Sweet taste of old days

The religion before the Revolution was something totally different. In my mind, the memories of those days can not be separated from the religion and the people who practiced it inside their homes. Whatever related to religion was humane and it had nothing to do with what we experience as Islam these days. Despite this aggressive, dominant, angry ideology the clergies try to impose on us framing our most private parts of life, full of 'should's and 'should not's, Islam before the Revolution was of the grannies praying the God three times a day, fasting, mourning for holy people martyred by evil bastards some time back in the history. That religion had nice smell, beautiful feature, human scale. It helped the people to overcome their difficulties, it gave warmth to their hearts, it encouraged them to be better, to be more human, to act more proper. The God of such a religion was merciful and companionate. It always gave another chance to people to correct themselves and take refuge with him. It was kind and always was ready to forgive if the people tried even slightly to compensate their sins. Religion always gave us lessons about being honest, being nice to others –especially to the neighbors-, respecting the elderly people, helping those in need, avoiding lying, being decent and patient. I think for many of us, the initial values were shaped by the religion.

Of the very sweet memories of the old days are the nights of Ramadan. During this month, the practicing Muslims fast. The fasting begins with the beginning of lunar month called Ramadan and is ended at the end of it. The people celebrate the ending day –called Eid- and resume the normal life afterwards. During a Ramadan day beginning with the sunrise, ending at the sunset, the people, don't drink, don't eat, don't smoke, don't tell lies, don't curse, don't bother others, etc. Close to the sunset, the happy activities of preparing for Iftar begin. A cloth – we call it 'sofrah'- is spread on the floor or on a table, different kinds of sweets, fresh vegetables and fruit, bread, cheese, honey and date (differs from time to time, family to family) are put on it. A samavor is added to these, boiling and making happy noise for the tea to be served. The people wait for the sunset and Azan- call for the Pray in Arabic sung from Mosques. Those who fast, usually begin the Iftar with a cup of boiling water or a cup of tea and then continue with other foods on sofrah. I never have fasted but I remember I was always more enthusiastic than my mother who usually fasted. I helped her to bring the stuff and was counting the seconds for Azan. Azan just took a few minutes to end, but for me it lasted hours, too long. Ramadan also had its special cookies and sweets. The most famous one cooked and served everywhere in the country was called Zulbia and Bamia. Even the sweets in those days had different taste.

Before the Revolution, the religion was just a part of the life. It was not its whole. Balanced and logical, it occupied the most sincere and pure moments of lives. It was totally different from what it is now. I miss those days.

The pictures show making another sweet of Ramadan called 'Reshte Khoshkar'. This sweet is made in the north of the country but these days you can find it in Tehran too. A mixture of water and starch is poured into this a cone and is poured on a hot tray as you see. The delicate net is cooked and later stuffed with a mixture of sugar and smashed walnut. The whole is dipped into a thick syrup at the end. To see the procedure begin with the bottom of the page please.
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The girl is back home!

Anoosheh got back 'home' today. She was welcomed by a bunch or red roses gifted by her colleagues and a kiss by her husband.

Like other Iranians who never get back from a journey without souvenirs; she has brought us gifts ; worm and snails- as BBC reports.

Repeating the same mistakes?

Less than three decades ago when the Revolution was so young, they closed the universities to infiltrate it from 'enemy agents'. It has a long story; I have written about it before. When they re-opened the universities less than two years later, the new management put aside many of the students and the professors labeling them un-Islamic and so and so. When for the first time after the re-opening, they held an entrance exam, those who had passed the tough scientific competition had to pass through an ideological passage as well to be checked whether there is any anti or non-Islamic microbe in their souls and minds. Those who were suspicious to have something wrong, were given a star beside their names in the list of admitted students. A part of them were actually let in and a part of them had to kiss away or postpone higher education in Iran, because they were not ok'ed. Being un-Islamic was something attaching you very very easily, a loose hijab, having a fishy book in hand, an improper appearance, a gossip against you, whatever.

We thought those days have joined the history and we thought we have begun to breath into a new atmosphere. Seems not:
In Iran, for getting any kind of degree you have to compete a very tough scientific exam. It is the same for all levels; going from high school to get a bachelor, improving to have a master, or getting a PhD, for all need you to prepare so well, so perfect. When the exam is done, then it takes a few months for the list of the accepted to be published. This year, we are hearing the old stories we were going to forget; again a group of accepted people have stars beside their names.
The ending days of Sep are the time for enrolling in universities. The students with stars beside their names are divided into two groups- we have heard:

Group 1- one star: these people should sign a paper promising that they won't take part in any political activities and if they do they are ready for being kicked out from the university.

Group 2- two stars: these people won't be enrolled now. Their profile should go under further investigation. If they get an ok, they will enroll. If not, they have to kiss off the education too.

In a recent interview, the minister for higher education has denied the news. He says that's a lie. But the students have interviewed the journalists and have given names and info on their status. There are still discussions and arguments over the reactions toward the 'starred' students among the officials themselves. Let's hope they have learned that the time is not proper to repeat the same arrogant behavior they used to have some 30 years ago. If they don't let a young man or girl to educate in his country, what he/she'll do? He/she will apply for a foreign university as soon as possible and most probably never would get back. Who would be the big loser? The country which has paid for their free education.

A flying guest

I have nailed a small bird nest on our wall outside hoping a few of them may desire to come and nest in it. But none has come so far.(Do you know why? Any suggestions to attract them or any experience to share?) The man who sold the nest told me that I have to wait a bit; "...they smell the human and won't come."

Today, a pigeon flew in through the open window and took a short rest in our house. When walking, I saw it had a problem in its left leg and walked lame.

This is the picture it let me to take.

We are Iranians not Martians!

What I try to show here is that Iran is not a place on Mars. This country has deep roots in history and has passed through thousands of historical incidents. The people are millions and follow thousands of ways and beliefs in life. Many of them believe in some kind of faith and they are mostly Shia Muslims.
Giving pictures of daily life and routines here, I try to make a bridge for the visitors of this blog to come and see what is going on here. It's the same when I meet non-Iranians visiting Iran. Many of them have CNN pictures in mind when they come and visit and I haven't met any who is not shocked with the difference of the picture in his/her mind and the reality.
Well, we are living in a closed system. But who and which regime can ever keep people behind high walls as they used and succeeded to keep hundreds of years ago? Now, many people travel abroad, have satellite channels to watch and have access to internet. The tendency among the younger generation for knowing and learning about other cultures is so high and I can see they are much better in this regard when compared with their parents. They speak English more easily and have lots of dreams which are not different from any other young one's in other parts of the world.
Well, when you come here, you will see a life in surface which more or less is like with what western media tries to make about us. But just go a bit deeper and you hardly can differentiate it with western life. I don't deny the differences between our cultures, but are we an exception here? I don't think so. Every county has her own characteristics to mention.
A Swedish student has traveled to Iran recently working on his Master thesis about Iranian blogs. Here is an interview with him. Don't forget that his stay has lasted just six weeks and that's a very very short time to know a society like Iran.

And this is a report Frances Harrison, BBC correspondent in Tehran has written about Iranian women and their fight for equity.

The first Iranian cosmonaut in space

This is heart warming to know there is not just sad news surrounding us. We are honored to have a woman as the first Iranian cosmonaut. She is 25 hours in space so far. For us living inside the country it is not strange to see Iranian women are reaching high summits in life. Our female university graduates outnumber men. Women are occupying more and more jobs which used to be defined just for men. There is still a long way to proceed, but during a very short time we have reached a lot .

Although I believe that the biggest pride is for American society to give Anoosheh Ansari such an opportunity to grow this high, that's happy to know that her roots are here. The women like her correct the negative picture about our women in the eyes of the world to be nameless creatures with a black veil, ignorant and oppressed living in shadow of their men . Let's wish Anoosheh a safe journey back 'home'.

This is her blog.

FREEDOM

What War With Iran Would Look Like?

I had in mind to answer the comments about Sabra and Shatila massacre, but a friend sent this and took me out of mood. I can't read the rest of the article, but even title itself is quite fearsome and worrying.
Well, they want to bomb us toward 'Democracy' and 'Freedom'. They want to eliminate our country and people in order to eliminate 'tyranny'. It's mad? Yes, it is- I know. But who said that noecons are sober?
We will try the most to stop them. Let's say we will be able to achieve it. The opposite would be quite sad and I am afraid that the flames won't just burn us.

Visitors of the blog

1
Israel
Azor, Tel Aviv

2
Israel
Azor, Tel Aviv

3
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Chahar Mahall va Bakhtiari

4
Israel
Azor, Tel Aviv

5
Israel

6
Israel

7
Australia
Sydney, New South Wales

8
Germany
Berlin

9
Israel

10
Israel
Azor, Tel Aviv

11
Israel
Azor, Tel Aviv

12
Germany
Berlin

13
Israel

14
Israel
Haifa, Hefa

15
Argentina
Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal

16
Israel
Haifa, Hefa

17
Israel
Haifa, Hefa

18
Israel
Haifa, Hefa

19
Israel
Haifa, Hefa

This is the list of the people who have visited the blog today so far. It's a new trend in visitors to be mostly from Israel (14 out of 19 for today) and actually it has happened after the 33 day conflict between Lebanon and Israel. I know there are some softwares helping intelligent services to find the places in cyber space who speak against or in favor of a certain country or topic. I would love to think that these people are independent individuals who have come to see what others say about them and would like to exchange ideas to learn and to teach. It's blessing.

Well, I welcome Israeli visitors. I may have basic differences with them in ideas and beliefs but at least we have one thing in common and I am proud of it; we prefer to speak to each other instead of shooting. I believe in long term it can have fruitful results.

Terrorism
Case Study: Sabra and Shatila camps
Time: 16-17-18 Sep 1982

A few months back in Tehran Int’l Book Fair, I bought a few books on Palestine and Israel. I will write about them one by one- whenever I had the mood and time.

They were all very good and for such an ignorant girl I am, had lots of things to teach. One of them was Sabra and Shatila, September 1982 written by a Palestinian lady – Bayan Nuwayhed al-Hout about the massacre Lebanese rightists committed, backed and organized by Israeli forces occupying Beirut in 1982.
Well, before reading the book, I just knew a hazy story of the reality including that the Palestinian refugees were massacred in Sabra and Shatila camps when Mr Sharon was supervising the ‘operation’ from a building having a good view on the entire site of massacre in Sep 82.
Reading the book, I learned a lot more. But reading it was really challenging and I had to concentrate a huge amount of energy to go on. Sometimes just amid a page describing a scene, I closed the book and tried to overcome my anger and sorrow squeezing my heart so badly wiping my river of tears. The brutality and the savagery were enormous- far more than what my heart could bear with.
The book is a very careful and detailed investigation on the massacre, interviewing tens of people who witnessed it and those who survived it. Beside the survived people, the interviews goes on with medics (there were some hospitals just close to the site), the volunteers who helped to bury the corpses, the members of aid organizations going to the camps right after the massacre and many other groups whom I don’t remember. Also it quotes from journalists’ reports who visited the camps when they were allowed to go in. Robert Fisk was one of them.

The massacre began on Sep 14, went on all during Sep 15 and ended on Sep 16 when in some parts, it even was not finished then. It not only took place in the camps, but also was extended to the area around and to the hospitals adjacent to the site.

Ms al-Hout lived in Beirut then as a Palestinian refugee in another corner of the city and began to work on the investigation project right after the massacre. She gives a detailed report on the procedure of interviews. Since many who survived were panicked by the horrible scenes they had experienced, they were reluctant to speak about it. Those who were courageous enough, accepted to go to the writer’s place to be interviewed by her. The technology was not that improved then. All the interviews were recorded on cassettes and then were written down by brave volunteers. Then, when the situation loosened a bit, Ms al-Hout went to camps and began to speak to people there.
As said before, the book is a careful and accurate research on all the incidents told by those who had witnessed it and had survived the massacre. So, the book includes accurate details on the interviewees, the place of interview, etc. Those who were terrified were given a chance to keep hidden by a nickname.
The book reveals that the massacre was backed and supported by Israelis. They surrounded the camps and lit the site with projectors to help the ‘operation’ to go on even during the night. Ms al-Hout gives exact locations of Israelis and many other details and proves that all the claims regarding the Israelis’ ignorance on the circumstances in the camps are big fat lies.
Despite what I thought, the victims were not just Palestinians. As the camps were the poor areas of Beirut, it was the residence of many other poor people who couldn’t afford good places to rent. So, when the biggest number of the butchered people goes to Palestinian, Lebanese were not few. Beside them, other nationalities were among the killed; Egyptians, Yemenis, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis and many other nationalities. To my surprise, I even saw an Iranian name. His occupation: baker.

A few days back a lady from Latin America left a comment here telling about ‘terrorism’. I invite her to read this book to know what actually terrorism means and who represents it in our world.

9/11

Today when BBC, CNN, EuroNews, Aljazeerah (and probably hundreds of other networks) were broadcasting live from New York, I remembered the other Sept 11.
Rarely the people remember and mention this one and if they do, we can't hear about it in mainstream media.
For us, for our generation, the incident played a significant role in education about how brutal and merciless can imperialism and its puppets be.

The literature and the artwork about the incident are not few. But can they reflect the depth of the pain and sorrow a nation went through for years because of it? I don't think so. Among all the people who were killed and disapeared on the first day of the coup and the years following it, Victor Jara's name is shining like a diamond. His legacy and his brutal death turned him to a symbol of struggle for peace and justice for all of us. Passing the years never can make it rust.

On 9/11 let's bow our heads before all the loving souls who joined the stars on such a day in Chile in 1973.

BOUGAINVILLEA GLABRA

I'm not in Tehran these days and took this picture on my way back my place. This flower is planted both in south and north. The color I've seen mostly are purple and pink. I haven't seen the yellow variety of it except for in flora exhibitions.

Leaving the motherland- last part

So, this is the situation many (may be thousands) are trapped in: missing the country, the people, whatever related to her, and then, living on in foreign land and whining and moaning.

This is the question (I know that many in our part of the world face it too): you love your motherland? But are dissatisfied with the system and the situation there? You are weary of uneducated people and ignorance? You are exhausted of arguing on simplest things which are so clear to every westerner but still your people seem so dumb to it? You hate the dirty alleys, the noisy streets, the traffic and the pollution? You think you have a right to have a decent life and you don't have it in your motherland? You want to have a better future for your children? A stable, reasonable life? And you think you lack it in your own country? So, which price are you ready to pay for the changes to happen there? I know political opponents who have left the country for survival, have paid a lot already. But the condition has changed drastically. Many who were in the black list two decades ago, will be ignored so easily if they come back; nobody is going to trouble to question them. But still they don't get back. WHY?

This country, having deep roots in the history, living a long long life for millenniums deserves much better than this. We have natural wealth, many talents, good people and dear souls and have many things to offer and to give to the world, to human beings. BUT we don't right now. We can't play our real role due to inefficiency of the system ruling our country. Because of the corruption and mismanagement we are much less than what we should be. So, who is going to help to correct this situation? If all those who learn something here, all those who educate here, leave the country (as they do right now and have been doing for years) who is going to help constructing this land?

We love to have a developed country. We all love this piece of land-called Iran (that's for Iranians, it can be subsituted by Pakistan, Lebanon, Syria, etc). BUT we don't bother helping it to rise on her knees. We separate the future of ourselves from the future of our country fellows. So, this situation never is going to change. This country would be the same as it has been for centuries- because Change is something happening by our own hands; no miracle or no unseen hands from heavens is going to play the role.

Leaving the motherland- II

In second round of presidency of Khatami, the hopes flourished in the first round vanished and were substituted by rage, frustration and despair. The reasons for these feelings should be discussed some other time, but whatever they were, his many of promises never were fulfilled. So, the third wave began to rise when frustration filled the hearts and the minds of the people.

Like the second group, this group also consisted of the best and sharpest graduates of the universities. This time, beside Europe, it was the States and Canada which many sought to take refuge in. Trying to have a better expertise, Canada invited emigrants from all over the world and Iranians were those who ok'ed it hurriedly. The process is time consuming usually. The applicants apply for emigration filling out some forms and depositing certain amounts of money somewhere. Then, they are invited to have an interview in Canadian embassy in Damascus and after some time, they can leave. Of those who emigrate to Canada, some end in the States. I don't know about the details, but the 'land of the free' is a golden destination for thousands. The figures disclosed by government about brain drain are awful. They reveal that almost no one of the graduates of good universities live on here. They all leave and never get back.

Emigrants usually never get back to the country. Being so far geographically, they even rarely get back to the country to visit family and friends; it needs money and time to do that. For this reason, it's now families who travel to their new homes of children to visit them.

Well, this was a simplified background of what happening here. Among all my classmates I hardly can find any who hasn't emigrated yet or at least hasn't applied for emigration. We have an annual ceremony of meeting classmates every year. The group of friends is shrinking time by time I meet them. I think, after a while it would be just me left here who doesn't dream about leaving. It's really sad. Here, we benefit a free system of education from kindergarten to getting every kind of degree one demands. Just imagine this: we educate by the money of this very people and when we learn the necessary expertise, then we forget them and grant it to the westerners who have done nothing gaining it. The students begin thinking about leaving even before graduation. In computer sites of universities, you can see many searching the websites of western universities, filling out the forms, doing the necessary documentation, discussing about the details of procedures of applying, etc. This is the real picture of life among our best children; leaving and forgetting.

Who should be blamed for this? The people? The regime? Of course the regime. The main responsibility is on the shoulders of this unfair system which puts pressures on intellectuals and ordinary people opposing the 'must's and the 'should's. But is it just that? It's just regime's responsiblity?
I am not speaking about those who can not get back to the country. Still, there is a big group of people who would be arrested right after the arrival. What I am speaking about is those who would have no trouble if they decide to go back.

Meeting my friends in Europe a couple of years back, I felt unpleasant seeing them moaning and missing Iran. Well, they miss Iran, but they are not willing to leave the easy life in the West and get into trouble of tough life in their homeland.

To be continued……

Leaving the motherland- I

Because of toughness of life in the country, many have emigrated to the West. Three waves of emigration have occurred here:

If we forget the members of former system of power in Iran and those in Shah's gang who fled the country and took refuge in the States right after the Revolution in Feb 1979, the first group left the country two years after the Revolution when the suppression of political groups (mostly leftists) began in 1981. Fleeing the country to save their lives, they took refuge in Turkey and neighboring countries and finally ended in Europe. The members and supporters of groups backed by former Soviet Union picked the route through the former Soviet republics. After some years in Soviet Union, they joined others in Western Europe when Soviet Union collapsed in 1992. The first wave of emigration mainly consisted political opponents in their 30s and their families. The main objective was just survival. If they stayed in country, most probably they would have faced death as those who didn't make to flee the country.
The second wave occurred after the end of the eight year war against Iraq in 1988. This group mainly consisted the graduates of best universities of the country. Very talented, sharp and success-potential young ones, felt they had no future in their homeland and preferred to leave and seek a better future in the West. This wave is going on steadily so far. Beside the economic reasons, what many sought was a bit of personal freedom. I believe although the life was tough here, if this group had some social freedom they never thought of leaving family and country for an unknown future in a new environment.
When Khatami came to power in 1997, blossoms of hope flourished everywhere. Many thought that there was a hope for a better future. Surprisingly enough, some of those who had emigrated, began to get back to country. They came hesitantly. Some sent their families first to see what was life like in the country they had left two decades before.

To be continued...

An arid patch of land in south east of Tehran

Eighteen years ago, in such days, the political prisoners of our country were massacred in big groups, savagely and brutally. Nobody knows the real figure, but they surely have been in hundreds. The affiliations among them were different, Marxists and some Muslims, members of MKO, a leftist- Islamist organization. Protesting to the massacre, the vice leader, Ayatollah Montazari resigned from his position and preferred to sit in his home and teach the clergies rather than sharing the crimes of Khomeini and his gang. In an open letter addressing Khomeini, he protested the merciless killings and that was the last nail on the coffin of his presence in power system. Khomeini was the number one and the main responsible for the killings. Based on his fatwa, the trials took place. Regardless of whatever role he had in our contemporary history, his role in killing of the best children of our nation never can be forgiven.
The massacre happened in Evin prison in Tehran, in Gohar-dasht prison in Karaj and other major cities. The officials put the prisoners – already convicted to different years of imprisonment- under trial once again, asked them about their political affiliations and if they still believed in them and decided on their fate.

The survived prisoners tell horrible stories of those days. Friends and comrades were taken to death chambers and were hung savagely. The corpses were buried in different places. In Tehran, the leftists are buried in a place called Khavaran, a remote land patch on south east of the city. There are no names and no graves. Families of the executed prisoners gather there every now and then and commemorate the bravery and the memory of their beloved ones. Two occasions are especial in this regard: Iranian new year, and end of summer, the same time when the prisoners were executed in 1988. They meet, tell stories, exchange news, sing songs, put flowers all around the place. Today, the families were in hundreds in Khavaran, doing the same they have been doing all these years.

A new day




Hello to Sun!
Hello to Light!
Hello to Joy!
Hello to Life!
Hello to Love!
Hello to Peace!
Hello to my sisters and brothers,
all over the world!