Monday, December 08, 2008

My friend Nazli finally got the OK from Hossein Derakhshan’s sister, Azadeh Derakhshan, to publicly announce that Hossein Derakhshan, one of the first Iranian bloggers, was arrested on the afternoon of November 1, in Tehran.

I am quoting this news from Nazli Kamvari, a friend of Hossein Derakhshan and an Iranian blogger living in Toronto, who has been directly in touch with Hossein’s sister and just wrote about this news in her Persian blog.

My understanding is that Hossein’s family has been under pressure from the authorities not to talk about Hossein’s arrest and not to get a lawyer for him. So, it is understandable that they are not talking to the media. But we at least can assure both the Persian and global blogospher, who were previously in doubts about Hossein’s arrest, that he’s really arrested.

Hossein has gone through various changes in his politics and he has rubbed many activists the wrong way, including myself. (I personally don’t approve his politics and we have had couple of fierce arguments and fights in the past few months.) However, we should not have double standards when we deal with human rights. Any human being should be entitled to freedom of expression and should have access to an attorney while in jail. I hope human rights advocates start campaigning for Hossein Derakhshan.

Friday, March 28, 2008

Pablo Neruda - Die Slowly
He who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day,
who never changes pace,
who does not risk and change the color of his clothes,
who does not speak and does not experience,dies slowly.
He or she who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white,
dotting ones "it’s" rather than a bundle of emotions,
the kind that make your eyes glimmer,
that turn a yawn into a smile,
that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings,
dies slowly.
He or she who does not turn things topsy-turvy,
who is unhappy at work,
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty,
to thus follow a dream,
those who do not forego sound advice at least once in their lives, die slowly.
He who does not travel,
who does not read,
who does not listen to music, who does not find grace in himself,
she who does not find grace in herself, dies slowly.
He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself to be helped,
who spends days on end complaining about his own bad luck,
about the rain that never stops,
dies slowly.
He or she who abandon a project before starting it,
who fail to ask questions on subjects he doesn't know,
he or she who don't reply when they are asked something they do know,die slowly.
Let's try and avoid death in small doses,
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing.
Only a burning patience will leadto the attainment of a splendid happiness.
Pablo Neruda

Monday, February 25, 2008

This is a period in my life full of mystery and uncertainly. Am I ready for venturing into unknown? To be honest, I feel too old to risk!!!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

You do something and then you say "Sorry!” Listen... Repeating the word "sorry" doesn't mean that you shouldn't face the penalty!!!

Monday, January 28, 2008

I have to start writing...even if it is one line a day!!!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Oh....I haven't written here for a long time!!! Life has changed a lot. It is more beautiful now!!!
Ok, let's see....last days of 2007, I am trying to concentrate on my work and I can't, maybe because of the major mall hangover!!

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

They keep telling you "I love you, you are different".
Then, after a while, they ask you for change!!!"Why aren't you like other women?""Why do you behave like this?"