Persian Heri tage Persian Heritage Vol. 20, No. 78 Summer 2015 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 9 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (973) 471-4283 The Man Who Became Buddha 10 Fax: 973 471 8534 “Pol-e-Tabiat” – Nature Bridge 12 EDITOR COMMENTARY SHAHROKH AHKAMI Freedom of Expression… Freedom of Thought 14 EDITORIAL BOARD (Hooshang Guilak) Dr. Mehdi Abusaidi, Shirin Ahkami Raiszadeh, Dr. Mahvash Alavi Naini, THE ARTS & CULTURE Mohammad Bagher Alavi, Dr. Talat Bassari, Mohammad H. Hakami, REVIEWS 16 Ardeshir Lotfalian, K. B. Navi, Dr. Kamshad Raiszadeh, Farhang A. Desert Dancer 17 Sadeghpour, Mohammad K. Sadigh, M. A. Dowlatshahi. Meet Omid Nooshin 18 Persian Elements in Talmud (Jacob Neusner) 20 MANAGING EDITOR HALLEH NIA Isfahan, Half of World 21 ADVERTISING In the Darkness (Forough Farrokhzad) 23 HALLEH NIA Interview with Nima Kiann (Persian Heritage) 24 * The contents of the articles and ad ver­ tisements in this journal, with the ex ception An Overview of the Military Activities 28 of the edi torial, are the sole works of each in di vidual writers and contributors. This maga­ (Kaveh Farrokh) zine does not have any confirmed knowledge as to the truth and ve racity of these articles. Interview with Khosrow Semnani 30 all contributors agree to hold harmless and indemnify Persian Heri tage (Mirass-e Iran), (Shahrokh Ahkami) Persian Heritage Inc., its editors, staff, board of directors, and all those in di viduals di rectly associated with the publishing of this maga­ zine. The opinions ex pressed in these articles are the sole opinions of the writers and not the Important Notice journal. 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Contact our an article is submitted we as- PUBLISHED BY PERSIAN HERITAGE, INC. sume the author has com- California based Advertising A corporation organized for cultural and lit erary purposes plete ownership of the article Cover Price: $6.00 Agent for your ads. Subscriptions: $24.00/year (domestic); and the right to grant permis- $30.00 & 50.00/year (International) sion for publication. Typesetting & Layout (973) 471-4283 TALIEH PUBLICATIONS Summer 2015 5 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK On May 23, 2015, Senator Lindsey Graham a well of President Obama? Have you Senator Graham, had the known United States Senator and possible candidate for the good fortune to have met the first Iranian-American female presidency of the United States, made an outrageous state- and first American female to be given an ambassadorship to ment about Iranians which was broadcasted in Washington, Sweden, Azita Raji? Have you Senator Graham had the dis- D.C. and his words were “I grew up in Central, South Caro- tinguished honor to have met Dr. Cyrus Amir Mokri, former lina near Clemson University. My family owned a restaurant, Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions of the United pool room and a liquor store and everything I know about States Treasury? Have you had the delightful opportunity Iranians, I learned at the pool room. I ran the pool room to meet Ms. Goli Ameri who served as Assistant Secretary when I was a kid and I met a lot of liars and I know that the of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs? Or, have you Iranians are liars.” met Susie Nemazee the wife of Sir Peter Westmacotts, the Because of this statement influential Iranian American United Kingdom’s Ambassador to the United States? Have organizations have protested and demanded an apology you ever met the first private sector female to make a trip into from Senator Graham. These organizations requested that all space, Anoushen Ansari? These people, Senator Graham, Iranians not stand silent on this matter, but join the protest are just a small starting point of individuals representing in protection of their integrity. the pride of Iranian-Americans, who you have ungraciously The question I have is what made Senator Graham make called LIARS. If you have not met these individuals and such an outlandish, unfair and bias statement. One could rea- the majority of other Iranians, I hope you will make it your son that he hoped to attract a vote and appease his listeners, mission to do so. Only then will you understand the gravity showing them that he is an experienced, trustworthy leader and miscalculation of your statement. and therefore qualified to run for the presidency. I am certain that as a potential candidate for the presi- His statement remains a puzzle to me. How is it that a dency of the United States and as a senator, that you were promising 59 year old Senator, who claims he has worked obligated to research and understand the demographics of hard his entire life and sacrificed for his country with mili- the immigrants to the United States. I remember you as the tary service was able to gather enough information and life champion of the Bi-partisan committee on comprehensive experience from a pool room in rural South Carolina (a immigration. If you do not know the following let me share place he worked a few decades ago) to form such a harsh some statistics regarding the population of Iranian-Ameri- and nonfactual opinion of ALL Iranians? Those he calls cans you easily call liars. According to extrapolated 2,000 liars include, men, women, children, teenagers, old and and 2010 United States Census data, subsequent reports young. It puzzles me that he made these statements without and other independent survey analyses carried out by think any explanation on the how’s and why’s of his conclusion. tanks, Iranians are the most educated, most contributing, Senator Graham can you justify this statement? If they lied most taxpaying and most law abiding immigrants that the why? If they lied, who? And how many lied? Did you meet United States has ever witnessed. all the Iranians in the world at that time. Since then how An estimated 1.5 million Iranian-Americans live in the many of the now seventy five to seventy-six millions of United States (2012) with the largest concentration being Iranians have you met? I am simply flabbergasted by your in the greater the Los Angeles area. Twenty percent live uneducated remark and seriously question your integrity and in Beverly Hills. Other large communities of Iranians are leadership qualities. Do you or rather are you truly willing to found in Northern New Jersey, New York, Washington, D.C, call seventy –five to seventy-six million Iranians, hyphenated Boston, MA, and Houston and Dallas, TX. or not, crooks and liars? Iranian communities are religiously diverse and have What makes your statement, senator Graham, even more representation in the following religions: Armenian-Assyrian ridiculous and self serving is the fact that I am certain as a Christians, Muslims, Jews, Zoroastrians, Baha’is, Mystics, senator you have had the opportunity to meet distinguished Spiritualists and Humanists. and respected Iranian-Americans at the White House, in Fifty- nine point two percent of Iranian born, per the Congress and other venues. Have you met Faryar Shirzad Census in 2000, have achieved a bachelor or higher degree who formerly served on the National Security Counsel at in comparison to twenty-four per cent of the total of other the White House from 2003 to 2006 and who served as foreign born. And, one in four have a masters or doctoral Special Assistant to the President of Economic Affairs and degree. This is the highest rate among sixty-seven groups then Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National ever studied. Security Advisor for Internal and Economic Affairs? Have Per the Small Business Bureau (SBA) Iranian immi- you Senator Graham met Ferial Gouashiri, personal secretary grants are among the top twenty immigrant groups with the 6 No. 78 F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K highest rate of business ownership contributing substantially and I have always felt, to give back to a country whose citi- to the United States economy. zens are gracious, noble, generous and kind. I believe they One of every two Iranian-Americans have household are on the path of greatness. Could you possibly look my incomes that exceed $100,000 dollars, compared to one in wife, my children, my son-in-laws and my grandchildren in five for the overall United States population. the eyes and call them LIARS!? According to a study by MIT, Iranian scientists, engi- Senator Graham after having read this editorial can you neers and businesses in the United States own or manage actually believe that seventy–five to seventy-six million around one trillion dollars and are eminently present in every Iranians, hyphenated or not are still all LIARS? Perhaps I sector of society.