Reality, in-between life and cinema,

Of the main factors that a serious drama film would be considered Good, is being real. That is why when we, film enthusiasts are watching a serious film we closely scrutinize the theme lest the movie gets distance from the reality. And anything beyond our understanding can fall to the category: unaccepted. With this I should not be misunderstood. I am not defending any low budget cinema. In fact I am trying to help myself widen the concept of what we consider reality.

But first, what is reality? Is reality bounded only to our own experience?

Just few months ago I witness a horrible car accident in which a car bumped a woman in a high way in Tehran . I was sitting next to my friend who was driving the car. Our speed was around 30 km/h. we were on a loop approaching an intersection with the high way. I heard the sound of something like hard plastics breaking. Then I saw pieces of things similar to chopped refusal thrown from a chopper in the air in front of me. In the middle of trashes I saw a human body, distanced about two meters from the ground upside down in the air. The hair was long and drawn-downward like a child swinging fast. At this time a yellow Taxi with a speed around 70Km/h approached the tumbling person from the upper part of the front glass bumped the face of tossing person that I later found out was a woman.

The scene was exactly like a movie sequence which I personally might have measured; overacted. And now I know what an accident may look like in real life!

Now the other way around; we were at the house of an Iranian friend who together with a foreign friend were about to go to airport and I was there just to say good bye. My Iranian readers know we have a custom when a family member or a friend is about to start a journey we throw a bowl of water after him and before that we let him or her pass underneath a Koran. And the one passing below usually kisses the book.

That night to my surprise her family whose lifestyle exhibit no preference to Islamic ideals did the same and the mother of the family held the Koran up and the daughter passed under it and she kissed the book. But more I was amazed when I saw the foreign friend did too and passed under the Holy book and even gave a kiss to the Koran. By this, in my view she portrayed a friendly gesture but, if what I saw was a sequence from a drama, I would undoubtedly consider it as a goof. Hence, kissing the Holy book by none-Muslim is not only funny but also an offense; "This is indeed a Holy Koran, in a book well-guarded, which none shall touch but those who are clean..." (56:77-79).

In the end, the next time when we watch a drama, before criticizing the veracity of the idea, reconsider our understanding of elements characterizing reality itself.

The Shia Persians

Episode 1-
Iranians generally believe everything under the sun has begun either in Iran or by Iranians. This starts with fire and goes for many other things like money, post, music, chess and etc. The Shia too, believes all needed for man kind is directly or indirectly instructed by their Holy figures. Thus no values really are considered if not through their measures.

Episode 2-
It is Ashura now. The ten days mourning ceremony for the "Master of Martyrs of the world, Hussein" which you can read on hanging banners. The incident happened about 14 centuries ago and still is commemorated by Shia population as an ultimate spiritual and unparalleled lesson to generations to come. He is said to be the most just and bravest of all times. Everywhere is covered with black cloths honor his spirited historical challenge. In every neighborhood temporary spaces built out of adjustable metal bars also enclosed and roofed by black cloths. These places are for people mostly youth to hold their mourning ceremony which includes a number of speeches and reciting sad songs and self beating as well. Even people are mostly wearing black and not even shaved. This is exactly what the Iranians do when they lose a love one, like a Father.

Episode 3-
After couples of minutes wandering around for a vacant parking place, hopelessly we returned to the building where we were about to go. A young man wearing black who was chatting with the a group of mourners got into a car parked in front of us, moved backward trying to get out of his improper park bumped our car. My friend, the driver of our car horned relentlessly. Showing both his anger and to inform him what he has done. The driver dropped from the car and shouted to us why were we horning. While fixing his car's back bumper uttering "why do you horn, wait if I bumped you then you horn"! By now my friend was already very angry and shouted back at him. In a threatening voice the driver said in response, "Do you want me to call Police and complain that you have bumped me from the back?"
Now I already thought I should say something. I got close to him and said, "May your expression of grieves be accepted".

Yalda

Last night we gathered in my father's house on the occasion of Yalda night. Here in Iran we celebrate Yalda, the longest night of the year. Yalda is the night of the ending day of autumn. So the next day after Yalda winter starts.
Iranians usually go to the elders' house in the family. So if there is no grand Pa or grand Ma, then they chose to go to an uncle or an aunt or even an older sister or brother. There they eat and chat till late night. One of the features of the event is the watermelon and pomegranate and nuts.
The event is an ancient tradition and as far as I can recall this has been very attentively held in my family and others whom I know. The interesting part and the main objective of my post today is that no one talks about the necessity of keeping such tradition by holding such gatherings but just to hold it. Showing to our children what we care for is best when we do it rather to talk about it.

Need, father of innovation

I had just entered a friend’s room in his office that he asked me to look at his monitor. He added, “Since you know the Japanese writing we think you can help us finding some proxy servers”. On his monitor I could see some Japanese Characters meaning “filters”, any kind of filters. From auto filters to chemical filters. I was really confused. What was he talking about? After minutes of talking I found out the internet in Iran are very limited now. The restriction is done by unwanted key words, like filters. And now this restriction is applied even in other languages. But the internet users found out the Japanese language due to its none Romanized figures is exempted. So! They used google translating system to find an equivalent word for “filtering“ in Japanese which can not be filtered here.

Tehran pollution, my destiny

Tehran air pollution is now the countries major concern. The pollution issue is serious, a number of measures, like rationing gasoline and limiting traffic have been taken to save Tehran. According to Iran news agency five airplanes sprayed the city in twenty times yesterday (Dec 5). But it seems none has done enough. Media speak about the lethal crisis threatening Tehran’s inhabitants. Some even give data on the number of killed by pollution lately. Some other quoted authorities considering it “suicide” living in Tehran.

In other hand people in the streets, aside lack of wind and cold air, put the fingers of blame at the local low quality petroleum refined and utilized improperly. They also can see every day huge smoke from vehicles’ exhaust into the air adding to the pollution boldly without any police persecution.

About ten busses that give service to neighboring offices and universities park in front our office during their vacancy. Many of them leave their engines on due to personal choices like warming the cabin thoughtlessly. I have asked them several times to turn off the engine and even called the police and municipality but no action taken. Today I tried to reach the environment office fighting the pollution but all my 30 minutes effort ended in vain.

I am now beginning to believe in destiny theory. And if this is not my destiny, then what it is?

Sakineh Ashtiani

Last weekend I visited a relative in the province. The son of the family seemed to me having a complex personality, which I can not distinguish if it is his individuality or what I see as his behavior is only some kinds of reflection of the very ancient culture dominates his society or better to say our society.
First, I tell you a bit about his characteristics. He is religious. In some sense very religious. He is very trusted by his fellow city dwellers. He also practices almost all his necessary obligations as a Muslim. He also observes duties as a good citizen, like helping the poor in his surrounding. But, and now the rest of the story:
We were watching news from satellite. The story was about people protesting some-where in Europe against Sakineh Ashtiani 's sentenced to death by stoning. In the pictures from protestors there was a woman around 40, who had worn a tank top. This relative of mine asked me pointing to the TV set, "What is this whore after?" I asked astonishingly, "what whore?" He again showed the crowed of people in the news. I wanted to find out how he knew that the woman in the news was a whore. I asked him. He said, "Look, What she is wearing! I could not say anything, only "You are indeed undeveloped" I said.
And now the complexity whirls around my head. He is a Muslim, not only nominally but practically, and we know very well in Islam such statement is absolutely a major sin. Then why does he allow himself to express such a statement?
I think answering this question is the duty of people who still care for religion. If I were them I start with the theological governments. And closely examine what is done politically under the name of religions.
When two months ago French first lady was called a whore by Islamic republic's media, how would ordinary people refrain doing similar? Perhaps this is tolerable in political norms but the religions we know would never ever agree to this.

Black Day in Tehran,

It is Saturday. First working day of the week here, and from early in the morning in the office everybody talked about the incident happened in Tehran last Thursday. More or less I got the story. But when I came in my room, a print on my desk from asriran.com explained almost everything. Two young men had a quarrel in Kaj sq. in Sadatabad district; one stabbed the other one with a knife and in a strange act tried to keep people away from the injured man letting him die.
Sickening is, according to the news there were two police men watching the event indifferently and passers by too were mostly capturing the scenes on their mobile phones rather helping the wounded man. It took 45 minutes before the man be taken to a near by hospital where he died. This makes the incident even more tragic when the hospital staff announced they could keep him alive if he had been taken to the hospital 10 minutes earlier.
I do not real know what to call this. Is this the product of 3000 years history of Persian civilization? Or could this be regarded as achievements of 14 centuries of Islamic culture here in Iran? Or this can be counted as an endeavor of the fresh breeze of Islamic revolutions? What so ever, I can't forget this terrible event not because I am involved with some humanitarian emotions, but because the next time this may be me or a member of my family needing help, hopelessly.

Who cares?

Plasters on their feet both were sitting on the sofa. The one bonded in clean white gypsum was the son who had newly got accident while driving his motorcycle in a high way in Tehran and the other was his father, at his early fifties who had a weary green plaster, denoting the incident had occurred some time ago. He, the father, had fallen from a tree while picking walnuts and up to that night, I and my wife did not have the time to visit them.
The son explained to us how the accident happened and his father too, talked about the broad but decayed branch which looked strong deceived him to step on it in the 4 meter height. He also told us his own experience of motorcycle accident in which (while showing his front gum) he had lost his front teeth. Then again, the son retold the news of a human hand founded in near by park and aware of my 16 years old son's jogging habit, sympathetically warned us to be careful. Then he gave the details of his own experience being threatened by three men holding knifes and how they robbed his money and cell phone.
Bit by bit my wife was getting nervous and I already could see my son is losing his jogging opportunity. And when we came back home, after a short argument my son had no choice but to limit his jogging practices.
As a father it was so humiliating not being able to help my son with his very preliminary rights. But then, what could I do? Should I ignore my wife's precautious concerns? Or should I go jogging with him every night? How about on the route commuting back and forth to school? Shall I escort him there too? And if this is the case then, what the government is doing for us?
I remembered the safety we felt in Hamburg. It is true that a nation deserve what they possess. How about the children of that society? Are they condemned to suffer with their coward or selfish adults? who can answer this?

The Zoo

My friend's wife is an elementary school teacher. Last week the district's mayor invited her school students to an excursion to the zoo. But before going to the zoo there was the plan to visit the municipality office and see how the city management works. From room to room children walking and looking around astonishingly and at last a young boy while looking high above asked the teacher next to him; Are we in the zoo now!? While school's staff embarrassedly were trying to manage the goof, a visitor to office who apparently dissatisfied with the municipalities service, murmured: "Indeed we are".

Aliabad Kamin, Germans in Iran

I have been visiting Shiraz so long and several times but this was the first time I had the chance to see "Aliabad Kamin". This is a village 105 km northeast of Shiraz located in the city of Marvdasht on the way to Esfahan. Among the feature of the village one is being close to Pasargad, where the historical site, Cyrus' Tomb is located and then this is where 50 years ago a German team together with an Iranian team started the establishment of Fars agricultural training centre. And since it is close to Aliabad, it is called with the same name. The operation of project lasted from 1960 t0 1966.
Aliasghar Ahmadi an employee of this training complex has made a survey and recorded the history of the center in his book titled, Aliabad Kamin in passage of time. In his book he states, a German group and an Iranian group worked together under the supervision of Dr. Prilip and then, Dr. Flax and Iranian team was headed by Engineer Lashkari.

When I asked him if ever the Germans came back to the training center he sighed and said, "no one ever heard from them". And he hoped one day he will have any news from them or their colleagues who generously helped them making the training center.

Pahlavan or adventurer

Earlier this week two German nationals were arrested in Iran. In a public announcement Tehran judiciary authorities declared the two illegally attempted to interview the relative(s) of Sakineh Ashtiani who has been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. Whether they have been able to conduct the interview is not clear. If the two Germans had actually journalist visas and only had no permission for this special interview is uncertain too.
It is hard to grasp how a European who by culture takes necessary precautions before traveling by getting familiar to local laws and conditions even when on holiday can ignore such a crucial risk in a country infamous toward journalists. The Ashtiani case is not only an eccentrically extraordinary issue internationally, domestically too it may reveal sorts of conflicts inside the decision makers in Tehran. When a month after Ahmadinejad pronounced Astiani's stoning case as an organized media propaganda against Iran, Judiciaries spokesman, Eje'e told reporters in a press conference that the judges are independent here and she is sentenced to death by stoning and we do not compromise with the Islamic laws just because of some influences from out side who themselves are number one in violating the human rights.
Although the initiatives of these two Germans for the action that undoubtedly puts their government in a big trouble matters a little now, but speculations on this swing between good and evil. One can think they are 2 freelancer seeking fame in a country that can blast a layman into a news making figure. Or these two are sacrificing their freedom keeping Ashtiani's issue live hoping to change her destiny, which in this case I can title them Pahlavans.

Timmendorfer and Mahmudabad: What is the difference?

I am at Caspian coast somewhere near Mahmudabad city. The weather is fair and a pleasant breeze fondles my face. Large waves that travel gently and calm down reaching the land portray a lively look from the sea.
We enter a public lot, a 300 meter sea lines allocated for visitors to the sea. The seashore is not accessible for ordinary people almost anywhere else. Although by law the coast is owned by the nation. Enforced by the article 3 of the Seaside lands law, approved 1967; the Caspian shore up to 60 meter from the high tide point is owned by the state and no private and exclusive owner can posses it. The mentioned seaside can be used only for the public use like ports and military bases. Yet, according to parliament member from Mazandaran province, Ezatola Akbari %96 of his province sea sides are exploited by state and private sectors.(http://www.hamseda.ir/fa/pages/?cid=4109).
Every car should pay $2 entrance fee and only 50 meters walk away you can feel Caspian Sea water on your feet. We are not alone; there are hundreds of people from different parts of Iran tightly sitting and laying down in seaside. Entire women population observe Hijab (Islamic outfit for women) more or less. Some even keep their Chador (a long veil covering body and head of women except the face) around their hip. Some groups of people brought with them water pipes. Hundreds of people -including women with Islamic outfit- too are in shallow water near by and few casual swimmers a bit further in deeper part.
We are looking for a proper place to sit. It is sickening. Garbage is everywhere. Thousands of pieces of different trashes are scattered around. Big and small glass and plastic disposed bottles, nappies, textiles, and plastic wrappers and etc. it looks as if we are going to sit in the middle of a waste collecting spot. At last no other choice. We had to seat somewhere without even thinking of cleaning a bit our surrounding. Because the amount of waste is huge and this time I gave up and surrendered to the Rubbish kingdom.
Some ten motor boats parked distanced from one another on the seaside. A few of the boat's operators are familiar. They are the ones offering people "boat rides" at the entrance. A bit further in the sea there is a different kind of boat they call "Jet ski". They are zigzagging fast swinging in the sea right next to the swimmers.
There is a horse strolling in between seated people on the land. The rider is wearing a cowboy hat and offering visitors a ride with his horse. Also you can hire sand driving cars and motor bikes. Driving these cars and motorbikes that can be pretty fast, just you need to pay. There are no instructions and no age limitations. I saw a boy around 5 driving one of the small cars, alone. I was so sure this kind of careless decision may cause accident, but I never thought my prediction may come true this soon. The child bumped his mother while his mother was trying to stop him going farther. Fortunately nothing serious happened- This time- of course.
Another sand vehicle was driven by a young girl around 18. She efficiently passed through pedestrian relaxed in the seaside. Apparently she had done this often and knows well even bumping some of these living things on the beach will not cost much, perhaps an apology or some flirting with the people in charge.
One of the boats left the land while pushed by 2 young men with 7 passengers. When floating completely in the shallow water the engine was started. The passengers except one were in their 40s and 50s. None of them was wearing life saving jacket. I asked the boat workers, "Why the passengers have no saving jackets?"
"No danger threatens them". He replied.
I said, "If something happens".
"Nothing happens". He said.
I insisted, "in case something happens".
He was tall and dark. Half opened eyes looked down on my face and seemingly irritated with my meddling questions, that can distort his business, said, "There are fellows around." I could not clearly catch the meaning of the "fellows" he mentioned. Perhaps what he refers are the boat workers around. It seemed to me this idea will not work properly and it would be impossible for them, even if all of them would be available at the time of need, to bring these passengers to land, alive. I remembered the tragic incident in Tehran's city park back to the year 2002, when 6 children drowned due to carelessness. And unfortunately there were not enough attention paid to the case by Media.
I can see in front of me 3 boys enjoying their last teen years. They were doing anything possible; kicking, punching, wrestling and etc. all these apparently was not satisfactory enough. They started to through stones to or better to say on the water to make the stones flying. Flying where? You guessed correctly. In between people in shallow waters. By 2 and 3 shots, two of them left this dangerous game. And went into the sea. The third continued playing till he got tired of it and followed his companies.
The waves coming to shore shaped a little pond in front of where I was seated holding some water. A young boy trying to imitate the bigger lads started to throw stones to little pan. This time opposite of the sea, to our direction! I received a phone call and while talking, I felt splashes of water to my face and body. Then I heard people shouting complaints and the boy stopped.
At my back some meters away a woman and man are selling broiled corn on the cob. Smell of engines' exhaust mixed with raw benzene are in the air. Perhaps these two combined with moisture had made me not notice the burning corns.
I can see white particles in the coast. I remembered white sands island in Philippines. But wait, the white objects are thousands of tiny pieces of white Polystyrene both on land and floating on the water. I can see a 6 year old girl is trying to float on water by embracing a rotten block of Polystyrene some steps away.
I walk around a place is walled by metal sheets for people to take shower after coming from the sea. On the wall there is a sign board which reads:
Be careful of the theft
On case of loosing thins it is you who is responsible
Swimming in deep water=death
Two young policemen leisurely walk around time to time. One is wearing a commando hat. Which I can not believe the hat is styled by the police force and is an organization uniform.
The boats madly lands on the shore coming back from a short excursion. The speed perhaps is 80 km/h. With full load the boat jumps on land paying no attention to the children playing just in the same area. I am gravely frightened. My son and daughter are among children playing on the shallow water, exactly where the mad driver lands the boat fearlessly. The boat was much closed to smash head of these children. But why should he be afraid?
I am now really fed up with where I have brought my family. I want to say and said actually, are these people Humans? Before looking for answer, which naturally is yes. I found myself to be one of them. Just sitting next to them, and tolerating with them. What can I do? So, what can they do? I try to relieve myself by telling: "I am not enjoying the time", but, "do they do?"
I remembered Timmendorfer beach in northern part of Germany. What is the difference? If not the administrations? I wished the Iranian authorities give a visit to Timmendorfer Beach and will find out that they can contribute more to human development than they do now.

The real benefits of religions

This morning on the way to office I had to wait 40 minutes longer than usual to take the bus. The bus did not arrive and I heard from people who had the same destination there is actually no more bus for the route of mine. I used a share taxi to office and on the way the complaining expressions erupted by the passengers who including me were four.
An old woman about 70 was seating in front next to the driver who was in his early 60s. A man around 40 next to me and an around fifty years old woman next to him. We, the passengers were criticizing the state men and the urban directors for their negligence towards people. The woman in the back said they (she meant the authorities) use bullet proof cars but for common civilians there is not even enough bus for the daily commuting. The old lady in front asked us to stop criticizing and pray to god to neutralize all the ill mannered persons who have bad intentions for people and put their curse back to them. I explained to her, " this is not politics, we talk about our needs and necessities to live as citizens of a city". The driver started to talk and said, "For retired pensioner there has been only %6 raised this year". I explained, "Yet we should thank god that you are healthy and can have a second job". He replied, "neither am I healthy, I had an open heart surgery last year and now when I use the belt I will have pain in my chest". I did not understand if he meant car's seat belt or some device needed for aftermath of such operation. The old lady started a long prayer asking God to eliminate the enemies and so on in a semi ritual religious language denouncing the act of stealing from people . The driver added, "I do not think this can really work. In our village years ago people exploited a rich man's properties who formerly was a senior official. They took over his lands and distributed them among themselves. They also allocated a part for public cemetery. My father in law was the first one buried there. But then later people reconsidered this decision for the fear of god punishment for their dead ones and did not use the land as cemetery anymore".
Taking something unlawfully without persuading its owner is considered a sin in Islamic values.
He explained further by saying, "We the family proceeded to an Ayatollah to seek ways how to take my father in law's corpse. Since this is a sin to exhume a Muslim body from the grave".
Now, I was to take off the car. I was thinking about this strange phenomenon! How about the houses they built on this exploited ground and prayers made to God in these houses and the children made and borne in its rooms? May be, I thought these religious values only conform with the death issue and will not comply with the living things.