremendous impact on his child. His child had My children went to school (elementary and highschool) a new sense of self-confidence and was proud to be Iranian during the time of the hostage taking. Every night ABC news and had a hunger to learn more. The fear and shame his child began with “Day-counting” of the hostage taking. Every night felt began to dissolve. Every weekend new friends appeared we would sit as a family and be horrified about the images at his house. His wife, at their request, would lovingly expose and reports we saw and heard about our beloved Iran. I was them to Persian hospitality, culture cook Persian food, sending frightened as a parent to think that this was becoming our some home with the friend, at the end of the visit. Eventu- children’s reality, how they saw Iran and Iranians and how ally, he said that his child also gave speeches at the school their classmates saw them. Recently I had a conversation with on Persian food and referred to The New York Times, raving a friend of mine regarding this issue and he related the follow- about Persian cuisine. ing story. One of his children was attending school and they Persian Heritage magazine was born at a time when were going to have an international food fair. Each child was there was a missing link between Iranians and Iranian Di- to bring in a dish that represented it’s ethnic background. His aspora and Iranian-Americans as well as other American wife prepared a delicious Persian dish. His child brought it to citizens. Despite financial and other difficulties the magazine the fair and placed it on a table with a label “Iranain Food.” has faced, the staff remains dedicated to it and are proud of The child then quietly went to a corner and watched from a each issue published. When I ask them why this magazine distance the reaction of the children who approached the dish. is so important to them they tell me because it does provide (I asked the father why his child went off to the corner, to the missing link needed to educate not only Iranian future which he shockingly told me, that schoolmates had constantly generations but also non Iranians on the impact and achieve- 6 No. 77 F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K ments of Iranians ( hyphenated or not).They also believe that Americans in space (NASA), finance, arts, science, education, the magazine is an inspiration to younger generations to start industry and now even in politics. Perhaps this magazine has their own magazines and organizations. eased their assimilation into their new environment. Perhaps We have had our battles. I remember when the movie this magazine has helped the younger generation to realize “Not Without My Daughter,” was released. It was a story of their potential and to be proud of their roots. Perhaps, like the an American woman who “kidnapped” her daughter from Iran. impressionable words spoken by the principal to my friend’s She took the child without the permission of the father.