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Tales Of Mere Existence

Tales Of Mere Existence

This is great!!

Tales Of Mere Existence

Why is Iraq in Chaos? NO END IN SIGHT

Give Peace A Chance - John Lennon

Two, one, two, three, four
Ev'rybody's talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism,
Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, That-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
C'mon
Ev'rybody's talking about ministers,
Sinister, Banisters
And canisters, Bishops, Fishops,
Rabbis, and Pop eyes, Bye, bye, bye byes
All we are saying is give peace a chance,
All we are saying is give peace a chance
Let me tell you now
Revoluton, evolution, masturbation,
Flagellation, regulation, integrations,
Meditations, United Nations,
Congratulations
Ev'rybody's talking about
John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary,
Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan,
Tommy Copper,
Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer,
Allen Ginsberg, Hare Krishna,
Hare
Krishna

Imagine

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

یاد و خاطره‌ سهراب سپهری گرامی. م شکیب

Sohrab Sepehri

Bodhi

There was a special moment,
All doors were open.
No leaves, no branches,
The garden of annihilation had appeard.

Birds of places were silent,
This silent, that silent,
The silence itself was utterance.

What was that area?
Seems an ewe and a wolf,
Standing side by side. (1)
The shape of the sound, pale
The voice of the shape, weak
Was the curtain folded?

I was gone, he was gone,
We had lost us.
The beauty was alone.
Every river had become a sea,
Every being had become a Buddha.

(1) Refers to dawn

shamlo poems 1

Peace Conference Quotes

Peace Conference Quotes


• We aren’t genetically required to be violent; it’s a culture requirement.
• Cooperation allows us to survive.
• What happens in the mind that transforms the intention to dominate…into
something else?
• The culture of war is baggage that we all carry. At what point do we withdraw
energy from supporting that?
• Separation is an illusion.
• Let the wisdom of who you are be present. That’s what peace work is.
• Our prayerful intention changes, even disarms, the aggressor.
• We as peacemakers energize the potential.
• Love casts out fear.
• Peace is a connection.
• There are no strangers anywhere; there are just relatives you haven’t met.
• The medicine of our time is the medicine of the heart.
• When we have equal rights, then we can talk about peace.
• Peace has to be us knowing that we do not live alone.
• When we leave this world, where are we at…still arguing about what peace is, or
being in that peace?
• We need an economic culture that is socially conscious.
• Turn the anti-war movement to a pro-peace movement.
• To convert to a peace economy…starts with a new culture of values.
• Envision business enterprise as community, not company.
• It doesn’t matter how you get to Unity consciousness.
• I, too, am my neighbor.
• Understand that those who resort to violence think they have no other choice.
• Reach out and listen to those who disagree.
• I think you should find something to commit to.
• Mediation gets anger into facilitated problem-solving.
• Conflict resolution should be a class in every school.
• Support parents in their commitment to bring forth a child in a peaceful,
conscious way.
• Teach children to respect all living creatures, big and small.
• Create peace from the inside out.
• We are all connected.
• Forgive ourselves and each other.
• Empathy, empathy, empathy.
• Kids need personal attention, not electronic devices.
• Children need honest information about what is happening around the world.
• You cannot have peace when focusing on survival.
• Inundate the media with positive images.
• Could we have video games where people ‘save’ instead of ‘kill’ others?
• Look deep in the eyes of people and recognize the human like me inside the other.
• Love in action is a deep discipline.
• We are an instrument in the world orchestra.
• Self-righteousness hinders connection.
• Your ‘enemy’ can teach you.
• Give dignity to your ‘opponent’ and the outcome will be better.
• Respect begins in the family.
• Creating inner peace affects the consciousness of the whole.
• Peace begins with opening our hearts.
• Make peacefulness contagious.
• Think about future generations.
• Art is a healing power.
• Ask Nature to be our partner.
• Be a conduit for peace through creative expression.
• Your contribution does not need to be earth-shaking to make a difference.
• It is essential to balance activism with inner peace.
• Work to not add a single spark of additional violence to the world.
• The stars are kissing our faces.
• Be so happy that others get happy when they see you.
• What we do to another we do to ourselves.
• We are the leaders and the time for action is now.
• The enemy is someone whose story I haven’t heard.
• Peace is a process and a way of approaching life.
• Deeply-rooted spirituality is a foundation for peace.
• There is more than one road to peace and more than one type of peacemaker.
• People of peace are everywhere and doing some incredible things!

Taliban and women

Some of the restrictions imposed by Taliban on women in Afghanistan

The following list offers only an abbreviated glimpse of the hellish lives Afghan women are forced to lead under the Taliban, and can not begin to reflect the depth of female deprivations and sufferings. Taliban treat women worse than they treat animals. In fact, even as Taliban declare the keeping of caged birds and animals illegal, they imprison Afghan women within the four walls of their own houses. Women have no importance in Taliban eyes unless they are occupied producing children, satisfying male sexual needs or attending to the drudgery of daily housework. Jehadi fundamentalists such as Gulbaddin, Rabbani, Masood, Sayyaf, Khalili, Akbari, Mazari and their co-criminal Dostum have committed the most treacherous and filthy crimes against Afghan women. And as more areas come under Taliban control, even if the number of rapes and murders perpetrated against women falls, Taliban restrictions --comparable to those from the middle ages-- will continue to kill the spirit of our people while depriving them of a humane existence. We consider Taliban more treacherous and ignorant than Jehadis. According to our people, "Jehadis were killing us with guns and swords but Taliban are killing us with cotton."

Taliban restrictions and mistreatment of women include the:

1- Complete ban on women's work outside the home, which also applies to female teachers, engineers and most professionals. Only a few female doctors and nurses are allowed to work in some hospitals in Kabul.

2- Complete ban on women's activity outside the home unless accompanied by a mahram (close male relative such as a father, brother or husband).

3- Ban on women dealing with male shopkeepers.

4- Ban on women being treated by male doctors.

5- Ban on women studying at schools, universities or any other educational institution. (Taliban have converted girls' schools into religious seminaries.)

6- Requirement that women wear a long veil (Burqa), which covers them from head to toe.

7- Whipping, beating and verbal abuse of women not clothed in accordance with Taliban rules, or of women unaccompanied by a mahram.

8- Whipping of women in public for having non-covered ankles.

9- Public stoning of women accused of having sex outside marriage. (A number of lovers are stoned to death under this rule).

10- Ban on the use of cosmetics. (Many women with painted nails have had fingers cut off).

11- Ban on women talking or shaking hands with non-mahram males.

12- Ban on women laughing loudly. (No stranger should hear a woman's voice).

13- Ban on women wearing high heel shoes, which would produce sound while walking. (A man must not hear a woman's footsteps.)

14- Ban on women riding in a taxi without a mahram.

15- Ban on women's presence in radio, television or public gatherings of any kind.

16- Ban on women playing sports or entering a sport center or club.

17- Ban on women riding bicycles or motorcycles, even with their mahrams.

18- Ban on women's wearing brightly colored clothes. In Taliban terms, these are "sexually attracting colors."

19- Ban on women gathering for festive occasions such as the Eids, or for any recreational purpose.

20- Ban on women washing clothes next to rivers or in a public place.

21- Modification of all place names including the word "women." For example, "women's garden" has been renamed "spring garden".

22- Ban on women appearing on the balconies of their apartments or houses.

23- Compulsory painting of all windows, so women can not be seen from outside their homes.

24- Ban on male tailors taking women's measurements or sewing women's clothes.

25- Ban on female public baths.

26- Ban on males and females traveling on the same bus. Public buses have now been designated "males only" (or "females only").

27- Ban on flared (wide) pant-legs, even under a burqa.

28- Ban on the photographing or filming of women.

29- Ban on women's pictures printed in newspapers and books, or hung on the walls of houses and shops.

Apart from the above restrictions on women, the Taliban has:

- Banned listening to music, not only for women but men as well.

- Banned the watching of movies, television and videos, for everyone.

- Banned celebrating the traditional new year (Nowroz) on March 21. The Taliban has proclaimed the holiday un-Islamic.

- Disavowed Labor Day (May 1st), because it is deemed a "communist" holiday.

- Ordered that all people with non-Islamic names change them to Islamic ones.

- Forced haircuts upon Afghan youth.

- Ordered that men wear Islamic clothes and a cap.

- Ordered that men not shave or trim their beards, which should grow long enough to protrude from a fist clasped at the point of the chin.

- Ordered that all people attend prayers in mosques five times daily.

- Banned the keeping of pigeons and playing with the birds, describing it as un-Islamic. The violators will be imprisoned and the birds shall be killed. The kite flying has also been stopped.

- Ordered all onlookers, while encouraging the sportsmen, to chant Allah-o-Akbar (God is great) and refrain from clapping.

- Ban on certain games including kite flying which is "un-Islamic" according to Taliban.

- Anyone who carries objectionable literature will be executed.

- Anyone who converts from Islam to any other religion will be executed.

- All boy students must wear turbans. They say "No turban, no education".

- Non-Muslim minorities must distinct badge or stitch a yellow cloth onto their dress to be differentiated from the majority Muslim population. Just like what did Nazis with Jews.

- Banned the use of the internet by both ordinary Afghans and foreigners.

And so on...



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Amnesty International outraged at reported stoning to death and fears for victim’s co-accused

Foto: Vlag
Iran

Amnesty International outraged at reported stoning to death and fears for victim’s co-accused

9 juli 2007 Amnesty International today expressed outrage at the reported execution by stoning of Ja’far Kiani on 5 July 2007 in the village of Aghche-kand, near Takestan in Iran’s Qazvin province. The organization urged the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Hashemi Shahroudi, to immediately intervene to prevent the execution by stoning of Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, a woman convicted in the same case.

Ja’far Kiani and Mokarrameh Ebrahimi were sentenced to death by stoning after conviction of adultery. Under article 83 of Iran’s Penal Code, execution by stoning is prescribed for adultery committed by a married man or a married woman. Under Iranian law, adultery can only be proved by the testimony of eyewitnesses (the number required varying for different types of adultery), a confession by the defendant (repeated four times), or the judge's "knowledge" that the adultery has taken place. In this case, the basis for the conviction of adultery was the judge’s “knowledge” that adultery had taken place. The couple had been imprisoned for the past 11 years in Choubin prison. Their two children are believed to live in prison with their mother. The executions by stoning were initially scheduled for 17 June 2007 after an appeal to the Judicial Commission for Amnesty and Clemency was rejected, but later changed to 21 June. The stonings were to be carried out publicly in the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, in the presence of the judge from Branch 1 of the Criminal Court who sentenced them to death.

However, the planned executions were again delayed after activists involved in the ‘Stop Stoning Forever’ campaign in Iran broke news of the couple’s plight and the Iranian government was exposed to widespread domestic and international demands, including by Amnesty International, to prevent the stonings. Following this, it was reported on the afternoon of 20 June that the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Shahroudi, had issued a written order requiring the judiciary in Takestan to stay the execution temporarily. The couple remained under sentence of death by stoning, but they were thought not to be at imminent risk of execution.

It caused shock, therefore, when the ‘Stop Stoning Forever’ campaign reported on 7 July that Ja’far Kiani had been stoned to death in Aghche-kand two days earlier. According to reports, the stoning was conducted mostly by local governmental and judiciary officials, and only a few members of the public participated.

On 8 July, the newspaper E’temad-e Melli reported that local people and a source connected to one of the local parliamentary representatives had confirmed the execution, although as yet there has been no statement from the judiciary.

Amnesty International is calling on the Head of the Judiciary immediately to clarify whether Ja’far Kiani was stoned to death on 5 July and, if so, whether this was in breach of the stay of execution that he had imposed.

The organization is calling on the Head of the Judiciary and other Iranian authorities to take immediate steps to prevent the execution of Ja’far Kiani’s co-accused, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, and to commute her sentence without delay

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases as the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. Execution by stoning is particularly cruel, being specifically designed to increase the victim's suffering since the stones are deliberately chosen to be large enough to cause pain, but not so large as to kill the victim immediately.

Amnesty International is also calling on the Iranian government to abolish altogether executions by stoning and to impose a moratorium pending the repeal or amendment of article 83 of the Penal Code. Amnesty International is aware of other individuals under sentence of execution by stoning in Iran: Ashraf Kalhori (f), Iran (f), Khayrieh (f), Shamameh Ghorbani (also known as Malek) (f), Kobra N. (f), Soghra Mola’i (f), Fatemeh (f), and Abdollah F. (m). Amnesty International calls for these, and any other existing sentences of stoning to death in Iran, to be commuted.

Amnesty International also opposes the criminalization of consensual adult sexual relations conducted in private, and further urges the Iranian authorities to review all relevant legislation with the aim of decriminalizing such acts.

Background
In December 2002 Ayatollah Shahroudi, the Head of the Judiciary, reportedly sent a ruling to judges ordering a moratorium on execution by stoning, pending a decision on a permanent change in the law, which was apparently being considered by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

However, in September 2003, a law concerning the implementation of certain kinds of penalties, including stoning, was passed, which appeared to undermine this moratorium. Also despite the supposed moratorium, Amnesty International continued to record sentences of stoning being passed, though none of these were known to have been implemented until May 2006, when a woman and a man were reportedly stoned to death. The two victims- Abbas (m) and Mahboubeh (f) were reportedly stoned to death in a cemetery in Mashhad, after being convicted of murdering Mahboubeh’s husband, and of adultery - a charge which carries the penalty of stoning. Part of the cemetery was cordoned off from the public, and more than 100 members of the Revolutionary Guard, and Bassij Forces, who had been invited to attend, reportedly participated in stoning the couple to death.

On 21 November 2006, the late Minister of Justice, Jamal Karimi-Rad, denied that stonings were being carried out in Iran, a claim repeated on 8 December 2006 by the Head of the Prisons Organization in Tehran. The campaigners against stoning have since stated in response that there is irrefutable evidence that the Mashhad stoning did indeed occur.

In mid-2006, a group of Iranian human rights defenders began a campaign to abolish stoning, having initially identified 11 individuals at risk of stoning. Since the campaign began, three individuals have been saved from stoning: Hajieh Esmailvand (f), Parisa (f) and Najaf (m). Others have been granted stays of execution, and some of the cases are being reviewed or re-tried.

International Support for Women’s Campaign

Iranian women’s rights activists are initiating a wide campaign demanding an end to discriminatory laws against women in the Iranian law. The Campaign “One Million Signatures Demanding Changes to Discriminatory Laws” is a follow-up effort to the peaceful protest of the same aim, which took place on June 12, 2006 in Haft-e Tir Square in Tehran

We the undersigned, representing international women’s groups and activists, human rights organizations and activists, university and academic centers, and social justice initiatives, would like to express our support for Iranian women in their effort to reform laws and achieve equal status within the Iranian legal system.

Signatures:

Background Information

Campaign Description:

Iranian law considers women to be second class citizens and promotes discrimination against them. It is noteworthy that legal discrimination of this type is being enforced in a society where women comprise over 60% of those being admitted to university. It is generally believed that laws should promote social moderation by being one step ahead of cultural norms. But in Iran the law lags behind cultural norms and women’s social position and status.

Without a doubt, women of lower socio-economic status or women from religious and ethic minority groups suffer disproportionately from legal discrimination. On the other hand, these unjust laws have promoted unhealthy and unbalanced relationships between men and women and as a result have had negative consequences on the lives of men as well.

On the other hand, the Iranian government is a signatory to several international human rights conventions, and accordingly is required to bring its legal code in line with international standards. The most important international human rights standard calls for elimination of discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion, etc.

The Campaign aims to collect one million signatures in support of changes to discriminatory laws against women. It will provide education on legal issues to the public and especially to women, raise public awareness, promote collaboration between groups demanding equality between men and women, and document experiences. The Campaign will be implemented through the following means:

1. Collection of signatures through door-to-door contact and dialogue with individual women;

2. Collection of signatures in places and events in which women gather, and where dialogue and discussions with groups of women can be carried out;

3. Implementation of seminars and conferences with the intent of raising the profile of the campaign, promoting dialogue, identifying supporters and collecting signatures;

4. Collection of signatures through the internet. The internet will be utilized to share information about the Campaign, including legal educational materials, and those interested in supporting this effort can sign petitions related to the Campaign.

Contact Information: • For more information on the Campaign please visit: www.we-change.org; or write to the Campaign Organizers at: forequality@gmail.com

The Frames - Falling Slowly

Cat Stevens - Peace Train (live)

Peace Train
by Cat Stevens

Now I've been happy lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun

Oh I've been smiling lately,
dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be,
some day it's going to come

Cause out on the edge of darkness,
there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country,
come take me home again

Now I've been smiling lately,
thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be,
something good has begun

Oh peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Come on now peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller

Everyone jump upon the peace train
Come on now peace train

Get your bags together,
go bring your good friends too
Cause it's getting nearer,
it soon will be with you

Now come and join the living,
it's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer,
soon it will all be true

Now I've been crying lately,
thinking about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating,
why can't we live in bliss

Cause out on the edge of darkness,
there rides a peace train
Oh peace train take this country,
come take me home again

SiCKO Trailer

From "We for Change"

گفت و گو با دکتر شهلا اعزازی / جلوه جواهری

يكشنبه3 تیر 1386



شهلا اعزازی، دارای دکترای جامعه شناسی و اقتصاد از دانشگاه وین است. وی سال ١٣٥٦ بعد از اتمام دكترای خود به ايران بازگشت و تدریس در دانشگاه را پیشه کرد. او همچنین عضو هیئت علمی دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی و مدیر گروه مطالعات زنان انجمن جامعه‌شناسی ایران است. کتاب هایی چون، "خانواده و تلویزیون" (بررسی نقش زنان در سریال های تلویزیونی ایران)، "جامعه شناسی خانواده"، " خشونت خانوادگی، زنان كتك خورده" و "فمینیسم و دیدگاه ها" از جمله آثار دکتر اعزازی هستند . در گفت و گویی با وی به بررسی روند تغییر قوانین از دیدگاه جامعه شناختی پرداخته ایم.

با توجه به تحقیقاتی که در زمینه خشونت داشتید به خصوص خشونت خانگی، تا چه حد ردِ پای قوانین را در بروز خشونت علیه زنان می بینید؟

به نظرمن کمتر می توان رد پای قوانین را در خشونت علیه زنان دید، بلکه بیشتر بی قانونی را می بینیم. البته قوانین ما خشونت آفرین هستند. قوانینی چون دیه، قصاص، و حتی قوانین خانواده، که در آن مرد ریاست خانواده را بر عهده دارد و بسیاری از حقوقی که یک جانبه به مرد داده شده. اما بعید به نظرم می رسد که مرد عامی یا زن عامی ما خیلی به مواد قانونی اشراف داشته باشند. مرد ایرانی یک اشراف کلی دارد که "من بر حقم و قدرت دست من است" اما به جزئیات قانون آگاه نیست. ولی زمانی که خشونت اتفاق می افتد، اگر زن بخواهد شکایت کند و یا کاری انجام دهد، هیچ قانونی نیست که از او حمایت کند. به همین دلیل می گویم بیشتر شاهد بی قانونی هستیم. یکی از راه کارهایی که خشونت را، که به نظر من یکی از بدترین پدیده هایی است که در زندگی زنان وجود دارد، کم کرده و یا از بین می برد تغییرات قانونی است به نحوی که به نفع قربانی ها، قوانینی تصویب شود که از آنها حمایت کند و تشدید مجازات عاملان خشونت را به دنبال داشته باشد.

رد پای قانون را در زندگی مردم می بینیم، و مردم نسبت به آن آگاهانه عمل نمی کنند. اما یک تصور کلی در ذهن مردها وجود دارد که قانون پشت آنهاست و به آنها حق بالاتری می دهد. ماده ای در قانون مجازات اسلامی داریم به نام "قاعده فراش" که "اگر مردی زن خود را در حال زنا با مرد دیگری ببیند می تواند هر دو را بکشد". به نظر من مردها یک تصور مبهمی از این ماده دارند، به همین دلیل در بسیاری از موارد زن خود را می کشند و بعد می گویند به او سوء ظن داشتیم. دریکی از همین موارد مردی که زنش را به قتل رسانده بود به بازپرس گفته بود، زنش خوابیده بود و او در حالی که با پسرعمویش صحبت می کرده به نظرش رسیده زن با کس دیگری رابطه دارد و او را با روسری خفه کرده. فکر می کنم مردان تصوری مبهم دارند که اگر بگویند به زنشان سوء ظن دارند، مجازاتشان کمتر می شود. و در واقعیت هم مجازات آنها کم می شود. بنابراین رد پای قانون را می توان در افکار عمومی مردها پیدا کرد.

برخی می گویند تغییر قانون اهمیت چندانی ندارد و ابتدا باید فرهنگ جامعه را تغییر داد. شما چه رابطه ای بین فرهنگ و قانون می بینید و نظرتان در این باره چیست؟

قانون به جای خود، فرهنگ هم به جای خود. مقایسه ای می کنم درباره فرهنگ یا بهتر بگویم ضد فرهنگ زن کشی یا دخترکشی که در بسیاری از اقوام ما هست، زمانی که زن یا دختر با کسی رابطه دارد و یا گمان می کنند که رابطه دارد. این فرهنگ در حال از بین رفتن بود اما زمانی که قانون مجازات اسلامی، مجازاتی برای قتل های ناموسی به این شکلش ندارد، چنین ضد فرهنگی تشویق می شود. یعنی وقتی می دانی که اگر خواهر، زن و یا دخترت را بکشی، مجازاتی در انتظارت نیست، یک تصور کلی در ذهن پیش می آید که می توان مرتکب چنین قتل هایی شد و دلیل آورد که سوء ظن داشتم.

اما مساله ای که مطرح است این است که قوانین ما نسبت به نگرش کلی جامعه عقب تر هستند. در مجموع بحثی که اینجا مطرح می کنم به استناد نظر سنجی ها، و کارهایی است که وزارت ارشاد تهیه و منتشر کرده است. در این نظر سنجی ها وقتی از مردم سوال کردند، باورها و نگرش های جنسیتی آنها تقریبا خوب بوده. اغلب برابری زن و مرد را قبول دارند. با حق طلاق برای زن موافقند و 98 درصد با چند همسری مخالفند. بنابراین فرهنگ ما خیلی هم سطح پایین نیست و مردم ما ایده ها و نگرش های خوب دارند. اما آنچه که عقب تر از مردم است، قانون ماست. معمولا فاصله ای بین نگرش و رفتار وجود دارد. ما باید سعی کنیم رفتار را به نگرش متمایل کنیم، نه نگرش را به رفتار. و اکنون مردم بیشتر پاسخ هایی که می دهند تاکید بر برابری است اما وقتی مردم ما برابری زن و مرد را می بینند قانون می گوید شما نابرابرید. در حالی که درست باید برعکس باشد. یعنی قانون باید طوری باشد که نه فقط به درد امروز و فردا بخورد بلکه تغییرات بیست سال آینده را هم پوشش دهد. چرا که قانون را افراد کارشناس، حقوقدانان، و فعالانی که به مشکلات حقوقی جامعه هم نگاهی دارند، باید تهیه کنند. بسیار کوته بینانه خواهد بود که قانونی تهیه شود که فقط امروز کاربرد داشته باشد. اما زمانی که نگاه می کنیم می بینیم این قانون نه فقط پا به پای باور مردم حرکت نمی کند بلکه از آن عقب تر هم هست. شاید در این مورد باید بگویم فرهنگ ما جلوتر است اما قانون آن را به عقب می کشد.

خواست تغیر قوانین چه پروسه ای را در ایران طی کرده تا به اینجا رسیده و چه دست آوردهایی تا کنون داشته است؟

با مشروطیت، قانون نوشته شد. ابتدا قانون اساسی، بعد حدود 1310 باز هم تغییراتی در قوانین بود. قبل از انقلاب، قانون حمایت از خانواده، حقوق نسبی به زنان می داد. بعد از انقلاب این قوانین تغییر پیدا کرد و باز هم بعد از آن شروط ضمن عقد اضافه شد.

اگر بخواهم درباره مکانیسم تغییر قانون بگویم، در مورد تصویب قانون حمایت از خانواده، احتمالا در نتیجه فشارهایی بود که توسط گروهی از زنان نخبه جامعه وارد شد که توانستند این تغییرات را به وجود آوردند. زنانی در سازمان زنان بودند که سعی می کردند چه به عنوان حقوقدان و یا هر کس دیگری که فعالیت می کردند، تغییراتی را در قوانین به وجود آورند. در کتابهای تاریخی که در مجموع خواندم به نظر می رسید که مثلا در مورد حق انتخاب برای زنان، فرمان ملوکانه از بالا آمده، در حالی که این طور نبوده و زنان زیادی در این حوزه کار کردند تا آنها را وادار به پذیرش آن کردند. به قم می رفتند با علما صحبت می کردند، دلایل مثبت برای اینکه زنها حق انتخاب داشته باشند می آوردند. و بعد به نوعی در دوره ای از سلطنت پهلوی، از آنجا که هم رضا شاه و هم محمد رضا شاه سعی در مدرنیزاسیون ایران داشتند، گروهی ا زنان با این حکومت همراهی کردند و گفتند حالا که اینها می خواهند ایران را مدرن کنند، ما هم مباحث مربوط به زنان را که در مدرنیزاسیون می گنجد از طریق خود حاکمان مطرح کنیم. یکی از این مباحث، حق انتخابات و تغییر در قوانین خانواده بود. این خواسته ها پایه مردمی نداشت، یعنی رفرمی در ایران نشده بود، اما به نفع مردم بود. اما اپوزسیون چه چپ و چه مذهیبیون، این خواسته ها را چون از جانب حکومت مطرح می شد بدون توجه به محتوای آن رد می کردند. بنابراین من فکر می کنم بیشتر از طریق نخبگان و لابی ها، این تغییرات قانونی به وجود آمد.

چرا این تغییرات تا این حد کند بوده و یا به طور مثال حتی زمانی که قانون خانواده تصویب شد به راحتی بعد از انقلاب برچیده شد. چه موانعی وجود داشت آیا این موانع در سطح کنشگران است و به شیوه عمل آنها بر می گردد یا ساختاری است؟

یک انقلاب بود. و اولین پیامد آن این بود که این قوانین به عقب برگشت. کما این که قوانین دیگر هم تغییر کردند، مثلا قانون مجازات اسلامی و اینها بازتاب های هر انقلابی است. در دوره مشروطه، اولین حقوق به زنان داده شد. اما چه کسانی این کار را کردند؟ زنان دربار، زنان نخبه، زنانی که اطلاعاتی داشتند. درخواستشان آموزش برای دختران بود. اما زمانی که خاطراتشان را می خوانید می بینید که خودشان نیازی به آموزش نداشتند و آموزش هایی ورای مردم داشتند. خیلی خوب فارسی می دانستند. هر کدام هنری داشتند. فرانسه هم خوب می دانستند. برای اینکه آنها اشراف بودند. در خواستی که آنها داشتند و برایش تلاش می کردند مربوط به خودشان نبود. خودشان آموزش دیده بودند و به دلیل همین آموزشی که دیده بودند می خواستند توده مردم هم مدرسه داشته باشند. مهمترین خواسته ی آنها مدرسه و البته تغییراتی در قوانین مدنی و خانواده بود. ولی آنچه که بر آن پافشاری داشتند مدرسه بود و بنابراین با تلاش های آنها مدرسه ها ساخته شد، نه به آسانی. نکته من این است که آنها زنان نخبه بودند و در خواستشان به خودشان بر نمی گشت بلکه آن را برای مردم می خواستند.

در رابطه با تغییر حقوق خانواده تا آنجایی که من اطلاع دارم، زنان مختلف نزدیک به دربار، اما نخبه (الیتی که تحصیلاتی بالا داشتند) توانستند تغییراتی را در قوانین خانواده به وجود آورند که این تغییرات به نفع توده مردم بود. وقتی به وضعیت خیلی از زنان مشرطه که بیوگرافی شان را خواندم نگاه می کنم می بینیم حق طلاق را برای خودشان گرفته بودند و حتی خیلی از آنها از شوهرانشان طلاق گرفته بودند. و به واسطه ثروتشان، عملا پشتوانه خوبی داشتند. در دوره پهلوی هم همین طور بود. اما بعد از انقلاب، کنشگران چندان مدرن نبودند. یعنی الیتی که با انقلاب روی کار آمد تنها تکلیف را می دید. در نتیجه یک دوره ده یا پانزده ساله فقط اپوزوسیونی بود که نه جا داشت و نه مکان و نه آنکه همدیگر را پیدا کرده بودند. یعنی بیشتر پراکنده بودند. اما آن الیتی که تا آن موقع، به دلیل نزدیکی به دربار توانسته بودند تغییرات مثبتی به نفع زنان در قانون ایجاد کنند، تبدیل شده بودند به الیتی که دیگر به دنبال حق نبودند و برابری نمی خواستند. آنها به دنبال تکلیف بودند و تکلیفشان هر چه بود انجام می دادند. خوب آن الیت به تدریج تغییر نگرش داد.

مدافعین حقوق زنان اوایل انقلاب جا و امکاناتی نداشتند و شاید همدیگر را گم کرده بودند. شرایط طوری بود که به سختی می توانستند تقاضاهای خودشان را مطرح کنند. زمان زیادی طول کشید تا آنها دوباره دور هم جمع شدند و باید از تب و تاب انقلاب باید می افتادند تا ببینند چه می خواهند. در آن دوره گروه های چپ هم با تکلیف زنان موافقت می کردند و علاوه بر آن، شرایط جنگی را هم باید در نظر گرفت. عده ای بودند که دقیقا می دانستند حقوق زنان را باید چگونه حفظ کنند. اما معلوم نبود کجا بودند. آنها به نوعی پنهان بودند، آن زیرها بودند. ولی در همان زیرها، در خانه ها، دور هم جمع می شدند. و این تجمعات خانگی جدی بود. 8 مارس ها هم در خانه ها برگزار می شد. به تدریج این روند، شکل بهتری گرفت.

کنار این تجمعات خانگی، انفرادی هم خیلی کار می شد. مقاله ها، کتاب ها، سمینارها. مجله زنان راهی را باز کرد که بسیاری از محققان خارجی در آن نوشتند و تریبونشان را بر روی ایران ها هم باز کردند تا بنویسند و واقعا دنبال آدمها می آمدند. فکر می کنم مجله زنان کار عمده ای کرد. در کارهای انفرادی، تاکید من بر روی کارهای هنری است. فیلم هایی که ساخته شد مانند دو زن، بانوی اردیبهشت، و یا قرمز. شاید خیلی آگاهانه نبوده و تجربه زندگی خودشان بوده اما بسیار موثر بودند. هر کدام تکه هایی از زندگی زنان را مطرح کردند. بعد ژورنالیست ها بودند که صفحه زنان را درست کردند. مطالعات زنان با تلاش استادان علاقمند به وجود آمد. دولت خاتمی هم موثر بود. در این دوره به دفاتر امور زنان در وزارتخانه ها امکانات داده شد. شاید دفتر امور زنان آموزش و پرورش از همه بهتر کار کرد. آنها مخاطب گسترده داشتند. در آنجا بر روی نگرش مدیرانی کار می شد که هر کدام 500 دانش آموز را زیر نظر داشتند. مفاهیم نابرابری جنسیتی، تحلیل جنسیتی، و ... در کارگاه هایی برای آنها مطرح می شد. خود من درباره خشونت علیه زنان با آنها کار کردم و این کارگاه ها بارها و بارها تکرار می شد. بهترین کار آنها این بود که مدیران از تمام مناطق ایران می آمدند در یک کارگاه شرکت می کردند و به شهر خود برمی گشتند و آن مفاهیم را آنجا مطرح می کردند. وزارت کشور هم در استانداری هاش تمام ای کارگاه ها را برگزار کرد. برای من جالب بود که مثلا سال 75 که با کار بر روی خشونت شروع کردم، از دهات لرستان زنگ می زدند که برایشان از خشونت صحبت کنم. در جاهایی چون لرستان و کردستان که تعصبات خیلی بالاست در کمال ناباوری، این مسائل موضوع شده بود. بنابراین مجموع روزنامه نگارها، فیلم سازان، دانشگاهیان، فعالان مسائل زنان را در ایران دوباره رو آوردند. اینجا بود که حتی آنهایی که می گفتند تکلیف برتر از حق است، به طرف حق برگشتند.

دوره پنهان بسیار کمک کرد زمانی که فعالیت ها بدون هیچ امکاناتی ادامه داشت. البته هنوز هم فعالان زنان بدون امکانات کار می کنند و از جیب خودشان می پردازند. مهم این بود که این تلاش ها با وجود صدماتی که در پی داشت، این قابلیت را دارد که دائما خودش را با شرایط محدودی که دارد به عقب و جلو بکشد اما هیچ وقت از بین نرفت.

بعضی از کشورهای سنی با وجود نداشتن اجتهاد در مذهب سنی، توانسته اند تغییراتی را در قوانین مدنی و کیفری به وجود بیاورند اما در ایران با وجود فقه شیعه و اجتهاد هنوز نتوانسته ایم این تغییرات را در قوانین به دست آوریم. شما دلیل این مساله را چه می دانید؟

بحثی درباره اندونزی و کشورهای نظیر آن درباره خشونت و مسائل دیگر مربوط به زنان با فعالان این کشورها داشتیم که خیلی جالب بود. ابتدا درک نمی کردیم آنها چه می گویند. مساله آنها این بود که چه کار کنند تا مقامات محلی از قوانینی که دولت می گذاشت ممانعت نکنند و چگونه می توانند قدرت مقامات محلی را کم کنند؟ و ما نمی فهمیدیم که منظور آنها چیست. بعد فهمیدیم که دولت آنها قوانین مترقی به نفع زنان به وجود می آورد، اما آنهایی که در ده هستند و یا در شهرستان های کوچک، حالا مذهبی یا سنتی، بر ضد آن قوانین شروع به ترساندن مردم می کنند و به این ترتیب سعی می کنند تا قانون دولت را بی اثر کنند. در صورتی که به نظر می آید در ایران برعکس باشد. یعنی بخش های محلی بیشتر کار می کنند و آنچه جلوی تغییر قانون را می گیرد، دولت است. چندی پیش در عراق افرادی که دختری را سنگسار کرده بودند محکوم شدند. سنگسار در آنجا قدغن است در حالی که در کشور ما قاضی می تواند حکم سنگسار دهد. بنابراین این مساله مربوط به سیستم دولتی هر کدام از این کشورهاست.

فکر می کنید اکنون ظرفیت تغییر قوانین در ایران وجود دارد؟ برخی بر این اعتقادند که با این همه انرژی که می گذارید حتی اگر امضاها جمع هم شوند باز هم این قوانین تغییر نمی کند. نظر شما چیست؟

چطور دیه مسلمان با غیر مسلمان برابر شد؟ در همین پرونده خون های آلوده دیه زنان و مردان شاکی پرونده برابر صادر شد. چطور می شود بعضی چیزها را تغییر داد اما این قوانین را نه؟ آنچه مهم است این است که واکنش در برابر تغییرات قوانین مربوط به زنان، خیلی زیاد است. چرا که رویارویی با قدرت مردانه است. و این قدرت مردانه نه تنها در ذات شوهر، برادر، و پدر است بلکه در دولت نیز قدرت مردانه هست.

چرا خشونت در خانواده اعمال می شود؟ برای آنکه شوهر می گوید آن کار را که من دوست دارم بکن و آن کار را که دوست ندارم نکن. به عبارت دیگر او می گوید در جای خودت باش و وظیفه و مسئولیت خودت را آن گونه که من می گویم انجام بده و بالاتر از آنهم نرو. اگر رفتی من با یک سیلی تو را سرجایت می نشانم. دولت ما هم همین کار را می کند. دولت هم می گوید تا زمانی که شما (زنان) کار خودتان را انجام بدهید با شما کاری نداریم، اما به محض اینکه پایتان را از گلیمتان درازتر کردید، می زنم در گوشتان. فرقی ندارد خشونت، خشونت است. ابزار همان است، هدف هم همان. همیشه قرار دادن قربانی در جایی است که عامل خشونت می خواهد. بنابراین در این تغییرات قانونی، می گویید که ما می خواهیم جایمان را عوض کنیم. معلوم است که مقاومت می کند و به راحتی نمی گذارد قوانین تغییر کند. در واقع اگر موافقت بکند، قدرت خودش را چه به عنوان مردان(دولت) و چه به عنوان یک مرد از دست می دهد. خوب چطور شما می خواهید بدون درخواست تغییرات قوانین، قدرت مردان را کم بکنید؟

یعنی به نظر شما چاره ای هم جز این نداریم؟

چاره ای به نظر من نیست. البته راه های متفاوتی دارد. و بهتر این است که راهی انتخاب شود که کمترین صدمه را داشته باشد. در حال حاضر روی طرحی کار می کنیم که چطور زنان را در برابر خشونت خانگی توانمند کنیم. حالا باید بگوییم چطور زنان را در مقابل خشونت اجتماعی توانمند کنیم. ما نمی گوییم خشونت باقی بماند، بلکه می گوییم در مقابل این خشونتی که وجود دارد، زنان توانمند بشوند برای اینکه در نهایت بتوانند خشونت خانگی را از بین ببرند. نه اینکه توانمند شوم و راه خودم را بگیرم و بروم. توانمند شوم و به این مرد بگویم دیگر خشونت نداشته باشد. برای جامعه هم باید دید راه های توانمند شدن زنان که بتوانند خشونت اجتماعی و یا همان قدرت مردانه را کاهش دهند، چیست. به هر حال یکی از ابزار این قدرت هم همین قوانین هستند.

با تشکر از وقتي که به ما اختصاص داديد
.

Inside Iran's Secret Gay World 1 of 3

sad sad sad

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

In these deep solitudes and awful cells,
Where heav'nly-pensive contemplation dwells,
And ever-musing melancholy reigns;
What means this tumult in a vestal's veins?
Why rove my thoughts beyond this last retreat?
Why feels my heart its long-forgotten heat?
Yet, yet I love!--From Abelard it came,
And Eloisa yet must kiss the name.


Dear fatal name! rest ever unreveal'd,
Nor pass these lips in holy silence seal'd.
Hide it, my heart, within that close disguise,
Where mix'd with God's, his lov'd idea lies:
O write it not, my hand--the name appears
Already written--wash it out, my tears!
In vain lost Eloisa weeps and prays,
Her heart still dictates, and her hand obeys.

.....

No, fly me, fly me, far as pole from pole;
Rise Alps between us! and whole oceans roll!

Ah, come not, write not, think not once of me,
Nor share one pang of all I felt for thee.

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd

Alexander Pope (1688-1744)

Eloisa to Abelard

VideoVets: Oliver Stone

No comment by Layla.

Farmworker to Surgeon: Immigrant Lives Dream

May 6, 2007 · The life of Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, a former illegal immigrant, may sound like a movie script, but it is no fiction.

Twenty years ago, he hopped a border fence from Mexico into the United States and became a migrant farmworker.

Today, he is a neurosurgeon and professor at Johns Hopkins University, and a researcher who is looking for a breakthrough in the treatment of brain cancer.

His remarkable journey began in a tiny farming community, 60 miles south of the U.S. border. Quinones-Hinojosa was born there, and by age 5, he was working at his father's gas station. His grandmother was a village healer and a midwife.

But in the mid-1970s, Mexico's economy collapsed, and his father could no longer keep food on the table for the family. Quinones-Hinojosa continued his schooling and became a teacher by the time he was 18, but he, too, was unable to provide for his family. So he made the decision — like so many relatives before him — to head north.

Quinones-Hinojosa picked cotton, tomatoes and cantaloupes, and lived in the fields in a broken-down camper he bought for $300. When his cousin told him he would be a farmworker for the rest of his life, he realized it was time to move on.

He signed up for English classes at a community college, where a teacher encouraged him to attend the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley on a scholarship, Quinones-Hinojosa developed a passion for the scientific method. He went on to Harvard Medical School, where he eventually delivered the commencement speech. It is also during this time that he received his U.S. citizenship.

Quinones-Hinojosa says he owes so much of his success to the many people who have extended a hand to him throughout his life.

Private Fears In Public Places Trailer

"...And on and on the carousel goes. There are many crisscrosses in Private Fears in Public Places; they're laborious to describe but marvelously easy to watch. The 84-year-old director has stripped the movie down to pure elegance. It's not reductionist; it's about human beings trying to reach out from their own private spaces. And for two sublime hours, it's all we need of the world."


David Edelstein

what happens when we cross cultures and the story of culture shock

I never thought I was going through culture shock and I don't want to be one of those who have been in culture shock for the last 30 years.
Thus, I assumed some of my friends may find this article useful:)


Here you are:



Culture shock is not a psychological disorder, but in fact, it is a developmental phase that is both common amongst sojourners and expected when one adjusts “properly” in a cross-cultural context. While there are many academic definitions of culture shock, the experience can be simply described as a clash between one's personal way of viewing and interacting with the world (which is determined by one's home culture) and the new cultural environment. This is the classic conflict between ethnocentric and ethnorelative views of the world, which is experienced as a perceived lack of control or a sense of helplessness. Anxiety, frustration, confusion, loss of perceptual cues, discrepant meaning systems - all these contribute to the "clash." Culture shock has often been described as an adjustment cycle, with an initial high point upon entry marked by excitement and optimism, a low point during the sojourn (the culture shock phase), and a moderated "high point" near the end of the sojourn experience as the student learns to function more successfully. Most students go through four phases of adjustment, a process commonly called “culture shock.”

What is culture shock?

Culture shock is the reaction one faces when confronted with a new cultural environment; the effect of going from culture into another. It is a process of adjustment as you learn to become culturally competent in your new setting. Culture shock is perfectly natural! As you struggle with the challenge, you grow and mature both personally and socially.

Euphoria: This first phase is characterized by excitement and optimism. Everything is great, nothing is wrong, you’re having a wonderful time.
Anxiety: You realize that you are being confronted by so many differences that you don’t know how to deal with them all. You encounter the difficulties of living abroad, such as language barriers, an absence of social cues and familiar geographic references. Your anxiety grows and you feel helpless.
Rejection of the new culture: Now it seems that everything in your new environment seems “wrong” or “backwards.” Commonly students in this stage start to withdraw themselves from the local community, preferring to surround themselves with others more familiar with their home culture. You find yourself getting a 3 a.m. impulse to call a family member or friend back home!
Adjustment: With advanced preparation and support from others, you enter the adjusted phase. At this point you can recognize some of the perceived shortcomings of both countries without rejecting everything. You learn to deal with the problems set before you and begin to integrate them in your own beliefs. You are able to live and study well here in your study abroad program even with all of the differences you encounter.

Preparing for Culture Shock

The first step in preparing for culture shock is just knowing what it is. Remember to look for signs and take them seriously. You may experience any of the following symptoms while you are adjusting: homesickness, feeling angry over minor inconveniences, irritability, withdrawal, a sudden intense loyalty to your own culture, problems with appetite, boredom, a need for excessive sleep, headaches, upset stomach, small pains that really hurt, depression, loss of ability to work or study effectively, unexplainable crying, relationship stress, exaggerated cleanliness, frequent illnesses. You need not have every symptom on the list to experience culture shock. Physical symptoms should be checked by a physician before you decide it’s culture shock.

Solutions for Culture Shock

Even though you may not be able to eliminate culture shock, there are ways to ease the stress. Some of these activities are listed below:
1. Keep Active. By getting out of your room or outside of your apartment, you are able to experience first-hand what people in the local culture are doing. If you visit public places you will be able to watch and learn how customs are practiced.
2. Make Friends who are Familiar with the Local Culture. By having friends you can talk to, you are able to ask them questions about what you do not understand.
3. Read and Familiarize Yourself with the Culture. Read websites to gain more knowledge about the culture. You can also read newspapers and attend local and campus activities to learn more about the culture.
4. Keep Mentally and Physically Fit. Resist the temptation to study all of the time! Find an activity that you can enjoy to reduce stress and depression. Read a book for pleasure. Engage in physical activity, such as sports or walking. Eat healthy meals.
5. Community Activities. Talk with your Program Director, host family, or other locals about community activities, religious services, or volunteer opportunities to help you become a member of the community.
6. Work on your Language Skills. This is extremely important. Even if English is commonly used, it is much easier to understand a culture when you can understand the language. Ask about any slang terms that you do not understand.
7. Introduce Yourself to Other Study Abroad / American Students. Other students may be experiencing the same problems that you are. By talking to them, you may be able to find out ways they are coping with their adjustment and other problems.
8. Keep A Journal. By starting a journal now, you can remind yourself of the reasons why you have decided to study abroad. Recalling your goals can put some of your hardships into perspective. This can also help you recognize the signs of cultural shock and see it as a series of phases. Once back home, you may consider your diary to be one of your most valued mementos.
9. Strive to Remain Open and Non-judgmental. Learn to stop, or at least delay, judgments. Evaluations are based on your own standards, standards that are based in part on your culture and may be inappropriate to another. Quick, judgmental reactions can lead to misunderstandings, misjudgments, and negative opinions. Learn to objectively describe what you see and remain open to many interpretations. Check out your interpretations with others more familiar with the culture.
9. BE PATIENT. This process is normal, so recognize culture shock as part of your study abroad adventure. By recognizing it, you can see through some of the emotional states that culture shock puts you through and you can also relieve some stress. Give yourself time to adjust. If culture shock continues, develops into depression, affects your academics or relationships, or if you would just like to have some support while you're going through the phases, contact your Program Director who can put you in touch with resources to help you.
When you’re having “one of those days,” try a Relaxing Breath! So what about when you’ve had one of those days when everything has gone wrong? Sometimes the very best you can do is to stop and take a deep breath and repeat a calming mantra, such as “it’s okay, relax” There are many things that you might not be able to change or even begin to understand. Just remember that you choosing to study abroad for the whole experience. And in the end, it really is okay!

Handout adapted by Wendy Settle, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, from
http://www.nd.edu/~ucc/International_Eds_Hdbk_I.html#Culture by Kevin Gaw, http://www.uwec.edu/counsel/pubs/shock.htm by Katherine Schnieder, Ph.D. and http://www.utoronto.ca/safety.abroad/Guide/shock.html by Study.Abroad@UToronto.

Beyond Sadness

Remembering Virginia Tech's Shooting Victims
NPR.org, April 17, 2007 · When a gunman opened fire in a classroom building on the Virginia Tech campus Monday, he took the lives of at least 30 people, including students and faculty members. Two more students died in an earlier shooting at a dorm. Here, a brief look at those victims whose names have been confirmed by NPR:


Ross Alameddine
Sophomore, English Major
Age: 20
Alameddine was from Saugus, Mass. A memorial page on Facebook.com describes him as "an intelligent, funny, easygoing guy." Alameddine was killed in the classroom building at Norris Hall, Robert Palumbo, a family friend, told the Associated Press. Photo from Facebook.com.





Christopher James Bishop
German Instructor
Age: 35
Bishop was teaching in a classroom in Norris Hall before he was killed. He moved to Virginia Tech in 2005 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Bishop, known as Jamie, also had worked as a freelance graphic artist, designing digital art covers for a number of books, according to his Web site. He enjoyed "working with and researching digital photography, designing websites and multimedia projects, and investigating new technologies," according to the Virginia Tech Web site. He was a graduate of the University of Georgia.


Jacques Morin, Who Worked With 'Jamie' Bishop at the University of North Carolina: Bishop Was Usually 'The Happiest Person You Will Ever Find'



Ryan Clark
Senior, Biology, English and Psychology Major
Age: 22
Clark, of Columbia County, Ga., was one of the first two victims killed at the Virginia Tech campus on Monday. He was a student resident adviser at the West Ambler Johnston dormitory, where he was gunned down. Known by the nickname "Stack," Clark was a senior, just a month away from graduation, with a triple major in biology, English and psychology. He was active in the school's "Marching Virginians" band. He had hoped to pursue a doctorate in psychology. Photo from Facebook.com


Denise Aspell on Her Friend Ryan Clark: ‘He Would Always Make You Smile’



Daniel Perez Cueva
Student, International Relations Major
Age: 21
Perez Cueva's mother, Betty, said her son, a native of Peru, was killed while in French class. His father, Flavio Perez, lives in Peru. According to an Associated Press report, Perez was trying to get a humanitarian visa from the U.S. consulate following his son's death.


Hugo Quintero: Daniel Perez Cueva 'Was a Great Friend'



Kevin Granata
Professor, Engineering Science and Mechanics
Age: 45
Granata had served in the military and later conducted orthopedic research in hospitals before coming to Virginia Tech. He and his students researched muscle and reflex response and robotics. Ishwar Puri, head of the school's engineering science and mechanics department, says Granata was one of the top five biomechanics researchers in the country, and was working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy.


Ishwar Puri on Kevin Granata: He Was a Top Researcher, 'a Good Husband and a Fine Father'



Caitlin Hammaren
Sophomore, International Studies and French Major
Age: 19
Hammaren, who graduated in 2005 from Minisink Valley High School in Slate Hill, N.Y., was a talented musician, said Dr. Martha Murray, superintendent of Minisink Valley Central Schools. Hammaren played the violin and sang. She also was a strong student and wanted to go into international politics, Murray said. "She actually has been described as someone who was like a magnet for other kids and a role model. Always very positive," Murray said. Students at the high school have talked about Hammaren in their classes, and school officials are trying to do what her father told Murray he wanted them to do: "Celebrate her." Photo from Facebook.com.


Dr. Martha Murray on Caitlin Hammaran: ‘She Was a Wonderful Music Student’



Emily Hilscher
Freshman, Animal and Poultry Sciences Major
Age: 19
A native of Woodville, Va., Hilscher was a 2006 graduate of Rappahannock County High School. She was known around her hometown as an animal lover, and had worked at a veterinarian's office there. On a memorial page on Facebook.com, Lauren Kintner of Virginia Tech recalled, "Emily was amazing. She was so filled with life and always had something wonderful to say or was always making me smile." Hilscher was one of two people shot at the Ambler Johnston dorm; the other was Ryan Clark. Photo from Facebook.com





Jarrett Lane
Student
Age: 22
Lane was valedictorian of his high school class in Narrows, Va. According to Lane's friend, Justin Waldron, the school put up a memorial to Lane that included pictures, musical instruments and his athletic jerseys. Lane played the trombone, ran track, and played football and basketball. Waldron said in a Facebook entry that Lane was "loved by all and hated by none." Photo from Facebook.com





Matthew LaPorte
Freshman, University Studies Major
Age: 20
LaPorte was a 2005 graduate of Carson Long Military Institute, a private boys' school in New Bloomfield, Pa., that offers military training, according to its alumni association's Web site. Photo from Carson Long Military Institute.





Henry Lee
Freshman, Computer Engineering Major
Age: 20
Lee attended William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Va. A high school friend of Lee told Roanoke.com that he was shy at first, but once he became your friend, "he was the most wacky and funny and spastic person," Amanda Theller said. Lee, who was the salutatorian of his class, was reluctant to speak at his graduation in June, friends and his principal, Susan Willis, told the Web site. But he was talked into giving the speech, which made Willis cry. Willis said the saddest thing about Lee's death is that "the world is going to miss what he had to offer."Photo from Facebook.com


Tequila Cooper, Henry Lee's Friend Since Middle School: He Was 'Always Smiling, Always Helpful'



AP Photo
Liviu Librescu
Professor of Engineering
Age: 76
Librescu, an engineering science and mathematics lecturer, was among the victims at Norris Hall. Students say Librescu tried to keep the gunman from entering the room so that others could jump out of the windows to save themselves.

Born and educated in Romania, Librescu was internationally known for his research in aeronautical engineering. He was a Holocaust survivor. Monday was Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. Engineering department head Ishwar Puri said Librescu, who was born in a communist country, had a "great thirst for freedom."


Ishwar Puri on Liviu Librescu: 'He Was a Giant' as a Scholar



G. V. Loganathan
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Age: 51
Loganathan was born in southern India and had been a professor at Virginia Tech since 1982. He taught courses in hydraulics, hydrology and water resources engineering and was a core adviser for undergraduates in the department. His students described him as one of their favorites, and he received several awards for excellence in teaching. On a Virginia Tech Web site, one colleague, Dr. William Knocke, described Loganathan as "truly one of the most outstanding classroom educators within the College of Engineering."


G.V. Loganthan's Colleague, Mark Widdowson, Says He Was ‘The Kind Of Person You Love to Work With’



Erin Nichole Peterson
Freshman, International Studies Major
Peterson was a basketball standout at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Va., and was inducted into the National Honor Society as a high school senior in 2005. Peterson's high school basketball coach, Pat Deegan, said she was a good student and excellent athlete, who "made it her business to make everyone around her a better person." He said members of the basketball team shared anecdotes about how Peterson reached out when they were new to the school or nervous about playing their first varsity game. Peterson played on the varsity team for three years and was captain her senior year. Seung-hui Cho, identified as the gunman by police, attended the same high school.


Pat Deegan on Erin Peterson: 'She Made It Her Business to Make Everyone Around Her a Better Person'



Reema Samaha
Freshman
Age: 18
Samaha was from a close-knit Centreville, Va., family of Lebanese descent. She loved acting, dance and drama and was studying French, said Luann McNabb, a family friend. Samaha was close to her older brother and sister, and her family traveled to Beirut to visit her mother's family almost every summer. Samaha had attended Westfield High School, where she won a talent show last year with a belly dance, McNabb said. Victim Erin Peterson and gunman Seung-hui Cho attended the same high school. Photo from Facebook.com


Luann McNabb on Reema Samaha: 'Reema Had a Love of Life That Was Infectious'



Leslie Sherman
Sophomore, History and International Relations Major
Sherman graduated in 2005 from West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va. Her friend Buddy Miller, also a sophomore at Virginia Tech, said Sherman wanted to join the Peace Corps after college. Sherman loved the Russian language and Russian history, Miller said. He described her as someone who was always happy and optimistic.


Leslie Sherman's Friend Buddy Miller: She 'Was So Selfless, Was Always Nice'



Maxine Turner
Senior, Chemical Engineering Major
Turner was from Vienna, Va.

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel - The Sounds of Silence Lyrics

Madonna - Frozen

You only see what your eyes want to see
How can life be what you want it to be
You're frozen when your heart's not open
You're so consumed with how much you get
You waste your time with hate and regret
You're frozen when your heart's not open
If I could melt your heart
We'd never be apart
Give yourself to me
You are the key
Now there's no point in placing the blame
And you should know I'd suffer the same
If I lose you, my heart would be broken
Love is a bird, she needs to fly
Let all the hurt inside you die
You're frozen when your heart's not open
If I could melt your heart
We'd never be apart
Give yourself to me
You are the key
You only see what your eyes want to see
How can life be what you want it to be
You're frozen when your heart's not open
If I could melt your heart
We'd never be apart
Give yourself to me
You are the key
If I could melt your heart
We'd never be apart
Give yourself to me
You are the key
If I could melt your heart

My sickness: marazeh weblog khuni! or am I getting addicted?

Marazeh weblog khuni gereftam..hicham behtar nemisham keh, hey badtar misham! We're getting close to finals and this might lead to a disaster. Maybe it's something I did not experience when I was a teenager and I had to. Does anybody know of any medication or potion to help me??

Nickelback - If Everyone Cared (video)

I finally figured out how to post videos here!

Nickelback - If Everyone Cared (video)

I finally figured out how to post videos here!

If everyone cared!

Watch it on You Tube!

It's wonderful!

click here:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-QfLJbEN3k&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdentalpracticemanagement%2Etypepad%2Ecom%2Fexceptional%5Fdental%5Fpracti%2F




What if everyone cared?

Margaret Mead

Margaret Mead was raised near Doylestown, Pennsylvania by her university professor father and social-activist mother. She studied at DePauw University and graduated from Barnard College in 1923. She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1929. Mead set out in 1925 to do fieldwork in Polynesia. In 1926 she joined the American Museum of Natural History, New York City, as assistant curator, eventually serving as curator of ethnology from 1946 to 1969. During World War II Mead served as executive secretary of the National Research Council's Committee on Food Habits. In addition, she taught at Columbia University as adjunct professor starting in 1954. Following the example of her instructor Ruth Benedict, Mead concentrated her studies on problems of child rearing, personality, and culture. (Source: The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, 1993.) She held various positions in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, notably president in 1975 and chair of the executive committee of the board of directors in 1976.
Although considered a pioneering anthropologist by some, there has been academic disagreement with certain findings in her first book, Coming of Age in Samoa (1928), based on research she conducted as a graduate student, and with her published works based on time with the Sepik and on Manus Island. In some instances, literate people from the cultures she described have challenged certain of her observations.
Margaret Mead was married three times; first to Luther Cressman (a theological student during his marriage to Mead; later an anthropologist himself), and then to two fellow anthropologists, Reo Fortune and Gregory Bateson, with whom she had a daughter, also an anthropologist, Mary Catherine Bateson. Her granddaughter, Sevanne Margaret Kassarjian, is a stage and television actress who works professionally under the name Sevanne Martin. Mead readily acknowledged that she had been devastated when Bateson left her and that she remained in love with him to her life's end, keeping his photograph by her bedside wherever she traveled.
Mead also had an exceptionally close relationship with Ruth Benedict. Mead's daughter Catherine, in her memoir of her parents With a Daughter's Eye, implies that the relationship between Benedict and Mead may have contained an erotic element (see also Lapsley 1999). While Margaret Mead never identified herself as lesbian, the details of her relationship with Benedict have led others to identify her thus; in her writings she proposed that it is to be expected that individuals' sexual orientation may change throughout their lives

کارنامه موسسه راهي: تغييير زندگي 1000 زن در دو سال

Check this out:



http://www.meydaan.org/showarticle.aspx?arid=223&cid=52

مرگ حداقل ۲۲ نفر و کور شدن حداقل ۱۰۰ نفر بر اثر مصرف الکل

مرگ حداقل ۲۲ نفر و کور شدن حداقل ۱۰۰ نفر بر اثر مصرف الکل مسموم در قم لطفا این خبر رو پخش کنین که از کور شدن و مسموم شدن آدم های دیگه تو این برهوت خبری جلوگیری شه। من به نویسنده این وبلاگ اعتماد کامل دارم.
(Sources: http://www.khorshidkhanoom.com/ and http://blog.35dg.com/?id=768 )

Free Nahid and Mahboobeh

Drafts of some thoughts!

Now I know...I know what it is that I am missing so much. I miss my roots. I miss Iran o Irani. Such an irony; it seems that I love it now as much as I used to hate it. I feel like after 30 years ,now I am being born again ; this time Iranian.

I miss my room in that old house in Koocheyeh varzesh where I used to spend hours and hours reading and reading and reading in the dark...I miss calling my friends and being on the phone for hours and hours trying to figure out the world, the relationships, the books, poetry and the unnecessary pains we were going through. I miss those days when I cut my hair short and wanted to be a guerrilla saving the world.

I guess that's what it is. I don't know if this is due to my turning 30 or the nostalgia of being away from my past.

Now freerer than I have ever been in my life I feel stuck with biology, chemistry and genetics with these people who have no idea who Shaamloo o Nima are. Have no idea who Rolan's Annette is or who my "Little Prince" was ... I know it's not they're fault..there are many things that I don't understand in this culture..but it does not help me feel better.

Sometimes I just want everything to be in Farsi the books, the conversations, the movies...

Sometimes I wanna smoke a cigarette and feel good that these traditional people passing by are getting very offended. Sometimes I miss those days where I put on my tight short covering with my little scarf. Oh, how good it was to pass a Chadori woman looking like that with a lot of makeup and almost all my hair showing. OH, what a relief it was to see them upset with that pathetic look which meant " I am gonna o to heaven and you're gonna burn in God's hell."
But I knew deep down in her unconscious mind she was filled with self hatred.



It's like from medieval ages I am dropped into this modern world where women are totally respected, understood and have all sorts of rights that I , with all the rebelliousness in my blood, never imagined as my rights. I feel overrighted I guess. How ridiculous! I ever fought for as a woman. It's like my identity is a little damaged here...I know I wanna fight for women's rights in Iran. I know I have a lot to do, but it seems that I need new definitions, new ...new new new......everything new.

So what does that mean?

.......I'll let you know more soon!

Delara

http://www.womeniniran.net/delara/delarasite.html


from www.womeniniran.net

del tangi

Kheili delam tang misheh. kheili kheili ziaad.......joori keh I can't hold my tears back :(

vali baraa chi?? bara ki?

Are we ready for another war?

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/US_Analysts_Detail_War_Plans_Against_Iran.html

Zahra Kazemi Case Time line and more

http://www.pencanada.ca/media/Kazemi-CaseTimeline.pdf

Grizzly Man

You need to see this!

I learned a lot about grizzles and fell in love with them!

About the grizzly man...he died the worst death...grizzly bears start eating you when you're still alive...or if they're not hungry they bury you alive.....OOO..that's not how I wanna die.

Watch the trailer for the documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKfWippJeHM

Lolita the Killer whale: Help her go back home to her family!

Lolita was captured when she was a little baby from the ocean. Her mother and many of her relatives died trying to save her and 58 other baby killer whales. All 58 of them died and could not survive away from their natural environment and families.

How far can we go with our cruelty?

I could not finish reading the story about how they were hunted and killed.


You can watch her here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lvC-t287wg

Masjed=Church

It took me a while to understand Church and masjed are the same! There might be some superficial differences that led to my misunderstandings. For example people who go to church are whites which I associated that with modernism and also they're not wrapped i their 'Chadors'. Men are all shaved and in nice suits which in Iran it is a sign of being modern and unconventional. But now I know the signs here are different ...He might be all shaved up and in an expensive suit but their mentality is no different from mollas in Ghom!