Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Just odd news, but VERY IMPORTANT ones

1) Iran launches its first satellite ... world expresses concern: "How can a country that is isolated and sanctioned and demonized and accused of fundamentalism act like THAT?!!" To the world, especially to the concerned segments of America and Israel I say: get stuffed!

2) Khatami launches his official Presidency Campaign. This will make a lot of reformists happy, but I personally don't wish Khatami to become president again. I just am strictly opposed to religious men governing. If I am to choose a Mullah, I would go for Abdollah Noori. He's got more guts than Khatami! But I would also support Larijani! All that stuff about his being a conservative is just smokescreen! I like the man; he is smart and educated; and I trust engineers and mathematicians holding the wheels of power in Iran.

3) Beyzaie (or Baizai) wins the Audience's Choice award for his most recent film WHEN WE ARE ALL ASLEEP, despite his critics complaining about the 'quality of his film. I joing Baizai in telling those critics: "get stuffed!" ... ah that feels great!

Anyways, I don't feel like blogging now! Just giving little headlines.
Feel free to inspire me by your questions and comments.

P.S. I saw "The Reader"! Is anyone else who feels that Germans are getting a bit ahead of themselves portraying their war crimes as something that "anyone in their shoes would have done." should we thank America's recent behavior for absolving Germany of its past crimes?!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

you are right abdollah Nouri got more guts, but i think khatami was trying to make every one happy, but now he knows there is no easy way to deal with these people, interesting fact, Basij is 14 million as announced by IRIB,and Setad Mushtarak and revolutionary gaurd are about less than 2 million i guess, and my friend in Setade Mushtarak says that they have classes in which they name khatami and mohajerani as enemy of the nation and he says its much worse in revolutionary guards, and if Karrobi's claims are right, then there is going to be a problem with any of reformers coming into election.

Naj said...

Ebrahim,

Thanks for visiting.
That 16 million people in Iran have a different view of nation, that these 16 million are driven by what I consider fascism, and that the rest of Iranians are not as courageous, crazy or criminal to change the numbers in their favor is somewhat scary.

However, Iran IS surrounded by enemies; and my gut feeling is that it will be these 16 million who WILL defend Iran, and not chickens like Khatami.

I think the reformists need to put one candidate out there.

And I wish Khamenei threw his support behind Larijani. I would vote for him. Not that I give a damn about Khamenei's support; but he can perhaps get rid of Mahmood joon for us :)

Sophia said...

Naj,

I agree with you on Larijani. I like him.

I saw 'The reader', a very disturbing story. Holocaust historian traced the character of hannah shmidt, she was a real life person and was called the bitch of Buchenwald. As for the 'love' story, it is illuminating. Young people mix sex and love. Schmidt messed up Berg's life and I wonder how a smart young man like him could have fallen for a mentally retarded psychotic woman ?
Sometimes we make bad encounters and they change the course of our life forever, like a seism, and most of the time we can never go back.

Pedestrian said...

The play was Majles-e Shabish; Dar Zekr-e Masaeb-e Ostad Navid Makan va hamsarash Mohandess Rakhshid-e Farzin

It was supposed to have a two month run in Tehran's "Taatr-e Shahr" but it got only 3 weeks. I saw it during the first week, and I really could not believe that it was actually given the go-ahead. But it was magnificent. It wasn't just me - the entire audience was shaken and numb for a good while after it. It was a totally different take on the notorious "ghatlhayeh zanjireyi" ...

I agree with your analysis - except that I don't have a problem with men in religious uniform serving as presidents WHEN there is a religious government to begin with - which is my biggest problem! ;-) But anyhooooooooo ... I would vote for Larinjani if he were to run. But I will certainly vote for Khatami if he's the only alternative to Ahmadinejad.

Naj said...

Hi Sophia,

Well, to me, the love/sex story is not the disturbing part of the movie; I think what love/sex are to different people is just as personal a matter as faith is and it is not in realm of anyone else's judgment authority.

What I find disturbing, however, is this NEW "German" trend for "explaining" the actors of holocaust; seeking forgiveness on the grounds of "we were just following the orders". The only saving grace of the film for me was when one of the law students yelled: "We have to go shoot ourselves, we all knew about it and we did nothing, and we are singling out only 6 people to say that we repent ..."

My views that Germans STILL hold responsibility for what they caused the world is reinforced by ... well working with Germans, and taking a glimps at their DISTURBED so called science!

So, I am highly sensitive to not apologetic but self-righteous crap like the Downfall or this one now, the Reader ... with Bruno Ganz tying them together, participating in the project of emancipating Germany form "German Guilt".

And yes ... in my opinion, we need to thank Bush for creating so much sympathy for fascists around the world!

Naj said...

Wow, three weeks of Majlese Shabih!

Here's what bugs Baizai, that people who write about his work decontextualize it and create and aura of politicism that sensitizes the censorship office and leads to his work not being given a chance! that bugs me too!

What I love about Baizai is his tremendous respect for "people" and his ability to talk to "people" ... he resents the so-called critics whose only art is to pull the rug from under 'people' and artist's feet!

Can you tell me more about the play you saw please? Maybe you can make a post on your blog? please please please?! Why do you do so much homework all the time, anyways! God forbid, youa re not a bache kharkhun, are you? ;)

Yes if Khatami's the only alternative to Ahmadinejad, I MAY consider him, UNLESS someone promises to kick Ahmadinejad's bum on the economy! (I REALLY don't think Ahmadinejad is as fundamentalist as his followers are, and I personally think having him in office serves Iran's democracy movement better than a "moderate" ... Moderates will ONLY radicalize the fundamentalists; and I think Ahmadinejad's been tapering their effect off a little bit ... after all, look, it is during Ahmadinejad that Afra and vaghti hame khabim are staged and screened ;) ... and it is he who could twist Safar Harandis' arm to release "all about Eli" ... and it is he who released Haleh esfandiari and teh rest of them ... under Khatami, these dudes would have long been beheaded :) Yeah I know Ahmadinejad's campaigning, and no he cannot fool me; but he really has my support on his science and foreign policy initiatives.

so, for me, the best compromise is Larijani, I just like "Ardeshir" ;)

Sophia said...

Naj,

I agree with you on Germans. They will never recover as human beings no matter how much they try to justify the whole thing...And YES I liked the scene you mention. But you know in a way I didn't see 'The reader' as a justification. Hannah shmidt, dumb, illiterate, cruel, and perverse, never aknowledged any guilt, not even the tinpot at the end, it wasn't an expression of her guilt, it was yet another attempt to pleas her old young lover. The other scene I liked is when berg asks her if she did learn something in prison, he was thinking about guilt and redemption, she answered that she learned to read. That was an awful moment. Nobody would have expected such an answer. I think the movie's message is contrary to what you think.
The fact that Berg's life was messed up irreversibly is a testimony to the impossibility of German redemption.

Naj said...

Sophia, I disagree.

Hannah Schmidth was presented as a pitiful but "honorable woman" who

1) understood and craved for art and for a better understanding of the world (as she made people read to her)

2) was victimized by the other 5 who suggested she, who couldn't even read, had drafted the condemning report.

3) who was a victim of circumstances but proved smart enough to teach herself reading and writing

4) chose honorable death to not burden her 'lover' once she recognized how fallen she was

I don't see what was "stupid" about Hanna Schmith? She was a good worker and got promotion at her job. She was a good lover. She was smart enough to learn from tapes. And she was HONEST to admit to what she had done and to admit to WHY she had done it instead of taking the hypocritical stance that others, such the the professor, did.

The answer "I learned nothing" was one of the strongest moment of the film, it was the saving grace of the film because it really showed that no matter what the crocodile tears, she learned nothing, nor did the so self-righteous lawyer who did not speak the truth in a moment that he COULD to reveal the fact that she had confessed to preserve her pride.

So there, here we just develop a lot of sympathy for the oh so lovely uberman!!

Naj said...

By the way, Berg's life was NOT messed up

He was a successful lawyer!
And he sought redemption in confessing to his daughter! And in fact, I got mad at him for being reluctant to hug Hanna in the prison!

Just as I got mad at him for not telling the truth that Hanna was being escape-goated!

Naj said...

to add, the film seemed to suggest that the only one who seemed to have been living a rosy life was the trendy Jewish New Yorker survivor.

If I were Jewish, I would think this film was antisemetic; showing the glory of the musim-looking jewish home versus the broken dark houses of the Germans!

Naj said...

that is MUSEUM-looking :)

Sophia said...

Naj,

Different perspectives, different sensibilities, and different readings of the movie.

Naj said...

:)
absolutely!

And I guess that's why it is a good movie.

(as long as everyone coming out of it concurs that Germany's unforgivable! ;) )

goatman said...

Congrats on the satellite placement. Many talking heads here bemoan this development as one more sign that Iran is developing nuclear capability and will not use it wisely, as we have. Some even believe the news to be a careful lie hoping that reality will hide its ugly head.
Fortunately they would not recognize an accomplishment if it came with a name tag!
I was not aware of the topic matter of "The Reader" and now that I have seen your description I am not as avid to see it as I was before.
I thought and hoped that it would have a deeper meaning.
Is it true, as I have heard, that you are not allowed to attend a soccer game? That would be hard to believe; on the other hand I have always avoided crowds and watched games on the electronic media, so it may not be at all a bad thing??

Naj said...

Goatman

Thank you for congratulations; I really appreciate it because it IS a big deal for Iran!

Attending soccer games is one of those things that ACTUALLY Ahmadinejad fought in favor of, but he was ruled by the conservative religious rulers!

In my snobbish family going to soccer games was never an achievement. I have never grown up with soccer-game envy; but if you watch the movie Offside you will get a different and very humane perspective on it!

I suggest you see that film.

The Reader was a good film; I give it a lot of credit. And I think it IS a deep film and very intelligent in subliminal psychological manipulation. So, do see it and please tell me what it made you feel like.

Again thanks for your good wishes ... Yes I AM very happy with News out of Iran these days!

Naj said...

Goatman:
Ahmadinejad was OVER-ruled by religious leaders ...