Your Feedback

June 17, 2007

Dear Dr. Amirahmadi,

As a little fan, I have a suggestion regarding your possible future appearances on VOA. Please forget them. They are too rude and do not consider the principles of politics, unfortunately. As you surely realized they behaved so selectively in e-mail and phone takings. As a matter of fact, I think this is a deliberate project with some fake audiences. You might see how they behaved toward Dr. Qa'em Maqam and National Front (this day).

They just cherish Pahlavi Regime and their beloved Opposition is only some arrogant Monarchists and other political organizations are Lobbyists and/or traitorous.

Keep the faith in your patriotic endeavors. A peaceful Iran is our common wish. And of course any imposed model of democracy ---which I prefer to call 'The Liberal Virus'--- is not what we need at the present time. Democracy is a continuous and endogenous process and Iranians are trying well in this manner under our current suppressive regime .

Wish you health and success, over and over.

Respectfully yours,
Heydar

June 13, 2007

Dear Professor Amir Ahmady

My name is Morteza Shoja. I brought to an end my M.A grade of "International Relations" major in July 2006 at Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran.

I am teaching in department of Political Science at Azad University- Chalus branch- as guest lecture now.

I know you and have red your articles (of course articles that were available) and enjoy them.

I saw discussion between you and Mr. Hassan Dai on the VOA TV. I was sorry for you because of his accusations. Unfortunately, some Iranians don’t know that viewpoint of researchers or universities teachers have been come from their studies, awareness and knowledge [not from their relations with their friends]. One of my research eras is security – especially in the Middle East. I am aware of causalities and problems of the U.S fighting against Iran. Exactly nation of Iran will pay more prices, more than Islamic Relation government (referring Iraq since 1991 for now). In fact, I believe about determine role of international communications on promote of social actions and democracy. So, I think increasing relations between Iran and the world are reasonable for democracy and improving of circumstance of Iranians, more than embargo or military fighting. Hence I hope everyone to provide the fields for political relations between Tehran and Washington by emphasizing on co-interest like energy and security in the Middle East (ets).

Let me know as soon as possible.

Yours sincerely

M.Shoja  

June 10, 2007

Dear Mr. Amirahmadi,

Tonight in Tehran, I watched your live interview with the VOA Persian. I was so saddened to see the moderator of the program, Mr. Farhoodi, was not fair and his approach was too biased . As an Iranian living here in Tehran, I have always taken any chance to study your articles and writings about Iran, economy, US-Iran ties, etc. I wonder why people like Mr. Daaee and the like try to judge your character and performance so superficially, without caring about what you say in your lectures and writings?. I believe in their view any body opposing an opening of ties between the two countries ( Iran and the US ) is an enemy to the people of Iran. This ideology is simply ridiculous. Personally, I don't care if you represent the Islamic Republic of Iran , what matters to me is your novel and wise ideas about the best solutions for the people of Iran. Why didn't they criticize your writings, thoughts, ideas and approaches about Iran and the US?

I have been a regular viewer of the VOA Persian , but now , I'm so terribly sorry about the way they treated you in the program. It was way too far from the real media professionalism.

I just wrote this email to you in order to tell you that not all the people who watched the program think like the ones who called.

Mr. Amirahmadi, thank you so much for being Mr. Amirahmadi.

My kind regards,

Mohammad

June 10, 2007

Dear Dr. Amirahmadi,

I saw you last night in VOA. I was, honestly, so annoyed and uneasy. As you surly know, most Iranian people in all over the world, there is no difference, inside or outside, illiterate or literate, are not aware and do not habit to peaceful dialogue in a fairly situation, because they haven't learned that. In other words, to insult and libel is, unfortunately, our daily manner and behavior. I do not know for what you should answer to unfounded libels to people like Mr. Daeieh in VOA. In the meantime, VOA is not a court and Mr. Farhoodi, Mr. Baharloo and others are not the judge. So for what you should answer to them. I am of the opinion that this way is somehow harmful for your scientific, political and social personality. In my opinion, before everything, you are an academic and an international analyst, so it is better you discuss and analysis as an academic person or political activist, not answer to absurd calumny to incognito people in mass media. If so the best way for awareness of public opinion is issuing a formal announcement by you or AIC especially in newspapers. Thus there is no need to discuss to others face to face in VOA for some absurd libels and insults.

God bless you, your family, Iranian people, American people and people all over the world too.

Tehran

May 30, 2007

Dear Mr. Amirahmadi:

I just finished reading your article. Your article was based on logic and fact (which is not common for such an emotional topic as Iranian politics) for which I congragulate you. There were many valid points that you highlight in your essay including the fact that it is absolutely essential that Iran find a way to normalize relations with the western powers (and Israel) in order to save itself from war.

Although your article suggests that should such a conflict emerge Iran would be crushed from the sky, I disagree with that notion on account of Iran's highly capable "second strike" option vis a vie it's missile program, I would agree that infrastructure damage would be significant. More importantly I would argue that having just recently begun to heal from a bloody war with Iraq, I doubt if the the citizens of Iran would have the stomach for another bloody conflict.

What is important though, and which I would like to know your thoughts, is why the Iranian government should make any comprimises with the west? Should not the argument for normalization be held back until Iran has mastered nuclear fuel technology and therefore secured itself in a region where it is surrounded by nations that are card carrying members of the nuclear weapons club? If, as you accurately point out that Iran would turn into nothing more than a client state similar to Eygpt,should it simply conform to western demands?

Many critiques have been placed at the feet of this ruling theocracy but one thing no one can ever claim is that they are a client to any state other than to Islam and Iran. The slogan of "neither western nor eastern" is etched in the brain of every child of this revolution. By compromising with the United States and bringing about normalization in a fashion that would be anything but a victory would undermine the greatest pillar of credibility the theocratic regime and perhaps strike such a blow that it would collapse. This would not be good for Iran.

For the first time since the Zand Dynasty, Iran has a government that does not draw its credibility from foreign powers. This must be preserved. I agree with you that normalization is a must at some point but I favor a more balanced approach where Iran, in return for its partnership on Iraq and monitoring of its nuclear program by the IAEA would have its nuclear dossier removed from the UNSC and given access to trade markets (most notably WTO and the Shanghai Cooperation Council).

Even now brilliant diplomats on the part of the United States are trying very hard to separate the two issues from one another because they ultimately do not want the Ahmadinejad government to claim this victory.

The conservative leadership in Iran right now, much like the Nixon administration of the 1970's has the clout to pursue diplomacy with an arch-enemy such as the United States government, much the way Nixon did with China. No one ever doubted that Richard Nixon was soft on communisim and people trusted him to preserve American interests in diplomacy. While Ahmadinejad is no Nixon, he does represent a power group that would have the most credibility when dealing with the west. It is therefore of vital national importance that his government be the one that broker's reapproachment with the U.S.

It is vital therefore that while normalization does take place between Iran and the United States it must be done in such a way that Iran will maintain her independence and not have to comprise her integrity on the international stage.

We Iranians must strive to become aware of the fact that normilization at any and all costs is a detrimental outcome for Iran, that only a conservative government in Tehran has the political will and popular credibility to undertake such diplomacy and that Iran has just as much right to nuclear technology and regional hegeomony as does the United States.

Thank you for your interesting and informative article, I hope to one day you will make the lecture circuit out to my home town of Los Angeles.

Very truly yours,
Neema

March 25, 2007

Dear Dr Amir Ahmadi

I had read your article About how to birng Peace and Dialuge among 2 civilazation Of Iran And American People and offical to good mood Of Mutual underastang And I have done My view of point severall time When I was director For Asia & Pacifice Centre at IPIS with Dr sajjad Pour.But I think because of lack of underasting and radicalizam we are failure in this regard. Nnow we are inun wanted War behavier and atomosfer that not benefited frist Popele of Iran .

I think it need to going in Peace proccess Not to going In dameging of hope in heart of Iranian poeple who are really innocens.

Thank you as example of Iranian intelectual & Peace minded & thinker.

pecae upon you and any body who do the same.

Ahmad

November 22, 2006

Dear Professor Amirahmadi,
Many thanks for commenting the article of mine published in "Iran Emruz". I do agree with you that the main objective of the counciles is to establish local democracy and NOT be damaged by unnecessary power struggle as it was the case for few years ago and is dominating the Iranian politic. But, on the other hand, it is important for us too stress that the politic should be constructive and deals with mathers which affect the daily life of common people. However, I am going to be more carefull in the future.

Regarding to your articles, I have to say that in the past few years I have read many of your articles and I have always enjoyed reading your analyses and the way you debate issues. I have always admired your clear argumentation without paying attention to the accusations from the poltical fractions. I have to say there are very few iranian who understand the objective of a genuine reform process based on the involvement of social movements in designing the agenda of politics. It is therefore crucial that you and the few other political scientists or sociologists who have a constructive attitide to the ongoing reformprocess in Iran play a more active role in deciding the political agenda. I hope that in the future I will have the oppurtunity and pleasure to meet you in order to exchange ideas about the future of reformprocess in Iran.

Best regards,
Ali

October 10, 2006

Dear Dr. Amirahmadi,
It was so great to hear you speak this past Thursday. I wanted to send you the sincere thanks of both Sara Bamberger and myself, from here at RPGP. We can only hope that our events in the future involve such amazing speakers as yourself, and I hope to get the chance to hear you speak again at Berkeley . My regards to Rutgers and the AIC, and your work in the future.

Many thanks,
Jessica Owen
Program Assistant, RPGP

October 11, 2006

you're right:ahmadinejad "tar o tamiztar shode" but his ultra self-confidence is dangerous.we can easily compare him with second pahlavi!too much trust to sepah and basij and zero contact with the elite;His relation with samare hashemi is like shah-Alam relation!he is a real" street smart",a real iranian;khashayar shah also was like him!and i remind him in my mails;Before his second trip to NY ,i suggested him absolutely have some advices from your organisation;try to give them advices,even officially;theses guys are not to govern such country;A real danger!I also suggested him to have more contacts with real americans who are like real iranians.american elite is also like iranian elite:his idea is done and never changes!proud.
I appreciate your suppelness;

Docteur NIKNAM

July 24, 2006

Hi,
Hope you are doing well.
I accept your point of view generally. I appreciated your effort so much and I used to peruse your writing regularly. It seems we as Iranian people, as you well say, must think more who we are.

Best wishes,
Hashem,

July 13, 2006

Salaam, and KHASTEH NABASHI, Doktor.
Just had a chance to read your interview with Dr. Ahkami. I did that because a friend had e-mailed me earlier saying he had never heard so much "BAD-O-BEERAH" lodged against our wonderful people (Iranian people, I assume, he was referring to) until that interview with you! Then I heard it from another friend whom I think you also know.
Of course, they both had uttered those comments rather jokingly. However, after reading the text of that interview for myself, I had no choice but to absolutely fall in love with it! I am NOT kidding!
I, too, am one of those that not unlike yourself happen to be of the opinion that our poor beloved country (the land that once Dariush and Cyrus the Great ruled with power and benevolence) has somehow been turned into this nightmarish "SARZAMIN-e MADDAHAAN" type of a land where total failures are rewarded and complete incompetence promoted and praised to no end.
What a breath of fresh air, Doktor. Please, keep them coming! Because, even in a "SARZAMIN-e MADDAHAAN" occasionally one might need a counterbalance-- a rude awakening, if you will.

Dara

June 14, 2006

Dear Dr Amirahmadi
I am a student in Leeds, I just finished reading one of your articles on Iran and its nuclear issue, as far as I could understand from it you suggest that in order to defuse current escalating situation and avoid possible military action against Iran, enrichment must be stopped and by doing so US won't have any excuse or justification for military action in short term and because Bush will be out of office in two years therefore he can't come up with another excuse to threaten Iran, I would agree with this logic in short term but I am not sure if this would secure Iran in long term. As you rightly pointed out in your article there is a very strong Israeli influence present in this matter which sees normal relation between US and Iran a big threat to its interest, this influence is strong among Democrats as well as Republicans, therefore there is a very good possibility that the US future government continue it's tough stand against Iran regardless of enrichment issue, I'll be happy to hear your views about this.

Regard
Mohammad

June 13, 2006

Dear Dr. Amir Ahmadi
I read your subject article and in my point of view, this is one of the best approaches to the enrichment issue, that I have ever read in this website. I appreciate your effort in this respect and wish you success. Many critics may think the same way as you did, but they have not clearly stated this. From this point of view, your article has a significant value to a reader like me.
The only thing that I thought it could be not mentioned was that you mentioned that Iran can stop enrichment, come to agreement with the US and start enrichment later, I believe the last part of this sentence could be omitted.

Thanks again and good luck
Seyed Zahedi
Electrical Engineer
Toronto, Canada

June 13, 2006

Ba salam,
I just wanted to let you know that your article/advise about Iran/nuclear issue was very good. It shows that you really love Iran and that you worry for it.
Thanks
Mahin

June 02, 2006

Dear Hooshang,
I watched and listen as your debate with Mr. Mibodi and Yaran unfolded on Channel 1 last night and the night before.
I understand your position, but you have disregarded one central fact about Iran’s democratic obstruction. That is, Ayatollah Ali Khameneie and the Council of Constitutional Guardians. These people were behind the defeat of the reformist movement, responsible for many crimes committed by the regime of the Islamic Republic, and things cannot inch forward as long as they are in power. They must be removed, overthrown, or eliminated—pure and simple.
Your position probably made sense under Khatami. Under the current regime, I do not think that there is away that Khameneie and could be educated—they are all rotten to the core in their thinking and political behavior.
Another point, the notion that the fate of Iran is tied to the Islamic Republic is not only based on the discredited politics of fear—keep the regime intact otherwise the country will disintegrate—but is wrong as well. The longer this regime is in power, the stronger the centrifugal forces are going to be.
I believe if you fix or revisit some of your key assumptions about the possibility of the ruling clerics abandon or share power, your political realism could be commendable.

Best wishes,
Mansoor

May 31, 2006

Dear Hooshang,
You were among the proponent of realpolitics who forcefully suggested that the U.S. should get involve in a direct talk with Iran. You must be pleased to see that U.S. position is converging with yours.

Best,
Mansoor

April 20, 2006

you're not alone! a lot of iranian intello agree with you. even if we dislike iranian regime but we also deteste any foreign inervention in our country.only traitors would collaborate!we ,historians, never forget.people neither.our people is in a historrical situation and should learn to go out of it alone. and finish with clergy once for ever without bloodshed.
we should opt for a belgian method rather than french. pushing them to the marge of society without making victims or martyrs. but every society needs a clerical aristocracy;like europe.try to work with that clergy. Ebadi is now internationally respected. Khatami too. Invite them and "use" them for peace! they are moderate intellos and representative of our actual intelletual situation.i find out hat Iran is moving toward nihilism;as it happened in europe of 18 and 19 century;after Renaissance.
the new generation is quite different.It wants to enjoy life. it's different from your and my generation;in left; even if not officially so; with ideals for future.this new generation wants enjoy the "moment" and doesn't really understand the dangers of "mondialisation".this is the tragedy.

April 18, 2006

Dear Dr. Amir Ahmadi,
I was very pleased to read your latest paper about the relations of Iran and the USA. It was politically very analytical and logical. I wish you more success on your way to create an atmosphere of understanding between the two nations for a peaceful world.
As a researcher on Iranian Sufism (theoretical Irfan), I am living and working in Germany.

With best wishes,
Dr. Bahram

April 11, 2006

Hooshang,
Hello. Just read your cogent assessment on Iran , utterly sane,. depressingly so, as per your usual....Here is my new email address. Stay in touch.

Judy

April 13, 2006

Hooshang,
I read your chat today about Iran & the US. It was very interesting. I'm sure it is a lot of work, but it is more interesting to hear your exact words than to read an interview or a newspaper story. Thank you for taking the time! If you could send me a copy of the article you mentioned, I would appreciate it.

Terry Mackin
Bloomington, MN

April 11, 2006

Hooshang,
Hello. Just read your cogent assessment on Iran, utterly sane,. depressingly so, as per your usual....Here is my new email address. Stay in touch.

Judith Miller

April 11, 2006

Dear Hooshang
hope all is well. I saw your comments below (The note of Hooshang about The discussion on a possible US war plan for Iran is important. See the page of ????????? or notes), very much appreciate it. However, I think your focus on enrichment may be a bit too great. I think it's an artificial red line. Even if Iran backs down, Washington will seek a military confrontation to restore the regional balance the US itself tilted when it took out Baghdad and Kabul. Your thoughts?

tp

March 31, 2006

Dear Dr. Hooshang;
Warmest Now-Ruz greetings to you.
At the beginning of New Year (1385), I wish you a prosperous year. Meanwhile, the time that I was in the North of Iran for NowRuz holidays, I heard your interview by radio. Your comparison concerning new dialogue between Iran and USA to the shape of sleep (up or down) between two man and woman was so interesting. However, as it is evident, Iranian people are living in quite rest and do not believe the old and famous play of mouse and cat between Iran and US. Even though some journalists say that this play seems serious.
Regards and wish you the longest of life time.

March 30, 2006

Dear Dr. Amir Ahmadi,
I have been an avid and keen pursuer of your writings and TV interviews. I wrote to you a few years ago after you appeared on an interview with Zia Atabai on NITV. The subject of our discussion was the British approach to Palestine at the time the late Robin Cook was their foreign mininster. I conceived it then as a system of weights and counterweights the British used with Israel and Palestine while the U.S. was one way pro-Israel. Anyhow this is the background to our e-mail correspondence a few years ago.
I truly believe that you are a scholar and academic but most importantly the most pragmatic voice on Iranian politics. I read a book recently by Dr. Farrokh Saeedi in which he said the famous U.S. motto: "My Country Right or Wrong" should apply to Iranians as well. You have given clean and expert opinion in your interviews in midst of all sensationalist or sentimentalist activities of our hamvatanan living abroad.
I think the new U.S - Iran talks should somehow be a replay of the last time the two countries traded. There has to be a mutual need on both sides. I know the last was a redundant sentence but it is the core issue. It seems that the Republicans record of approaching Iran in the mid 1980s was more of a success than what has now been established by Bill Clinton in 1995 by banning trade with Iran. Also, I am looking to find this article "International Economic Sanctions Are Not Zero-Sum Games: There Are Only Losers," By Hamid Zanganeh of Widener University in Philadelphia. I think there should be clear evidence that economic sanctions has never been a solution to any international conflict and no dispute in this world has ever been solved by it. I think the two countries should resume trade just like the last time Oliver North and McFarlane connected with Iranian authorities. Talks over in Iraq will only serve the purposes of Iraq and not Iran.

Nader

March 27, 2006

Dear Dr. Amirahmadi,
Thank you for your article "In the Name of the Iranian People, Regime Change or Regime Reform", which I read on the Payvand Website. It's a wonderfully clear-eyed view of the political and cultural realities in Iran and how they bear on current U.S. policies.
So far it seems the debate about U.S. - Iran policy is limited to foreign policy and Iran experts. For an issue that is described as "America's biggest foreign policy challenge", there is a surprising absence of public or political discussion about Iran. This information vacuum has been filled with distorted images of Iran and Iranians that are unconnected to reality.
As someone who as travelled to Iran on a couple of occasions, I'm constantly amazed at the erroneous assumptions that underlie questions from even well-read Americans.
Thanks for your contribution to a better understanding.

Best wishes,
Steve

March 26, 2006

Dear MrAmirahmadi,
I have to say that your exhasutive and comprehensive account in Payvand journal about the need for regime change/reform is very well written and highly objective in its analysis: However, your conclusions are simply wrong: Iran does not share strategic goals with the United States...
Rather,we need America to leave our region so that we can exert our natural influence over it and safeguard our Persian culture and Islamic religion. We have been the rivals with Western civilization since the times of Dariush and Khashayarsha ..we know what the West wants ...Iran's surrender and Islam's political destruction: We are a divided nation, but I for one will accept no compromise with America's hegemonic policies towards Iran and the region: Maybe a lot of my compatriots are naive and oblivious ( as Iranians tend to be) but America and its disgraceful partner Israel ,are our enemies...always were,always will be: Yes, there are autocratic elements and features within the Islamic Republic that need reforming or purging...but going to our erstwhile and actual enemy for money or assistance to help us change matters is treacherous and humiliating.
I would rather have a thousand Jannatis ruling over Iran than one George Bush...period!

Thanks for the article
Yousef

March 25, 2006

Dear Dr. Amirahmadi:
RE: In the Name of the Iranian People - Regime Change or Regime Reform?
http://www.payvand.com/news/06/mar/1208.html
I was pleased to read about your recommended constructive and non-violence approaches for solving US-Iran problems. I am certainly among many Iranians supporting diplomacy/negotiations, and I am dead against the US attack on Iran for any reason. I am not a political scientist or expert and do not have a sophisticated knowledge about international policies or political strategies. However, based on my commonsense, I would like to make the following comments.
Your article did not make any reference to the constant US military threats and spying activities on Iran. It did not point out the fact that Iran is currently surrounded by the US military forces and air bases in the region. It did not make clear that Iran is no challenge to US and it is erroneously portrayed as security threat by the Administration. In order for Iran to engage in negotiations and initiate diplomacy, US must stop military threats, the idea of overthrowing Islamic government, the idea of regime change, and finally stop plain interference in the internal affairs of Iran. It seems to me, as long as US continues this kind of strategy, there will be no democracy, no human rights, no women’s rights, no freedom of speech, etc. for our fellow Iranians and families in Iran. It is a plain fact that the current Islamic government is in urgent need of a lot of reforms, social, economic, and political changes, but with these kinds of foreign (US) threats (not to mention some internal problems) which are aimed at the Iranian nation’s security and government’s existence, the reform is not a priority for the current government and will not happen. With this in mind, now who can blame the current Iranian government’s position and strategy? Is this so hard for George and Condi to understand?
You wrote: “Iran will not be an exception to this rule even if it has plenty of pro-democracy forces. This fact is already witnessed by the Iranian experience in the last 26 years. In the absence of diplomatic tie with the US, Iran will become a Cuba, a North Korea, or an Iraq for the US, or else it will experience another violent revolution over which no one will have any effective control. Given the political, social, and ethnic make up of the country, and in the absence of a charismatic and unifying leader, the next Iranian revolution could lead to civil war and regional disintegration. No person, group or country can hope to benefit from such an eventuality.”

I take “the country” in “…make up of the country …” is referring to “Iran.” The issue here is related to the last sentence, specifically “No person, group or country can hope to benefit from such an eventuality.” As much as your article was detailed and documented, I was surprised to see a statement such as this in your article. Based on my readings (unfortunately I cannot cite any reference), the US and big European powers would love to see Iran divided into pieces (as the former Soviet Union did), disintegrated, decentralized, be eroded as emerging regional power, and then dominance over the disintegrated fragments. As, I am sure, you are aware, there are currently active efforts for an independent Kurdestani State and activities for making East and West Azarbaijan part of the Republic of Azarbaijan. The same goes for Baluchestan and the southwestern corner with the Arab ethnicity. This idea has been supported by the Administration and neocons. The wish is to erase the Persian Empire from face of the earth. This would be a very sad day for all Iranians, our ancient history, culture, and we would be people without a country. Contrary to your statement, in case of disintegration, the political advantage and economic benefits to US and the big European powers would be enormous. Imagine having control and access to vast natural resources, oil, gas, complete control of the Persian Gulf, control of straight of Hormuze, access to Caspian Sea, and finally having the golden key for complete domination and colonization of the entire Middle East. In the process, the “super power” will become a “mega-super power”. Yes, you see then … Iran won’t be a single most important challenge of our time…” I hope the concept of disintegration will never happen, but it is a scenario that has been considered, it is real, and well recognized. In closing, I hope you will find this discussion useful. Best wishes.

Sincerely,
Jahanbakhsh

March 25, 2006

Do you really believe American politicians care for democracy in Iran? How come they didn't feel for Iranians during Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's tyranical rule? Why did they overthrow the democratically-elected prime minister of Iran? They wouldn't care less if a despotic government worse than Saudi Arabia ruled in Iran, provided that it submitted to the wishes of American administration. Let the "proud" Iranians decide what they want. By the way, an independent, powerful democratic Iran is the worst nightmare of Necons and Israel. They are dead set not to allow Iran to rival Israel as a powerful country in the region.

Cordially,
Suri

March 24, 2006

Dear Hooshang Amirahmadi,
I am writing from the internet magazine www.openDemocracy.net in London. We have published quite a lot on Iran: http://www.opendemocracy.net/content/iran.jsp
I was very impressed by your article in Payvand: http://www.payvand.com/news/06/mar/1208.html. It is detailed, subtle and persuasive. I wonder if I can persuade you to write an original article for openDemocracy, perhaps slightly more “Iran-centred” than this – that is, taking your strong analysis of the regime and the society and developing that in its own terms, before towards the end assessing what kind of engeament by different outside actors (including, but not only, the US) is likely to “work” and to what end. It might be framed as “the dynamics of Iranian politics and society, nine months after the election…”. Much of it could draw on the kind of analysis you elaborate here, and be linked into to current events in Iran as well as the wider nuclear controversy. The article might be 1400-1800 words in length – longer if you have more to say. We can pay the equivalent of $150 dollars for this, I regret not more.
I’d be happy to discuss this further and develop more of a “brief”. I do hope you are able to write this within the next ten days / two weeks. We’d like a strong sense of “inside Iran” as it really is in itself, including (where relevant) class and internal regional factors, and as it is today.

Best regards
David Hayes
Deputy Editor

March 24, 2006

Dear Hooshang:
Enjoyed reading your recent article in payvand. As you might have probably read my contributions in payvand, I have been advocating similar theses ad nauseum.
I am preparing another article for publication, in which I shall refer to your paper with the purpose of extending it to areas that academic caution or political correctness prevents most academics to traverse.
By the way; I was rather disenchanted with our friend Japeh's operations in Scottsdale. Originally, I saw a great potential in his ambitious plans, but was soon dismayed by concluding that this Emperor did have clothes, but rather transparent ones!

K. Zarrabi
www.intellectualdiscourse.com

March 24, 2006

Bravo ! Dr. Amirahmadi
Your great words in this article should be shown and read as a Road Map to the eyes & ears of the Wise in this Administration.
But, alas! So far I see only the blinds and the deaf there, and no Wisdom in those arrogant 'Heads'.
Would you please send a print of your article to each of those 'heads' , so that it may open their eyes and ears? Thank you for this very insightful Road-Map-Article.
Wishing you a very happy Persian New Year,

Mali

March 24, 2006

Sarkar Professor Amirahmadi,
Tabrik salea jadid va norooz shoma mobarak bad, I thank you and congraduate you at your great article your wrote today at www.Payvand.com. It is an honor to have Iranian professionals that can say it like it is and are not afraid of saying it. I wish more Iranians like you that have the gift of writing great articles, do so. Someday, I hope the administration will look at your suggestions and things will improve.
I wish you and your family a great new year and keep up the good work,

Abbas
Nashville, TN

March 24, 2006

Dear Prof. Amirahmadi,
I read your informative article dated March 24, 2006 (In the Name of the Iranian People - Regime Change or Regime Reform?) with great interest and mutually agree on most of the highlighted points of discussion. Unfortunately, it fails to recognize the hierarchy of the Islamic regime and its controlling powers of the government. As you are aware the Executive branch has very limited powers, which are overseen and controlled by the Supreme leadership and at times the Guardian Council; the same principle is also applicable to the Judiciary and Parliament, thus free election without a prior overhaul of the existing system is meaningless and as history has proven will fail to provide any concrete change.

Best regards,
Dr. Ali

March 16, 2006

Dear professor Amirahmadi:
I read your articles with great interest. I have been familiar with your work for sometime, and as I understand you are based in princeton and, therefore, many of your events and conferences are located outside of washington, DC. Currently I work at CSIS and I would be glad to participate in events located here in washington.
Please inform me if you have any suggestions as to how to become more involved. I wish you all the best and look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Sincerely,
Sonia

March 15, 2006

In The Name of God
Hello Dear professor dr. hoshang amirahmadi; how are you?
Thanks from your favor and patience. I have referred in your website for times and times and have read your articles about iran society future perspective and other related issues. I admire your interest, courageness, patience and efforts for promoting iran situation in the world. I hope for your success and happiness.

I am interested in studying historical, economical, social, political and other related issues specially about iran, and world in general and feel shameness when I see that we have impropper face in the world. Our society needs a great man like cyruse the great which has the great counsellors and belived followers who are engaged in his/her inspirations.

But now, what we have? A non-developed, poored cultural, economical and political and social society with the worst records in the world : the maximum rate of accident in the world, the worst development indice in the middle east region, improper face in the region and so on.
I am a man from qashqai tribe in fars province. I graduated in MBA level from shiraz university in 2003 year. Our ancestors in qashqai tribe where from the first iranian people who fight Iran enemies for decades and played positive role in iranian society multi-dimensional development. In history, qashqai tribe has fighted with british forces in two times : in 1250s in nanizak-boushehr and in 1297 (or 1918) year in khane zenyan in kazeroun. But unfortunately, this honored tribe have faced with different problems and hostilities from iran enemies and specially from internal non-informed friends which have played the worse in-effective role in different conditions. In part of CIA report about 1953 incidents in iran, you see following text :

"VIII. Relations with Tribes.
A. Coup will provoke no action from Eakhtl2Lri, Lur,
Kurds, Baluchi, Zolfaghari, M-motssani, Boor
Adi, and Khmseh tribal groups.

B. Major problem is neutralization of Qashqai tribal leaders.

IX. 3(acbani@a of Quasi-Legal Overt@w
A. At this moment the view with laost
(see attached file, page 50)

Now, with these contingenceies, I am a man which likes Iran and Iranian honouring and success and you are the man who wants to promote and elevate iran position in the international NGOs, meetings and conferences. So I feel responsibility as an iranian which continue these issues and pay attention to these problems, to thank and admire persons look like you.

For ever be green, healthed and honoured,
yours sincerely,

Alireza

March 14, 2006

Dear Mr. Amirahmadi
You have been lobbying for the regime of clerics since early 1990 with no success. You have brought oil companies, created organizations with a few members, invited some congressional representatives, etc. But you know that it is beyond you and your friend's power to change policy of United States and European countries. Recently, you have found another friend, Mr. Eddalat who has started lobbying under different pretext.
Your articles appears in Baztab site, Mohsen Rezaei's site. Can you deny that you were not lobbying for the regime. Instead of doing this, do your college teaching. We have a prominent scholar and educator like Dr. Milani who is truly an scholar. But regretfully, you and Mr. Eddalat, carrying academic title, but lobbying for a criminal, terrorist, and corrupt regime.

Good luck
Jamal

March 13, 2006

Dear Prof.Amirahmadi,
I have been reading your pertinent essays on the latest developments in USA -Iran relationship with great interest for the last couple of years.
As an expatriate Iranian in diaspora, I wish the best I can for the future of my country.
Division of mind among Iranians on their future is a direct consequence of the isolation imposed on them through years of authoritarian regimes, whose main objective has been the denial of an atlernative option.

Rhetorics is unfortunately the dominant feature for the time being.This is true on both sides! Apparently Iranians are not yet ready to pay the price for being free from the theovratic regime threatening the essence of their identity.

We do not trust each other easily.We do not believe in coalitional way of politicial approach.There is some sort of a dictatorial mental background in the mind of many Iranians, the greatest impediment for the creation of united front on principal issues threatening even the existence of the Nation.
Being far from the daily realities inside Iran, we theorize about the prospective outcomes of international political gimmicks about Iran.
We need to get involve with all, to talk to the ordinary rank and file instead of preaching moral principles and suggesting the personally motivated solutions to the complex problems of the country.

Iranians are all- inside /outside the country- responsible for the actual situation.Iranian crisis has become a national tragedy and an international catastrophy, as a result of our actions and reactions. We have all helped the creation and development of this disaster.Foreign Powers have lion's share of the responsibility.Had it not been for the sake of Israel's survival , foolishly threatened by most rece nt irresponsible remarks, Iranian opposition would not have had this opportunity to send two man delegation to the fore of the US Senate.

There is an urgent need to leave University forum for academic neutral stands to walk with Iranians inside the country who have been suffering so much, totally desperate , not knowing how to challenge a regime, financially supported by some 50 Billion US petrodollars annually plus political & religious police, stiffling all voices for an eventual emancipation.Part of the intellectual elite serve the regime betraying their own people for the sake of their immediate interests.International pressure is not sincere with the Iranian people.If Iranian regime abandons the nuclear strategy, all major powers will forget about the daily sufferings of the Iranians.Human Right Groups did not succeed in freeing the journalists who dared to modestly challenge the lack of rudiments of democracy.

There is a need to expand the forum to comprise all Iranians sharing at least one ideal, to get rid of the actual regime once for all.We should not be emboldened by the US financial generosity for the Iranian opposition.We urgently need sincere alternative ideas to help the Iranian people in their historical struggle against unprecedented depotism ,denying even the national identity of the Iranians as a nation, making the false belief that all Muslims are only one Omma, justifying the waste and plunder of the wealth of the Nation for their own interest.

In this different approach, if you think there is anything to be done, I will support your general stands.

To that end,
Dr. S.I.Mofidi
Morocco

March 13, 2006

Hooshang Khan,
What we need in Iran( We the Lurs of Pushtikoo)) is Regime remodeling,not changing .For example:
Getting rid of beers from various sign of God faces,showing their wives in swim suit ,building gambling Casinos on Qasham Island ,and finally allowing same sex marriages for foreign dignitaries..
By doing so the Atomics thing which we in Pushti Koo must have so that we know no M.F. Arab will ever dare to cross our boarders again, will weathers away as we become increasingly Westernize nation with plenty of homosexual facilities for our friends in the West.

OMRAN

February 10, 2006

Hooshang Khan,
This is brilliant, both in substance and style.
I think it is unfortunate that Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Newsweek (make sure you see this week's Newsweek with Ahmadinejad on the cover) and some of the other top publications have been too slow to ask you to submit a longer essay that is based on this piece. It hits all the key issues.
I also think that given your leading work in this area for 20 years, if you make better use of electronic communications website, listserv, etc. you will make an even greater contribution to one of the most important issues of contemporary international relations.

Regards,
Alidad

February 04, 2006

Greetings Dr. Amirahmadi
In as much as the whole of active and political websites has been damped here (Tehran), I read your analytical article concerning Ahmadinejad's approach on www.baztab.com. Truth be told, it was worth reading. Because it shows that you know our system's personality better than us who live here.

Regards and thank you for your outstanding points.
Khorsandi
TEHRAN

2006/02/01

Dear Dr AmirAhmadi
Ba Drood
Your article and comments addressed in Baztab impressed me. Please accept my cordial appreciations for your patriotic essays.

Eradatmand:
Y. Parvizi
Energy Systems Expert-USA

January 31, 2006

ba salam
your articles are interesting ;because they are scientifique and objectif.They have a good echo in iranian press.I think i saw some parts of that one(about AN) in "Emrooz"site,the Hajjarian groupe;" eslahtalaban". I think you should send them to all! the iranian press;even to "fascists" like Kayhan,shariatmadari;very near to Khamenei.They should learn. AT least their redaction will read it.
I'm personally very fond of information.and as i'm multilingual;i enjoy different press in different languages.I'm very worried about Iran.
Keep writng more.As you had said;iranians are not well informed. because either they don't have the right "instrument",social sciences;or they are idealist;living in their own world.I should say that is the same about people in the west.Last time i was talking to M.KHazai;a historien of art who directs "The European center for Zoroastrien studies" in Bruxelles.
I was surprised to hear him that in Sasanid period iranians were feasting all the time! As historien i can witness thah sasanid period was ten times worse than now.M.Khazai hasn't been to IRAN since 35 Years.So let's don't do the same mistake as the irakis did when they met WOLFOWITZ .!just before the invasion of their country.The capitalism is very agressif now;dangerous for us;also for the west.

January 30, 2006

Ba salam
your article about Ahmadi -nejad appeared entirely in "Baztab" et partly in other iranian persian sites.It was very intresting.Bravo!

NIKNAM

January 27, 2006

Hooshang Khan,
Your "6+1" piece is the best I have read anywhere on this topic. Congratulations. I hope to see it translated into Persian and on Gooya and elsewhere as well.

Regards,
Alidad

January 18, 2006

Dear Mr Amirahmadi;
Thank you for your reply. I use the same Persian font in other webpages and it's OK. So I had added some comments and rewrite them and more in English as follows:
1) I red your CV in Persian. In my opinion it would be better to avoid much use of "Man" ( I ) in writing.

2) To me your view for Iran sounds well, however I did not know that you are a candidate for Iran Presidency so far!

3) I'd like to express that I am optimistic about Iran future and generation. I have not voted to Ahmadinejad, however he is president of my country and I support him. His policy is natural response to more than half century of Western/US aggressive policy.

4) I am proud of my people who stand on their feet for their rights and they are succeeded so far in their peaceful development programs. I believe even if we consider the extreme tiny possibility of accessing Iran to atomic weapons, even in that case Iranian people by themselves could prevent even the government to use it. They are able to destroy them by themselves. You are Iranian. You know Iranian. The most and majority behave so; very more than other nations.
However I believe the show of West/US threat of Iran in their policy is nothing but their illegal willing to dominate all the world. The behavior of their politicians in their government is shown that actually they are fascist in their mind. They are to weaken the international organizations and use them for their pocket.

5) With my trip and study in US and Europe I've found that the peop le there are different from the policies. Thank you for your time and attention.
I am optimistic about the peace in world and suggest anybody to be optimistic and to try for that.

Regards,
Abbas

January 17, 2006

Dear Dr. Amirahmadi
Ba droud
Your interview with Roozonline was actually instructive. However, I guess we are now playing at overtime! I wish there was just ONE wise man in our diplomacy system to keep and obey! Meanwhile, a short article - note (2 P.) has been attached, I hope it would be useful.
Wish you the longest of life span!

Khorsandi,
Tehran

January 14, 2006

Dear Prof. Amirahmadi,
Ba Salam,
Hope every thing is going well and thanks for your kind reply. I read all the papers which you sent them to me before. I am satisfied somewhat that our views are much in line. However I didn't think that your idea is far from my idea, otherwise I am so busy at this time that I can't open a discussion with a person whom has completely different idea with me, but I do apologize for misunderstanding of some parts of your idea.

I accept your point of view that having better relation with other countries (especially US which the first powerful country right now) will give us necessary time to get our goals. I also accept that this is necessary condition but sufficient condition. As you correctly mentioned "The sufficient condition includes education, Islamic reformation, diversification of oil economy, a political culture of coalition government, etc. All of these ARE CULTURAL changes and will take time to develop." But the question is who can we get peaceful relation with US when there are a lot of basic problems which can't be solved for the time being?

Who we can get rid of these problems when there are mutual benefit for governments of Iran and Also US? What is the starting point in order to solve them? What is your idea about that in this case solving US embassy problem, which has been occupied, would be the starting point?

Moreover, what is our goal after that? What we are looking for, exactly? Yes you are right that we developed a capitalist society without a capitalist work ethic and unfortunately this ended up to such a bad condition (however I think we come to new bad condition which is not very differ with previous conditions, generally). But is capitalist society our goal? This kind of technology and democracy is match with the culture of the West which they developed it for more than 3000 years especially during RONESANS. What we should develop for our culture?

What is our goal exactly? The West? Japan? Our making new condition which is match with our culture? Please try to make our goals clear, first. What do you think?

You can find a brief overview of my point of view in attachment.

Yours Sincerely
Hashem,

January 10, 2006

Dear Mr. Amir-Ahmadi salam
I read your article about "Rahheh-nejate-Amrica-az-bohrane-Iran" and I think your deductions are very logical and reasonable.
My question is, "What can we do to help stabilize social life inside iran?
" - I want to live without headaches/hassles, and I demand the same for my family, friends, and all other Iranians living here. Actually I want it for all the people in the world.
- Besides spreading words like your article, and trying to reflect what we think is RIGHT, what else do you think we might do to help? I don't want to be a part of political games among a bunch of lunnatics.
- I pray (and act if there is anything I can do) for PEACE in the world. I would appreciate a few minutes of your time, sending me a brief SUGGESTION on the subject.

Respectfully yours,
Morteza

January 10, 2006

Dear Mr.Amir ahmadi
I have studied above mentioned subject in BAZTAB persian site . I think one of the subject which could be considered in your text is the compatition of USA and UK in IRAN . they are trying to kick each other out of IRAN.and USA by supporting RUSSIA is trying to put IRAN/UK relation in a very deep paradox . what do you think? if I am right we have to face a big change in Iran government in next few mounth.

Ershadifar

January 09, 2006

Dear mister Amirahmadi I'm a norhterner iranian living in Bruxelles;trying to finish my doctrate in islamologie;focused on iranian intelletual problematic. I write generally in french;eventhough i also know arabic and spanish. Reading your analyses about the iranan political and diplomatic situation during recent days; as historien;i feel we are living the same situation as in 1941;when we were invadad.

Mr Ahmadi Nezhad is;unfortunately, taking the country toward war. During last presidential;i was in IRAN. I was really afraid and as i was soldier during iran-Iraq war,i know what it is.

Any way the country is in danger and can't bear another war. couldn't you do something more in contact with iranian authorities;also with americans. Do you have any activities in iranian universities. Mr E.Naraghi has. He had also been under some accusations before;even jailed.

thanks for your love for iran
yek hamshahri!(Niknam)

January 09, 2006

Dear Mr. Amir Ahmadi:
I read your above article. It was truly unbelievable that at such a historical period when our country is suffering from so many fatal wounds imposed by religious fanatism and cruelty you are still talking about peacful negotiations between Iranian regime and the civilized world. You are still dreaming about embracing the islamic government's conditions for survival and more destruction to Iran, more humiliation to Iranians in the international community, and more threat to peace in human society. I am so disappointed that you are writing such an article as an Iranian intellectual. It is so painful to see that, with your limited understanding of Iran's problems, you have become a voice for Iranian intellectual community.

Nasser

January 09, 2006

Dear Mr. Ahamadi,
I have been following your articles and activities with regard to Iran and Iranians. I would like to send my regards and appreciate your good work. Also, there is an urgent matter that I would like your insight and help. This is an article in San Francisco Chronicle (Denial of Holocaust nothing new in Iran Ties to Hitler led to plots against British and Jews) trying to connect Iran to Nazi Germany and Holocaust. This is a very serious charge against the nation of Iran. I have no History background, but I urge you to pay a close attention to this article and see if you or someone in your organization are familiar with history of that era and who should be able to shed some light on the matter and respond. It is a dangerous effort by some media to draw a Hitler like image of Iranian leaders at this point and prepare the groundwork for further demonizing Iranians.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/08/INGODGH99Q1. DTL

regards,
masoud

January 08, 2006

Hello Dear Professor Amirahmadi,
Thanks for your beautiful Article. By the Way,I have an e.mail Friend List which send them Political and Social Articles to them. I have added you in this list.Please inform me when ever you do not have any time for these Articles because I know that you are so busy.

Best Wishes and Thanks for your Letter,
Dr.Babak
Resident of Neurosurgery,
Hannover,Germany.

January 08, 2006

Dear Prof. Amirahmadi,
Salam,
Hope you are doing well and thanks for your kind attention. I have read two of your papers (one of them which was in Montreal and another in LA in May 2005). I wrote some commends about your papers. Also I have my point of view about Iran, culture and Politic which maybe differ to your point of view, somehow. You can find Pdf format of very brief of them in attachment. I would be so thankful if you would consider the file and let me know your opinion about that. Have a good time,

Best wishes,
Hashem,

January 08, 2006

Mr. Hooshang;
You have talked about a lot of subject, exept the main point, which is the oil. Oil and econommy (dollar) for America must be the main subject in TAHLIL.
Also TANGEH HORMOZ is other main Issue.

JOMEH

January 08, 2006

Salam
I would like to take this opprrtunity and privilage to say happy new year to you , however it is a little bit late because i have come back to home ( iran)and i have the least possible access to internet in the biggest port authority of iran , bandar abbass!!!!!!!! Any way i hope that you are happy and healthy as before . We are so busy and involved with elementary things in iran so that i have not even heared of nejat shabani and bahare tallesh. I am folowing the articles of professor in AIC updates which are really appealing to me specially the article on C130 air crash in which professor addressed j.w.bush asking him to lift economic sanctions. Since, unlike sweden i am disconected from rest of the world in iran, please let me know about your new activities which we can also take part in, such as translation of articles. I think this is the only way that we can survive in this hopeless and gloomy country!!!!!!!.

best regards
siamak

January 06, 2006

Dear Prof. Amirahmadi
Salam,
Hope you have a nice day. I don't know I should tell fortunately or unfortunately that I read one of your papers in Roozonline (Friday, Jan 6, 2006) for the first time. However, I think the problem in Iran is mainly cultural not political at all (however there is mutual affect between them) but I would like to read some of your papers about Iran. I visited your homepage and I read your biography. As I couldn't access to the Pdf format for your papers in your website, would you please send some of them to my e-mail? Be successful in your future careers (especially about our lovely Iran), Waiting for your response,

All the best,
Hashem,
Ph.D student, McGill University

Cho Iran mabad tane man mabad,

December 25, 2005

Dear Prof. Amir-Ahmadi
I really impressed when I read your biography.I am proud that we were born in the Gilan.I have an idea in my mind like you but I could not do it.I live in Canada and I am ready to help you in any situations. I have PhD in electrical engineering and I want to know how I can have a common research in estimation of international relations .I mean Estimation theory or Game theory.

Yours faithfully
Saman

December 24, 2005

Dear Mr. Behnood and Professor Amirahmadi
I enjoyed reading your commentary that appeared on gooya website. Your perspective that anti-Americanism is not going to serve Iranian national interests but the neo-conservative hawks should be taken very seriously. Both of you have made a very important point. I agree.
The key issue, however, is that the ruling clerics enjoy being in the position of power. They like it. The monopoly of power, for them, is sine qua non of the Islamic system. That is, no velayat-i faqhih, no Islamic government. This is at least what they say in order to demonstrate the essence of their rule. In this sense, they are not that different from the Shah, who also considered his rule vital for Iran's survival and national integration. And no amount of didactic advise is going to change this cherished belief.
Even if it did, it is not going to solve Iran's most fundamental political problem. Suppose for the sake of argument that Ayatollah Khameneie meets the Imam of the age in his dream, who forcefully tells him that he has to come to terms with the U.S., and that having diplomatic relationships with the power once dubbed as the Great Satan is essential for the longevity of the system. After several restless nights, the Ayatollah sees no reason to disbelieve that what has experienced was an encounter with the Imam and decide to change course toward the U.S. Then what? As a matter of fact, late President Sadat attained that vision, thinking that, correctly in my view, belligerent attitudes toward the U.S. would not be in Egyptian interests.
The problem for Iran is absolute power. It does not matter in what direction this power is oriented. We cannot afford beating around the bushes by telling our audiences that these mullas are behaving badly. We should bring, as it were, the problem of political power to center of our political discourse. If we fail to do so, we may sadly face the rise of another dictator, should the ruling clerics decide to go away or overthrown. Many Iranians--both in Iran and abroad--believe that what Iran needs is "an honest dictator," and by saying so, despite their secularism, they affirm a deep commitment to Islamic conception of politics.
Keep up the good work.

Best wishes,
Mansoor

June 06, 2005

Dear Professor Amir-ahamadi
Salam
Thank you very much for your “appeal article” which itself is a short lecture. But it is pity that this letter is forwarded to the “guardian council for the expert robbers “ whom would not take a lesson from the lecture whatsoever. The thieves will enjoy the lectures about robbery rather than anything else.
Unfortunately you registered for election assuming that the environment is democratic, however the current presidential election in Iran is not more than a game to arrange a big robbery and you should not expect that they welcome a person who does not know anything about the rules involved.
We are pleased that you and your colleagues put tremendous effort to stop U.S. attack to Iran which you are entitled to be proud of. However, in continuation of such efforts you and your colleagues can arrange all kind of support (including financial support) to the families of political prisoners in Iran so that they feel they are not left alone and this encourage more people to come into the battlefield. If the U.S. authorities are honest about supporting the democratic movements they can remove the barriers in the way. Thank you in advance for reviewing this e mail.

Best Regards
Bozorg

June 04, 2005

Dear Professor Amir Ahmadi
It was a big shame to hear you were disqualified for the presidentian election by a group of anti-Islam and anti-Iran wolves.They do not care about the future of our holy Persia and her children.
All they care about is Power which is the result of contradiction and demolition.
Don't given without the fight in four years time.

Best wishes
Meysam

Dear Dr. Amirahmadi,
I just wanted to let you know that I downloaded your Persian speech on May 2, about Iranian presidential election (an alternative platform). I truly enjoyed listening to that, given your fairness in your approach and your assessment from current situations.

The file was as large as 100 MB, which typically takes a long time to be downloaded over here. However, I could download it through fast connection at Sharif University. I've shared that with my friends and I even use some part of your comments during my teaching for MBA students.

I thought it could be a good excuse to say hi and express my sentiment; I liked your fairness in your speech and my colleagues restated the same feeling.

Best regards,

hello dear professor,
horizons ,seems to be so far .as we get closer we feel tired to get further, but we shouldn't stop trying.
I wish success for you to be confirmed as a candidate for presidential ellection 2005 .i,m very sorry for keyhan newspaper and it,s backward way of thinking.last night i saw your interview on voa channel. it was very fine and admirable.here,whoever i talked to ,believed that it,s very difficult for you to gain admittance to iran cause of your different way of thinking in compare with mullas.but your fans are unaccountable here .so i,m very sad and upset but i hope you win...i want to say that if you lost the game ,plz boycott the ellection and don,t continue your preventive actions(about war).i believe that you have done your best to inform mullas of dangers of not having an ideal relation with united states.. .and wahtever you do is not admittable by royalists and mujahedins... so if you continue in this way i think you will lost your fans...millions of iranians want down for the regime in each way that is operational.i don,t want to dictate you what to do.it,s just an offer...
i,m eagerly looking forward for days that make you the topmost leader of iran
in hope of happy days for you and your family.
bye
saeb

In 1991, and as a result of a misguided Seminar in New York when the Iranian Government invited a number of “Industrialists” to visit Iran, I was, I am sure, not one of the first but positively the very first to appear in the streets of Tehran; only three days after the end of the Seminar. I remained a frequent visitor to the country for almost 9 years.

For the first eight years, each year I made at least three trips, each lasting a little over two months.  Initially matters progressed so favorably that I foolishly suggested to my two elder sons (both with Masters from Cornel in Computer and Electrical Engineering and MBA from Berkeley), to visit Iran and evaluate matters for themselves.  At the time both were usefully employed - one  at AT&T and the other with GE. After their first visit, they too were so impressed that after returning to America, they resigned their jobs and decided to go and stay in Iran and try to recover our factory and other properties.

In 1999 and after winning every court case (the Revolutionary Court, Local and Provincial Courts and the Administrative High Court 'Divãn e Ãli ye Keshvar', frustrated with the impracticalities, we finally left Iran - disgusted and dejected.  You can imagine the disappointment, to say nothing of the enormous opportunity loss for my two young sons (in their late Twenties).

I could have written voluminous books about Iran but the result would have been a depressing effort; not specifically because we had failed in our mission, but more because of the state of affairs in the country.

Politically everybody will tell you that there are two or more governments in the official Government, like there are two or more Military within the armed forces, two or more Judiciary in the Justice system, two or more Diplomacy in Foreign Affairs etc.  But the worse was that there was a Shahanshahi system in the entire country - anybody in a position who had something to say was, in his domain, a Shah; arbitrarily decreeing what he liked. So that although we had the Courts rulings in our favor and in our hands, their enforcements depended on scores and scores of independent individuals who would refuse to take action to implement the very Courts that he had sworn by.

There were different reasons for all this.  The chief amongst them was their revolutionary zeal that considered our return to Iran a good sign that “Rafsanjãni et al” had abandoned the Revolution.  Then there were the Eslãmist (and the covert) lefties who just could not stomach any form of capitalism.  These were followed by people whose personal  interests (and that of his family or friends), were at odds with the rulings of the courts.  And finally, of course, we had the ubiquitous corrupt individuals who pretended any and all of the above reasons depending which one the occasion demanded.  In a perverse way, in that peculiar environment, the corrupt group was the most effective lot to get things done.  However, to deal with this group required a kind of finesse that we totally and apprehensively lacked.

Six years after our final return, that is almost at the end of 2004, through a chance meeting with a reformist intellectual, I was persuaded to return to Iran. After a three months stay, I have just returned and I thought to share my impressions with you and hope they might be of interest since there is so much talk of what to do about Iran (as if it is up to outsiders to decide Iran’s fate).

Although it is still just as difficult to do business or retrieve one’s property; there is a sea change socially:

Walking along the street one is struck by the change of attitude. Instead of the depressed or the angry looks of the past (the former of the oppressed and the latter of the oppressor), one sees more normal faces (the younger the owners the happier they carry themselves). They walk hand in hand (both sexes, by the way) chatting, laughing giggling and doing what the young generally does (albeit with Eslãmic and traditional reservations).
The principle of ‘peoples rule’ applies everywhere except in the harsh Right Wing Institutions that still control all the power pegs of the country. However, in most government offices, Courts, Nationalized companies, Banks etc. there is a definite attitude of ‘peoples power’ and a realization that the ways of government controls have been a total failure. No matter where one goes, there is talk and action of the superiority of private ownership and free enterprise. What has not changed and in fact has got a lot worse is the corruption. The practice has become so bad and perverse that even simple transactions like buying a plane ticket or making a reservation on a bus or plane, getting a taxi at the airport etc. quickly requires some little ‘tip” to expedite matters. The uninitiated, in any serious situation of business, when confronted with a stalled situation and not knowing the art of properly negotiating what they call “sharing of proceeds”, is baffled and would not succeed in any commercial endeavor, until he learns what is meant by the phrase and how to implement it.
The rumor mongering mills are unbelievably rampant. The conspiracy theories of old (variously CIA, MI-5 or 6, KGB, or a combination there of, being responsible for the Revolution) have given rise to a brand new theory that I had never heard before, in or out of Iran. According to this new theory, the revolution was nothing but the work of EU, the European Union, spearheaded by France. “If you don’t believe it look at all the French automobiles, French oil companies to say nothing of the water we drink” the latter a reference to the Damãvand water, bottled in collaboration with Evian. The degree of mistrust in authority mingled with the typical Iranian accusation that any form of success, unless aided by some powerful interests, is impossible, together has given rise to another attitude that perversely justifies all other forms of dishonesty. The shopkeepers overcharge and undersell, the taxi drivers grumble and then ask for additional fares, the employed arrives late and leaves early to work at the second and third employment (unreasonably, in fact illogically, also claiming unavailability of jobs, yet the guy has three jobs), the technician, the repairman, the builder and what have you all overcharge and under perform and at the same time grumbling of the corrupt officials. Everybody seem to believe that if “they do it, why shouldn’t I?” When the authorities announce that the country’s electricity production has developed so much that it is now a net exporter of the power to the neighboring countries, or when the country is self sufficient in wheat production, or that foreign investment in Assaluyeh alone is over twenty five billion dollars, or that Iran is the biggest Dates and Pistachio exporter country in the world and when they announce that the literacy rate in Iran is above that of Turkey and India (more importantly that 98% of all illiterates are over fifty years old), nobody believes any of those claims.
They tell you that the economy is bad, but you don’t see a single malnourished or poorly dressed individual. The shops are full of goods, merchandise and, more importantly, customers who are eager and ravenous to buy. The streets are clogged with all kinds of foreign and domestic cars. High (and not so high) rise apartments are all over the place. They sell at exorbitant prices in cash, and often long before the constructions are complete, some even before they have begun. They grumble because the automobiles are too expensive and nobody can afford them; but they also grumble that there are too many cars on the street - with so many “nobodies” buying them. They grumble because a lot of money was squandered on Metro; but they also grumble because it is equipped with Chinese wagons. Then they turn round and grumble that there are not enough of them. They grumble about the difficulty of getting in universities, because the institutions grow like mushrooms and they grumble of the large number of graduates competing for the same jobs. Yet when the employment is in the provinces, they grumble that it is very inconvenient (a friend of mine in highway construction business, after advertising a number of times to hire Civil Engineers to work on his project; he finally gave up because none of the “Road & Construction” Engineers were prepared to leave Tehran. When you explain that in their chosen field of engineering, roads are constructed outside cities, they look at you as if you have just landed from the Moon). In short the grumble is a way of life and a universal pastime.
Iranians are extremely nationalistic. When you ask them how they like the likes of President Bush to help with a change of the Iranian system of government, they invariably express a type of wishful thinking that in effect boils down to the wave of a wand. They do not accept the Iraqi type of intervention; they do not approve of surgical bombardment of their nuclear facilities “when all around us are Nuclear Powers” and they do not like to admit that the nuclear projects have other aspirations beyond the peaceful goals. Additionally they argue any type of military action would result only in solidifying the Mullah’s grip on power. So what do they want? “Don’t know but please do something to remove the Eslãmic regime” is their wishful answer.
The magic wand they wish for could be in the form of a couple or more of Cruise Missiles aimed at the annual meetings of the clergy, particularly when all the top and important people of the institutions (the Supreme Office, Council of Guardians, Council of Expediency, Assembly of Experts, Revolutionary Guards, Security Organizations etc.) are gathered in one place to discuss their achievements. This is the only Surgical Strike that they like.

I am sure there are many people who wish only to believe in the negatives and disagree with some of the favorable observations. That is alright and is to be expected, after all, as good and honest Iranians we have no business to believe anything remotely positive.

At the cost of being ostracized or accused of having been bought, I submit one more observation before I offer my recommendation as to what America should do.

During my stay in Iran, I made a trip to Kermãn where in addition to visiting some friends and distant relatives, I also wanted to see Bam and the devastation of the quake almost a year ago. We had collected and sent a little money to the victims and I wanted to find out what had happened to the money.

Bam was the most tragic site I have ever seen. Had it not been for the knowledge of the earthquake, I would have sworn that I was in the middle of a Tsunami hit area somewhere in S. E. Asia. There were miles across miles of completely destroyed buildings with little activities. The first impression suggested that nothing had been done for the victims. Closer investigation and observation revealed that first impressions as in the majority of cases are misguiding. Not a single person (of no means) was found not to be, one way or other, housed, fed or medically looked after. There were, however, many complaints by people who had lost their homes, business and other properties. But none were of the type of victims that we associate with disasters. These were people of means, with relatives and properties elsewhere (in neighboring cities or even in Tehran) and still somehow expected some authority, organization, NGO or what have you to help and build their expensive homes or businesses for them. Well, these are not the people whom I wanted to see helped. They were in perfect positions to help themselves; but in their mind they were still victims, which although true enough, they were not the type of victims that we associate with those requiring assistance. That they have tragically lost members of their families or relatives and, therefore, deserve all the sympathies in the world, there is no question. But to expect financial help in building their substantial ruined homes is a little too much when you consider the rest of the country and the standard of their dwellings. People in need have all been temporarily housed in ugly looking two-story blocks, with eight rooms on each floor shared among several families. It is nothing fancy but way above the normal standard of villages across the country.

There are also the usual undeserving people who, having seen the opportunity, have descended upon the city and claimed previous residency and therefore qualifying for assistance. In the process, the usual curse of the prevailing corruption takes hold and a lot of deserving people get lost in the shuffle and a lot of charlatans get some regular assistance. Within the City Council as to the best way of reconstruction, there are genuine discussions and typical gridlocks. Some wishing to preserve the old and quaint character of the city, insist that the rebuilding should be along the same old narrow alleys (none allowed emergency vehicles) using the same old materials (mud and sun-dried mud bricks). Others thinking completely modern wish to use the opportunity to build a city with wide straight avenues crossing similar streets along the lines of modern American cities. The latter destroys the character of the city and the former completely impractical and besides will suffer the same fate as the old one by the next earthquake that is sure to come. The stalemate, meanwhile, continues.

As far as the ancient ruins (The Ark) is concerned, the heart wrenching sight witnesses little activity on the surface. However, it is claimed, and I could not verify it one way or