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We saw the successful flight earlier this week, now here's some background on the icredible Mrs Ansari.
On Monday morning when SpaceShipOne climbed 368,000 feet into space to claim the $10 million Ansari X Prize, Anousheh Ansari, founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, also climbed one step closer to her dream of going into space as well. The Ansari X Prize is officially named after Amir and Anousheh Ansari of Dallas TX, to reflect their generous multi-million dollar donation to the world's first privately funded space program. Both Anousheh and Amir Ansari, who were born in Iran, have always had a dream of traveling into space and believe that their donation will help others realize this goal. Mrs. Ansari is the perfect example, even in the words of the Arab 7th century prophet Mohammed, of "Persians that aspire to reach the heavens in search of knowledge and wisdom." Indeed, Mrs. Ansari is a role model for all Iranians and Iranian Americans today. Born in 1968, Mrs. Anousheh moved from Iran to the US at the age of 16. She studied electrical and computer engineering at George Mason University, earning her masters degree in Electrical Engineering at The George Washington University. Early in her career, Mrs. Ansari worked for MCI and COMSAT specializing on architectural designs for SS7 and ISDN networks. She authored numerous technical papers and has two patents for her work on Automated Operator Services and Wireless Service Node. She also served as representative at the American National Standard Institute Technical Subcommittees. Many recognize her from the cover of Working Woman magazine, announcing her the winner of the 2000 National Entrepreneurial Excellence award, and winner of the 1999 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Technology and Communications category. In 1994, she and her husband founded their company Telecom Technologies in Richardson Texas. TTI, a supplier of hi-tech softswitch based solutions for network and service providers, was estimated worth $600 million in 2001. Today, Mrs. Ansari and her husband live in Plano Texas. Their names will go down in history as the first persons to help realize commercial space flight, reaching up to the heavens, a dream Persians have long had since the days of Maragheh, Samarkand, and Jundi Shapur. Mrs. Ansari's story is a stark reminder to us all of the impeccable talents women in Iran have, and that if provided with the freedom and the necessary tools for growth, what celestial heights they can obtain. Mrs. Ansari's story should prove an example that in the new millenium, the value of women is measured by the height of their outstanding achievements, and not by the length of their Hijab, and size or tightness of their dress. Let us try to appreciate what the women of Persia
have to offer to our civilization in the dawn of the space age millenium.
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Farah Pahlavi: Iran's naked actions against Moslem Azerbaijan is less comprehensible Sent by: Darius Kadivar
Farah Pahlavi, wife of Iran Shah Rza Pahlavi who lives in exile after her husband's death answers 525ci Gazet's questions. Q. You write in your memories that you had only a chance once to visit Azerbaijan. But you lost it after loosing your father.Have you ever tried to visit Azerbaijan after that? In which city of Azerbaijan was born your father?How did he came to Iran?What was he speaking about Azerbaijan? A. My father was born in Iran. His family came from Azerbaijan in Iran. I hadvisited our Azerbaijan as a child, and as a Queen, I visited only oncethe Soviet Azerbaijan.
Q. Me and many of others like me want to see Iran as it was in times of Rza Pehlevi.However, there are many others who are against the policy carried out your deceased husband. I know it from my talks with Azeri turks who live in Iran.They told me that Pehlevi regime prevented Azeris reading and writing in their mother tongue and their rights were violated.What would you like to say against all of these claims? A. It was not the policy of the government of Iran to prevent Azerbaijanis from reading and writing in their own tongue. Shahriar, our great poet, had poems in Turkish. However, the official language ofinstruction in school states is a different matter. Iranians benefited frominstruction in the common language necessary for all citizens to be able tocommunicate with each other. Q. You critisized Pisheveri action in your memories.Some Azeris in Iran and beyond of its borders call for uniation of Southern and Northern Azerbaijan.They even fight to reach this goal.What is your attitude towards this issue?How do you see the end of this struggle?
A. Pishevari's well-known goal was to create a Soviet state. Having suffered Soviet oppression, I am sure you understand why Iranians, including Azerbaijanis, abhored and rejected his designs. As for a movement to separate Iranian Azarbaijanis from Iran, it is a non-starter! From Iran's cultural and economic life to her civil and military institution, the presence and contribution of Azeris is sodeeply woven into the fiber of Iran society that I cannot imagine how it canpossibly be separated.Regarding a few separatists, they should realize that their fight willonly create mistrust and tension, and choke the free flow of people, tradeand ideas between the two brotherly countries. Instead of fighting to moveborders, I believe we should make them less of a barrier, through peaceand cooperation.
Q. I hope you know about Armenian agression towards Azerbaijan. Armenia has occupied 20 per cent of the territories of Azerbaijan and our country has about 1 million refugees.Do you think that you can do something for informing people in the country you live about problems of Azerbaijan or you have done it already? A. I do not know a single Iranian who is happy about the Islamic Republic's meddling in the affairs of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Given the Iranian Republic's pretense of defending Islamic causes, its' nakedactions against Moslem Azerbaijan is even less comprehensible.When Iran was economically and militarily strong, she was a force for stability. The Islamic Republic's exacerbation of regional crises is born out of her weakness and insecurity. This is not what the people of Iran want. God willing, we will become peace makers amongst our neighborsonce again. Q. It is very interesting point:Could Rza Pehlevi save his authority, if he tried?What he had to do for saving his power?
A. Had the people of Iran known that the Islamic Republic would take a million human lives in war, bring abject poverty, corruption, isolation, even weaken faith, they would never accept such a regime. To prevent such ill fortune, we could all have done more to better inform ourcompatriots.
Q. Late Khomeyni repeatedly stated that Pehlevi was working under control of the US and Israel.What can you say about that? A. The younger generation might forget that we lived in a world where even Great Britain and Germany depended on the United States to defend themselves against the Soviet Union - let alone Iran with a 2500kilometer border with the Soviet Union and on her direct path to the warm waters and oil fields of the Persian Gulf. Just like the W. Europeans, Iran's alliance with the US was a rational expression of self interest.The tapes of Khomeini's speeches and promises before the revolution are forbidden in today's Iran, because they were all false promises. He promised paradise, but he opened the doors to hell. Q. It is known that your are facing with Tehran's pressure even after you left Iran.Is this pressure against you or your child?
A. Many Iranians who were fighting for freedom in Iran were assassinated by the Iranian Republic outside of our borders. Since the Islamic Republic considers us a threat, they obviously try to harm us.However, what strengthens our resolve is the depth of affection we have always received from fellow Iranians from all walks of life. |
Q. Why did you choose the United States after Iran? A. I am not a resident of the United States although I visit, every year, family and friends who reside there.
Q. It is easy to feel your endless love to Rza Shah Pehlevi from your memories.I apologize if my question is difficult to answer, but it is interesting: How do you remember the day when Shah died?
A. All these years when I think about my late husband, I remember him as a healthy person. I try not to visualize the last day. I was loosing my husband and our King. I was thinking of my children, of all those compatriots who werefaithful to him. I had to keep my strength and courage for them. After of all the days of hardship, he was resting in peace in a friendly land and among brothers.
Q. You lived another tragedy after Shah's death:Your daughter Leyla died in one of the London hotel.Please, accept my condolonces.My question is: Have you ever clarify the reasons of that tragedy?
A. Loosing her father, her country, being away from us in the difficult months, going from one country to another, one school to another, one group of friends to another, seeing and hearing what was shown and said on some TV's and what was written in some of the press made her depressed andtired. She wanted to make the pain disappear with tranquilizers or sleepingpills, and one might think she took too many pills.The death of Leila will always remain an open wound in my heart.
Q. I have read that your daughter was very genuine person. What can you say about her? A. Yes she was intelligent, with a strong personality. She wasgenerous, she loved life and had many friends. Q. What is your sphere of activity today?
A. I am busy the whole day - hearing and reading news from Iran, meeting with some compatriots, talking about the situation of Iranians, answering hundreds of letters and emails, helping them when I can fortheir demands as well as managing my own life and that of my family. Q. Did you ever try to return back to your Motherland? A. No, I cannot return. Q. One can see differences between Pehlevi's Iran and present Iran.What can you say about today's Iran?What do you feel about Islamic Iran? Intellectuals, students and journalists have been imprisoned torturedand in some cases murdered for their political views.Women have lost many of the right, which they enjoyed before 1979.They are abused, humiliated, flogged and in some instances stoned to death.Rampant corruption, lack of accountability and transparency is destroyingthe fabric of the society.Drug addiction is widespread, especially among the youth.Young girls resort to prostitution due to poverty. Number of homeless children forced to beg in the streets is alarmingly onthe rise.Rising crime rate. Loss of credibility by the clergy.The state apparatus becoming dysfunctional.Rising poverty Destruction of our fragile environment.Dilapidation of our cultural heritage. State sponsored terrorism; the Islamic republic is a barrier for theeconomic prosperity and security of the Middle East and the rest of theworld. Q. What is your attitude on current policy of Iran? The Islamic Republic is the antithesis of democracy and of the democratic values that the free world stands for. It is a repressive regimemixing religious fundamentalism with politics. A. The 25 years of the Islamic Republic is a black spot in the thousandyears of Iranian history. The majority of Iranians are eager to have ademocratic and secular government. Q. Do you believe that you can return Iran? What would you do in first day of your returning back to your Motherland? A. My greatest concern is to see people of Iran throw off their chains and find the path of democracy, freedom and progress; an Iran that respects uniersalhuman rights and enjoys a democratic and secular government. To see anenvironment, which breeds hope and promises a bright future for theyoung generation. If one day I can go back to my country, it will be a greatday in my life. I know that light will triumph over darkness and Iran |
