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?