Pars Arts

Iranian Alliances Conference

We wrote about their call for papers a while ago, so consider this your heads up that the Iranian Alliances Across Borders’ 2007 conference schedule and speaker bios are now available.

Pars Arts will be there to blog the whole conference live, hopefully with some short video interviews included as well. The conference will be held at NYU; fees are $50 for standard admission and $25 for students. It looks like an excellent opportunity to meet some Iranian movers and shakers and get inspired, so register here.

Tuesday Edition: Pars Links

(We’re keeping this round-up short and sweet; check back soon for the word on Norooz celebrations everywhere.)

Filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami at MoMA
If you’re lucky enough to be in New York anytime from March 1 through May 28, you’ll want to check out MoMA’s exhibit, Abbas Kiarostami: Image Maker. There’s a gallery installation from 2004 and, in conjunction, a film retrospective. Kiarostami (pictured) will be at MoMA on March 1, and we want to know: will he or won’t he wear his trademark dark shades?

Beverly Hillbillies?
Some residents of Beverly Hills are miffed that city council ballots are printed in Persian as well as English this year. This LA Times editorial does a decent job of calling this what it is: xenophobia.

Women’s Rights Watch
Five women in Iran go on trial in about a week for “acting against national security.” (Anyone else noticing lately that the Islamic Republic and the United States are sounding more and more like two peas in the same rhetoric-heavy pod?) The women’s crime? Peaceful protest. Also: the Iranian government wants to crack down on Iranian women dressing “inappropriately”.

Picking Sides
Stop bullying Iran, wrote Hossein Derakhshan in the Guardian a few days ago. He also says he’d go back and fight for Iran if the U.S. attacks. A provocative view, to be sure, and the reader comments below the piece are fascinating.

I Love Tehran Shirts

The message is simple and clear, and graphic designer Takin Aghdashloo’s I Love Tehran shirt embodies the kind of effusive Iran-fondness we like to get behind. If it looks familiar, that’s probably because blogger Hossein Derakhshan has worn it a bunch, once on Canadian TV (case in point: see the photo in this Pars Arts post from early last week), and it’s had some other press. We’ve wanted one for a few months now but were holding off for women’s sizes, which appeared in January.

Takin told us they’re going to have “more colors and 1-2 more designs” later this year, so we’ll keep you posted. Not only do we love this shirt, we love that at $25 a pop, you don’t have to break the bank to get one. Another plus? It’s American Apparel so there’s no sweatshop guilt, and some of the proceeds go to an Iranian charity for children. Buy yours right here.

Sasanian Art at the Asia Society

The Sasanians (aka Sasanids or Sassanians) were leaders of the ancient Persian empire that espoused Zoroastrianism, Iran’s pre-Islamic religion. Overrun by Arab invaders, the Sasanians’ art was a big influence on and precursor for Islamic art.

New York’s Asia Society has a pretty swell exhibit of their art going now through May. The New York Times noted that the antiquities almost didn’t make it past JFK airport because “the United States’ longstanding embargo on Iranian imports stipulates that any art objects of Iranian origin, no matter how long they have been elsewhere, can enter this country only with a permit from Washington.” How rude, right? Never mind that all of this art is now housed in France and had the show organizers had a permit – even Iranian art requires intense scrutiny to enter the U.S.

In any case, the pieces are mostly fancy bowls, seals, cups, etc. (no uranium in sight), and though we’re usually not too gung-ho about royal housewares (or housewares, period), it’s a pretty interesting exhibit in light of recent fascinations with both Islam and Iran. The Asia Society has several interesting lectures and programs lined up for it. One note: we recommend avoiding the guided tours and meandering around on your own. It’s much more fun that way, plus they have a pretty nifty system that lets you call into the audio tour with your cell phone instead of renting headphones.

Rageh Omaar Inside Iran Video

British-Somali journalist Rageh Omaar’s documentary about life in Tehran, Rageh Inside Iran, aired a few days ago on BBC 4 and is available in full on Google Video, where you can download it (or click above to see it right here). It’s 90 minutes long, and you’ll want to watch the whole thing when you start. Besides the compelling content, the smart use of maps and music really makes this documentary one of the best looks at Iran we’ve seen in a long time. [Editor's note: Many thanks to the eagle eyes of Asad and Mariam for the heads-up.]

Adventures in Online Iranian Food Shopping

by Mariam Hosseini

Faloodeh, albaloo, zoolbiya, toot, gaz, zereshk (pictured) – are you drooling yet? You should be. Every Iranian has their favorite ingredient, that ubiquitous flavor that brings memories rushing back. Unless you’re actually in Iran, you may not be able to get your hands on zoghal akhteh or chaghaleh badoom anytime, but for the rest of us there is online shopping.

When I started looking around online to see what I could find in terms of Iranian grocery shopping, I was a little taken aback. For all the web savvy Iranians boast, there are only two veritable, complete sources for those shopping outside Iran: Sadaf and Kalamala (which is where the photo of zereshk above comes from). Sadaf itself is a food brand, so any shopping you do on their site is limited to their trademark. While Kalamala carries other brands too, the majority of their inventory is still Sadaf. Looks like someone has the market cornered.

Both have clear, easy to navigate layouts, making for easy shopping. Kalamala wins on the design front but neither site requires genius to add something to your cart. The downside to your shopping experience is that for both sites, you must create an account to shop. Although that isn’t too surprising, I was hoping not to add to my ever-increasing list of registration usernames and passwords.

Sadaf and Kalamala each have a specials section, meaning you can score your million-gallon tin of Iranian pickles for only $5.99 at Kalamala. Good luck getting it in the fridge. Sadaf’s sale section is larger, offering, among other things, a jar of kashk, a box of gaz, and a pound of tea, all for under $6 each.

I can’t say I recommend one site more than the other. Sadaf easily has a larger variety of foodstuffs (they even carry golpar!), but Kalamala doesn’t limit you to one brand. Both carry the essentials – torshi, sohaan, pomegranate molasses, dried limes, dried mint, sumac, and the like. The downside to Sadaf is that their sweets selection is not as varied as Kalamala’s. And both sources have a nonexistent bread selection. If you’re craving naan barbari or sangak, good luck. Neither carries fresh dairy products like feta or maast-o mooseer, and you can forget about fresh items like gojeh sabz, fresh pistachios, or those, ahem, special cuts of meat that hold a revered place in Iranian cuisine. Save those cravings for your trip to Iran (or Los Angeles).

The upside? Sadaf carries seeds so you can grow your own Iranian chives (tareh), watercress (shaahi), and sweet basil (reyhaan). They even carry Iranian-style skewers so you can finally make that kabaab koobideh the right way. Kalamala has a good tea selection – not just Sadaf brand, but Ahmad and Zarin too. If you have a taste for qottab, nazook, or goosh-e fil, they’re the place to shop. Kalamala and Sadaf both carry lots of ready-made khoreshs and spice blends, though they’re all Sadaf brand.

Just in case you’re looking for a more mainstream, well-recognized name at which to do your Iranian shopping, Kalustyan’s carries a number of Iranian products [Editor's note: The site was down when we posted this article.]. There is no breakdown by country, but their search function makes it easy to find some Iranian items like chickpea cookies, toot, aloo, and gaz. The biggest downside aside from carrying only a few Iranian items is the price. Gourmet shopping comes with a gourmet cost.

Regardless of who you shop with, you’ll probably be exhausted after all that online decision-making. You’ll need something to refresh you. Something cold and sweet. And JOY OF ALL JOYS, Mashti Malone’s takes orders now. Rosewater saffron ice cream with pistachios? Enough said. For those craving something a little less traditional, they carry other flavors, like pomegranate sorbet and Turkish coffee ice cream. My only complaint is that they do not carry faloodeh.

So go forth and shop, cook, and eat. Revisit the tastes and smells that make Iranian cuisine so unique. Just make sure to practice restraint or the next thing you know you’ll be doubled over with a stomachache from too much cold (sard) or warm (garm) foods. And go easy on the lavashak. That stuff can be addictive.

Mariam Hosseini lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she works in the nonprofit arena and pursues ethnic cooking in her spare time. She received her MA and BA in international relations with a concentration in Middle Eastern and Iranian affairs. Her website is (re)definition.

Interviews with Young Iranians: A Podcast with Haale, Musician

We wrote a post about Iranian-American musician Haale after seeing her play live a few weeks ago, and we’re happy to follow that up with a podcast we recorded last week (see below). She released two EPs last month, which you can purchase on her website, haale.com, or via iTunes. Enjoy:

Pars Arts podcast with Haale
(Please right-click and download this mp3 instead of streaming it from the site – our server thanks you!)

[Editor's Note: This podcast is our second installment in the ongoing Interviews with Young Iranians series. If you like this podcast, you might also like our podcast with filmmaker Bahman Farmanara.]

Touba and the Meaning of Night

Shahrnush Parsipur is among the finest Iranian writers alive today. Her novel Touba and the Meaning of Night was published in Iran in 1989 and published in English just last year. There are currents under the surface of this book, both written and unwritten wisdom in the story of the title character’s life. Touba lives 80 years, all of which we see: she marries, divorces, remarries, seeks knowledge, looks for God, fights tradition, raises children, grows old and senile, sees two revolutions. It’s an allegory for Iran, which, as the book’s geography, is both a backdrop and as large as any of its characters. It’s a lovely and heartbreaking book.

I read this book over the course of a few days and I’m still reeling. Suffice to say, sometimes books are so good that there’s not a lot to say about them until some time has passed and the reader can step away, and such is the case with Parsipur’s novel. It’s hard to step away so quickly.

Monday Edition: Pars Links

Loving Tehran in Tel Aviv
Iranian godfather of blogging Hossein Derakhshan (pictured above) was the subject of a documentary on Israeli TV. Most of it’s in Hebrew, but there are snippets of English and Persian. We’re working on an interview with him for ParsArts.com, so stay tuned.

“Mad, Mournful, Mysterious, Serene”
Here’s a new page in the chapter of irresponsible American photojournalism: Newsweek has posted a beyond-slanted photo gallery entitled Modern Life in Iran. Take a look; it’s fifteen black-and-whites of religious rallies and mosques. We’re not opposed to religion or its depictions but how’s that supposed to be representative of the entire country? The intro to the photos claims that these images are “of Iranians as they are: mad, mournful, mysterious, serene.” Way to play up stereotypes, Newsweek; perhaps Iranians wouldn’t be so mysterious if media outlets were more committed to telling the truth rather than feeding the American people what’s familiar or easy. We emailed their editors today, saying:

I’m appalled by this photo essay you’re billing “Modern Life in Iran.” Your intro states that “Iran is a nation of millions” but you show nothing but the most religious depictions of its people, reinforcing stereotypes of Iranians that are already entrenched in American minds. There’s nothing modern or representative about these photos; the grave of the Imam Khomeini has existed for many years, for instance – why show it now? And frankly, are all Iranians truly “mad, mournful, mysterious, serene”? From these photos, I’m forced to conclude that you don’t understand Iran or its people at all.

I’m beyond disappointed in your editorial choices; it seems your view of Iran is as black and white as these photos. Iranian (and American) people deserve better coverage of Iran than this photo essay. I hope you’ll reconsider how you approach your coverage in the future.

There’s strength in numbers: Please email Newsweek to let them know the way they’ve framed these photos is not acceptable.

And Now for Some Better News
The Sunday Times article This is Iran, but not as you know it is a must-read. Rageh Omaar writes: “Very little has been said that accurately describes this nation of 70m, which is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse countries in the Middle East. Despite a recorded history of more than 5,000 years, making it one of the oldest civilisations on earth, Iran remains shackled to a small number of clichés; turbaned mullahs, women wearing the black chador and antiwestern rhetoric.” (Are you listening, Newsweek?) Then Omaar covers Iranian pop entrepreneurs and the government’s censorship of journalists.

I Say Shia, You Say Sunni
NPR today started a series about Islam’s Shia-Sunni split. Iran is predominately Shia, and since most people don’t know or understand much about this religious divide, we think this is going to be some really helpful reportage.

Siamack Salari’s Video Posts
Funny man Siamack Salari is the star of these quite entertaining video monologues. He’s got a British accent and a streak of gray in his air, both of which lend him an amazing air of authority. Even when he’s talking about stealing firewood from a gas (aka “petrol”) station or his kid’s disrupting nose-picking during a Sikh ceremony. Besides being funny on video and in print, he’s also CEO of this pretty cool marketing research company, Everyday Lives.

My Name is Iran

Davar Ardalan, producer for NPR’s news program Morning Edition, has had a long and at times difficult relationship with her Iranian-American heritage. In her first book, My Name Is Iran, she describes a lifetime of drifting between the two countries and living two disparate identities while feeling at odds in both. The title refers to her full name, Iran Davar Ardalan, which she shortened due to anti-Iranian feelings she experienced upon her return to the United States after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The title is also the name of her 2004 NPR series, which traced the struggle of Iran after the revolution as reflected in the life story of her family. I immediately felt myself relating to her, since my own Iranian-Canadian experience has at times left me feeling ill at ease.

It is obvious that Ardalan values her Iranian ancestry tremendously and is passionate about the art, religion, history and future of Iran. She recounts how elements of the culture have influenced her growth from a lost adolescent channeling Brooke Shields to fit in, to an acclaimed journalist and producer. The independent Davar Ardalan who finally emerges is a far cry from the disillusioned young woman who entered into an arranged marriage after high school: “At eighteen, I was looking for a Rostam, a hero who would set my soul free, but all whom I found caused me to weep. Eventually, I bowed my head and allowed myself to be led.” With the same self-reflective and adventurous spirit she shares with the members of her noteworthy family, it is fair to say she does not allow herself to be led for long.

Her family’s varied history is the most compelling part of her memoir. The great-grandfather after whom she was named, Ali Akbar Davar, was a former justice minister for Iran under Reza Shah Pahlavi and was instrumental in secularizing Iran’s judicial system before his untimely suicide. The story of her grandfather Abol Ghassem, a Bakhtiari tribesman who returned to school at the age of 40 and graduated from medical school at 54, is one of tenacity and triumph. I loved reading about his perseverance, and the beginnings of his romance with Helen Jeffreys, Ardalan’s maternal grandmother. Helen is a fascinating figure in her own right, an American nurse and activist whose love for Iran was so great that she continued living there even after her divorce from Ardalan’s grandfather.

Nonetheless, the book was an occasionally frustrating read as the author spent less time on these remarkable portraits and more time alternating between stiff descriptions of her personal history and flowery asides reflecting on the mystical balances guiding her. Ardalan has really had some wonderful opportunities, both as a result of her family’s position and her own enterprising personality. She had the chance to interview Shirin Ebadi after the human rights lawyer was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, but does not discuss their interaction in depth. I for one would love to have read what these two strong Iranian women discussed.

My own experience as a reader would have been improved by better editing. Ardalan’s story never flows but lumbers along as a result of awkward passages, ill-fitting quotes, and too much attention to some curious details. Sixteen pages of notes after the text were just another among many distractions, particularly since some of these notes did not actually coincide with their numerical indications in the body of the book.

More than once, Ardalan refers to this book as “Iran’s search for a lawful society” as reflected in her own attempt to reconcile the many facets of her identity. She never adequately addresses this issue, however, and that is a real shame given the unique window she had into some of the most crucial events of recent Iranian history. As well, her own identity struggle, particular during her early adulthood, is told in a way that is at times superficial, even melodramatic and overly sentimental. At the end of the day, I came away feeling that I do not really know the true Iran – either of them.

  

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