The inscriptions on the Statue of Darius Translated
Thanks to the Inscriptions Hall of the Iranian National Museum and to better present the Egyptian statue of Darius, The Achaemenian king, the inscriptions on the named statue have been translated to Persian and English. Being one of the most valuable works of art in history, the mentioned statue comprises four inscriptions in different scripts and languages including Ancient Persian, Elamite, Babylonian and hieroglyphic. The Egyptian hierglyphic text differes from all others. In this text, written by Egyptians, the Achaemenian Darius is presentd to the people of Egypt as an immortal pharaoh while the Ancient Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian texts recount Darius's reign in his own words. It should be noted that this statue was scuplted in Egypt and trasported to Iran through presentday Suez Canal by the order of Darius himself. The stone statue of Darius, which was discovered in Achaemenian palaces of Susa in 1974, is now kept in the Iranian National Museum.
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Princess Soraya, second Wife of the Shah of Iran, Dies in Paris
Princess Soraya Esfandiari Bakhtiari, the second wife of
the former Shah of Iran, has died in Paris, a former Iranian official close to the
family said Thursday. She was 69. She died in her Paris apartment, according to an ex-minister of the shah, A.M.
Madjidi. The cause and day of death were unclear.
The princess, who was renowned for her beauty, was born June 22, 1932, to a
German mother and a father who was a member of Iran's powerful Bakhtiari family.
She married Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi on Feb. 12, 1951, following his divorce from Egyptian Princess Fawzia, sister of King Farouk.
After her divorce, Soraya never remarried. She traveled extensively in Europe, aspiring at
on point to a movie career.
The story of her divorce inspired French songwriter Francoise
Mallet-Jorris to write ``Je Veux Pleurer Comme Soraya'' (I Want to Cry Like Soraya). The
ex-empress published an autobiography in 1991, ``Le Palais des Solitudes'' (The Palace of Solitudes).
for more fo to: http://www.cros.net/soraya/Empress/empress.htm
Remembering Freydoon Moshir on the anniversary of his death, Abaan the 3rd
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Iranian Refugees in Turkey
Iranian Refugees' Alliance set up two sessions about the Iranian Refugees in Turkey in Berkeley and Sunnyvale in September. In this gathering they screened a documentary about Iranian women, men and children in Turkey as they
struggle for years to obtain refugee status from the United Nations and resettle in a third country. The video was followed
by a first hand account from Kaveh who has experienced the ordeal of living as a refugee in Turkey for two years before
being resettled in the US six months ago. Deljou Abadi who has been coordinating the activities of Iranian Refugees'
Alliance for 8 years talked about the challenges that her organization face in helping the refugees and ways which the
Iranian community can help.
Iranian Refugees' Alliance is a community based organization in the US with the mission to preserve and promote the
human and civil rights of Iranian refugees and asylum seekers nationally and internationally, without any discrimination. For
more information please visit our website at http://www.irainc.org
I implore to you to help these people, even if it is a few dollars a month, please do that. I beg you.
The Artists' Passage in the Island of Kish
The Kish Free Zone Organization has established an "Artists' Passage" in this island. Busts of several artists have been placed in this "Artists' Passage", these artists are: Issa Bahadori (carpet designer), Gholam-Hossein Airkhani (calligrapher), Ali-Mohammad Heydarian (painter), Gholam-Hossein Banan (singer), Ezatollah Entezami (actor), Hossein Behzad (miniature), Abolhasan Seddighi (sculptor), Ebrahim Qanbari Mehr (musical instrument maker), Abolhasan Saba (musician), Ali-Akbar San'ati (sculptor), Mohammad-Karim Pirnia (architect), Morteza Momayyez (graphic artist), Abdolhasan Sepanta (filmmaker) and Sharif Lotfi (musician).
Iran through women's eyes, PBS
Adventure Divas -- A team of women documentary filmmakers working w/PBS, has
finally released their airdates for their cultural/travel series.
These shows cover the cultures and sights of several countries (including Iran), through the
eyes of their women. The series promises to be insightful and educational and I hope you
will make the time to watch. You may remember me telling you about my involvement with
them for the show on Iran.
That show will be airing on your local PBS stations from November 23-30 (check local
listings for exact times & dates). It is timely because it shows other Muslim women's lives:
They own businesses and count among their ranks artists, entertainers and politicians. The
show is entirely apolitical and is meant as a travel & cultural documentary. I recommend
you watch this show & the others in the series, which include: Cuba, India & New
Zealand.
A program to commemorate Afghan women's struggle
This program was held in Hayward, CA, in late September. The purpose was to introduce the cause of Afghan women and their
plights and the fact that not every muslim is a terrorist. At the start of the program a muslim Palestinian woman prayed in Arbaic and
then an Iranian from Bahaiit sect, gave her prayer, followed by a woman from
Jewish faith and a Christian both talking about peace and love and real
deep harmony among all the races and the believers of all faith. During the program, they had several speakers and solo perfomances and Afghan delightful music.
At the end donnation was collected to help the Afghan refugees. Only a few Iranians were present at this gathering.
Three Iranian Films at te Edinburgh Festival
The 54th International Edinburgh Film Festival was held from the 13th to the 7th of August, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Among the films taking part in this renowned festival were Babak Payami's One More Day, Hassan Yektapanah's Jom'eh and Bahman Qobadi's A Time for Drunken Horses.
Art from Iran, New York
The Queens Borough Public Library's main library, 89-11 Merrick Blvd. in Jamaica (New
York), is hosting the free exhibition, "A Breeze from the Gardens of Persia: New Art from
Iran," through Nov. 6. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For information, call 718-990-0700.
Political debate - October 2001
Questioning the Revolution: Reinventing Khomeini
Dan Brumberg, professor of government at Georgetown University, author of Reinventing Khomeini: The Struggle for Reform in Iran
Abbas Milani, Chair, Department of History and Political Science, Notre Dame de Namur University, author of The Persian Sphinx: Amir
Abbas Hoveyda and the Riddle of the Iranian Revolution
While the Iranian reform movement became known with President Khatami, Brumberg argues that the struggle for a more democratic Iran is
part of a process that can be traced back to the revolution itself. But can revolution
absorb reform and democracy without imploding? Abbas Milani will rebut and discuss with Brumberg from the perspective of his own work.