A BOOK LAUNCH

Your Lover’s Beloved: 51 Ghazals by Hafez & Iran Today

a reading, book signing and discussion with

Mahmood Karimi-Hakak and Bill Wolak

Mahmood Karimi-Hakak, a Professor of Creative Arts at Siena College, is a poet, author, translator, and theatre director and filmmaker whose creative works have participated in several international festivals and have received three international awards. Karimi-Hakak’s literary credits include five plays, two books of poetry, several translations, and numerous articles and interviews both in English and Persian. He is a recipient of two scholarly awards, Raymond Kennedy (2005) and Fulbright (2009). mhakak@siena.edu

Bill Wolak is a poet who has appeared in many literary magazines and has published one collection of poetry, Pale as an Explosion. He has translated Joyce Mansour, Stuart Merrill, and Francis Vielé-Griffin. Bill is a recipient of several National Endowment for the Humanities and two Fulbright-Hayes scholarships. He has traveled extensively throughout India, Tibet, Nepal, Thailand, Japan, China, and Iran. Bill Wolak has been an Adjunct Professor at William Paterson University for over twenty years. williamwolak@netzero.net

The Book Tour Schedule

Wednesday, July 16, 2009 (6-8pm) – Toronto: Parya Trillium Foundation Community Center, 7171 Yonge St. Unit 1, Thornhill, Ontario L3T 2A9 (905) 764-0202 and sponsored by the Persian Circle.

Thursday, July 17, 2009 (6-8pm) – Montréal: Mekic Gallery, 4438, Rue de la Roche, Montréal (Québec) H2J 3J1 (514) 373-5777

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 (6-8pm) – New York: Pomegranate Gallery, 133 Greene St., New York, NY 10012 (212) 260-4014

Thursday, July 23, 2009 (12.30-2.30pm) – New York: East Meadows Public Library, 1886 Front St., LI, NY 11554 (516) 794-2570

Sunday, July 26, 2009 (6-8pm) – St. Louis: Washington University, Busch Hall, Rm.100, St. Louis, MO 63130

Monday, July 27, 2009  (7-9pm) – Chicago: No Exit Café, 6970 N. Glenwood, Chicago, IL 60626 (773) 743-3355

Wednesday, July 29, 2009 (7-9pm) – Berkeley: Persian Center, 2029 Durant Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704 (510) 848-0264

Friday, July 31,2009  (4-7pm) – Hollywood: Sayhoun Gallery, 9007 Melrose Ave., W. Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 858-5984

Saturday, August 1, 2009,  (4-6pm) – Los Angeles: Ketab Corp. 1419 Westwood Blvd, LA, CA 90024 (310) 477-7477

Sunday, August 2, 2009 (6.30-8.30pm) – Santa Cruz: Resource Center For Nonviolence, 515 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Tuesday, August 4, 2009 (6-8pm) – Texas: Persian Cultural Center,  525 W. Arapaho Rd. # 10, Richardson, TX 75080 (214) 570-8500

For more information contact CCCPoetry@AOL.com

Statement and Call to Action

July 9, 2009

Dear Friend of United for Peace and Justice,

Over three weeks ago, Iranians held a presidential election. What followed remains unclear, but one thing is for certain: the Iranian government engaged in the suppression of the rights of Iranians to protest their government.

While UFPJ strongly supports the principle of non-interference in the affairs of others, we also feel compelled – as a coalition which has protested the policies of our government for more than six years now – to stand in solidarity with the people of Iran and their struggle for the elementary right to protest their government and its actions without the threat of death, arrest, or censorship. What has happened in Iran is more than unfortunate; we hope that the people of Iran, regardless of their politics, can remain resilient in their demand for such a basic right.

At the same time, for us here in the U.S., what is even more important is the actions of our own government during this crisis, especially in light of the unfortunate historical role we have played and continue to play in this region. In this regard, signs are mixed.

UFPJ has been encouraged that the Obama administration continues to stick to its campaign promise of direct talks with Iran. At a time of increasing regional instability, the world cannot afford heightened hostilities between the U.S. and Iran.

However, UFPJ is deeply concerned over potential developments in the White House’s policy towards Iran. While official statements have made clear that direct talks remain the key goal, we have heard high administration officials deviate from that official stance time and again. A disturbing example of this discrepancy was Vice President Biden’s comment this weekend in which he indicated that the U.S. would not intervene if Israel decided to militarily attack Iran. These comments are counter-productive, harming not just the potential for constructive talks between the two countries, but also giving an excuse to Iran’s leaders for further reactionary action, such as the suppression of Iranian protestors.

What we need is a White House that is clear in both its promise to engage in direct talks with Iran in the near-future and its principle of non-interference in Iran’s internal affairs. To do this, UFPJ urges you to take the following action:

1] Call the White House at 202-456-1111 and let it know that you want Obama to stick to his promise of direct talks with Iran.

2] Sign-on to Just Foreign Policy’s petition to President Obama, which urges him to keep to the principle of non-interference in Iran’s internal affairs.

And to show solidarity with the people of Iran and their elementary right to protest their government’s actions, we urge you to join up with the United For Iran, Global Day of Action, for a rally in your city on July 25. This Global Day of Action is endorsed by such groups as Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights and is a non-partisan event.

Former Congressman Tom Andrews, National Director of Win Without War
Brigadier General John Johns (ret.),
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense under Ronald Reagan

Thursday, June 5
7:00 PM
Unitarian Church of Albuquerque
Carlisle Boulevard, NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 884-1801

Tom Andrews & General John Johns will discuss the harm our current policy toward Iran does to stability in the Middle East and our national security. Without a reversal in the policy of making non-negotiable demands, there can be no progress in resolving outstanding issues with Iran or enlisting its cooperation to achieve stability in Iraq. As it now stands, The Bush Administration’s policy of antagonism toward Iran gives that country’s leaders the maximum incentive to develop weapons of mass destruction and continue to keep the US military tied down in Iraq.
I hope we’ll see you there!

Ryan Anderson
Win Without War

The last two months have indeed been insane with almost more work post-trip than the trip itself. A lot of interviews and articles and yes even the obligatory appearance on Muslim TV — (which was quite “candid cameraish I must say).

My official presentation about the trip in New York City will be this coming Sunday. I pasted the details below for you in case you have the time to come – and are interested in this subject. It was quite the experience and we learned a lot. More than anything, we were brought there specifically by the Iranian government to bring back a message to the American people…

So that is why we do these interviews and presentations. It isn’t necessarily a “perfect message.” But it is a real message – as opposed to what we hear on the news here in the States… which is just ‘the White House said…” So, that will be the aim of the presentation. To show some pictures, tell some stories, and answer as many questions as possible about the subject.

The presentation will be filmed (so dress sharp). By the way, since I have you all on the line at once: Our show Transcendent Television got picked up by Warner Home Video for distribution!!! No, we’re not on traditional TV… YET, but this was a real surprise blast of forward momentum out of nowhere that was very welcomed. If you want to see the first DVD they are going to officially release you can see it here because there are segments still on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AE689FEEAE0C2E66 It is the “Going to Ghana” series I made last year.

Many of your beautiful faces I have not seen in a long time… I know we’ve all been over the top busy. Such is life in New York. It has been a crazy year or more for many of us. But I would love to see you! If not Sunday, then hopefully soon.

(For you rockers in the bunch, it does begin at 12:45. I know that’s early, so if you don’t show, don’t sweat it. I TOTALLY understand. J)

Hope all is well with all of you and would love to see you there.

Ed Hale

Below is the description of the Presentation:

Ed Hale will give a talk about his recent Peace Delegation trip to Iran entitled “The Value of a Single Human Being”

Sunday June 1st starting at 12:45 PM at Christ Church 60th St. and Park Avenue New York, NY

Mark your calendars for Sunday June 1st 2008! Ed Hale who just recently returned from a 15 day peace delegation to the country of Iran with 13 other Americans will be giving a presentation in New York this sunday about his experience. The trip was sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the Iranian government. The 14 delegates held formal meetings with leading government officials and religious leaders including former president Mohammad Khatami and three reigning Ayatollahs to discuss how to improve US/Iran relations and foster more peace and harmony between our countries. Ed will share his experience with us, as well as present a slideshow of photos from the trip and also answer questions about this increasingly important issue. He also brought back some delicious samples of traditional Iranian food, tea, and candy to share with the group.

Wednesday, May 28, 7:30 pm

JCC of the East Bay, 1414 Walnut Street in Berkeley

$10-$20 sliding scale, to benefit the Aquarian Minyan

With the Bush administration angling for war with Iran, the city of Chicago is considering going on record opposing it

Michael Lynn

May 9, 2008

More than 7,000 miles separate Chicago and Tehran. But on May 14, the city council of the American city will consider whether to take a stand on an event that would have far reaching consequences for residents of both: a US attack on Iran.

A resolution introduced into the council by one of its members, Alderman Joe Moore, would put the city on record as opposing a preemptive strike against Iran by the US. The resolution urges all congressional representatives whose districts include parts of the city to “clearly express the will of the people of Chicago in opposing any attack on Iran, and urging the Bush administration to pursue diplomatic engagement with that nation.”

The resolution is the result of an initiative launched by Chicago’s No War On Iran Coalition, a broad-based grouping of local anti-war, social justice and faith organisations. Ranging widely in viewpoints, the goal that unites us all is preventing the United States from launching another elective war that we believe would prove even more disastrous than the five-year-old one next door in Iraq.

Recent events have added urgency to the goal. In April, General David Petraeus, the commanding officer of American forces in Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, US ambassador to that country, testified to several congressional committees. In their testimony, both struck a common theme: the role of Iran in promoting insurgent attacks in Iraq. Both men accused so-called “special groups” of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards of being responsible for the deaths of American troops and rocket strikes on the Green Zone.

That testimony flies in the face of the opinion of the American intelligence community, expressed in a 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (pdf) that Iran “is not likely to be a major driver of violence” in Iraq. It nevertheless allowed the Bush administration to assign blame for the Iraq debacle to Iran and provide the rationale for military action if they so chose. The president issued a thinly veiled threat in insisting that Iran cease supplying weapons in Iraq or “America will act to protect our interests, and our troops.”

Signs of war go beyond rhetoric. April also saw the forced resignation of Admiral William Fallon as chief of Central Command, responsible for Pentagon operations in the Middle East. Fallon had been quoted a month earlier in an Esquire article as being opposed to attacking Iran. His replacement will be Bush’s favourite general – Petraeus, whose congressional testimony so carefully mirrored Bush administration talking points.

No War on Iran Coalition members are prepared to answer those who suggest that local government bodies have no business involving themselves in matters of foreign policy. We point to the enormous burden the Iraq occupation has placed on the city, in terms of lives disrupted and what economists refer to as ‘opportunity costs.’

The occupation has cost the citizens of Chicago roughly $5.5bn (and counting). That translates to $105m for each of the city’s 50 Wards (districts), each represented by a member of the city council. Those funds could have bought 112,543 public safety officers for one year; 365 elementary schools; 39,567 units of affordable housing; 84,067 elementary school teachers for one year; and so on.

And if you think the costs of the occupation are horrendous, the costs associated with an attack on Iran, both in terms of lives and dollars, would be much worse.

Support for the resolution comes from diverse ideological quarters, as a glance at those testifying in support attests. Scott Ritter, a 12 year veteran of US Marine intelligence and former UN chief weapons inspector in Iraq; John Mearsheimer, a realist international relations expert from the University of Chicago who voted for Bush in 2000; veteran New York Times foreign correspondent (and CiF contributor) Stephen Kinzer. They represent the breadth of opposition to further military adventurism in an unstable part of the globe.

No one harbours any illusions that the resolution will stop a US attack on Iran. Rather, the measure is seen as a vehicle to raise the profile of the issue – right in the country’s heartland – and demonstrate broad opposition to a wider war. Several US cities have passed such resolutions, but Chicago would be by far the largest and most prominent to do so. A Chicago success could inspire activists in other cities to press their local governments to pass similar measures.

The goal is to influence policy by showing there would be serious political consequences to any attack. With an American leadership seemingly indifferent to (if not contemptuous of) its record-low approval ratings, activists are shifting their sights to representatives closer to home. Hopes are that pressure rising from below will curb the bellicose rhetoric and ominous manoeuvres of the Bush administration in the short run and thwart the impulse to seek security through wars of aggression in the longer run.

Will the local strategy work? An answer may begin to emerge on May 14. Stay tuned.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/michael_lynn/2008/05/thinking_globally_acting_locally.html

WHEN: Thursday May 1, 2008 7pm
WHERE: All Souls Church; Reidy Friendship Hall
1157 Lexington Ave, @ 79th St. New York, NY USA

212-535-5530

SPEAKERS: Dr. Shahriar Khateri and Dr. Mohammad Soroush, founders of the Society for
Chemical Weapons Victims Support www.scwvs.org

On tour in the U.S. from Iran, Dr. Shahriar Khateri and Dr. Mohammad Soroush, have
many years experience treating victims of chemical weapons used in the Iran/Iraq war of
the 1980s. Speaking to both medical professionals and to the general public, they address
the short and long term medical consequences of chemical warfare hoping to heighten the
awareness of the devastation of weapons of mass destruction and to remind us that we
must work to abolish these weapons.

Tour Sponsored by Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) www.psr.org and the
Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII)
www.campaigniran.org/casmii/

The tour sponsors hope this tour will increase efforts for diplomacy to between U.S. and
Iran and bring us closer to peace.

Co-sponsors: Peace Task Force of All Souls Church and Action For Justice of Community
Church NYC Info: russellbranca@yahoo.com tel. 718-843-0515

Stanley & David in Qom, Iran

Stanley Campbell will show slides and speak about his trip to Iran at the

Mr. Campbell has served 20 years as executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries, and has been on numerous peace missions including Nicaragua in 1985; Guatemala in 1986; a return trip with Vietnam veterans in 1987; and the occupied territories of Israel in 1988 during the first intifada. Mr. Campbell has also joined a Volunteers In Mission/UMCOR work camp to Sarajevo, Bosnia, in 1996, and a delegation of the National Council of Churches to Cuba in 2004

“We want to get the message out that if we could talk to the Iranians, so should our government,” says Mr. Campbell after his latest trip to Iran.

Contact: Douglas Thompson 309-264-8914; Razia 309-868-4218