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Persian Letters

Confessions Of A Man 

A woman at an opposition rally in Tehran

November 18, 2009

Blogger Masireh Sabz (The Green Path) admits he’s been wrong about Iranian women.

He says he has come to realize how courageous Iran’s women really after witnessing their participation in the ongoing protests against the reelection of President Mahmud Ahmadinejad:

[With all due respect] I confess that I considered women useless and cowardly creatures before the June 12 presidential vote.

I confess that my perceptions toward the female gender changed after witnessing young girls and women -- side by side with men -- rising against the suppressive Basij force and members of the Revolutionary Guards on motorcycles, chanting slogans against them and being beaten up by them.

I confess that [after] I saw young girls next to us during the November 4 protest, throwing stones toward the forces of the government, I realized that I had been wrong about them for years.

Posted At: 18 November 12:08 0 comments
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Would You Like A Condom? 

November 13, 2009

Blogger 35 degrees writes about changing social norms in Iranian society, where sexual matters are generally taboo.

The girl behind the counter seems to be quite young, young even when compared to me, probably 21 or 22 at the most, and so she can’t be a pharmacist herself. I was guessing they hired a new cashier, but the way she had set herself up, she looked more like the daughter of a doctor there or something.

I finally let go of all my assumptions, hand in my prescription and begin to wait when the girl calls me and says: “Are you interested in learning anything about the condoms of this particular manufacturer?”

Although God knows that I am not one of those people who is afraid to go up and ask for condoms, I was still unprepared for anything like this while I was buying medicine.

I lose the power to think for a moment when I give her a look and say: “Excuse me!” With a smile like those of the new workers, she lifts a brochure in her left hand and a pack of condoms in her right from behind the counter and starts elaborating the features of these particular condoms: the variety of flavors, dots, lengths, thicknesses, colors, and sensitivities.

She keeps on going and I gain control of myself again, take the brochure from her, have a look and ask her where they are made. She says Singapore, or something like that, I can’t recall. I really want to find out whether it's really not an issue for her.

I ask if they’re new and she says they aren’t. I ask if they produce any supersized ones. She gets confused and embarrassed and starts going through the pages of the brochure, but it seemed that she didn’t know anything about it.

In the midst of all this the doctor returns with my medicine but doesn’t even come near us when she sees we’re busy with the condoms and the brochures. She leaves them where I can get them when I’m done.

I was surprised by the fact that someone without a moustache would campaign for a condom in broad daylight in a drugstore. In my view this can be considered a phenomenon or significant social progress. In the drugstore in our neighborhood where I’ve had numerous interesting condom-related experiences.

Posted At: 13 November 15:18 2 comments
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Forget About Ahmadinejad, Or No Wedding 

'He goes, or I go.'

November 13, 2009

Blogger Iran Azad (Free Iran) writes about how his friend, a supporter of Mahmud Ahmadinejad, was rejected by a girl he wanted to marry because of his loyalty to the Iranian president.

One of my acquaintances, a supporter of Mahmud Ahmadinejad, ran into me in the neighborhood and wanted to share his problems with me. At first, he complained about my green shirt and my persistent support for Mir Hossein Musavi.

Later on, when he was able to fully open up to me, he spoke of his recent courting ceremonies, one of which is very important. As he is a religious and persistent follower of the supreme leader, he was looking for a girl who would accept his proposal with a dowry of 14 gold coins. I kept on telling him that times have changed and he wouldn’t find anyone of that sort, that he ought to change his perspective… He never listened and argued on the basis of his own beliefs (no offense to his beliefs).

But interestingly he came to an agreement with the daughter of a family on the dowry and marriage arrangements, although he was struck by a strange condition put forth by the girl. The girl, who also was a religious revolutionary girl, and met the expectations of the Basij fellow, puts forth the following conditions: firstly, he ought to forget the clergy (she said she only accepted a couple of them, no names were mentioned) and secondly he ought to forget about Ahmadinejad as well, and not so much as talk about him.

This Basij kid -- who thought he had found the perfect match for himself and the girl who met all his expectations -- was struck to his very insides and asked what Ahmadinejad had to do with their lives....

Poor fellow, you can’t imagine his condition when he told me about this. He had never even thought about it, and one of the most religious and respectable girls he knew put forth “forgetting about Ahmadinejad” as a condition for marriage.

Now it was my turn to try and give him some advice, but when will he listen to it?

But I think the girl has taught him a good lesson; she gave her enough guidance for a whole lifetime. I wish you success, my sister.

Posted At: 13 November 15:15 0 comments
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Live and Let Live 

November 13, 2009

Blogger Premenstrual Syndrome says Iran’s Green movement, which is opposed to President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, distinguishes itself from other revolutionary movements by rejecting violence.

It is necessary to emphasize the point that the actual outcome of the movement up till now and onwards is rejection of violence and developing people’s hatred of violence. It doesn’t matter who does it or how it is done. In my opinion, rejection of violence is not only the only motive of this movement, but also its only weapon. Therefore, creating a general belief about it among people could be more important than any other political achievement.

My final point is about the request for fundamental change from political movements. This demand has led many to sacrifice their lives along with others so that they might move toward the goal of social development and make themselves a bridge toward fulfilling this goal. Should our priority be to live and not fight, then we will not consciously think about sacrificing ourselves and others.

The will to live and let live, even for one’s enemies, is what may distinguish today’s movements from the past revolutionary ones that saw victory in the destruction of the enemy.

Posted At: 13 November 15:04 0 comments
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Who Will Wear Masks Against Swine Flu?! 

November 11, 2009

Blogger Az Zendegi (From Life) writes about concerns over the spread of swine flu in Iran:

These days everyone is talking about this new flu. Fortunately, wherever you go you hear warnings about it.

I told an acquaintance of mine that we actually may be among the first ones to carry the symptoms of the flu, whether we like it or not, as we are often in a crowded, closed classroom. Then I added it is essential to start using the recommended masks with the approach of the winter season as a precautionary measure. This may encourage those who feel embarrassed to take this precaution as well.

He said he would never do it, and that he didn't think I would ever be prepared to enter class wearing a mask. I didn't buy that at first, and said incidentally that if I were convinced that it's the right thing to do I would.

We ought to act as models for others. Now I know how much I stand for what I said. What do those of you who know me think, will I be able to pull this off or is it so unlike me?!

Posted At: 11 November 18:21 0 comments
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Father Does Not Give Bread  

November 11, 2009



Blogger In Khaneh Siah ast (This House Is Black) reacts to comments by a Friday Prayers leader:

These were the first words that I learned at school: "Father gives water."

I came across an interesting point while looking for other people's understanding of this sentence. The Friday Prayers imam of the provincial town of Abhar said in his recent sermons: "They teach our children in their very first year of primary school 'father gives water, father gives bread' and this implies communism, humanism, and liberalism. Why should it be so that our children are taught lessons of communism, humanism, and liberalism from the very beginning? The authorities ought to strive for solving these problems by changing these contexts."

I do not know how these three critical ideologies may be contracted into such a simple sentence and I am pretty sure that the Friday Prayer imam hasn't been able to take a glance over the textbooks since his own education, as the contexts have long been changed: No father gives bread anymore. The father gets embarrassed, father goes to prison, father goes away and never returns.

Posted At: 11 November 18:16 0 comments
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Let's Write: The Movement For Criticism Of Khamenei 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- above criticism no longer.

November 07, 2009

Blogger Jomhour (Republic) reacts to the recent public criticism of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by math student Mahmud Vahidnia, who reportedly challenged the leader to his face by saying that all bloggers should launch a movement and constructively criticize Khamenei:

The criticism of Ayatollah Khamenei by a student at a recent meeting with the supreme leader has turned into a heated media debate. There have been contradictory speculations in this regard as well.

Some consider this a brave act of displaying the point of view of a segment of the society, while some others believe this to be a preplanned stratagem to reduce the rage and pressure exerted by people due to the postelection behavior of Khamenei.

Besides what may look more like the actual reason behind this act, we ought not to overlook the fact that the lack of criticism of the leader's actions in the media – or the nonpublishing of criticism in the media -- and the elimination of critics has led Khamenei and his followers to consider him to be above any mistakes or blunders.

In fact, it is quite unlikely the Iranian leader and his followers are unaware of the strategies that are contradictory to the constitution and based upon political interests rather than the national interest.

The time for sanctity toward political leaders has passed and we should move toward criticism and frankness in order to avoid the blunders of the past. This goes for all the political leaders, even the critics of the current government.

As one of the first steps, I ask bloggers who are abroad, as well as those who are inside the country and working under the cover of a pseudonym, to join the movement of critics of the Iranian leader.

It is, meanwhile, a necessity to abide by the principles of morality. Points ought to be elaborated by strong proofs so that the criticism may produce positive outcomes. The criticism ought to be exemplified and meaningful.

Considering this, a topic may be selected and a mere few lines may be written about it. In this manner, the exact critical points may be elaborated against the Iranian leader. Please do send your articles' link in order for me to accumulate them in the single designated weblog. I shall soon publish the first article.

Posted At: 07 November 18:12 0 comments
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About This Blog
Persian Letters offers a window onto Iranian life by translating and showcasing the works of Persian-language bloggers. Through their voices -- from clerics, to anarchists, feminists, or bus drivers -- we hope to sample the electronic dialogue going on within a society that is tough to characterize and often contradictory, but always interesting. We are not responsible for their views, however. You can write the editor of the blog, Golnaz Esfandiari, at <esfandiarig+rferl.org

Guerrilla Translators

Seen anything in the Iranian blogosphere that you think Persian Letters should cover? Interested in being one of our guerrilla translators? If so, contact Golnaz Esfandiari at esfandiarig+rferl.org

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