Free Akbar Ganji

  

 

NAJMEH OMIDPARVAR – three months pregnant - and her husband MOHAMAD REZA NASAB ABDOLAHI are on hunger strike in their separate prison cells.

(via committee to protect bloggers and Halle)

  

 

Any News or related material regarding the human rights abuse in Iran will continue to be posted here.

  

 

On Wednesday, March 19, 2003

I wrote:

As a human rights activist, I find it difficult to sit and ignore the torture and executions of fellow humans. As a woman, mother, lover, wife, daughter, and sister I find it disturbing to observe other women's sufferings. I am an Iranian woman but I Do Not present the entire nation and its female population. I write for I and I only and I invite you to read my blog and join me in this self-discovery by e-mailing your views and opinions.

Today ... March 24th, 2005 ... I write:

I will not be bloging for a while.

Thank you.

Sheema Kalbasi

ps: I'm thinking of letting P to blog here! We'll see.

  

 

A happy spring to you all and my wishes for a free just society in Iran.


Happy Nowruz...

  

 

دختر کوچولو مثل هر روز صبح ساعت 5 بیدار شد و آمد توی تخت پهلوی من و پ خوابید غافل از اینکه تا یک ساعت بعد باباش اونو از خواب بیدار می کنه و لباس تازه نوروزی تنش می کنه و می ریم که سر میز بشینیم. بعد هم ... تیک تاک تیک تاک و صدای توپ و دهل موج رادیویی ایرانی... خونه رو پر می کنه و واسه اولین بار می بینه که ما می گیم نوروزت مبارک دختر کوچولو. به برادرام تلفن می کنم و گوشی رو می دم که پدرم با برادر کوچیکم تو اکراین حرف بزنه... اشک و صدای شکسته تو گلوی پدرم با هق هق برادرم توی بلندگوی گوشی
می پیچه... با برادر دیگه ام صحبت می کنم که وجودش مثل یه پناهگاه گرمی بخشه... و بی قراری دلم آرامش پیدا می کنه... چشمهای سیاه و باهوش پ از خوشحالی نوروز برق می زنه...

اینجا لا به لای برفها می تونی چشمک زدن سبزه و گلها رو ببینی و معاشقه کنی ...

اگه تویی که اینجارو می خونی تنهایی و دور از خانواده ات... بدون که دلم پیش تو هم هست... منم مثل تو خیلی دوریها رو تحمل کردم که گاهی تلخی و تنهایی و سختی هم چاشنیش بوده...

نوروزت مبارک عزیز دلم.

  

 

Happy third Birthday to my little girl.

and happy two years of blogging to mama Sheema.

  

 

کاش می شد تو با انگشتای معجزه گرت این درد وحشتناک رو از دست چپم بکشی بیرون و منو برگردونی به خودم.

  

 

Yesterday... when I woke up in the morning... I had tears all over my face. I was dreaming of her... She, pointing at her grave and I was telling her, Maman I bathed you myself... you died... but now here you are... and like old times... we can laugh, talk, argue and fight.

I miss you Maman.

  

 

A) Last night when I kissed the little girl goodnight... I noticed the big yellow flashlight next to her pillow. Putting two and two together I suddenly realized I am looking at a future firefighter! She has to have her shoes on at all times and has a flashlight handy! She slides down the stairs (and drives me nuts by doing so) and loves firefighter trucks...

B)Her uncle (my brother in-law) called from Georgia last night to see what he should send the little girl for her birthday. P told him dresses! She loves to have pretty dresses on. When she has a colorful dress on, she runs to the nearest mirror and starts saying how pretty she is/she looks... runs back to us and has her arms around our legs, saying Merci!

C) When I was a young girl and my cousin Saman...kept asking my uncle (his dad) to tell him the same story over and over, I wonderd why on earth does this little boy want to hear the little duck driving a car every day! Now the little girl has to hear the story of Bamby over and over and with her eyes looking at my mouth, listening to the strange sounds bamby is making when she is lost... I can see how my uncle may have been feeling at the time (my bamby-story is my own self created bamby-the bamby who doesn't hold her maani and baba's hand and gets lost and the police finds her and brings her back to the parents and she promises not to ever ever ever... not to ever ever ever go anywhere when she is not holding her manni and baba's hands... and like my little girl, the bamby of the story washes her hair with shampoo so that the jerms get washed away, washes her hands when coming home so that the jerms get washed away, helps her maani So that maani doesn't get too tired... and again like the little girl, the bamby of the bamby story holds her parents hands when they leave home.)

  

 

I have started to use make up again. I was a makeup freak when I was 15 and when I turned 18...I just couldn't stand it anymore. With the exceptions of parties I'd never use makeup... and lipstick is just the worst part of it to me! I feel like I have a thick layer of yogurt on my lips... but I am trying hard... really trying to get back to my femininity (just painting my eyes for now!! and I look good.) I guess being a 32-year-old woman has its disadvantages too! Everything... starting to hang more than ever (if you are where I am now... you know what I am talking about!) I guess what made me reject makeup in the first place was/is how men treat me differently. Suddenly I'd be more of a sexual object and everything else would come second.

  

 

Darya Dadvar

(via Elham Gheytanchi's e-mail)

  

 

Rescue political prisoner in Karaj prison

  

 

This past week... I have been cleaning/painting/working/mothering while having severe pain and the food at P & Sheema's residency has been nothing but bad and tasteless. When we got the invitation from our friends, P got so exited about eating some delicious Italian food that I had to accept the invitation on the spot. Now being Iranian "Tarof" like an ugly frog... jumps in my mouth, forcing me to say we'll come after they have had their dinner, etc. but luckily enough for us... Barbara keeps on insisting and as the result of having one forceful Italian friend... p and I are going to have a blast tomorrow night!
I can't drive because of the pain I have... but I am sure once I am there with the glittering dinner on the table I will be less complaining!

  

 

Husband and wife... in prison

First the oppressive régime of Iran arrested Mohammadreza and now they have arrested his pregnant wife, Najmeh. She is the director of (university students) in defense of human rights in Iran.

(got the news via Halle's blog)

  

 

Iran: The Cuba of Middle East?

Revolutions happen in the streets of Lebanon and other Arab countries
but the Iranian opposition groups dig out Mossadegh's skeleton!

  

 

دختر کوچولو از امروز به کلاس بالاتر رفته و علتش هم اینه که یکی دوهفته دیگه روز عید ایرانی سه ساله می شه و بسیارهم منظم هست (فعلا که اینجوریه) واما! خونه ما همچنان در عطش نظم و ترتیب می سوزد و مادر این دختر کوچولو با وجود درد شدید در سمت چپ به رنگ زدن مشغوله. از شاهکارهام اینه که سقف آشپزخونه رو قرمز کرده ام و پ اصلا رضایت نمی ده که من یه چند ماهی زیر سقف رنگ مورد علاقم غذا بخورم. می گه: قلبم می گیره! ولی اتاقی که به آشپزخونه متصل می شه رو با هم قرمز کردیم و خیلی هم راضیه. البته من و پ رنگرزهای ماهری نیستیم ولی 1000 دلار به یه آقایی دادیم که طبقه پایی را رنگ کند و ایشان آنقدر افتضاح رنگ زده که مجبور شدیم خودمون دست به کار بشیم. فقط مشگل اینه که باید مثل کانگورو از روی وسایل بپریم!
...با این عید 18 ساله که من ایران زندگی نکردم و هر سال خونه تکونی معنیش برام کمرنگتر می شه. اما اصلا... عید چه رنگ و بویی داره وقتی که مملکتی که درش به دنیا اومدم سال نو هم براش طعم خون داره و جووناش توی زندونهای رژیم زمان زندگی رو از دست میدن...

  

 

Call for publication

The Poetry of Iranian Women: A Contemporary Anthology

The rich poetic heritage of Persians has throughout history enabled them to be notable in the literary world. However, the voice has often been of the male Iranian poets. With The Poetry of Iranian Women: A Contemporary Anthology, I intend to present the works by some of the most invisible yet most interesting groups in the world poetry circle. To learn more about the project please visit www.poetryofiranianwomen.com .The money earned from the first publication of the book will go to the Breast Cancer Foundation. The deadline is March 25th 2005. For your submissions and/or further information please contact me at skalbasi(at)gmail.com

Sincerely,
Sheema Kalbasi, Director