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More Precious Than Our Diamonds is Our- Reputation. BENTLEY DIAMOND 1860 Highway 35, Wall, NJ (800) 333-DIAMONDS www.bentleydiamond.com Persian Heritage Persian Heritage Vol. 13, No. 52 Winter 2008 Persian Heritage, Inc. FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK 10 110 Passaic Avenue Passaic, NJ 07055 E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: (973) 471-4283 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 12 Fax: (973) 574-8995 NEWS BRIEFS 13 EDITOR SHAHROKH AHKAMI COMMENTARY EDITORIAL BOARD Dr. Mehdi Abusaidi, Shirin Ahkami Raiszadeh, Dr. Mahvash Alavi Naini, Mohammad Bagher Alavi, Dr. Talat 15 Bassari, Mohammad H. Hakami, History of Terrorism Ardeshir Lotfalian, K. B. Navi, Dr. Kamshad Raiszadeh, Farhang A. (David A. Yazdan) Sadeghpour, Mohammad K. Sadigh, Dr. David Yeagley. The Axed Persian Identity, (part two) 18 An Interesting Hour in Qazvin 19 MANAGING EDITORS HALLEH NIA & ABBAS HABIBIAN (Syma Sayyah) ADVERTISING Expansion of Global Power, (part one) 20 ABBAS HABIBIAN & HALLEH NIA (M. K. Sadigh) * The contents of the articles and adver- tisements in this journal, with the exception The Iran Question 22 of the editorial, are the sole works of each individual writers and contributors. This maga- (Kam Zarrabi) zine does not have any confirmed knowledge as to the truth and veracity of these articles. all contributors agree to hold harmless and Childhood ‘Toy’ Revealed as Ancient Persian Relic 25 indemnify Persian Heritage (Mirass-e Iran), Persian Heritage Inc., its editors, staff, board of directors, and all those individuals directly associated with the publishing of this maga- THE ARTS & CULTURE zine. The opinions expressed in these articles are the sole opinions of the writers and not the journal. No article or picture submitted will be returned to the writer or contributor. All articles Book Reviews 26 submitted in English must be typed. * The appearance of advertising in this maga- Tehran Today 27 zine does not constitute a guarantee or en- dorsement of the products by Persian Heritage. In addition, articles and letters published do not (Brian H. Appleton) reflect the views of this publication. * Letters to the Editor should be mailed, faxed or Interview with Dr. Hossein Omoumi 31 e-mailed to the above addresses and numbers. The journal reserves the right to edit same for (Shahrokh Ahkami) space and clarity or as deemed appropriate. * All requests for permissions and reprints must Epic 34 be made in writing to the managing editor. (Michael McClain) PUBLISHED BY PERSIAN HERITAGE, INC. Ethnicity and Masculinity 35 A corporation organized for cultural and literary purposes (Sam Khorrami)

Cover Price: $6.00 Interview with Ardeshir Lotfalian 37 Subscriptions: $24.00/year (domestic); $30.00 & 50.00/year (International) (Shahrokh Ahkami) Typesetting & Layout Indian Origin of Egyptian Civilization 39 TALIEH PUBLICATIONS (818) 392-8292 (Babu G. Ranganathan)

Winter 2008 9 FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

The winter issue of Persian Heritage magazine gives me can only imagine the pride President Lyndon Johnson would the opportunity to wish all our readers and the world Happy have felt. The fruits of his Civil Rights legislation finally have Holidays and most importantly a Healthy New Year. In the last ripened. What would Martin Luther King and Malcolm X have few months because of the severe financial crisis that caused said to the media on election night? Without these great leaders, extreme drops in monetary value, and increases in bankruptcies, along with positive role models such as Mohammed Ali, Bill closure of banks, financial and insurance companies and major Cosby and Jesse Jackson, this reality may still be a dream. It was drops in real estate values around the world including Europe, these individuals who encouraged the African American youth Asia and even Third World countries are living in turbulence. to realize a brilliant future. They inspired and encouraged their So many innocent people whose homes are in foreclosure are community to become involved in the arts, sciences, education, living in tents or their cars. The unemployment rate is on the business, politics and sports all for the betterment of their lives rise and everyday more workers are laid off. Many families fear and community. Barak Obama is a brilliant young man born to their future. Men and women who were hoping to soon reach an African father and white American mother. He was raised in retirement have lost their jobs or have been forced to accept a lower middle class white family by his mother, and maternal lower salaries. The pressure for salaried people is so high that grandparents. With their encouragement and the inspiration of his they have no choice but to accept unjust conditions from lower role models he was able to graduate from the prestigious schools salaries or the elimination of their professional privileges. Those of Columbia and Harvard Law. He has now been elected to the individuals, living only on the interest of their monthly savings, highest office in the United States and may be looked upon as are also feeling the pressure. They are unable to afford medical the new world leader. insurance, medical prescriptions or treatment. But even with this The seed for change that president elect Obama and his col- financial tsunami, we have witnessed one of the most historical leagues have placed in the minds of the young and old Americans and admirable events of our lifetime, the election of Barak Hus- is not confined to the geographical borders of the United States, sein Obama, as the 44th President of the United States. it has expanded and penetrated to people all over the world from The day after the election I was on a weekly outing with Europe to Asia, to Africa and to New Zealand. This is the reason my grandson Ryan, age six. I asked him if he knew who was why this victory, the election of this young black man evoked elected president. “Yes, poppop, Barak Obama! Mommy and I worldwide celebration. His win clearly demonstrates that if a voted for him.” I asked him why he voted for him, to which he leader is able to obtain the trust of the people, direct them towards replied, “Because he is the first president with dark skin.” I asked a positive change and eliminate inequality and irregularities, if there were other reasons for his choice, “Yes because he has the people will accept and follow him. The amount of financial good characteristics.” I was amazed at the fact that I was having support people gave to his campaign from their weekly salaries a political conversation with a six year old. I continued the con- shocked the political experts. versation by asking him why he didn’t vote for. John McCain. Strangely this campaign reminded me of an incident with “Poppop he is too old!” To that statement I could only respond a patient. She came to my office, with her husband and young by telling him that I was also old. I asked him if he would vote child to get a vaccination. She put on such a fuss about getting for me if I ran for president. “Yes poppop, I would vote for you the needle that she frightened her child and made me reluctant because I love you and trust you!” Even at the age of six, trust to give her the shot. After it was done her husband walked over is important characteristic in leadership. to her and lifted her shirt to show me the tattoos on her back. I The surprising part about this election was that this move- wasn’t sure why, but then he explained that when she got the ment and the excitement to elect Obama had even influenced tattoos, she received hundreds of needles and never showed children like my grandson Ryan, age six and granddaughter pain or nervousness. Well, I guess she is a perfect example of Sophie age seven. The importance of this national movement what one is willing to endure for something they really want and the victory of Obama is that it happened in a country where and will protest vehemently when it is not part of their goal. The only forty years ago denied primitive freedoms to the black citi- American people, likewise, in electing Barak Obama showed zen. It was only forty years ago that the United States enforced their intolerance to unfair conditions that exist in their coun- laws that prevented the black citizen from using the same public try; it simply did not match their democratic values. Finally, bathrooms as the whites, from voting, forced them to sit in the on November 4, 2008 they spoke out in unison, by voice and back of the bus and denied them access to a good education. vote. They told their present leadership that they were dissatis- Yes, it was only forty years ago that these injustices existed. fied. They showed the world that they controlled their destiny Now the direction of this country has changed overnight. One and in spite of the history of discrimination in their country

10 No. 52 F R O M T H E E D I T O R ’ S D E S K on religious, ethnic, social and financial levels, inequality has no place in the United States of America. They were tired of blind hatred and injustices and had the guts to make it change. They are the same people, who until the election were citizens a message about of a country who were hated by most of the world because of its government and leadership. The world has now changed its view as they stand together with pride and honor. This achieve- BONE HEALTH ment became a reality because of their sense of nationalism, hatred for injustice and love for equality and freedom. Through this election they have become the true winners. One in two women Unity, and the power that it holds, has been the subject of many of my editorials. I have tried to motivate our Persian & one in four men American community to understand that unity is their weapon for equality and success. Because of Iran’s present government over 50 will have people look negatively at Iranians. Persian Heritage has tried to explain and educate the public that the people of Iran should be an osteoporosis-related fracture separated from their government, just as the people of the world on November 4, 2008 realized that the American government in their remaining lifetime. was not its citizens. Iranians, like Americans are only citizens of a country and its leadership. As Americans showed they are separate from their government on November 4, 2008, so must Iranian citizens, Persian Americans and all Iranian Diaspora show the world Iranians are only citizens of its unpopular regime. This is such an important mission, because the heart of a nation, along with its culture and ethnicity will pass from generation to generation, but the leadership will be in constant flux. The good leader, one who will fight for the rights of his citizens and seek ways to make their lives better, one who strives to improve their living conditions on every level will be memorialized. The leader, however, who rules by force and power with no empathy for his citizens, will be forever hated. It is these leaders who will eventu- ally be overthrown by their constituents by force or vote. Persians by nature love to live in the past. We mourn the end of the year rather than look forward to the future. This is dangerous and unproductive. You cannot turn a clock back. Water that has passed in the stream will not pass again. We therefore must look ahead and plan for our future and build a strong foundation for future generations. The past should be an only a lesson for the future. Perhaps someday Iran, its citi- zens and Diaspora will again show its greatness, as America YOU CAN PREVENT IT! showed its greatness on November 4, 2008. Yes, Iranians like Americans have suffered from the pain of discrimination, but they have been able to ease it with this triumph. I hope Call today to set up that this election is an example to the world. The winners of this election did not seek to have their opposition jailed or executed. Instead they reached across the table of differences a bone-density test to share in the building of America. The Republican Party will not wallow in their loss. They have already begun to regroup, learn from their mistakes and begin to build a campaign that may bring them victory in 2012. 973-471-9585 At the end of every day of every year, I hope and pray that the people of the world will someday live together as equals, regardless of race, ethnicity religious or political beliefs. As Dr. Ahkami this election has brought a new harmony to the citizens of this great nation I pray harmony is only an election away for the 110 Passaic Avenue citizens of the world. My best to all of you, Passaic, NJ 07055

Winter 2008 11 L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R APPRECIATION Eventually, Eisenhower tioned nothing about the up- Mahmood Karimi- went along with it and the coming election. I guess in a Hakak and I would like to rest of course, is history. way it is good that politics, thank you for publishing I remember very viv- for the most part, is kept out such a stunning layout of the idly, on the 28th of Mordad of its pages, but presenting Advertise review entitled, When War we were having the SAT’s or non biased issues may be Defeats All Its Survivors: entering the exam to Tehran beneficial. Heaven knows Mahmood Karimi-Hakak University and of course, most of the news we read is Directs “The Persians” at it was a long exam. When slanted. I admire your fair- Your Siena College in the Fall we came out we found out ness so please going for- issue of Persian Heritage about the demonstration ward feed us the facts. Magazine. It was much ap- against Mossadegh. Thou- A.A Business preciated. sands of students began to Bill Wolak shout “Pirooze Baud Mos- A CONVERSATION sadegh,” throughout the WITH THE BEST POEM Shahreza Street. Of course, Dear Editor: or Thanks for printing my that did not work out and I can’t say that this was poem entitled About Poetry. the coup d’etat eventually the best interview in Per- It was chosen twice by the led to the fall, in my opin- sian Heritage, but will say Services International Library of Po- ion, of the most honest and this, I enjoy how you are etry as the best poem of the most popular and most na- proud of all of us, young or year and was printed in two tionalistic leader we had. old and respect our achieve- anthologies in America. This was the only man who ments. I don’t know your in Majid Khafai managed to kick the British family but I would bet they out of our country. By put- are successful because of “REGIME CHANGE IN ting the Shah in there, the the support they received IRAN” BY SAMANEH next 30 plus years speak for at home. MADDAH itself, with all the money R.S Anytime we think about that went to that country we A VIVID the 1953 coup d’etat it cre- should have had Paradise, INSPIRATION Persian ates the painful reminder of instead, the separation be- I do admire your per- how the British orchestrated tween the rich and the poor severance in what you have that horrible event that was got worse. The Shah did committed yourself to. That Heritage executed by the American not bother once in those by itself should be a vivid CIA. Of course, everyone 30 years to go down town inspiration for many others thinks it was exclusively Tehran to see what was go- who claim they are just “too the CIA’s job but, as I have ing on. They made sure that busy” to look beyond their indicated before, the coup he stayed separate from the own immediate needs, toys d’etat was orchestrated by people. Eventually, that led and pleasures. CALL Winston Churchill during to his demise. Best wishes Harry Truman’s govern- David A. Yazdan Shahriar Saleh ment. The Dulles’s brothers were plotting and encourag- CULTURE LIVES GREAT ing Truman to go ahead with What a pleasure to see CONTRIBUTION (973) it, however Truman was the article about Mahmood I salute Dr. Ahkami’s sympathetic to Dr. Mossa- Karimi Hakak. Iranians contributions to our com- degh and did not agree and have a long history in the munity and wish him all the naturally Churchill was dis- arts and it is wonderful to best. He is an extra-ordi- 471-4283 appointed. What happened see it continue with the Di- nary man, whom despite so next, was that they waited aspora. Keep up the good many issues and problems, until Eisenhower was elect- work! never gave up and continues ed in 1952. At this time the K.I his effort to educate young Fax: Dulles’s brothers began to men and women, the sec- spread misinformation in WAS THERE ond generations of Iranian- (973) 574-8995 the press that Mossadegh’s AN ELECTION? Americans, to understand government was pro-com- Dear Editor. their heritage. Thank you munist. This was the far- I was a bit surprised and job well done. persian-heritage.com thest thing from the truth. why this magazine men- Saeed Manii

12 No. 52 N E W S B R I E F S HELPING GAINS WHAT? After 9/11 Iran confiscated the passports of 300 Arabs who A SIX YEAR OLD, NEW WORLD GENIUS crossed into Iran from Afghanistan. The passports were for- Mahsa Abbasi is only six, but has already been declared warded to Kofi Annan, at the time, and then onto the U.S. where the world’s youngest genius. She has never attended school interrogators were allowed to investigate these individuals. This and recently won a gold medal at the 2008 Taipei Interna- according to Hillary Mann Everett, who negotiated with Iran for tional Invention Show and Technomart for her prototype, Bush during the 2001-2003 administration. Suspected al-Qaida electronic dice. The electronic dice are considered to be a was not given sanctuary in Iran. While Iran expected boarder huge safety advance and will prevent children from choking relations with the US because of this, the US took the position on small dice found in children’s games. that Iran had not acknowledged all likely al-Qaida members or access to them and therefore offered no extended relationship to STATUE OF GODDESS FOUND Iran. The expelled Arabs were then deported to Saudi Arabia and IN WESTERN IRAN other Arab and Muslim countries. TEHRAN (Fars News According to James F. Dobbin, Bush administrative chief Agency)- The first phase of negotiator on Afghanistan in 2001, Iran in fact was “comprehen- archeological excavations at sively helpful” after 9/11 and in helping to overthrow the Taliban Sheikhi Abad mound in Iran’s and securing Karzai’s position in Kabul. But Iran was labeled as Kermanshah Province has part of “the axis of evil.” Leverett and her husband, Flynt Leverett, yielded the statue of a goddess. a former career CIA analyst and former National Security Council The statute, which resembles official are now proposing that the next US president engage in a figurine previously found meaningful talks, “grand bargaining,” with Iran to settle differ- in Kermanshah’s Sarab-Mort, ences. This is especially important since Iran considers most of is believed by experts to be a its neighbors as enemies. With a better relationship with Iran, valuable source of information. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia may be less provocative. Iranian and British archeologists, who studied the site for the first time in the past fifty years, also discovered nearly FRENCH ARCHEOLOGIST ASKS 50 botanical samples that can shed light on some of the IRANIAN OFFICIALS TO RESPECT SUSA mysteries of the Neolithic Age. TEHRAN, Oct. 28 (Mehr News Agency) – French archae- Skeletal remains of red deer, goat, ram and fish were ologist Rémy Boucharlat has called for Iranian cultural officials also found at the site, which archeologists hope will elucidate to respect the perimeter of the ancient city of Susa. how animals were domesticated in those days. Previous stud- Iran’s decision for construction of two hotels at the perimeter ies had dated Sheikhi Abad mound to nine to ten thousand of the city was described as bizarre and unbelievable by Boucha- years ago. Archeologists believe the site was home to the rlat, who is the director of the French Institute of Iranian Studies, earliest human settlers the Persian service of CHN reported on Tuesday. The construction of Laleh and Amir Zargar hotels began following authorization PETER AVERY DIES of the project by the Khuzestan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department (KCHTHD) in 2007. Peter Avery was a distin- However, the projects were halted after cultural heritage guished orientalist. He died at enthusiasts caused a media frenzy and in early September 2008, the age of 85, on October 6, Shush Cultural Heritage Center (SCHC) director Mohammadreza 2008. Chitsaz said that the project had been banned following a series His education was cut short of expert investigations. by the war. He volunteered in the Meanwhile, a deputy director of the Cultural Heritage, Tour- Royal Indian Navy where he was ism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) said in mid October commissioned. It was there that that there are no obstacles to the construction of the hotels. he began to study the Persian lan- A team led by Mohammad-Taqi Ataii made 61 excavations guage, with a formal education at Susa and determined a 1200-hectare perimeter for the city as received at London University’s 32 of the digs have resulted in identification of ancient strata. School of Oriental and African The previous demarcation, which had been carried out de- Studies. While his work on Per- cades before, determined a 400-hectare perimeter for Susa. sian history is well known most Susa consists of many satellite suburbs, villages, and work- believe his understanding and translation of classical Persian shops said Boucharlat, adding that the city is not limited to the poetry will remain his greatest contribution. 400-hectare perimeter. It most likely that there are many ancient He began his first poetry translation at SOAS working sites and artifacts in the area, which should be safeguarded by with John Heath-Stubbs, who was blind. Their Hafiz of Shiraz: Iranian cultural officials, Boucharlat said. Thirty Poems (1952) enjoyed years of life, while their other Susa was an ancient city in the Elamite, Persian, and Parthian popular success, The Ruba’iyat of Omar Khayyam (1979), empires of Iran, located about 150 miles east of the Tigris River is still in print as a paperback.This is especially important in Khuzestan Province of Iran. Susa is one of the oldest known since Iran considers most of its neighbors as enemies. With a settlements in the region, probably founded around 4000 BC, better relationship with Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia may although the first traces of an inhabited settlement date back to be less provocative. 7000 BC.

Winter 2008 13 N E W S B R I E F S AN NCAA FIRST When Arsalan Kazemi suits up for his first college basket- IN THE MEMORY OF ball game it will be with Rice University in Houston, Tex. Arsalan ARDESHIR MOHASSESS will graduate from Patterson School (N.C.) after emigrating to the US from Isfahan in the early part of 2008. The Big East schools “I do not believe in an ideal society. I do not need an had their eyes on him but he turned down the likes of Seton Hall ideal society either, as there is no need for me in such for Rice University. a society” Ardeshir Mohassess THE “BEST HISTORY BOOK OF 2008” AWARD passed away on October 9, This year’s winner for “Best History Book of 2008” The 2008 at the age of 70, in New World Academy of Arts, Literature and Media (WAALM’s) York. He will be remembered the category of Literature, is Kaveh Farrokh’s “Shadows in the as the artist who pushed the Desert: Ancient Persia at War”. art of the cartoon to almost Surrealist satire of Iran. His COMPUTER GAME “THE AGE OF HEROES” works, which included dead BASED ON SHAHNAMEH and mutilated shahs as well as Tehran Times – Iran will soon release the computer game ordinary citizens were shock- “The Age of Heroes” with the central theme of stories from ing for most, but depicted what Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. The Ferdowsi Foundation proposed he felt from the heart. Though the initial concept and Iran’s Modern Industry Center produced an artist he considered himself the game. The game has been produced in the action genre by first and foremost a reporter. Iranian experts, and revives the Iranian culture and traditions He was born on Septem- of championship with the help of good deeds and decency. The ber 9, 1935 in Rasht, northwest locations and the environment of the game are based on Iran’s Iran. His mother was a poet culture, geography and climate, featuring its epic music and and headmistress of the first Persian characters in traditional costumes situated in Persian school for women in Iran and historical monuments. his father a judge. His love for art began at a very early age IRANIAN SINGER when he would accompanied KHATEREH PARVANEH DIES stories his mother read to him with personal sketches. Mehr News Agency His formal education included degrees in political - Iranian traditional singer science and law from the University of Tehran. After leav- Khatereh Parvaneh died at ing his job as librarian at the university he took a job with 78 at her home in Tehran. Keyhan, a daily newspaper. The increased popularity of She had been bedridden for his cartoons sparked the interest of the Savak. His cartoons almost a year after she broke were looked upon as leaking secret messages,. The Shah her leg. was displeased with his work and ordered the paper to deal Parvaneh stated in her with him. Eventually work was scarce which prompted him interview with Mehr News to move to the US.. His work has been seen in American Agency in spring that she publications such as the New Yorker, Playboy, and the Na- wished to give a concert tion and has been on display at prestigious galleries. along with other female singers this year to echo the message of Iran’s desires for peace and friendship but she SAIDEH GHODS did not live long enough to IN TOP FIFTY fulfill her dream. The Wall Street Journal Khatereh began her ca- has announced their top fifty reer with master musician women to watch for 2008. Saba in 1957, and contin- In 45th place is Iran’s Saideh ued on to give concerts with Ghods. After her child was masters Hassan Radmard, Hossein Dehlavi, Faramarz Payvar, diagnosed with cancer, she re- and Ofelia Parto. alized the children of the poor “I learned music as I grew with my mom’s songs, so I were watching their children internalized learning music. I spent all my childhood and adult die due to no access to medicine. In response she started a life with music, and after I was married, my husband sensed my charity called the Mahak in 1991, that raises money and interest in music and encouraged me even more. support for these stricken children. She is also co-founder “I was teaching at Bani-Ahmad School in those years and of the International Society for Children with Cancer, based used to sing the morning anthem for the children at school. I was in Los Angeles. later invited to record a song at a studio and that is where I met master Saba,” she had said once.

14 No. 52 C O M M E N T A R Y In the previous issue very briefly, you read the first rebuttal Iraqis and WMD’s program or support of terrorism to get the Presi- to Bill Frist about our invasion, attack and removing of Saddam dent and his National Security Counsel to make the war against Hussein from his power. Let’s go back in history and you shall see Saddam. Critics sometimes assert both, that President Bush lied how our memory is short lived. We will look first at the atrocities to the public and that he was lied too by his subordinates, those that Saddam Hussein had committed from 1968 to 2001. In July propositions contradict each other. The assertion that the officials of 1968 the Baathisd take over the Iraq government, July 1979 - lied about the wars rational is false. In the many thousands of official Saddam Hussein becomes the president, purge of Baath leadership, comments on the matter there were some sloppy formulations, ill September 1980 - Iraq invades Iran beginning the Iraq, Iran war, chosen phrases, and outright errors. Officials also sited that an intel- which went over 7-8 years and it was this war that he used chemi- ligences report about an Iraqi WMD that later proved faulty. But, cal weapons, Feb-Sept. 1988 - Anfal campaign to the Iraq Kurds, misstatements and other mistakes are not lies. As documents quoted March- was the gassing of Halabchah, August of 1988 - was the throughout the period, US officials believed that Iraq had chemical end of the Iraq, Iran war, August of 1990 - Iraq invades Kuwait, and biological weapons in stockpiles as republican and democrat January-March 1991 - operation of Dessert Storm, March-massacre voices in the government had generally agreed since the 1990’s. of the Shiites in southern Iraq, April 1991 - UN resolution 687 and The second explanation questioning no ones honesty has been that 688 where the sanction was applied, April 1993 - An assassination the wars rational hinged on as intelligence about in WMD that attempt on former President (Herbert) George Bush, October 1994- turned out to be false. Although inaccurate intelligence was indeed Iraq forces mobilize again to invade Kuwait, August 1995 - evic- a factor in the administrations thinking, the reasoning that drove the tion of Hussein Camille son-in-law of Saddam, December 1996 administration to overthrow Saddam had a broader base than a bad - oil for food program begins, August 1998 - Saddam announces WMD intelligence. This brings us to the third explanation of why suspension of UN inspection, October 1998 - Iraq immigration we went to war against Saddam: The president had an honest, well act becomes a US law, December of 1998 UN Security Council grounded rational, one that was not undermined by our failure to monitoring withdraws its staff from Iraq find WMD’s stockpiles in Iraq. December 1998- in this As the year of 2002 began, same month operation Desert Fox Bush and his Administration’s starts with US bombing the no fly History of Terrorism concerns about Saddam’s dan- zones in Iraq, December 1999- ger increased exponentially. He The UN creates the Arab Nation PART XVI feared that Saddam may give monitoring verification and in- these weapons to the terrorists, spection commission is created REBUTTAL #2 thus he decided to remove Sad- but unable to stop inspection or dam. That decision came in De- monitoring because of Saddam, DAVID YAZDAN cember of 2002 when the Iraqi 1999 to 2002 - Iraq fires on UK’s regime made its unsatisfactory and US patrol aircrafts almost on WMD declaration to the United a daily basis “This is no time for ease and comfort, it is a time to Nations. From that point for- The congressional hearing dare and endure. Criticism in the body of politics is ward it seems to everyone in the started before September 11th, like pain in the human body. It’s not pleasant, but defense department that the only which discussed the dangers of where would the body be without it? No health or way that Saddam Hussein could the biological weapons; there was sensibility would be possible without continued cor- have prevented the war was by no mention of the nuclear weap- rective and warning of pain.” recognizing an inevitability of ons. This group of high-level Winston Churchill, Manchester January 27, 1940. defeat and relinquishing his officials of US government was power and leaves the country. called the “dark winter group» who in June of 2001 approved the The economic sanction had done nothing to discourage Saddam following message: 1) a biological weapon attack with a contagious and hurt the people. The concern about the biological weapons photogene could potentially cripple the country. Non-contagious terrorism was an important part of the rational for overthrowing pathogen similarly crippling. 2) A local biological attack quickly Saddam, once it became clear that we had exhausted all other becomes a national a global crisis. 3) Government responses will means of disarming him. But, wasn’t that rational undermined pose enormous challenges to civil liberties. The less prepared we by Iraq’s survey group failure to find the expected WMD stock- are the more threats there will be to civil liberty. 4) America lacks piles in Iraq? The answer is no, because as we found out later the resource stockpiles required for appropriate response. This the rational did not depend solely on the concern of weapons of includes vaccines, antibiotics and the means of effective distribu- mass destruction, much less if Saddam Hussein had the WMD tion. 5) Forcible constraints on citizens may likely be the only tools stockpile on hand. Yet, many people belief then and now that it available even when vaccines stocks are depleted. Today we are did hinge on the existence of the stockpiles and this became a unequipped to prevent the dire consequences of a biological weap- disastrous credibility problem for the Bush Administration. ons attack. So began the concern and fear of those administrations The report that the Bush Administration had from the US about Saddam’s danger and it was not simply guess work. While intelligence official on Iraqi WMD painted the same picture that they knew he had used these weapons before, the other excuses those officials have presented to the Clinton Administration, The for removing him from power became secondary. CIA declared that Saddam had chemical and biological weapons The media and democrats in the congress accused the US stockpiles and that he was only a year away from creating a nuclear President of lying about the war. Sometimes, the lie was referred weapon, if he could get his hands on the plutonium or enriched to him and sometimes to the lower level officials and the defense uranium. The Administration officials didn’t feel comfortable department. They will accuse us to have willfully misrepresented guessing whether the production of WMD or transfer of WMD to

Winter 2008 15 C O M M E N T A R Y the terrorists was imminent. We knew our intelligence wasn’t very goals. It continues to harbor and sustain a number of anti-Israel ter- reliable, precise or timely enough to allow us to count on seeing rorist groups and to activate and encourage violence against Israel, such activity before it occurred or even promptly after. In 2008 we Regarding the Iraq and Al Qaeda relationship, reporting from sources realize that the CIA was wrong when it said we would find substan- of Vetting. If points to the number of contact incidence of training, tial chemical and biological weapons in stockpiles in Iraq so the the discussion of Iraqi’s safe haven for Osama Bin laden and his question is how might President Bush and his Administration have organization during his emergence dating from early 1990.” changed his thinking if they had believed there were no stockpiles? President Bush’s strategy of preempting sanction as it might History is not a controlled experiment, so we can only guess how be called anticipatory self-defense has important implications for events would have changed with the US government knowing then the way we view international relations. It is true that all the nations what they know now about Iraq’s weapons program. are bound by the united Nations but if one Nation is threatened During the Clinton’s Administration Congress felt Saddam either directly or indirectly then she has got the right to defend was a menace to the entire the Middle East. He had acquired itself by anyway she can and this was one of the main basis that chemical and biological weapons and attempted to acquire nu- the United States had to remove Saddam from power. There are a clear with the means to deliver those weapons using ballistic lot of friends, colleagues and compatriots who say well Iran has missiles. Saddam was ignoring the will of the United Nations been more dangerous to the United States than Iraq. How come and ignored the agreement he made during the Gulf War. Saddam nothing has been done about that? Although, on the surface this was, according to Senator Charles Shummer, (D) of New York, a seems to be correct, but when you look very deeply Iran never “dangerous force in the world. Hillary Clinton (D) also saw Sad- possessed chemical or biological weapons therefore, she was not dam as evil man, “a dictator who oppresses his people and flaunts an immediate danger to the United States. The CIA then decided to the mandate of the international community. While this behavior declare to have credible information under the relationship, which is reprehensible, it is Hussein’s vigorous pursuit of biological, had been developing for years between Saddam Hussein’s regime chemical and also nuclear weapons, and his present and potential and the terrorist group including Al Qaeda. future support for terrorists act and organizations that makes him “Our understanding of the relationship between Iraq and Al a terrible danger to the people of the United States.” Qaeda is evolving and is based on sources of vetting reliabilities. The CIA Report of Iraq for Terrorism, stated, “Iraq continues Some of the information we have received comes from detainees, to be a safe haven, transit point or operational note for groups and including some of the high ranks. We have a solid reporting of individuals who direct violence against the United States, Israel and senior levels of contact between Iraq and Al Qaeda going back other Allies. Iraq has a long history of supporting terrorism. During decade credible information has indicated that Iraq and Al Qaeda the last four decades it has altered its target to reflect priorities and have discussed safe haven and reciprocal non-aggression. Since

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16 No. 52 C O M M E N T A R Y the operation enduring freedom we have solid evidence of the Clinton spends 77 billion on war in Serbia - good. . . Bush spends presences in Iraq of Al Qaeda including some that have been in 67 billion in Iraq-bad, 3) Clinton imposes regime change in Serbia Baghdad. We have a creditable reporting that Al Qaeda sought - good. . . Bush imposes regime change in Iraq – bad, 4) Clinton contact in Iraq who could help them accord WMD capabilities. bombs Christian Serbs on behalf of Muslim Albanian terrorists The reporting also stated that Iraq had provided training to Al good, Bush liberates 25 million form genocidal dictator. . . bad, 5) Qaeda members in the area of the poisons and gas and of making Clinton bombs Chinese embassy - good. . . Bush bombs terrorist conventional bombs. Iraqi increasing support to extremist Pales- camps bad, 6) Clinton commits felonies while in office - good . . tinians, coupled with growing indications of relationships with . Bush lands on aircraft carrier in jumpsuit – bad, 7) Clinton says Al Qaeda suggests that Baghdad’s links to terrorists will increase, mass graves in Serbia - good. . . Entire world says WMD in Iraq with absent US military action. – bad, 8) Stock market crashes in 2000 under Clinton - good. . . Going back to the Clinton era during which he had called Recession under Bush – bad, 9) Clinton refuses to take custody of attention to the less intense era before 9-11. Imagine now the Bin Laden - good. . . World Trade Centers fall under Bush – bad, future, if Saddam failed to comply with the US Security Council 10) No mass graves found in Serbia -good. . . No WMD found Iraq and we failed to act, or we took an ambiguous safe route which -bad, 11) Terrorist training in Afghanistan under Clinton - good. . . gave him more opportunity to develop his program of weapons of Bush destroys training camps in Afghanistan – bad, 12) Milosevic mass destruction, continued to press for the release of sanctions not yet convicted - good. . . Saddam in custody and dead – bad, and continued to ignore his commitment? It would probably have 13) Clinton did not do anything to stop the terrorist from harming been concluded that the international Community had lost its will. the US - good. . . Bush kicked their butt, bad, and 14) Democrats Saddam then would have concluded that he had the right to rebuild approved removal of Saddam, signed by Clinton - good. . Bush an arsenal of devastating destruction. President Clinton said that, implemented it - bad . . . . In my opinion there was really no “he will use this arsenal. I think everyone of you who really works choice than to remove Saddam and what happened afterward was on this believes that to be true. “Senator Bidden reasoned the fol- of course, partly a bad situation on the part of the defense depart- lowing, “that he is in material breech of the latest UN resolution, ment and also the fact that both Syria and Iran contributed to the with little option but to remove him.” Senator Rockefeller a then insurgency from all directions. a ranking democrat on the senate intelligence committee declared, “we must eliminate what threat that we have now before it’s too REFERENCES: late?” He went on to analyze the problem of imminence. 1) War & Decision, by Doug Faith. 2) Clippings from, Wall St Journal “...There has been some debate of how “imminent” the and New York Times. 3) Internet. threat Iraq posed. I do believe that it is an imminent threat and that since September 11, that question is outdated. It is the nature of these weapons and the way they are targeted against civilian populations that documented capability and demonstrated intent may be the only warning we get. To insist on further evidence could put some of our fellow Americans at risk. Could we afford to take this chance, no. Saddam Hussein represents a great threat to the United States and I have concluded that we must use force to deal with him if all other means fail.” President Clinton was confronted in the summer of 2004 while he had supported the removal of Saddam and later his wife supported going to war. He came up with the following answer) After 9/11, let’s be fair here, if you had been the President dur- ing September 11th, you would think well, this fellow Bin laden just turned these three airplanes full of fuel into weapons of mass destruction, right? Well my first responsibility now would be to try everything possible to make sure that this terrorist network and other terrorist networks cannot reach or gain chemical or biological weapons or small amounts of fissile material. I have got to take care of that. That is why I supported the Iraq war. There was a lot of stuff unaccounted for so I thought that the President had an absolute responsibility to go to the UN and say, look guys, after 9/11 you have got to demand that Saddam Hussein lets us finish the inspection process? You couldn’t reasonably finish the possibility that Saddam had these stocks. I never really thought he would use them but he has done it before. What I was far more worried about was that he would sell these weapons or give it away to the terrorist. When you are the president and your country has just been through what we had we want everything to be accounted for. We can summarize this rebuttal with the following summaries of 15 Items, which is quite obvious to the reader. 1) Clinton awards Halliburton no-bid contract in Yugoslavia - good. ,. Bush awards Halliburton no-bid contract in Iraq - bad, 2)

Winter 2008 17 C O M M E N T A R Y pers claimed that Tajiks could be found only in the Pamir (in the Tajik ASSR), THE AXED PERSIAN IDENTITY and that “people who believe there are Tajiks in the rest of Central Asia are in- PART TWO sane.” Shotemur described how Uzbeks engaged in the systematic “persecution TAJIKISTANWEB.COM of Tajiks and the Tajik language.” The situation became so bad, he argued, that at the time of 1926 census “it was impos- Linguistic Internationalization the Communities Re-emerge, believe that sible to step forward and say that Tajiks process of the differentiation between Per- all those measures (to establish a ‘nor- existed in Uzbekistan,” let alone tell a sian and ‘Tajiki’ in Soviet Central Asia mative Tajik language’) were aimed at census taker that you were one. Other Ta- lasted longer than thought. In spite of neutralizing “Pan-Iranism” among Tajik jik leaders agreed that such circumstances renaming the language and changing its intellectuals, that is, “the consciousness had led to false census totals. Bukhara and script, its obvious oneness with Persian of deep commonality of the cultural and Samarkand were famous throughout the of other lands remained vivid. linguistic heritage of the Central Asian east as Tajik cities, but the 1926 census In the spirit of ‘internationalism’ Persian-speakers with the people of Iran showed them to be Uzbek. “Did all the a massive stream of Russian and other and Afghanistan.” Sadriddin Ayni’s self- Tajiks die?” asked Abdurahim Hajibayev foreign borrowings flowed into the lan- designation as “Farsi” (ma Farsiyan) in (another Tajik Communist leader –twc). guage replacing their Persian equivalents, one of his articles heightened the new au- “If so, it must be as a result of un-Soviet and specific Russian characters were in- thorities’ concern. Ayni’s compendium of policies.” (Francine Hirsch, Empire of Na- troduced in the newly modified Cyrillic Tajik literature (Namunai Adabiyate Tajik) tions: Ethnographic Knowledge and the alphabet. The upshot was tremendous. gave rise to intense debate and some Rus- Making of the Soviet Union). Even the name of the state changed from sian ‘scholars’ rejected Tajiks’ claim for “Jumhuri-i Shuravi-i Sosialisti-i Tajiki- any kind of literature prior to their Soviet AWAKENING INTERRUPTED stan” to “Republikai Sovetii Sotsialistii history. The compendium contained po- Nevertheless, prevailing anti-Persian Tajikistan”. ems by Rudaki, Ferdowsi, Hafez, Sa’adi, sentiments of the Soviets failed hamper The Linguistic Conference of 22 Nezami, Kamal Khojandi, Sayf Isfaragi Tajiks’ affinity towards their Persophone August 1930 in Stalinabad (Dushanbe) and many others. brethren on the other side of the border. chaired by the Russian Orientalist Alek- “By 1930 the Namuna had been Later, in 1970s, academician Babajan sandr Semenov came to the following banned and in many cases destroyed,” says Ghafurov (Bobojon Ghafurov), the former conclusions: Paul Bergne in his book. Sadriddin Ayni First Secretary of the Communist Party of – the new Tajik language should was labeled as a “reactionary monarchist” Tajikistan, contended that, in fact, Central emerge from the existing language of Ta- by authorities. To prove his loyalty to the Asia was the cradle of the medieval Per- jik newspapers, journals and books and Soviets Ayni had to publish unassailably sian language and culture. According to not be completely re-invented; - this lan- pro-Soviet novels Odina and Dokhunda him, “ Tajik had already acquired its main guage should be comprehensible for all in 1930. In return, all poets mentioned characteristics and was spoken in Central Tajik speakers in the Soviet Union. The in Ayni’s Namuna were recognized as Asia, north-eastern Iran, and northern necessary simplification of the language Perso-Tajik classic literary figures. But Afghanistan before the Arab conquest could be achieved by approaching the their heirs in Central Asia were to be kept began in the seventh century, although language spoken by Soviet Tajiks; - the in minority. the language was called “Persian” rather language would have to abandon certain than “Tajik”. In the centuries following forms which until then had been com- “DID ALL THE TAJIKS DIE?” the Arab conquest, Persian displaced a mon characteristics of the Persian/Tajik Soviet census is a painful issue that number of other Iranian languages spoken written language both inside and outside would absorb hundreds of pages, if we in Central Asia. These displaced languages the Soviet Union (Paul Bergne, The Birth choose to write about it. But it should had a lasting influence on the vocabulary of Tajikistan: National Identity and the be mentioned here that Tajiks, who had and pronunciation of the Persian dialects Origins of the Republic).Those ‘certain no allies in the new Slavo-Turkic union, spoken there, making them markedly dif- Persian forms’ were abandoned indeed, were among the main victims of the So- ferent from dialects spoken further west. but survived in the masses’ spoken lan- viet population counts and their number It was only these eastern dialects, which guage. For instance, the Persian subjunc- decreased drastically between 1917 and first bore the name “Persian”. (Jo-Ann tive prefix ‘be-’ (‘bi-’) excluded from the 1926 censuses. The chief secretary of the Gross, Muslims of Central Asia: Expres- ‘modern literary Tajik’ survived the Soviet Tajik Committee of the Uzbek Communist sions of Identity and Change). Ghafurov linguistic hurricane among ordinary Tajik Party at the time believed that the ‘biased succeeded to prove Tajiks’ pivotal role in people and it is still in use. Numerous and unfair’ 1926 census was a tool of Uz- the creation of Persian civilization in his Turkic elements such as “-mi” question bekization. As a result, millions of Tajiks great work Tojikon. particle and broken sentence structures in Samarkand, Bukhara, Surkhan-Darya Tajik academics went further while penetrated the ‘new language’ to alienate and other Persian-populated areas of Uz- defining their new identity or rather trac- it from the language of Persians abroad. bekistan turned into Uzbeks overnight. ing back their real ethnic designation. Persophobia Andreas Kappeler and Ed- “According to Shotemur, soon after The author of Muslims of Central Asia ward Allworth, the authors of the Muslim the delimitation of 1924, Uzbek newspa- describes the Persophile upsurge in the

18 No. 52 C O M M E N T A R Y post-perestroika Tajikistan: “A Tajik professor, writing in a large- AN INTERESTING HOUR IN QAZVIN circulation newspaper, has defined “Iran” as not only the name of a particular twen- BY: SYMA SAYYAH, TEHRAN tieth-century state but also the much larger area, from the Indus and Syr Darya to the Many things have come across my way most unexpectedly. Recently during borders of what are now Turkey, Iran, and a business trip with the CEO of PKCF to and around Qazvin, we arrived early Syria, that formed the original homeland of for our meeting with Mohandess Haydari, who is the head of Nousazi Madaress all the Iranian peoples, including the Tajiks (new schools building) in Qazvin province and Mohandess Ghiyassvand. Since (Dodkhudoev, 1986). A related argument is everything was ready, we finished our meeting early and so we had about an hour that the Tajiks were a large and powerful before heading to our next meeting in Jaffarabad to visit an extension to a school people in the past, inhabiting northeastern PKCF has built there. Mohandess Haydari kindly lent us his car and his driver for Iran, Afghanistan, Xinjiang, and other ar- a quick tour around Qazvin, which incidentally none of us had seen before. eas, in addition to Central Asia (Siddiqov, Qazvin, which is about 90km to the west of Tehran and in the past has been 1984)… The head of Tajikistan’s Acad- quite famous. It was chosen as the capital during the Safavid era and it was also emy of Sciences until recently, Muham- an important and significant city during the time of the Ghajars. Qazvin is a city of mad Osimi (Russian spelling: Asimov) has about a million inhabitants. The main sights include the not yet opened traditional stated that Persian, Dari (Kabul Persian, tea house and museum of anthropology and the restored Ghajar bath complex. a lingua franca in Afghanistan) and Tajik When I was doing research for this piece, I realized that Ali Akbar Dehkhoda are essentially a single language despite (linguist and compiler of the first Persian dictionary), Obeid Zakani (poet and numerous differences in specialized vo- satirist) and Hamdollah Mostowfi (historian) all came from Qazvin. cabularies and spoken dialects, adding that, There are many mosques from different periods which are worth seeing as “our classical literature, which was written well as many tombs and water springs and reservoirs as well as caravansarais (an in Dari Persian language is the common ancient type motel for passengers and cattle). I am sure you all would guess that property of the Iranians, Afghans and Tajiks there one finds many old and new bazaars and last but not least, what we found alike” (Rajabi, 1987:4)” (Jo-Ann Gross, very pleasant was the garden of the museum of the Kolah Farangi building. Muslims of Central Asia: Expressions of Identity and Change, 1992). This sentiment reached its culmination in 1989, when Tajikistan became the first Central Asian republic to formulate a lan- guage law. It was the fourth such law in the entire Soviet Union preceded only by those in the three Baltic States. The law passed on July 22, 1989 under the pressure of massive demonstrations that demanded the main language of the republic to replace Russian as the official language. The law granted the language its original name ‘Persian’ in brackets – Tajiki (Farsi).According to the law, the Foundation for Tajik Persian was established in the same year. The Cyrillic was also supposed to be replaced by the Perso-Arabic script by 1996. Even now Ta- jik intellectuals recall that day as a golden moment of their cultural euphoria in the 20th century. Indeed, it was just a moment not meant to last forever. A five-year bloody civil war (1992- 1997) interrupted Tajik cultural upsurge. Provincial neo-Communist forces came to power not without the Russian and Uzbek support and the process went backwards. An anti-Persian mood became prevalent and all Persian writings were wiped off the streets. In 1994 the Tajik parliament amended the 1989 Language Law, stating that the name of the state language was now called only Tajik (Tojiki). And the plan to return to the Perso-Arabic script was abandoned indefinitely.

Winter 2008 19 C O M M E N T A R Y EXPANSION OF GLOBAL POWER THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGICAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMICAL DOMINATION PART ONE BY: M. K. SADIGH

Globalism referrers to a unified inter- sophisticated manners. The new condition international trades in a world-wide scale national geopolitical system of gathered of modern time brought up drastic social which the out come of it only guaranteed nations, which creates the possibility of and intellectual changes and positioned the the interest of the participants. The Interna- a common market, free from regulations, world in a fast phase of progress toward tional Monetary Funds and the World Bank limitations, and the impositions of their post modernism and followed by the new as international institutions of finance and governments. The phenomenon of global- world order. trades along with their vast organizational ism came to existence when the expansion This new order also instigated the com- and administrative institutions which origi- of the market to a larger measure became plexity, alienation, injustice, and confusion nally were created to serve the economical crucial means of sustenance and develop- as well as hegemonic suppression of ethical means, and provide aids to those nations ment for trade as a vital phase for indus- and intellectual freedom. In this new world of needs to develop and achieve certain trial revolution. In essence the Globalism order no longer the individualism mattered economical goals. On the contrary these in- was the manifestation of the liberation of or accounted for, instead universality and stitutions became the vehicles of marketing economical, social and political activi- holistic consideration became a determinant and commerce for big corporations which ties, within the new world order based power, which phased out what ever did not their functions overshadowed the interests on certain ethical paradigms. Generally fit in its organizational territory. Beside the of the people. the concept of universality which in the political and economical domination, the IMF as an international monetary fund standpoint of trades formed in to the Glo- individual identity was replaced with the established at the Bretton Woods Confer- balism was freedom from the supervision global identity, and nationalism eventually ence in 1944 its task was to regulate, distrib- of religion and politics. Basically as part of sucked in to a larger and far more powerful ute, and provide economical aides to those enlighten movement it was the manifesta- global system. In a way it was the revival nations that need monetary assistances. In tions of a general historical significance of imperial power of the past, but far more fact, its original goal was the provision of as a fundamental motivation for fulfill- advanced and sophisticated and in a more the necessary funds to the poorest nations, ment of human struggles toward modern elusive and pretentious presentation. which they could not possibly stand on movements which resulted the historical The expansion of International rela- their feet without outside assistance. This changes of democratic advancement of tion and the composition of a global con- in itself was a highly valuable project that today. Since then the social and politi- stitution. attracted more colonies and newly liberated cal evolution passed trough tremendous The expansion of International rela- nations from colonialism to its member- reorientation. It took decades of human tion and the composition of a global consti- ship. The head quarter of IMF is located sacrifices to configure the whole new so- tution capable of dictating the laws beyond in Washington DC and its members have cial order. the jurisdiction of individual sovereignty the full responsibility to comply with all Historically the atmosphere of pre- laid down the first ground for materializa- the rules and regulations proposed by the modernism was to a great extent suppres- tion of global domination. This new global institution. Its basic responsibility is regula- sive to the majority of human rights, in the system created the appropriate atmosphere tion of gold market, and reconstruction of expenses of maintaining only the interests for world trade relation which resonates the the economy of the poor nations. of the more powerful social rank. In deed new trends of changes in the mechanism of The increasing members of IMF and modernism reduced that suppression and international trades. expansion of the international relations expanded the scope of human conscious- The paradoxical outcome of this new required more administrative power and ness to be free, receptive and aware of the world order from one hand was the en- more management, but at the same time facts of living environment and capable hancement of cultural and political maturity the institution became a capable body for of self-judgment about them, rather than associated with the technological advance- more accurate researches, and political being confined to condemnation to the ab- ment. In the other hand Global alliance of and economical studies about the needs, solute conformity. The modern Globalism the participants of this new system was expenses, annual incomes, the economical changed into a wholly different form or the prerequisite for their pacts, military al- credentials and the quantity and quality appearance of the old concept, which main- liances, and political unity for wars and of the trades between different nations. taining suppression and domination under invasive activities. In a way Globalism This new statues put IMF in an authoritar- deceptive appealing covers and in far more created the security and appropriation for ian position. Any member could barrow

20 No. 52 C O M M E N T A R Y money from the bank and pays it back OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS ANALOGICAL REFRENCE TO with its own currency by installment. They The broad influences of the Global- COMPREHEND THE STRUCTURE were responsible to maintain their credit ism as an international power also faced OF GLOBAL POWER in a good credible level, in order to con- opposition from national governments, In relation to the world peace and duct their international transaction. The because their authorities have been chal- global justice, Falk in his article resorts bank acted as a financial institution to help lenged and in some cases to a great deal to crucial elements, which create obsta- them in their transaction. In 1952 a new threaten by global power. Their oppositions cles for peace. One of these obstacles he facility was added to the IMF program for sometimes are raised to a level of hostil- believes is the hegemonic influence of the method assistance and prerequisite of ity and unpleasant contradictions. These the powerful nations over the powerless participation of the members and attaining encountering are in direct opposition with nations, in the United Nations. This influ- the credit and loans. By 1961 between ten the interests of their governing forces. Their ence, some times exceeds to a level that countries an agreement was established fear is generated by the unavoidable intel- paralyzes the freedom and judgements of to provide credits for their international lectual maturity of their people through those members. transactions, whenever they need it. In the technological advancements of inter- The existence of such intimidating 1962 they even provided assistance to national communications which ironically imbalance diminishes the security of free those nations who were affected by the could facilitate their advancement toward and fair judgments, as a result, the global world monitory fluctuation. the formation of a civil societies and world peace. In such unethical conditions then, All these expansion needed more fund peace. the opportunity for fair judgments, and and more efficient mechanism to run in or- In his article published in the interna- the guarantees for rightful determination der to produce a world balance of trades tional affair in the spring of 1999, Richard become non-existence reality. and economy. This issue was considered Falk introduces the obstacles and barriers At the present time, what ever we in the general assembly of IMF in 1969. in the realization of world’s peace. He be- recognize as manifestations of the world They also decided to give credits to their lieves the most important obstacle is the peace is occasional meetings, discussions, members without the collateral support ideological differences that create diversity and mediations. All we can see is, the col- and the right of cotta, which was added in among the international body. The nature of laborations and unifications, which are ma- 1968. Finally IMF and International bank such diversity predominantly is the national terialized under the title of the world peace, with a joint investment of several billion and ethnical differences, which every na- but truly had not yet, achieved the global dollars balance expanded their operation tion strives to sustain its identity, in spite identity by any measure. These activities far more extensive than before all over of this, also, there have been a great deal of generally cover a lesser parameter than the the world, lending, programming, plan- development achieved and brought positive global significance and it is unrealistic to ning, and designing projects to reconstruct results for peace to content the sympathiz- even define then in the realm of global the economies of different nations. Such ers of the world peace. scope, even tough, always labeled interna- powerful joined institutions undoubtedly One of the most concealed barriers is tionally. This became a known reality, that became an open shelter for power manipu- the emphasis on the superiority and dis- United Nations, as suspiciously and pain- lation of the most dominant economical tinction of one’s ethnicity over the others. fully revealed, became a pragmatic ground and technological powers to expand their This will definitely isolates and divides for power struggle, in deed, an appropri- influences for manipulations and exploita- the nations, to a level that limits the func- ate ground for bargaining and piecemeal, tion of the unfortunate nations. tion of the rationality and comprehension. where the big powers accessibly orches- The result of such distinction is the prefer- trate a global policy directed to individual OTHER ASPECTS OF GLOBALISM ence of political and economical values achievement rather than international or Globalism is not only identified by being the only criteria for judgment rather global interests. In spite of such unfair the hegemonic characteristic such as in- than ethical values. The most optimistic political practice, there are also powerful ternational domination, economical power, result of global civil society would be the members, who are in the contradictory po- and of course political influences, which amalgamation and collaboration of ethical sitions, siding with the globally recognized determines the destiny of the people of forces from all over the world under one and respected human values denounce the the world. Globalism also refers to trans- unified banner. individualistic domination in the favors of cutural collaboration, peace movements This unified or at least recognized global justice. As matter of fact, it is the and the development of cultural relations, global force would be able to counter bal- significance and sincerity of this body that international health programs, and defense ance the forces, which dismissed the ethi- produces hopes for the future of the world of human rights. Many aspects of human cal human values for the benefits of eco- peace and human rights. life, which cover the problems beyond the nomical and technological preferences. All the international interactions scope of local and regional needs, are con- The selective administrational authorities whether it is positive or negative will fa- sidered international and global problems. of the members, the heads of states, and cilitate the exposures of variety of facts. As matter of fact, all these programs and the political delegations which apparently Eventually the result is enhancement of activities originally were created under the forwarding the global understanding led to the global consciousness and hopefully banner of humanitarian consideration and global peace, conduct most of the general preparation for better understanding. Even later on developed to the powerful institu- United Nation’s discussions. In the con- though, most of the preoccupations of dis- tions of today. trary, this selectivity creates more confu- cussions, negotiations, and mediations re- sion because most of the representatives lated with provision of individual interests THE BROAD INFLUENCES OF THE in reality do not represent the interests of and occasional matters. GLOBALISM AND THE OPPOSITION the majority to be continued

Winter 2008 21 C O M M E N T A R Y efore getting on with this essay, I feel compelled to clear up a few misperceptions. Commentators and analysts, whether BIranian, Iranian American or, in many cases even of for- eign origin, who rise in defense of Iran’s position with regard to practically any issue of international concern, are not necessarily Iran apologists or, as often insinuated, paid agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Just as clearly, criticizing policies of the American or Israeli administrations does not make the critic an anti-American, THE IRAN unpatriotic or anti-Semitic. Unfortunately, being unjustly accused or slandered goes with the territory. As the saying goes, those of us who cannot tolerate the heat should stay out of the kitchen. QUESTION I, as many others who speak or write about the Iranian issues, am not in any position to gain anything materially by supporting the mandates of the Islamic Republic regime in Tehran. I do, however BY: KAM ZARRABI sympathize with the Iranian nation and the hopes and expectations of a people that have been subjected to underserved hardships, with an awareness of the forces at work that have prevented the aspira- tions of the Iranian people from materializing in due time. It is a historical fact, however, that what is righteous or fair doesn’t always, or even often, rise to the top by some natural or supernatural buoyancy. In today’s interconnected world, any rapid change in the balance of powers, especially in a strategically social condition of the nation, the only ideologically meaningful important region of the shrinking planet, will have wide-range common denominator is religion. Shi’a Islam, which distinguishes ramifications that affect and redirect the dynamics of that change. the Iranian nation from the mainstream Sunni world, served as the The Islamic revolution, a truly grassroots uprising in Iran, was rallying banner of a popular front against the inept rule of the late no exception. For many, it is almost an empirical truth that social Ghajar period, and again, some 70 years later, against the unpopular freedom, civil liberty, political independence and democratic as- Pahlavi dictatorial monarchy. pirations are purely Western concepts that are particularly alien to After the success of the earlier Constitutional Revolution, Islamic societies. This kind of self-delusional myth goes hand-in- the clerical leaders retreated, by force and by choice, back to their hand with a general lack of appreciation of the fact that all freedoms traditional seats of spiritual authority in the Shi’a Iran’s equivalents and liberties are bound within, and limited by, cultural and legal of the Vatican: Ghom and Mashhad. In contrast, after Iran’s second constraints even among the most liberal secular democracies of uprising, the Islamic Revolution of 1978-79, the clerical authority the West. In other words, there is no such thing as absolute or has not relinquished its control and power, and the revolutionary unlimited freedoms or liberties, or even a universally accepted spirit has remained undiminished after a generation to this day. definition of these terms. Why has it been different this time? If communism failed to deliver its promises of the liberation of As is always the case, the struggle for liberation from corrupt the masses from totalitarian rule, this failure, whatever its causes, authoritarian rule does not begin by a spontaneous mass uprising does not negate the potential that there could be a workable com- among the oppressed proletariat, in other words, the downtrod- munist or socialist “democracy.” We have observed communist den and disenfranchised population that is too preoccupied with dictatorships head for their demise as in the former Soviet Union, rudiments of survival to be concerned about such concepts as or toward remodeling and reform as is the case in today’s China, liberty or democracy. The seeds that germinate into such revolu- all the result of economic pressures that invariably eclipse ideo- tions are planted by the intelligentsia or the better educated elite, logical factors. We are also observing capitalist democracies that, academics, clerics and the always influential merchant classes. unless harnessed by “socialist- style” restraints, easily morph into But no matter how potent the seeds of reform might be, without dictatorships of the capitalist monopolies, a precursor to regional, rallying the support of the populous, the vehicle of revolutionary and then global, imperialism. change cannot gain sufficient momentum to overcome the powers Similarly, Islam or Islamic government is not by nature in- of the establishment. Against the modern, sophisticated and well compatible with democracy or democratic reform unless, of course, regimented internal security and military power of the Iranian we chose, as we have, to define democracy in such narrow terms regime of the late 70’s, it would be hard to imagine any banner that would exclude from that definition any form of a participatory or common denominator other than religious ideology that could universal suffrage that does not fit our specific criteria. have unified the masses with any hope of success. Iran’s own social uprising in defense of democratic reforms The revolution of 1978-79 thus became the Islamic Revolu- dates back to the first decade of the 20th century. A recent publi- tion under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, who had spent cation, The Quest for Democracy in Iran; A Century of Struggle years in exile, returning only after the Shah, Mohammad Reza Against Authoritarian Rule” authored by Professor Fakhreddin Pahlavi, abdicated the throne for the last time. Azimi, is recommended reading for those interested in this subject. Many intellectual Iranians, mostly in self-exile in Europe or Interestingly, that “Constitutional Revolution”, which limited the the United States, decided to join their counterparts in the homeland powers of the monarchy by establishing a parliamentary system, to celebrate this historic opportunity and to channel the flood of was also led by the religious hierarchy. That was no surprise. In a revolution in the direction of a modern secular democracy even if, traditional society characterized by disparate ethnic and linguistic at least temporarily, within the framework of Shi’a Islam. blocks and a weak central government totally oblivious to the Much to the surprise and dismay of the rejuvenated Left-

22 No. 52 C O M M E N T A R Y leaning intelligentsia, the United States was not only unfazed by hostages, anyway. the success of the Islamic Revolution, it had even encouraged the The only remaining alternative for the regime was to negoti- remaining Iranian military top brass to surrender to the Islamic ate with the leftist “student” militants, promise them safety and authorities to prevent a bloody coup and to pave the way toward broader political liberties, in order to gain some control over the a smoother transition. “Mission to Tehran”, a book by General destiny of the hostages. The subsequent developments snowballed Robert Huyser, Jimmy Carter’s emissary to Tehran during early in both the United States and in Iran to a point that emotionally 1979, is a helpful reference. charged, exaggerated and sensationalized tabloid versions of the The fact that the United States did not encourage a military events totally eclipsed the realities on the ground. coup, as it did under the much less critical conditions in 1953 to There could be little doubt that the death of any number of abort the nationalist movement of Prime Minister Mosaddegh, was those American hostages would have brought about an abrupt a clear sign that a rapprochement with the new Islamic regime was end to the militarily defenseless embryonic Islamic government, in the making. This did not sit well with the leftist revolutionar- followed by the return of the Shah and his generals. This was ies who could smell the potential reestablishment of yet another, something that the Khomeini regime could not afford. Not just and perhaps stronger, pro-imperialist regime, this time in Islamic America, but also Khomeini’s regime were thus held hostage by colors. Their suspicions were further confirmed when the Islamic the leftist militants. That episode changed forever the direction of Revolutionary command began a sever crackdown on leftist so- Middle East’s turbulent history. cialist groups, which pushed them underground and treated them It is not a coincidence that a total crackdown on the leftist more brutally than what they had suffered under the previous militants was resumed in full force almost immediately after the regime. Viewed as counter revolutionaries opposed to the tenets of release of the hostages upon Ronald Reagan’s inauguration as the an Islamic Republic, many escaped this crackdown by remaining new President. The raison d’être for the very legitimacy of Iran’s dormant, and others were sent to exile, imprisoned or banished. Islamic Revolution, i.e., breaking the shackles of imperialism, The perception persists to this day among the more “liberal” and the public angst and grievance in the United States against secularists and many former royalists that the Islamic Revolution the hostage taking, have helped perpetuate the prevailing narra- owed its success to encouragement and support by the United States tives. Unchallenged to this day, these narratives have gained an and Great Britain; in other words, the imperialist global powers, undeserved and counterproductive historicity, which continues without whose endorsement no major political sea change, they to mar the image of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the enemy firmly believe, would be allowed to take place. of the United States, and America’s image in Iran as the Great The November 1979 taking of the American embassy and Satan. Meanwhile, there are forces and special interests that have holding the staff as hostages was clearly an attempt by the leftist found the muddied relationship between the United States and activists to gain the upper hand. This gave them the ultimate bar- Iran quite ripe for exploitation. It is against this background that gaining chips to escape total elimination by the new Islamic regime. we must view and analyze the current events in the Middle East, This was indeed a brilliant master stroke. The battle cry of the particularly as they relate to what has been often termed by the revolutionary forces moving against the monarchy included phrases American administration as the Iran Question. such as, “Neither East nor West”, or “Freedom and Independence”, The President called Iran a member of the global axis of evil implying objections to the subservience of the monarchy to the during his State of the Union address in January 2002, accusing mandates of the imperial West, particularly the United States. The the Islamic Republic of perpetrating and supporting international leftist militants had no difficulty in receiving great popular sup- terrorism, human rights violations and, above all, attempts to de- port for their action. The Embassy became known as the “Nest of velop nuclear weapons. Ever since then, many experts in the field Spies”, notwithstanding the fact that all embassies everywhere in of nuclear science and weaponry, academics with knowledge of the world are engaged in espionage and influence peddling, and the Middle East, Iran experts, and even the official arm of the UN the American embassy in Tehran was no exception. that deals with non-proliferation issues, have repeatedly cleared The Khomeinists were clearly taken by surprise, facing a Iran of any wrong doing in violation of the nuclear non prolifera- potentially catastrophic dilemma. Had this hostage taking been tion agreement. sanctioned or planned by the Islamic regime, it would have been Iran’s support for the alleged international terrorist organiza- the greatest strategic blunder committed by the burgeoning Islamic tions hangs on the assumptions that said organizations are, in fact, Republic. Yet, with popular support for this takeover and against terrorist groups, a view that puts the United States and Israel in the backdrop of anti-American sloganeering and anti-West propa- disagreement with the rest of the global community. With regard ganda, the regime had no option but to try to appear as accepting, to human rights violations, although that accusation is quite justi- even condoning, this action. fied, Iran’s situation pales in comparison with what is going on in The plan by the hostage takers was quite clear. They knew other societies throughout the world, some of the most egregious that although the United States had initially been favorable to the violators of human rights being among America’s best friends in establishment of the Islamic Republic and a reopening of normal the Middle East! relations with Iran, the death of American hostages in any numbers The current dilemma or standoff between the United States in the hands of the militants would leave the American administra- and Iran can be addressed at two levels. At the street level, the tion with no option but to take immediate and decisive military American public, although as surveys show are against another action against Iran. Submitting to the American demands for the military confrontation in the Middle East and favor a diplomatic Khomeini regime to condemn and disavow the hostage taking approach with Iran by at least a two-to-one margin, show no and force the release of the captives would have meant political skepticism or reason to question the prevailing media portrayal suicide for the fledgling revolution that was facing some rather stiff of Iran and the Iranians as a threat to America’s security and best internal struggles. Furthermore, any attempt to force the surrender interests. Peoples’ representatives and lawmakers in the Congress of the militants could have easily resulted in the death of several are similarly inclined. They vote along party lines and in step with

Winter 2008 23 C O M M E N T A R Y cliques that are submissive to special interest lobbies. Only the few or what forces have dictated this prescription. top Administration officials and ranking members of the Senate and The beneficiaries of a catastrophic long-term military involve- the House committees are privies to the kind of information that ment in the Middle East, particularly involving the United States would be instrumental in the decision making processes. and Iran, do not include the United States, Iran, or the Middle It is, therefore, an exercise in futility to lobby your representa- East region - interestingly barring only Israel! Other potential tive in Washington to vote against approving the budget to expand beneficiaries include the powerful military industrial complex in and intensify covert operations inside Iran, which recently passed the United States and, of course, oil interests. unanimously by both the Republicans and Democrats who serve Starting from the bottom, most observers who have not bought in special committees. That would be like writing to your child’s into the embarrassingly adolescent Administration’s line about the middle school principal that the students need better teachers or promotion of democracy and freedom in the Middle East believe larger classrooms. He or she already knows that; it ain’t going that the main reason for the invasion of Iraq was to ensure control to get done that way! At the higher level, above the pedestrian over the region’s oil. While the United States does not import crowds, however, the situation is quite different. It would be fool- much of its oil from the Middle East, there are indeed reasons to ish to think that the White House cabal ( perhaps, sadly, excluding be concerned about the quantity, continuity and the direction of the the President himself!) and senior State Department people, or flow of that oil. There are ever hungrier markets for oil particularly our civilian and military intelligence experts, need my advice or in the rapidly growing economies of China and India. Control over those of other experts in various foreign policy fields in order to this largest and most strategically vital international commodity make better decisions. We will not be telling them anything they means controlling the world economy. don’t already know. The question, however, is whether the strategy of creating What we all know, and what they also know, is the follow- and perpetuating mayhem in the oil rich Middle East would be ing: Iran is not in the process of procuring a nuclear bomb at this the best way to achieve this objective. Since for practically all time. So, what’s the fuss? Even if Iran did acquire the technology oil producing states in that region oil is the most significant and to make the bomb, it would never serve Iran’s interest to initiate in some cases the only source of revenue, it is ludicrous to think any attack, which would mean mass suicide for Iran. So, what’s that Iraq or Iran would benefit in any way to use the oil weapon there to fear? for any conceivable gain or for any length of time. On the other Iran’s aid or support of groups such as the Lebanese Hezbollah hand, China, India or any other developing country thirsty for and the Palestinian Hamas is a hedge against Israel’s habitual offen- energy could easily tap into the open oil markets in the high seas, sive posturing and threats against its perceived antagonists, and its insistence to remain the region’s unchallenged superpower. Is this really hard to understand? Open threats of attack, official policy of the United States for a regime change in Iran, and economic sanc- tions and diplomatic pressures imposed on the Islamic Republic, have all served to strengthen the Islamic government by providing it with greater legitimacy and rationale to impose stricter measures against the dissidents and reformists. If the aim of the American administration was a regime change and democratic reforms, these policies have clearly accomplished just the opposite. Similarly, if the American policy is to discourage Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, threats against its security and territo- å—uK�ò —œ UL� —U� q�� U� t�U� n� È«d� U� s�d�N� rial integrity would compel the Islamic Republic to gain access to at least the technology for some meaningful retaliatory response. Hardwood • Vinyl & Ceramic Tiles Why not quit the threats and then expect Iran to abandon any plans to access the weapon? According to most military and economic • Parquet Pergo • Plywood experts, an attack on Iran by the United States or its regional • Marble • Granite surrogate Israel would not only fail to accomplish the advertised • Carpet Sanding & Refinishing objectives, it would create a regional quagmire whose blowback can devastate the economies of the globe and cost the United States • Bathroom Remodeling much more than it could possibly gain as the result. Then, why are “all the options” still on the table? Al Fatemi Again, those at the level of decision making in the American B.S.M.E administration must also know these facts. So, what factors are Lic. No. 13VHO1231000 preventing these logical steps to lead us to a better solution to the problem? Isn’t the answer quite clear? The objective is simply not a 253 Madison Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481 resolution of adversities and the creation of a peaceful atmosphere in the region. It doesn’t take a supercomputer to figure out what Tel: (201) 848-8988 steps would lead us away from the flashpoint in that combustible atmosphere. On the other hand, knowing from experience if not Fax: (201) 848-8987 from logical deduction what policies are most likely to lead us and the region to assured disaster, why are we deliberately heading the Toll Free: 1-800-667-3431 wrong way? Is it because the wrong way is actually our prescribed way?! If that is the case, perhaps we should try to understand who

24 No. 52 C O M M E N T A R Y regardless of where that oil was produced. the Midwest, housing crisis, joblessness, and giant corporations Oil is definitely an important concern, but at least in my laying off thousands more employees, the public has little patience opinion, not enough of a concern to have warranted going to war deciphering, let alone accepting, complex geopolitical realities. and getting stuck in the mess we are in. Meanwhile, the war drum will continue to beat - the hollower The next beneficiary of an ongoing international instability, the louder. As Washington and Tel Aviv keep letting it be known regional strife and war is thought by many analysts to be the gigan- that “all options are on the table”, and the Unites States Navy tic military industrial complex, a multi trillion dollar enterprise that embarks on yet another set of war exercises in the Persian Gulf, feeds, and feeds on, the America’s economy. As the world’s biggest their Iranian counterparts thump their own chests and threaten to arms supplier, America sell more arms to the world market than all annihilate the enemy in case of any attack upon Iran. Somehow, other arms producers combined. From another angle, as long as the Iranians seem quite blasé about this charade. One doesn’t instability and potential danger to America’s strategic interests exist have to be walking the streets of Tehran to see that people are too in the world, there will always be a need for a dominant military concerned about the runaway inflation, joblessness, corruption and power to defend these interests. The industries that support the the general state of the nation’s economy to worry about American military need, from factories, research centers and shipyards, to and Israeli bombs and missiles or nuclear fallout. aerospace industries, constitute the bulk of America’s economic I can only conclude that the charade is only aimed at the Ameri- infrastructure. Again, it is debatable whether the so-called war on can public and the lawmakers in Washington, those whose sympa- terror and the invasion of Iraq, and the threats against Iran, were thies will ensure that the grand extortionist’s demands are met. critical factors in ensuring the longevity of this giant conglomerate. Unlike other industries, the military-related industries do not have to show a profit to remain solvent. CHILDHOOD ‘TOY’ REVEALED That leaves us with the final option, Israel’s interests. There aren’t many observers and analysts, even among the anti-war AS ANCIENT PERSIAN RELIC activist or voices of dissent, who dare express their beliefs that the invasion of Iraq and now the threat of war against Iran and possibly Syria, as well as attempts to change Lebanon’s politi- cal makeup, all have been, and continue to be, serving Israel’s agendas. Yet it can hardly be questioned that serendipitously, but more likely not by accident, the sole beneficiary of these actions has been the Israeli regime. As I have said before, I do not believe that another war is in the making, this time against Iran. Again, at the street level, the reason America should resort to diplomacy and avoid war is not because in the minds of the American people Iran is clear of all charges leveled against it. In the public mind Iran continues to remain a threat to regional and global peace and security. The conventional wisdom, however, has it that America is now stretched too thin militarily, the economy is suffering and people are just tired of this seemingly endless war. At a higher level, behind the phony façade of the “Iranian threat”, there is real concern that, unless the Israeli regime is suf- LONDON (AFP) – An ancient gold cup mysteriously acquired ficiently appeased and its appetite satiated, some act of aggression by an English scrap metal dealer is expected to fetch close to a mil- or sabotage against Iran might open the flood gates that would lion dollars at auction after languishing for years in a shoe box under inevitably carry the United States with it and inundate the entire its current owner’s bed. Owner John Webber says his grandfather region with catastrophic results for Iran, as well for the American gave him the 5.5-inch (14-centimetre) high mug to play with when military and global economic interests. I believe that the Israelis he was a child, back in 1945. He assumed the golden cup, which are getting what they have been demanding; they simply intend is decorated with the heads of two women facing in opposite direc- to make sure with sufficient guarantees that the next American tions, their foreheads garlanded with two knotted snakes, was made administration, Republican or Democrat, will continue along the from brass. But he decided to get it valued when he was moving same path. house last year and was told it was actually a rare piece of ancient In short, America is being blackmailed or, better put, held Persian treasure, beaten out of a single sheet of gold hundreds of hostage by Israeli demands. Unfortunately, writing or lecturing years before the birth of Jesus Christ. about the unfair treatment Iran has been receiving from the United Experts said the method of manufacture and the composition States, or demonstrating that the Islamic Republic is not really of the gold was “consistent with Achaemenid gold and gold smithing” guilty of all the charges constantly brought against it, appeals only dating back to the third or fourth century BC. The Achaemenid em- to a similar minded minority, while triggering the knee-jerk accu- pire, the first of the Persian empires to rule over significant portions sations of pandering to the Islamic Republic regime. The powers of Greater Iran, was wiped out by Alexander the Great in 330 BC. at the helm of American foreign policy apparatus are not fazed by Webber, 70, told The Guardian newspaper that his grandfather our criticisms of their policies. And, sadly, our appeals for a deeper had a “good eye” for antiques and picked up “all sorts” as he plied understanding of the issues have little chance of shifting the public his trade in the town of Taunton in south-west England. “Heaven opinion away from the long established mindsets. With gasoline knows where he got this, he never said,” he added, revealing that prices hovering between four and five dollars a gallon, wildfires as a child, he used the cup for target practice with his air gun. devastating vacation spots in the West and flood waters inundating

Winter 2008 25 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E BOOK REVIEWS Through a visually stimulating collection of over 260 high quality images of museum objects and accessible writ- THE GULISTAN OF SA’DI ing, young readers will gain insight into the life, believes and Translated by W.M. Thackston cultural practices of ancient Iranians and their contribution to (Ibex Publishers 2008) the civilizations of antiquity. The Gulistan is considered to be the The publisher believes this book comes at a key time - when most influential book in the Iranian world today’s youth are growing up in a world where Iran’s cultural and is considered, by most the essence of and political practices are continually questioned on the world elegant, but simple, Persian prose. stage. Understanding Iranian cultural history has become more It was completed in 1258. It is the valuable than ever before. This book will also be of particular source of many quotations in modern prose interest to second- and third-generation Iranians in various and literature. Over the years it has been continents who wish to educate their children about the cultural translated numerous times in English, but history of their ancestors. this book is the first English translation in centuries. DOCTOR ARE YOU LISTENING The translator is a Professor of Persian at Harvard Uni- Dr. Masood Khatamee and Linda Perelman Pohl versity. What makes this translation better than most is that he (Fertility Research Foundation 2008) has translated it into the same simple prose English that it was For the couple or individual who is in Persian. In the hard cover edition it is certainly a book for facing an infertility problem this book of- the Sa’di collector. fers an extensive guide for they lay person to recognize the problem, understand why BELONGING, NEW POETRY BY IRANIANS AROUND it happens, how, if possible to prevent it, THE WORLD how to diagnosis it and what to do once translated by Niloufar Talebi the diagnose is confirmed. (2008) North Atlantic Press and Scala House Press) Because it discusses the history of Persian and literature are somewhat infertility and the reasons the problem synonymous. They have led the way in is increasing, makes this a book one that poetry throughout the centuries. Due to the should be read when individuals are in their twenties. It is also political climate over the past few decades, one for physicians to read in order to understand the emotional Americans have not been privy to Iran’s situation these individuals are in because of their inability to more modern group of writers. This col- create a child. lection of poetry is by the Iranian Diaspora The book, though technical, is set in story form, chapter to and gives the reader insight, through the chapter and discusses individual’s real life stories on their quest writer’s words, on the emotions plagu- to become parents. The end message to all readers is to make ing the Diaspora and those who remain sure the doctor is listening to his patient and that the patient is in Iran. understanding what the doctor is prescribing. The poems are gifts to the reader and sure to touch you emotionally. An example of its excellence is a poem titled PHILOSOPHY OF EXISTENCE Ghosts. Though only a few lines its impact is profound. Maziar Khoshima Author House 2007 In the chapters of this book the reader ANCIENT IRAN, A PICTORIAL HISTORY FOR will find that the actual understanding of YOUNG READERS IN ENGLISH “existence” is relative. Printed in Canada To him the idea of existence is an www.anahitaproductions.com absolute totality that includes the mind, “Culture of Iran Youth Series” pres- universe and the “beyond.” How we find ents the first of four books to cover Iranian this as individuals seems to be determined history and culture in a pictorial format on the openness of one’s mind to the un- Discover the great civilizations of the known. Iranian plateau - from the “Burnt City” in He believes that if one uses present Sistan & Baluchistan in eastern Iran (3000 day understanding in order to set a philosophical system, that BC) to the splendor of the Sasanian court this will help one find an answer. In the end growth cannot in the city of Cteisphon In modern Iraq in happen without openness of the mind. the 7th century AD. What is most interesting is his position of the term uni- Massoume Price, Canadian based verse. This is discussed in the third chapter of the book. He sees writer, author of Iran’s Diverse Peoples has released a new “universe” as an hierarchy of minds. book which aims to educate young readers about the cultural While the book is interesting, it is a bit cumbersome for history of one of today’s most contentious and mysterious world the reader whose philosophy is not deep. powers. Spanning a 5,500-year period, Ancient Iran is the first On the other hand, for those who are in a constant state of book to document the ancient civilizations of the Iranian plateau flux and continue to search for reasons, the book provides them in a pictorial format for young readers. with additional options in their pursuit of reason.

26 No. 52 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E green. He told me to go to Farahzad for gi- The other thing which had not changed ant koobideh kebabs. I myself just wanted at all was the kindness and generosity of the Tehran to see Mount Damavand once more ris- Iranian people. From the minute I sat on the ing up above the clouds…like a solitary plane, the magic started to happen again. gargantuan guardian with an ancient soul, The lady sitting next to me conversed with watching over Tehran as the first thing one me in French for the entire flight from Paris. sees on one’s approach and the last thing By the time we disembarked I had an open Today one sees on one’s departure; the mountain invitation to visit her in Paris and to come bears witness… Well dear readers, guess to her family mansion in Kerman. While what? Damavand is only visible like this in Tehran, I met with the family of a pen from the old Mehrabad Airport, (originally pal friend of mine in Los Angeles whom BRIAN H. APPLETON built by the US Army Corps of Engineers I have never met and her family gave a in the 1960’s) which has now been rel- dinner for me that lasted from 7 PM to 1 egated to domestic flights only, in favor AM and then the keys to their little villa AKA RASOOL ARYADUST of a huge spanking brand new efficient in Babolsar on the Caspian Sea where I and convenient Imam Khomeini Airport stayed for three days. The authorities only almost an hour south of the city. Once you needed to know where I was staying each am an American who lived in Teh- are there, no hassles, no waiting, smooth, day and did not hassle me at all. ran for 5 years, 30 years ago. I courteous and polite service… There was so much to do and see in I had been told by so many Iranian So not seeing Damavand first thing Shomal. We saw the old hotel built by expatriates about the air pollution, the Reza Shah in Ramsar and the new one traffic congestion, the urban sprawl, the next to it. The word ram in Ramsar means city having grown from 1 million to 13 tamed since before the hotel was built, it million inhabitants, the traditional homes was wild forest. We went to the former having been replaced with apartment tow- Hyatt in Namak Abroud and used their ers, the unemployment, the poverty, the beach and went to their tea room. We took prostitution, the corrupt priesthood, and one of the little individual family cable the restrictions on women and so on. So cars up the mountain, where we had more many Iranian expatriates said not to go tea and walked on the nature trail in the to dirty old, noisy old Tehran but to see heavy forest, much cooler than down at Kashan, Kerman or Yazd. But two people, sea level. We toured the biggest cranberry one American and one Iranian who come farm in Iran and we ate at two restaurants to Tehran often and share a deep love for famous for their local Gilan specialities it, told me otherwise. Jerry Dekker, who like MirzaGhassemi and Kebab Torsh, Sir is a tour group leader for Americans who Torshi and the little thin green hot peppers want to travel in Iran told me how beau- that they grow there in abundance. tiful Tehran is, with thousands of trees On the way back through the Alborz planted everywhere, broad boulevards, Mountains with their stunning scenery, on Chaloos Road, we stopped at one of beautiful public sculpture and fountains in 1 public parks and gardens... He told me that the numerous road side outdoor barbeque people in general were more polite than in the time of the Shah and that I would from the air was my only little disappoint- not have to haggle over cab fare or prices ment. The rest was awesome… I was not when I went to buy things. He told me the disappointed by what I found; on the con- last person to ask about Iran was an Iranian trary I was so happy, so incredibly happy American. First of all many of them have to be back...I kissed the ground. First of not been back since the revolution and all, just like the very first time I flew by know nothing about Iran today. Asking myself to Tehran at age 16, there was an them would be roughly equivalent of ask- entire committee waiting to greet me out- ing a Cuban American what they think of side customs in the arrivals area which I Castro’s Cuba. They can find nothing good wasn’t expecting this time either. They in it, especially if their families lost every- even brought me bouquets of flowers. thing including their lives in the revolution I did not expect things to have re- but we have to recognize that, that was 30 mained frozen in time for the past 30 years ago and life goes on. It is not a frozen years. What I found was the same traffic moment in time like memory… jams I have encountered in every major The other gentleman, Dr. Nasser Hey- metropolitan area in the world except the darian, told me that the minute my airplane government has sensibly restricted certain would approach Tehran, that I would see areas south of the city center from traffic the beautiful, gleaming marble palaces and without a permit and in those areas around 2 apartment towers in the north and all the the bazaar, it seemed like the old days.

Winter 2008 27 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E studied karate. The same hidden worlds get up and go around the corner where within worlds within worlds which I had I would find an antique store in which I loved before were still to be found. My would find a lady named Nahid, who was friends knew clubs where men and women trying to decide what to buy a friend for could smoke Ghelyoons or water pipes her wedding present and that I should help together or hidden restaurants among the her decide and then bring her back to the trees up in the foothills like Choominey. coffee shop to have tea with us. I did as I I didn’t know exactly what to expect about was told and sure enough there she was, the restrictions against women so popu- a very charming, funny lady who tricked larly featured in media propaganda in the me by paying for the jewelry which I tried 3 West. What I found was the majority of the to purchase, in advance of my knowledge, women at least in Tehran and Shomal did despite my numerous protests after I found restaurants for grilled sheep’s hearts and not wear shapeless chadors but gave them out. I had never met this woman before in livers, Del and Gigar, which were ab- waist lines so one could see their curves my life and the next thing you know not solutely delicious just as I remembered and in bright colors not just black. Their only has she bought me jewelry but she from 30 years ago and the best tangi- head scarves came in many bright colors, is telling me that her Swedish husband is est most delicious yoghurt in the world, yellow, red, orange, peach, pink or white the 13th best bridge player in the world sold along the roadside by shepards or patterned expensive silk ones from Eu- and that I have a standing invitation to from cheese cloth bags dripping whey. rope, designer brands like Christian Dior come to Stockholm to play bridge with Back in Tehran, a week was not enough to and Valentino and often the veils were like them. Tehran is not only an amazing city see it all but nonetheless, traffic and social Indian or ethnic tunics with embroidered but it is full of amazing people. The only obligations not withstanding, we saw the cuffs and trims and colorful prints. time I felt the pinch of Islamic restric- Golestan Palace, built by the Zand Dynas- There was something angelic looking tions was when I had to stop myself from ty and taken over by the Qajar, the Sa’ad about them like so many Virgin Marys. kissing women on the cheeks in greeting Abad Palaces, which had belonged to the or departure in public, which is my habit Qajar and were taken over by the Pahlavis from having grown up in Italy and France. and Niavaran Palaces which Faradiba had I didn’t miss alcohol at all although I am built to get away from her in-laws. One not a big drinker anyway and I was of- small palace in the Niavaran complex was fered wine and vodka repeatedly in many from the last Qajar Ahmed Shah and this private homes. I jokingly told my hosts became Shahzadeh’s palace, Shah Reza’s that I didn’t drink because I am a Moslem oldest son. You could see photos of him and they responded with:” Who told you playing soccer as a high school boy and Moslems don’t drink.” I actually enjoyed his childhood books like Babar. the taste of the non alcoholic beer they There was a huge interest in Reza 4 served in restaurants by the brand name Shah at the Sa’ad Abad palaces with “Bavaria.” It’s the first one I have ever many of his memorabilia including his liked. clothes, overcoat, hats, medals, his futon And everywhere women unaccompanied I love the spirit of the Iranian people. style bed because he liked to sleep on the by men were enjoying themselves and No one can conquer it. From the lowliest floor/ground from his days as a soldier participating in picnics and strolls and street urchin to the mightiest merchant or and so on. I got the sense that Iranians conversations and purchasing in stores and hereditary land owner or princess, their were proud of their contemporary history market places and from florists. Women spirit is indomitable. Everyone from the as well as their ancient history despite the worked, women drove taxis and buses and taxi driver and bellman in the hotel to the revolution and the IRI’s attempt to Arabize there were women policeman and soldiers. high society dame had the same earnest Iran and diminish pre Islamic Iran. (They I am not sure what the average American question for me:” Do you like Iran better have put up an Islamic Museum next to pictures in their mind of Iranian women now or during the time of the Shah?” the Iran Bastan National Archeological since the media in the West has done such And here is my honest answer. There Museum, equal in size but it wasn’t open a good job with propaganda but what I are things which I like about both eras. to the public yet.) found were women everywhere willing to One of the things I like about Iran today The Niavaran and Sa’ad Abad com- speak to me. I mean it helps that I know plexes were lush with green trees and water enough Persian to carry on conversations features and a respite for the eyes and an but for example a docent in Shahzadeh’s escape from the heat and dust further south. little palace told me her father once taught As always Tehran still had much old world English in the same Air Force Language charm, turn of the century style houses and school where I had taught on Damavand buildings with modern ones intertwined. Avenue. There were brand new mosques and cen- Yesterday I sat drinking tea in a do- turies old mosques, new shopping malls nut shop with an old, old friend of mine and old department stores, the bowling whom I have known since I was 16 and alley/movie theatre complex on Shem- not seen in 30 years. Suddenly in his in- 5 iran Road was still there where I once imitable mysterious way, he told me to

28 No. 52 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E is how few foreigners there are. The Ira- portrayed by such great American lovers nians are a proud nation with a long and of Iran starting with our first Ambassador proud heritage. They have been overrun to Iran in 1878, S.G. W. Benjamin, Joseph and conquered repeatedly all through their Cochran, Howard Baskerville, Samuel history after the end of their own Achae- Jordan, Morgan Shuster, Millspaugh and menid Empire, but they have never lost Grossclose, Arthur Upham Pope and fi- their own character. When I lived in Iran nally Richard Nelson Frye, who is still it was definitely a puppet of the USA and alive and kicking although in his 90’s and the Americans acted like arrogant over- has gotten permission from President Ah- lords. The former Hilton Hotel is now madinejad to be buried on the banks of named Esteglal which means Freedom the Zayandeh River in Esfahan next to 6 and Sovereignty, and that weighs heav- Arthur Upham Pope and his wife. In fact ily on everyone’s minds. I personally feel the revolutionaries changed the name of Everywhere I went friends of friends that the US military industrial complex Jordan Avenue to Afiqa (Africa) Avenue wanted a piece of my time. Three months and administration bears so much hostil- in an attempt to erase the memory of this would not have been enough let alone ten ity towards Iran because they were kicked American irandoost who founded what days. I revisited the three houses where I out by the revolution of 1979 and are still became Alborz High School. They didn’t had lived in Tehran and felt the pulling mourning their major strategic and eco- want to admit to any historic dependence of my heart strings as I relived my lost nomic losses. upon any American benefactors but you youth; my mind flooding with memories Not one person I met had any hostil- can’t erase history any more than the Ira- of past friends, lovers, visiting foreign ity towards the American people and they nian culture and character…just as it is house guests and events. There in that prayed for peace and hung on every word futile for government propaganda to try alley below my third floor kitchen win- in the papers about the progress of the to erase the goodwill that exists between dow, Kuche Khaghani, named after the peace conferences. The concierge asked the people of our two countries. great 12th century poet, there was where me to translate an article in the English a truck with a machine gun mounted on language paper about the progress towards a tripod accompanied by three soldiers of normalizing relations with the US in the the Shah’s army, had opened up on the meetings with the five sustaining mem- crowd of people attending a political rally bers of the UN as sponsored by Javier at the teacher’s college across the street. Solana. Now there was only peace. Nor could I Although they were too polite to initi- see any evidence of the building which the ate any negative comments about the Bush revolutionaries had taken down brick by administration, I sensed that the Iranians brick after the revolution on what was then whom I spoke to appreciated my com- called Roosevelt Avenue not two blocks ments characterizing that administration 7 from the former US Embassy. I had asked as war mongering imperialists. You have them at the time why they were taking to appreciate the fact that I had returned to it down and they told me it had been a the very hotel in which I had been taken One day I went to Kasra Hospital and torture house and they didn’t want to look hostage in 1979. My captors at that time presented DVD copies of the film Bam 6.6 to at it anymore. had said that they had nothing against the the doctor and nurses who were featured The US Presidential seal remained American people but that they did not like in that film, who took care of the American on the wall of the former US Embassy what our government was doing in Iran Jewish young lady, Adele Freedman who along with 30 year old revolutionary and I told them I shared their sentiment. lost her American fiancée, Tobb Del’Oro, graffiti about how the USA would one What most Americans cannot real- another great Iran lover, in the earthquake day pay retribution for its sins. But the ize is the depth of love that the Iranian in Bam in 2003, as well as getting her own people on the streets gave no mind to people have for all things American. Nor feet crushed. Doctor Massoud Noroozi, those relics nor to the building sized mu- do Americans or even the young genera- did reconstructive surgery on her feet for rals of famous clerics and war heroes. tion of Iranians know the history of posi- five hours because it was the right thing They just went about their business. tive relations between Iran and America as to do for her and for a foreign guest of Other differences I noticed between the Iran although thousands of Iranians were Shah’s regime and this one is that despite waiting for medical attention and then he all the complaints we read about in the refused to take a penny. Ask yourself if foreign media about the mullahs robbing such a thing would happen in the United the wealth of the country and all the un- States? I had a nice conversation with him employment and prostitution, which I on the phone and we attempted to meet for know exists, what I saw was everybody coffee but my busy social schedule and his working, no beggars or homeless people busy schedule of surgery and teaching pre- living in the street like we see in the West vented it but the nurses were very happy and there seemed to be more respect and for the gift and to talk to me and they were equality between the different economic 8 very modest about their contribution to the classes than before. In the old days often film and to humanity. the upper classes treated the lower classes

Winter 2008 29 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E badly and with contempt and hostility, For Gilac food like Kebab Torsh, Sir Tor- certainly not intellectuals. Our children which of course is one of the causes of shi, MirzaGhassemi and those little thin are not safe to play in our front yards, the revolution. green hot peppers they like in Shomal, I streets or neighborhoods, while they are And Jerry Dekker was right. This went to Gilac Restaurant at Parc o Prince in Iran. So the way that laws define our time I didn’t haggle over a single price Street in Vanak and so on. political freedoms and rights versus the of anything, not even cab fare and in fact I spent a lot of time just visiting and reality we experience in our society are not when I started speaking Persian to the cab drinking tea with the younger brother of the same thing. I once sold high mast area drivers, they didn’t want to accept my my best friend, who is like a brother to me lighting for the court house parking lot fare. I didn’t see graffiti anywhere except as well and is only 9 days older than me. in my hometown of San Jose, California those famous anti American ones left there I hadn’t seen him in 30 years although I because female police were afraid to walk from the time of the revolution that the talk to him every couple months on the from their parked cars across the lot to the Western media are so fond of showing phone from the USA. His house is like court house to get to the trials where they repeatedly when in reality hating America a museum filled with Persian miniatures were to testify… is not on the minds of the vast majority. framed on the walls and memorabilia and I will tell you that the five years I In fact everywhere I went people tried to old black and white photos of his illustri- lived in Iran and on this visit, no one stole practice their English with me. Instead of ous ancestors and of his late father giving anything from me or harmed me in anyway graffiti what I saw written on walls and speeches for charity fund raisers at the city and even when I was taken hostage during overpasses were lines from the Qoran such hall. Old mutual friends and new ones kept the revolution and was used to make a as “Love Thy Neighbor” or “Give to the dropping by to say hello to me. In fact up political statement, no one harmed a hair poor” and everywhere as common as park- until ½ hour before I had to leave for the on my head and nor were any of the hos- ing meters or mail boxes in the USA were airport people were stopping by just like tages at the former US Embassy harmed in state provided tithing collection boxes to when I left 30 years ago. One friend I anyway during their captivity. The hostage help the needy. hadn’t seen in 40 years showed up at last taking was a form of protest against crimes In just ten days in Tehran I saw more minute with his two little daughters who I which in fact the US military industrial museums than in the entire five years that had never met before. It was very touching complex had committed against the people I had lived there. This is partly because that so many friends remembered me and of Iran for many decades starting but not when you live and work in a place you are took the trouble to come and see me after ending with the ouster of Mossadeg and too busy to see the sites unless a friend or all these years. Iranians know the value the restoration of the puppet Pahlavi. What relative comes to visit from out of town of friendship. American citizen would be content under and you make time for it. The other reason At the end of my trip after realizing a puppet dictator? We had a revolution in is that this time I was more educated than that humanity was still in good shape in the 1776 to throw off the tyranny of the British when I lived there. Some of the museums hands of the people of Iran, I came to under- Crown and every time I see a little Yuppie I would highly recommend are the Reza stand something which I have been want- girl wearing that “I’m a princess” T-shirt, Abassi Museum for the best collection of ing to put to words for some time which is I remind her of that… gold rhytons in existence, among other a lesson that most Americans need to learn: I am not content to sit idly by and things, the National Carpet Museum for Freedoms written in law books and on say nothing while the media and the war its unique collections especially from re- paper no matter how beneficent and just, hawks make up charge after charge against gions like even Tehran itself where carpets do not have as much influence as social Iran in order to render the American public are no longer being made, the Ghavvam pressures, which have far more influence too mind numbed to protest another war of Soltaneh Museum for the best collection on our day to day experience of reality conquest for the benefit of a few American of glassware and ceramics in Iran, the Iran than laws. The laws may be restrictive in corporations at a huge expense to us both Bastan Museum full of Achaemenid, Sas- Iran but Iranian society is polite, kind, gen- materially and spiritually; bankrupting us sanian, Parthian and Lur treasures, the erous and relatively safe and crime free. on both accounts. I love Iran and I will Time Museum (Time pieces and clocks), There is still extended family and commu- continue to protest such an invasion in the The Malek Library for its fine collection of nity and long term friendship. Our media only way I can which is by writing. With coins all the way back to the first one mint- take a relatively isolated incident like the half the US Navy parked off Iran’s shore ed in Lydia with Cyrus’s head on it and last imprisoned female activist mother in Iran now is not the time to be silent… but not least especially if you have small being raped by the state prosecutor in her children, the Museum of Iranian Natural prison cell daily while awaiting trial, who ABOUT THE PICTURES: History in Darabad which unlike the other came to the US for political asylum and 1. Brian Appleton at Koohpaye Darband museums stays open until 9 pm. use it to brainwash the American public 2. One of poet Rahi Mo’ayeri’s tomb at Zahir This time around I also made it a point into thinking Iran is a horrible place where Ol Dowleh cemetery in Darband to learn about regional cuisine and found this is a daily reality and yet women are 3. Bakhtiari style Kebab at Koohpaye that in Tehran one can find restaurants not being raped there, one every five min- 4. Del Kebabs with noon from every region in Iran. For Azerbaijan utes in every major city, every day, like in 5. Tea Garden on mountain top Namak style Kebab Benobi, I went to Kebab-e- the USA. Iran does not have the per capita Abroud Telecabin Benobi Shiraz at Mehdun-e-Shiraz. For prison population of the USA which has 6. Lion incense burner Ghavvam Soltaneh Kebab Bakhtiari, I went to Koopayeh Res- the biggest prison population per capita of Museum taurant in Darband. For Shishlik, I went to anywhere on earth except China with its 7. Ghavam Soltaneh Museum SPU restaurant in Evin which has streams political prisoners, while ours are violent 8. Detail of carpet at Nat’l Carpet Museum running right through it like in Darband. lawless criminals and sex offenders and

Winter 2008 30 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E You are well known in the Persian Community, but could you be so kind to introduce yourself to those who will meet you for the first time through this interview?

Thank you for this opportunity and I would like to extend my greetings to all your readers. I was born in Isfahan , in 1944 in an environment filled with art and music. My father’s love of music, poetry and art transpired to his family especially to his sons. The Omoumi family was fa- mous for their love of music. My father was also a religious man. Every year he held religious ceremonies in our home for ten days. During those times he played the tar along with the prayers. Interestingly after we left Isfahan, one of our friends threw the tar into a burning fire. While my father was religious, music and the arts had a special place in his heart. When I was around the age of six we moved to Tehran where I started school. We lived on Farvardin Street which was across from Tehran University. The house and the memories I have from there have certainly had an impact on what I am to- day. It was during those early years that a person is developed and sculpted into Interview with who he or she will be as an adult. One of those life shaping incidents was while Sir Dr. Hossein Omoumi Shahnaz was visiting our home. I was mesmerized by his music and remembered all I wanted to do was to A Master of Our Time touch his tar, but dared not to ask. For Shahrokh Ahkami some reason when he left that evening he left his instrument. My father sternly told us that we were not to touch it. Disappointed I, along with the rest At the end of high school I took the In 1972 I moved back to Iran and started an of the family, went to bed, but I could college entrance exam. I passed and re- architectural firm with Ms. Mirfendereski. not sleep! While everyone was sleeping I ceived a full scholarship to the The Na- There were six partners. Our main projects sneaked out of my bedroom and sat next tional University, school of architecture. were based on industrial architecture. The to the box of the instrument. Carefully I completed the program in seven years group stayed together until the Revolution. and quietly I opened the case and touched because simultaneously I attended The I remained in Iran until 1982 and taught the strings. To this day I will never forget National Music Institute for a degree in at The National University. the sound it made. To me it sounded like music, not to mention working at the same an entire orchestra. I knew I had fallen time. My thesis was based on the archi- What did you teach? in love! tectural plans for housing in Isfahan for Oh, so many memories I have of my workers. It was a success. After graduating I assisted them in building up their father’s friends and his musician friends I had plans to go into the military but re- curriculum. In 1984 I took a sabbatical gathering at our house, which I can still ceived a full scholarship for my doctorate and moved to France. I love to teach and hear today. in Italy. At the time The National Univer- share my knowledge with the youth who sity in Iran and the University of Florence yearn to learn. I never look at my students When did your father pass were affiliated. Some of the professors as students; I treat them as friends and away? traveled between the two institutions, so value them dearly. I hope it is this rea- I was familiar with both of their programs son that my students excel in what they I was only seventeen. as well as the language. do. One of the examples of this is Jessika Once I received my doctorate I moved Kenney. She began studying with me in Tell us about your education. to London, where I worked for six months. 2004. What makes her unique is the fact

Winter 2008 31 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E that she speaks virtually no Persian , but is Tehran. Even though I was a architectural It provides a “whooshing airy sound that is considered to be one of the most beautiful student , my mind was filled the art of eerie at the low register and distinguished of Persian singers. music. clarity at the higher end. The sound it pro- I am not sure you are aware of this but duces will depend on the player. For in- Tell us about France. I have designed and patented three designs stance Iranians reach the lower registry by for three instruments, the daf, tonbak and placing the end of the flute directly to their I was invited to teach at the CEOM the ney. Every opportunity that allowed mouth. You are thus able to control the Institute which was affiliated with the Uni- me to play music I took with excitement. amount of air in and out with your tongue. versity of Sureen. There I taught Persian I played in all of the school gatherings While this may look easy it is very difficult music but, my income was not enough to and concerts. One of my great masters to achieve and provides a challenge to the take care of my wife and two children, so was Mahmoud Karimi. We eventually be- greatest of musicians. I decided to apply for a work permit. Once came the greatest of friends. When I was I received it I applied to an architectural in France I heard the news of his death, Can you explain Persian classi- firm that was in charge of the Disney proj- that night was one of the worst nights of cal music to our readers? ect and was immediately hired. It was a my life. huge firm with three floors. On each floor Persian classical music is unique in there were more than 60 architects who Did you ever get to meet Master that it is arranged or organized into seven worked on the same project. Kassai? individual systems. Together the seven After the project was completed I left systems are called the dastgah. Within the the firm but continued working with an Yes, on one of my trips to Isfahan, dastgah you will find 150 melodic patterns Italian firm that worked on site. I changed before my departure for Italy, I was invited which contain their own “atmospheres.” firms a couple of times until I moved to to the home of one of Isfahan’s religious The performers of the instruments will Seattle in 1992 and worked there until leaders to play the ney. When I finished normally improvise on the melodies 2003. he asked me if I had ever played or met that they memorize, thereby creating the Master Kassai. My response was filled uniqueness. What brought you to the USA? with fear and anxiety! I replied by saying that I would never allow myself to think Is it the instruments or voice I had numerous concerts in Seattle that I would be capable of playing in front that make Persian music and I came to know a gentleman, who had of Master Kassai. distinct? an important position at the Seattle Col- Since I would be leaving for Italy in lege. He invited me to teach there. After a short time, I thought meeting Master That is an interesting question and I my visa expired, UCI invited me to teach Kassai wouldn’t much matter. But, I soon am sure it has a variety of answers depend- at their new school of music. I started with turned around and went back to Isfahan ing on who you ask. For me it is not the eight students and ended up having forty- and had our friend take me to meet Mas- ney or any instrument, it is the voice that three by the end of my two year contract. ter Kassai. We played together and for reigns supreme in Persian music. We put a wonderful concert together. months afterwards I was mesmerized by his music and did not touch the ney again I think we can conclude this What made you decide to play for months. interview with the feeling that the Ney (flute), was it When I finally returned to Tehran I you are very content with your hereditary? was invited to teach at Tehran University. life and the paths it has taken There I met Payvar, Tehrani, Badii, and you. Is there a closing statement When I was around twelve years old Farhadpour, all very famous musicians. you would like to make to our I listened to a music program on the radio I had the great privilege of playing along readers? called the Javidan Flowers and fell in love with all of them on television programs and with the sound of the ney. One day my at the Roudaki concert Hall in Tehran. Again thank you for this opportunity father came home with an object that was to speak to you. wrapped around a piece of cloth. He told You are in love with the ney, is As for life I have been blessed but me if I were to play an instrument that there a particular way to play it also believe that life is so much more re- I should start off with this. It was a gift to get the most sound from the warding when you find a passion, some- from Sir Emami a very famous musician. instrument? thing that can be an escape from our often, Within a short time I taught myself how to difficult and challenging world, so find play it. I frequently returned to Isfahan for The ney is an expressive instrument. your passion. vacation. While there one of the workers at our warehouse played the ney and began to teach me how to play it. I also listened to it being played on the radio and would IMPORTANT NOTICE play along with the music. During my second year of college All written submissions to Persian Heritage I signed up with a music camp where I with the expectation of publication in the magazine must include the started practicing even more. Eventually writer’s name, address and telephone number. I was accepted at the Music Institute in

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110 Passaic Ave., Passaic, New Jersey 07055 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E continuing from previous issue death of Alboin differs somewhat from that of the Origo. Now, the death of Alboin falls well within that part of the Origo which lboin then married Rosemund, daughter of Cunimund. is considered to be of purely historical or non-epic origin. Paul At a banquet in Verona, Italy, Alboin, apparently a bit the Deacon’s account of the death of Alboin has far more of an Atipsy, ordered the cup made from the skull of Cunimund epic flavor than does that of the Origo. One may assume that to be given to Rosemund, and invited her to drink merrily the Lombard epic tradition continued in Italy, and that Paul the with her father. Paul the Deacon, though not of course present Deacon used a saga or chanson de geste as the source of his ac- at said banquet, testifies that the cup made fom Cunimund’s count of the death of Alboin. skull was shown to him by the Lombard king Ratchis. In any It is therefore demonstrated that the Lombards had a very case, Rosemund became so anguished at this that she vowed ancient epic tradition, far older than any which survive in the to kill Alboin, and plotted with Helmechis, Alboin’s armor- original Germanic language (the Origo is redacted in Latin), and bearer (scilpor in Lombard) and a man named Peredeo, with that this Lombard epic tradition continued among the Lombards whom she committed adultery, disguising herself as a serving in Italy. Though not very closely kin to the Goths, the Lombards wench with whom Peredeo was sleeping. Peredeo devised a were also of Scandinavian procedence. In summary, to affirm on plan. While Alboin was asleep, Rosemund bound his sword to chronological grounds that the Goths could not have had an epic the bed so that it could not be drawn nor unsheathed, and let tradition is demonstrably false, another example of the torpid, in Helmechis the murderer. Unable to draw his sword, Alboin idiotized positivism or blind, closed-minded, irrational skepti- was easily murdered. cism of many of those who consider themselves to be “realistic”, There appears to be a reference to Alboin in the so- “rigorous” and “scientific”. called “Traveler’s“Traveler’s Song” or Widsith,Widsith, probably com- However,However, I alsoalso believebelieve itit necessarynecessary toto posedposed aaboutbout tthehe mmiddleiddle ooff tthehe 66thth ccentury,entury, iinn point out that the Celtic peoples have a very other words, roughly contemporary with ancient and extensive epic tradition, that the event. OldOld CastileCastile waswas CelticCeltic territoryterritory veryvery thin-thin- It is interesting to note that the ly Romanized, so that the Castilian names Peredeo and Alboin both epic must contain a Celtic substra- havehave a s stronglytrongly C Celticeltic f flavor,lavor, tum. I also wish to point out that “Peredeo”“Peredeo” closelyclosely resemblingresembling thethe thethe llogicalogical aandnd iindeedndeed iinevitablenevitable Welsh Peredur, while “Alboin” sequel to the Visigothic theo- closely resembles the Gaelic ry is that the Castilian epic Alba, originally, meaning must inevitably contain a very “sunrise”, or, by extension, strong Iranian element. It is, “East”. “Alba” was origi- of course, this second point nally the Gaelic name for all which interests us at the mo- Great Britain, it being east ment. of Ireland, and to this day is Before the expansion the Gaelic name for Scotland. first of the Huns and later the We have noted the survival of Turks and Mongols, an im- “alba” in Old Provencal, with its mensemense aarearea ffromrom HHungaryungary ttoo tthehe original meaning of “sunrise”. frontiersfrontiers ofof ChinaChina waswas occupiedoccupied DidDid tthehe LombardsLombards acquireacquire thesethese by nomad peoples who were eth- Celtic names in the course of their nicallynically aandnd llinguisticallyinguistically IIranians.ranians. migrations, or did they acquire them in TheseThese peoplespeoples werewere divideddivided intointo tribestribes North ItalyItaly,, either from the Ostrogoths or andand cconfederations,onfederations, aamongmong wwhichhich wwereere from the Celtic substratum there? thethe Scythians,Scythians, thethe Sarmatians,Sarmatians, thethe AlansAlans andand InIn fact,fact, itit maymay bebe consideredconsidered certaincertain tthathat PPaulaul tthehe many others. The word “Scythian” comes from the Deacon did NOT take his belief in the Scandinavian origin of Iranian skuth, which means “archer”. The Persians called all the Lombards from Jordanes; it is far more likely that he took said these nomadic Iranian peoples of the great Eurasian steppe by idea from an anonymous Latin work called Origin of the Nation the generic name Saka, although they also had names for the of the Langobards, contained in three ancient manuscripts and various divisions of the Sakas. The word “Saka” has a variant, partially contained in another. Sai. The word “Saka” is related to the Avestan saxta (sakhta), This work, called Origo for short, states that the Lombards i.e., “strong, tough” and to the Vedic s’ak (shak), i.e., “to be able, or Langobards originally came from Scandinavia, and were irst strong.” “S’ak” appears in the Rig Veda in the form s’aknoti, called Winniles. The date of this work is unknown, but it is cer- used as an epithet for “men.” tainly older than the time of Paul the Deacon, as he obviously In Classical Sanskrit s’ak means “to be able, strong”. For uses it as a source in several places. Unless one is to implacably convenience we will use the name “Saka” to refer to said Iranian insist that the theory of Scandinavian origin must proceed from nomads, except when referring to a particular division of them. Jordanes, there is nothing in the Origo which seems to proceed The Sakas had a very extensive and varied epic tradition. The from the Italo-Ostrogothic historian. It has been rather con- Ossetians, a people of the North Caucasus who speak an Iranian vincingly demonstrated that up until it describes events which language and appear to be descendants of the Sakas, have an occurred around the year 500 AD, the Origo is derived from a epic cycle called Nart, and no doubt had other cycles now lost. Germanic epic. Incidentally, Paul the Deacon’s account of the to be continued

34 No. 52 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E he first masculinity re- heart-Jordan, 1993; Majors, United States. This investiga- Individuals in this group were searchers were hetero- 1988, 1990; Sue & Sue, 1993). tion captured the struggle that similar in some ways to their Tsexual, middle-class, This second research method these men endured while they predecessors. That is, they were Caucasian academics who utilizes a social constructionist reconstructed theft masculinity affluent, educated, and had cos- narrowly conceptualized “the perspective. in the process of acculturating mopolitan values. Jalali (1996) masculinity construct” accord- Lazur and Majors (1995), to the United States. referred to some statistics that ing to the variables with which gave examples of the second The subsections that fol- Askari, Cummings, and Izbu- they personally identified. research method by summa- low review the literature from dak (1977) stated. Namely, There was little-to-no interest rizing the research of Sue and three distinct research areas 30% of second wave immi- in creating an inclusive defi- Sue (1993), Majors (1990), and that are relevant to the present grants had advanced degrees nition of masculinity that took Braveheart-Jordan (1993). Sue investigation. These research with one-third of this group into account men’s differences and Sue (1993) discussed how areas include: Iranian immigra- holding medical degrees. in racial diversity, sexual ori- Asian-American men forgo tion patterns, the acculturation The second wave im- entation, and socioeconomic ind pendence in order to meet of Iranian men to the United migrant group were different status. As an illustration, the family obligations. While, the States, and cultural characteris- than those of the first wave. For majority of early empirical in- masculinity of African-Ameri- tics of Iranian men. These first instance, many of the second vestigations used samples com- can men has been defined by two research areas are relevant wave individuals were from posed of heterosexual, Cauca- behaviors called “cool pose” because immigration and accul- traditional families where ad- sian, middle-class American (Majors, 1988, 1990). Brave- turation are important variables hering to traditional Iranian men (Good, Borst, & Wallace, heart-Jordan (1993) discussed that could shape the social con- values were often in contrast 1994). Examples of such stud- bow American-Indian men struction of Iranian-American to the Western ideals of inde- ies are quite common (Bals- are caught in the dilemma of masculinity. While, the final pendence and autonomy. wick & Peek, 1971; Bergman, adhering to cultural standards research area illustrates how The third wave occurred 1995; Brooks, 1998; Caldwell imposed by tribal elders, while certain cultural variables can between 1978 and 1980. The & Peplau, 1982; Fasteau, 1974; composition of this group was Khorrami, 2000; Khorrami & heterogeneous in terms of soci Franklin, 2002; Lewis, 1978, economic status, age, and edu- Monroe, Baker, & Roll, 1997; cation. A large percentage of Nardi, 1992; Seidler, 1992; Ethnicity these individuals immigrated Tognoli, 1980). Cons quently, a due to the economic and po- large portion of the men’s stud- and Masculinity litical reasons affiliated with ies literature may only general- the Iranian revolution, the Iran ize to this population of men. Part one Hostage Crisis, and the Iran- Within the past few years, Iraq war. Many were forced to however, a broader, more in- BY: DR. SAM KHORRAMI leave their country of origin in clusive definition of masculin- order to safeguard their fami- ity has been proposed. Several lies, or to transfer their finances writers suggested that the study residing in an environment influence the social construc- abroad. of masculinity can occur from with limited educational, oc- tion of masculinity. to be continued culture to culture, among dif- cupational, and financial re- ferent religious groups, histori- sources. IRANIAN IMMIGRA- Sam Khorrami, PhD. earned his cal eras, life-stages, and social Unfortunately, there has TION PATTERNS Baccalaureate in psychology at the classes (Kimmel & Messner, been little-to-no research on the The Iranian immigration George Washington University. He 1992; Levant, 1996). Some masculinity of Middle-Eastern pattern to the United States received a Master of Arts in clinical researchers have begun exam- men. Even more rare are stud- occurred during three specific psychology at the University of Detroit ining masculinity formation ies that examine how the mas- time periods. Jalali (1996) de- Mercy. A second Masters of Arts in among ethnic minority men. culinity of Iranian-American scribed these time periods as general psychology and a Doctorate Trends in this literature sug- men is shaped by certain vari- three distinct waves of immi- of Philosophy in clinical psychology gest that two different research ables (e.g., social class, time of gration. The first wave, which were earned at the California School of methods exist. immigration, and acculturation occurred between 1950 to 1970, Professional Psychology, San Diego. The first method exam- difficulties). Indeed, there has was largely composed of highly Dr. Khorrami has several publications ines between-group differ- been a need for such a study as educated professionals who in the field of clinical psychology. His ences among ethnic minority acculturation pressures among had prior exposure to Western re arch interests include multicultural men and European-American Iranian-American men have thought, education, values, and issues, chemical dependency, and men (Levant, Majors, & Kel- challenged pit-existing social norms. Physicians, engineers, men’s studies. Dr. Khorrami is a li- ley, 1998; Reid & Comaz-Diaz, values and cultural norms dentists, scientists, and teachers censed clinical psychologist in full- 1990; Tucker, James, & Turner, which were acquired in Iran. It accounted for a large percent- time private practice in Toms River, 1985). While the second inves- is possible that the masculinity age of these individuals. New Jersey. Furthermore, he is an tigates the interaction between which these men had socially Between 1970 to 1978, the Adjunct faculty member at Georgian ethnicity and masculinity constructed, while living in second wave of immigration Court University, within minority groups (Brave- Iran, has limited utility in the to the United States occurred. in Lakewood, New Jersey.

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T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E me lie down next to him and slowly, with a An Interview with soft but warm voice, began to recite verses. At the outset and since I was only still half awake, all of this did not mean much to ARDESHIR LOTFALIAN me. Little by little, with the repetition of this daybreak routine, I began to absorb with great eagerness all of his sayings, so Dedicated to the Preservation of Persian Culture much so that within a few months I had committed to my memory many dozens of PART ONE my grandfather’s verses and poems. Shahrokh Ahkami Among the first one that I had memo- rized was a “ghazal” from Hafez with the following connotation: “The brightness rivals the moon/Flower in your presence is nothing more than a vulgar weed” This aptitude coming from the youngster that I was, became the object of utter surprise and astonishment of my family who wanted me to exhibit it on every occasion. I finished my primary and secondary schooling in Hamedan. While I was in fifth grade at my high school, one of my poems was published in an important Tehran literary magazine. Seeing my own poem in prints gave me much excitement and enthusiasm and to this day I can still remember the emotion it generated in me. Following my graduation in natural sciences, I went on to Tehran in order to participate to the en- trance examinations at the Medical Univer- sity. This first attempt was unsuccessful and I returned to Hamedan. I went on teaching for about a year at the Baba Taher primary school which had been built nearby his mausoleum and grabbed this opportunity to get an additional degree in literature. The following year I was accepted at the entrance examinations of the Tehran Law School and went on to terminate political sciences too. Later on, while on in diplo- matic mission in Paris, I went on to take several complementary courses in political sciences at Sornonne University. Please let the readers of Per- from prominent Persians of our literature: sian Heritage get acquainted “One exists only five days, the close of a At Law School you had some with your childhood, your black night is indeed light”. “Patience and quite important classmates as youth and your studies. victory are both old companions.” Simin Behbahani and some In our family, poetry was a refuge to other well-known persons too I spent my childhood and adolescence help break away from fatigue and also a who still speak well of you and in the west of Iran, more exactly in the cit- mean to communicate, divulge a message the friendship they had with ies of Malayer and Hamedan. My father or express a thought. Poetry contest ©Ád�UA�® you, can you please tell us and forefathers, generations after genera- was considered as one of the fondest and something about it? tions were living around Malayer. They cherished pursuit of our family. One of the were of middle-class origin and cherished first persons who got me acquainted with Yes indeed, at the University Law books, poetry and of course literature. My the mysteries of poetry was our grandfa- School my cotemporaries and I who had life, as far as I can remember from very ther. He woke up each morning before the just graduated from high school found our- early days was always infused, let us say appearance of daybreak in order to pray selves and all of a sudden, in the midst of impregnated with poetry. Not a single day and afterward went back to bed. Most of some important personalities such as higher went on without hearing in the daily con- the time he could not go back to sleep and government members, military personnel versations of my father, mother, grandfa- used to call me from the adjacent room. I and a number of prominent members of ther and grandmother wonderful passages was then no older three or four and he had the world of literature and the press. One

Winter 2008 37 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E of these figures was Ms. Simin Behbahani, did you meet this condition? do not want to say that external pressures or the great Lady of Iran’s poetry who was some sort of interference did not exist. The then already famous in the world of poetry From my second year at the University fact remains that only five or six percent and went on to become an icon of Iran’s I began to contribute articles to the press in of the applicants benefited from it. I must intelligentsia and literati. I recall quite well Tehran. One day I wrote something about emphasize here that to the contrary of what that at the time Simin had just written her a current issue topic and brought it to the prevailed in the general public’s mind, the legendary poem: … weekly magazine Ferdowsi which at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as I At the time, one of our many profes- time was one of the best intellectual pub- experienced it and saw with my own eyes sors was Dr. Mohhammad Hossein Ali lication, on a much higher level than other during almost 20 years at its service was Abadi who wrote the poems “Cinders” and publications. I presented my article to Dr. one of the cleanest, tidy and best organized “Mother” which went on to be engraved Mahmoud Enayat who was then the chief of all our government institutions. in to most people’s mind. After lauding editor of the magazine. He told me that he During that time I had the pleasure to many of the outstanding verses (ghazals) would read it and that if see it worthwhile meet many colleagues who were dedicated of Simin, he went on to suggest some fine- he would publish it. I waited impatiently patriots and worked without ostentation be- tuning to the poem, and the young poetess for the next issue to be printed, and Lo and hind the scene for the greater benefit of our gladly approved that. behold when it came out I saw my article. country while at the same mellowing some My acquaintance and steadfast friend- Indeed, this was all quite thrilling and en- of the harmful policies of the government. I ship with Simin Behbahani became a price- couraging for me. The next day, I rushed to mention also a number of great writers and less fruit of my life and I cherish it dearly. the magazine’s office and the editor asked intellectuals who stemmed out from our During her trips to the United States and me to write more articles. This was the ministry such as Fereydoun Hoveyda, Ir- with her constant kindness, Simin always beginning of a long and fruitful cooperation adj Pezeshzad, Fereydoun Adamyat, Parviz goes on to get in touch with her old class- that lasted for years until my first mission Atabaki, Moshvegh Kazemi and Gholamali mates. In her latest visit to the vicinity of as a diplomat to Paris. During that time Sayyar. Washington, I had the pleasure to partici- in addition to translating numerous topics pate in two of her reunions and recited a from British and American press and writ- One can project your life into poem that I written in for her. Following ing a regular column titled “Thoughts of the several sections: the office the 1979 Revolution, the poetry of Simin Greats” I also translated into Persian more work or professional one, the Behbani changed sweepingly and surpris- than fifty short stories from leading authors private one and the cultural ingly, it went into an evolution for she went of the West. I have kept and assembled life, by this I mean your writ- on to use her artful pen as an outstanding these stories in order to publish them in a ings and poetry. Can you tool in the fight for freedom of expression book one day soon. portray each one? and liberty. It is no wonder that freedom- After the completion of four years at seeking compatriots call her the “Lioness Law School and without much hope of suc- As a public servant I was of course of Iran”. Maybe her poetry and rhymes cess in sight I participated to the entrance fond of diplomacy and despite unfortu- became a bit intense at times but she has examinations of the Ministry of Foreign Af- nate limitations at the time, I tried to be indeed the dazzling capacity to deliver her fairs. The cause of my apprehension as you a worthwhile envoy for my country and all-important message. pointed out in your question was that all my for its rich and ancient culture. I served in Other prominent classmates during friends at the time considered it unfeasible countries such as France, Belgium, Tuni- the course of my doctorate in law were for a person like me who had no roots in the sia and China as well as several states of Mr. Valian a former Minister of Agriculture ruling class. They thought that the Ministry Eastern Europe and derived much experi- of Prime Minister Hoveyda cabinet, who of Foreign Affairs belonged strictly to the ence and learning from each of them. My later on became the supervisor of the Holy offspring of the One Thousand Families. private life self-explanatory and I wish it Shrine Ostan Ghods Razavi in Mashad. The entrance examinations were quite dif- to remain so. As to my cultural life, let me Another one was Hedayatollah Matine- ficult and the number of applicants many say that that it was always associated with Daftary whose uncle was the Famed Dr. times more than the job vacancies available. books, literature, poetry and music. I truly Mossadegh. The two were in the course Two weeks later I received a missive of ac- and sincerely found myself free in such an group of Dr. Djalal Abdoh who encour- ceptance from the ministry asking me now environment. In addition I had the feeling aged freedom of discussion and speech in to further participate in an oral interview. to be intimate with the famed of literature his classroom. We took advantage of this Once over, my friends and acquaintances and arts. welcome opportunity to discuss without were of the advice that those who did not restraint the pros and cons of our regime belong to the ruling class had little chance You are exceedingly experi- at the time. to be accepted. Nevertheless the interview enced with translations and I took place with much anxiety on my part read several books that were Poetry and writing, then your and to make a long story short, let me say translated by you. admission at Law University that I was accepted, much to my astonish- - afterward your entrance at ment, ranked second at the entrance exams. Well, I am also sort of knowledge- the service of the Ministry of A number of other applicants who had simi- able in that field and translated numerous Foreign Affairs? At the time lar backgrounds as I did were also accepted. works of literature, poetry and history from one of the conditions to be It became obvious to all that the rumors French and English into Persian. A number accepted was to belong to so- circulating at the time were, I must stress, of them were printed too. called one thousand families, quite inflated and exaggerated. Of course I To be continued

38 No. 52 T H E A R T S & C U L T U R E INDIAN ORIGIN OF EGYPTIAN CIVILIZATION BY BABU G. RANGANATHAN Source: Pravda.Ru, 12.08.2008 he ancient Egyptians in their are mentioning India as the original writings described that they source of Western mathematics. Thad come “from the south, from Today Egypt is referred to as an a land across the Great Sea”, a land Arab nation, but this is only because which they called “Punt”. Some have the Arabs conquered Egypt centuries said “Punt” refers to ancient Somalia ago and imposed upon the original but this cannot be for several reasons. people their Arab language, culture Somalia is not separated from Africa and Moslem religion. Many modern by a great sea and the description of Egyptians of today are really the de- the animals and plants given by the scendants of Arab, Persian, Greek, and ancient Egyptians concerning the land other non-African peoples that entered of Punt match exactly with that of the into Egypt over the many centuries. southwestern coast of India (known as The ancient or original Egyptians, Malabar). There is, in fact, consider- however, were of African or Black able archaeological and anthropologi- (Negroid) descent, and this is still cal evidence that ancient India was the mostly true of the bulk of Egypt’s ru- source of ancient Egyptian civilization. ral population, especially in the south. The ancient black Indians, known as Long before the Arabs invaded and “Dravidians”, (who in ancient times conquered Egypt the famous and an- were also known by the Greeks and cient Greek historian Herodotus (who Egyptians as “Ethiopians”) built and is known as the Father of History) laid out ancient Egyptian civilization visited Egypt and wrote concerning and, no doubt, in the process also mixed the Egyptians: “They have burnt skin, with their black brethren in Africa. The flat noses, thick lips, and wooly hair” ancient Egyptians, themselves, admit- (Herodotus, Book II, p. 100, translated ted in their writings that they received their civilization and culture by George Rawlinson, New York: Tudor, 1928). The book, writ- from the Ethiopians, another black “race”. In ancient times there ten by white author and professional speaker Joel F. Freeman, were known to be two types of Ethiopians, Western Ethiopians, discusses the historical and archaeological evidences for ancient in Africa, (who were black with wooly hair and fine features) and black Egyptian civilization. their brethren, the Eastern Ethiopians, of India, who also were It is often asked how all the varieties of humans could have black with fine features but possessed straight hair. Both Western descended Adam and Eve and, particularly, from Noah’s three sons and Eastern Ethiopians were descended from the biblical Cush, Ham, Shem, and Japheth. Obviously, Noah and his three sons Ham, one of the sons of Ham. The Dravidians most likely emigrated Shem, and Japheth each carried the genes for producing several from Africa to India and, later, many returned to Africa where they races since ultimately all the races of mankind had descended from developed ancient Egyptian culture and civilization. them. Genetically, it was possible for Noah and his three sons to Before the Aryans (a Caucasian race who were barbaric and carry the genes for producing different races just as it is genetically illiterate) invaded India, India was composed mainly of various possible today, for example, for a person of European origin to black “races” (the Dravidians, the Veddoids, also known as carry genes for producing children with different color hair. The Australoids, and the Negrito peoples) who built the ancient Indus principle is the same. Although you and I today may not possess Valley civilization, one of the world’s four earliest cradles of genes for producing different races of people, Noah and his three civilization. Today, the majority of India’s population is a mixture sons Ham, Shem, and Japheth did possess such genes. of both Indo-Aryan and Dravidian with pure Aryans mainly in Contrary to popular belief by some, black skin is not a curse. the extreme North and pure Dravidians mainly in the extreme Ham (which means “black”) was given that name by his father South. The Veddoids mainly live in the hill regions of India and Noah before there was any curse pronounced by Noah. Further- the Negritos mainly live off coast in the Andaman and Nicobar more, Noah had never cursed Ham himself but, rather, Ham’s son islands. India contributed tremendously to Western civilization. Canaan. And even that curse wasn’t eternal or perpetual because Many don’t realize that Western mathematics originated in India. the Bible tells us that a curse lasts for only a few generations. The so-called “Arabic” numerals were borrowed by the Arabs from Black skin protects from the harmful effects of ultraviolet the Indians. Because the Europeans borrowed their mathematics light. In fact, all human skin color is brown. The skin pigment from the Arabs they became known as Arabic numerals, but they that gives color to all skin is melanin which is brown. Whites originated in India. Without the decimal system that India created have the least amount of melanin in their skin and that’s why and which was borrowed by the West, via the Arabs, Western sci- they appear “white”. Only albinos (those born with no melanin ence and technology would not have been possible. The ancient because of genetic defect and mutation) are purely white and Roman numerals would not have sufficed. The Arabs borrowed in most dander from harmful effects of the Sun’s rays. Instead much of their sciences and mathematics from India and transmitted of black skin being a “curse” it is a healthful blessing for those them to the West. More and more textbooks on mathematics now living in year round hot climates.

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