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Persian Heri tage Persian Heritage Vol. 25, No. 99 Winter 2020 www.persian-heritage.com FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK 6 Persian Heritage, Inc. 110 Passaic Avenue LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 8 Passaic, NJ 07055 NEWS E-mail: [email protected] Designs by Iranian Architects Win at WA Awards 10 Telephone: (973) 471-4283 Iran’s Strategic Oil Pipeline Project 11 Fax: 973 471 8534 In Commemoration of Alenoush Terian 12 EDITOR SHAHROKH AHKAMI Commentray Is Persian a Homogenous Genetic 13 EDITORIAL BOARD Dr. Mehdi Abusaidi, Shirin Ahkami (D. Rahni) Raiszadeh, Dr. Mahvash Alavi Naini, Mohammad Bagher Alavi, Dr. Talat Coronavirus and the Chemistry of Life 14 Bassari, Mohammad H. Hakami, (N. Tejaratchi) Ardeshir Lotfalian, K. B. Navi, Dr. Kamshad Raiszadeh, Farhang A. Global Warming & California Wildfires 15 Sadeghpour, Mohammad K. Sadigh, M. A. Dowlatshahi. (Yusef Jalali) MANAGING EDITOR HALLEH NIA REVIEWS By Shahrokh Ahkami ADVERTISING Believers (M. Grossman & J. Limbert) 17 HALLEH NIA In Search of Integrity 18 * The contents of the articles and ad ver ChopBook (M.J. Altschuler) 18 tisements in this journal, with the ex ception of the edi torial, are the sole works of each in di vidual writers and contributors. This maga THE ARTS & CULTURE zine does not have any confirmed knowledge as to the truth and ve racity of these articles. A Tribute to M.R. Shajarian 19 all contributors agree to hold harmless and (Shahrokh Ahkami) indemnify Persian Heri tage (Mirass-e Iran), Persian Heritage Inc., its editors, staff, board Anahid: The cult and its diffusion (M. L. Chaumont) 23 of directors, and all those in di viduals di rectly associated with the publishing of this maga Persian Heritage in McGill Library 25 zine. The opinions ex pressed in these articles Iranians in China 26 are the sole opinions of the writers and not the journal. No article or pic ture submitted will be Discovery of 3000-Year Board Games 27 returned to the writer or contributor. All articles submitted in English must be typed. Birds in Iran 28 * The appearance of advertising in this maga Siah Armajani 31 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 emailed to the above addresses and num bers. The journal reserves the right to edit same for All written sub missions to Persian space and clarity or as deemed appro priate. * All requests for permissions and reprints must Heri tage with the ex pec tation of Special be made in writing to the managing editor. publication in the maga zine must Announcement: PUBLISHED BY include the writer’s name, address PERSIAN HERITAGE, INC. A corporation organized for cultural and and telephone num ber. When an Contact our California lit erary purposes article is submitted we assume based Advertising Agent Cover Price: $8.00 the author has complete owner- Subscriptions: $32.00/year (domestic); for your ads. & 50.00/year (International) ship of the article and the right to Typesetting & Layout grant permission for publication. (973) 471 4283 TALIEH PUBLICATIONS Winter 2020 5 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK On behalf of myself and all the staff at Persian Heritage American community supported the Republican party. we wish all the Christians around the world and the people They believed that President Trump was going to fight for of Iran, all who have endured the worst hardships in this past the rights of the Iranian people and that a regime change was year, a Merry Christmas and hopefully a better New Year. in the works. They supported the crippling sanctions proposed The year of 2020 was one in which many suffered; students by the Trump administration that destroyed the middle class in were not able to go to school, workers lost their livelihood and Iran, turning them into poor and homeless. They believed the now struggle to put food on the table for their families. The sanctions would cripple the regime and Mullahs. In actuality, closing of businesses added to the number of unemployed. In as can be seen, it devastated and crippled the Iranian people cities which were once alive with people we find the streets and has brought them to their knees. Iranians have always been empty and businesses closed and boarded. So many people blind to the US policy on Cuba since the 1960’s. The crippling have been displaced by this virus and have been forced to sanctions that were placed on the small country empowered, move for employment reasons or a hopeful escape from en- NOT DESTROYED, the Castro regime. Even after his death countering the virus. While there is hope in the launching of the regime was taken over by his brother Raul and then his the vaccines it is likely that they will not come fast enough to successor. All the sanctions did in Cuba was to devastate the separate families from the holiday season. So many families people of the country. Cubans mass migrated to the US and lost loved ones. So many families were only able to visit one have been politically and financially successful, reaching the another through a glass window. So many were not able to highest political positions in the US, and second-generation attend the funerals of those who passed, leaving them empty Cubans have sought out a presidential nomination. and void of closure. Unfortunately the Iranian Diaspora seems to think that if Even our privacy has been encroached by the authori- you do not support the sanctions and that political policy that ties; hidden cameras have been placed all over in the name you support the Mullahs ( a truly ignorant thought process of controlling the virus and yet the numbers of new cases that has caused much destruction, animosity and division in skyrocket each day, with no end in sight. The virus has taken Iranian-American groups, families and friends). This type of a toll on individuals mentally fearing financial disasters. This behavior and thinking, in this political climate, has led to indi- has negatively impacted, family life and in some cases has viduals who stand on opposite sides of the political spectrum led to an increase in domestic violence. to bicker and verbally fight on all the social media venues. In the middle of all of this we had political elections that, This behavior and divisiveness have led to the demise of many as of the time of this writing, December 3, 2020, continues friendships and relationships, by their labeling the other with to be a controversy. The political climate for this election has all sorts of political propaganda of dishonesty. Have we all been escalated and has caused a historical division between gone mad? Do we not all have the same goal for our family Americans. We in the United States are used to an election and friends here and in Iran? Is not our goal to have them be ending on election day. We are used to one side conceding and free, successful, and respected? the country coming together to move on. But this division, It breaks my heart to see highly educated and intellectual that began near the end of President Obama’s second term and Iranians judge and harshly treat other Iranian Americans just continued over President Trumps term is not likely to end. because they support opposing political candidates or party; Normally, even though family members differed in politi- and labeling some as “slaves to the Mullahs.” It astonished cal views during the course of the political campaigns, after the me that they could think this way! How does one dare label a election the results were accepted. Unfortunately, this election group of college professors and doctors “slaves to Mullahs!” has caused permanent damage to family and friend relation- What does this even mean and/or entail? Why can’t we use ships down to parent and children; each are so cemented in our common sense and just be respectful of each other’s their own beliefs and their veracity that they cannot and will political views? Even more astonishing how can we think not listen or consider another’s view point. that these Mullahs are so capable of influencing and hiring This behavior is also seen among Iranian-Americans. individuals in these capacities as spies. They cannot even take During the last elections, a good percentage of the Iranian care of their own scientists and their people let alone have this 6 No. 99 F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K kind of influence over a large portion of the Diaspora. These stay on. Of course, some who labeled and accused the others Mullah’s greatest success is throwing innocent people into who do not think like them, as supporters of the regime were prison and at times executing those who speak against their among the deserters of the chat group, hoping that this will powers! We are giving too much credit to them through the keep their identity from the regime. accusations we make towards each other. In closing I know that my words are heart wrenching but Why can’t we after over forty years of living in a new necessary. We all need to wake up, identify the true enemies home country, let go of our ego’s and learn to be more open and fight them with every available weapon. Whether this minded and respect each other’s opinions? Isn’t it time for all enemy be the virus or regime, neither knows who is poor of us to unify after having lived here, raised our families, our or rich; it knows only the power of its ability to control and children and grandchildren to learn to put away our superfi- destroy.