It is with a heavy heart that I refuse to even talk about the state of the film industry and a barricaded House of Cinema of which I was once a member.

An ever growing trend among Iranians from all walks of life is the comparison between problems in Iran and the rest of the world as a means to undermine the severity of the situation in Iran. This form of apologetics is not a recent phenomenon but certainly more prevalent in the past few years. Basically it manifests itself as taking some mundane aspect of life in a foreign country such as the United States, Germany or the United Kingdom and comparing it with similar circumstances in Iran. “There are problems crossing the street everywhere so Iran is no different…” !! Continue reading →

Why else is Free Speech so important to a vibrant modern democratic society if it were not to protect our right to offend?  The if’s and’s and but’s have to do with discrimination, hate speech, slander or false accusations.  When it comes to Freedom of Speech and its sanctity in democracy, the right to offend is at the core.  The dangerous imbalance caused by political correctness or some sect’s attempt to legitimize their backward and inhumane ideology through a la carte access to the democratic machinery is fatal.  In a free democratic society, no ideology, belief system or publicly stated position is immune from scrutiny, critique or outright offense.  This includes religion.

Continue reading →

Fortunately many in the Theism camp have accommodated the overwhelming argument that the world is not 6000 years old.  One hopes that this accommodation will soon lead to a long overdue acceptance of facts and evidence.  Common sense would lead the rational mind to embrace the overwhelming evidence for Evolution by Natural Selection.  An argument that explains elegantly, clearly and comprehensively the mechanism of how the living world comes about.  One that helps us comprehend the past and the present state of “Life” while empowering us with the ability to have a sense of the future.  In a nutshell, nothing has been as it is and shall not remain so.  We are constantly moving, evolving, changing, diversifying and adapting.

Continue reading →

They are approaching yet another so-called “election season” in Iran and the cards are beginning to stack up against the common Persian.  Certain radical elements are being sent back to their little cages in Qom.  The armed thugs are being rounded up and sent to the IRGC bunkers throughout the country.  Money launderers, crooks and charlatans are curling up deep inside the creases of one of the most corrupt governments the world has seen in recent history.  Meanwhile certain other ornamental elements within the Islamic Republic establishment whose sole purpose is to substantiate the illusion of dissent within the regime are being let out of their little hideouts.  Ornamental characters waking like hamsters from hibernation in the periphery of whatever that is left of the socio-economic fabric of Iran.  There is even a recent rumor in all the right corners of Webland that Misters Mousavi and Karubi are about to be released from house arrest.  Everything is coming together for that “Necessary Illusion” of moderation and reform in the Islam-stricken Iran.

Continue reading →