Showing posts with label Iran's national poet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iran's national poet. Show all posts

Thursday, July 23, 2009

United 4 Iran Presents Arts Program for Peace at UCLA


United 4 Iran Presents Arts Program for Peace at UCLA

Date/Time:
Jul 25 2009 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Price:
Free to the public
Where:
UCLA Bruin Plaza
308 Westwood Plaza
Los Angeles CA 90024

United4Iran event at UCLA
Desmond Tutu and other Nobel Peace Laureates, Iranian Poets and Artists Support July 25th Global Day of Action Protests in Iran Continue - Global Activism Increasing




In Los Angeles a coalition of student organizations, United4Iran.org, Levantine Cultural Center and others are presenting an evening of music, poetry, speeches and solidarity messages on Saturday, July 25, from six to nine pm. Among the presents/performers are Sussan Deyhim, Maz Jobrani, Mamak Khadem and Naked Rhythm.

A press release from United4Iran quotes several prominent leaders and others:

"We deplore the violence and crackdown on peaceful protesters, the increasing restrictions on civil liberties, and the imprisonment of a growing number of civil leaders in Iran. " —Archbishop Destmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate, 1984

"If one country sincerely wants to support democracy in another country that is under dictatorial rule, the only thing to do is to support the freedom fighters who stand for the democratic institutions of that country. Done this way, the sapling of democracy will bear the flower of freedom." —Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights activist, Nobel Peace Laureate, 2003

"The Iranian leadership is violating the country's own commitments to international human rights treaties, as well as contravening Iran's own laws." —Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate, 1976

"We call for the release of all political prisoners, the secession of violence against protesters, and respect for human rights and civil liberties in Iran." —Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate, 1997

The two most prominent living Iranian poets, Ismael Khoie, and Simin Behbahani, who lives in Tehran, have joined the Global Day of Action. Dariush, socially conscious singer and Iranian cultural icon, will perform at the Washington D.C. United4Iran rally.

Desmond Tutu, Shirin Ebadi, Mairead Maguire and Jody Williams are available for interviews.

Los Angeles and more then 55 cities around the world solidarity rallies are planned in support of civil and human rights for the Iranian people and for an end to the violence. Check www.united4Iran.org for a full list of participating cities and supporting organizations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FIDH, International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, Nobel Women's Initiative and Peacejam



I am eager to share with you an interview I did with Artists 4 Freedom on my paintings for Iran.
Artists 4 Freedom is international in scope and is located between London, Barcelona, Lisbon and Berlin,
Here's the link. Please feel free to comment on the site.
Artists 4 Freedom

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

U2 Features Images of Iran in Concert


U2 Amsterdam July 21, 2009, originally uploaded by u2log.com.

U2 adds images of the protests in Iran to the live presentation of Sunday, Bloody Sunday.



Update:
U2 Now Scrolls Rumi Poem Azadi in Solidarity With Artists 4 Freedom


More shots at:
U2 Log

Monday, June 29, 2009

Revolution '09 موج سبز


Gregg Chadwick
Revolution '09 موج سبز
48"x36" oil on linen 2009
(in progress - the revolution and the painting)

An Iranian citizen writes from Tehran:
(from Andrew Sullivan)


"I remember September 11, 2001. I remember watching TV all day worried and sad. I remember holding candlelight vigils with my friends for the victims. Then George W. Bush went on to declare us as one of the “Axis of Evil.” I remember asking myself, “Why?” Not a single one of the terrorists was Iranian, and I wondered why he didn’t bother to make a distinction between the government and the people. In fact, in all of the Middle East I don’t think there is a more pro-American nation than Iran, but no one made such a distinction. Consequently, the Iranian people were viewed with an aura of suspicion in every airport and embassy around the world for the rest of the Bush administration."

"But all of that unfounded negative stereotyping came to an end when, in the aftermath of the elections, the nation stood up to the manipulative authorities and separated its account from that of the government. We shattered the stereotype with the amateur photos and videos taken with our own mobile phones. We captured the true picture of the Iranian nation and relayed it to the world, a picture of a young and highly educated nation yearning to be free."

--PA


Much more at:
Andrew Sullivan at theAtlantic

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Poems for the People of Iran by Simin Behbahani, Iran's National Poet


Simin Behbahani, Iran's national poet


A Poem For Neda Soltan
by Simin Behbahani, Iran's national poet


from NPR Simin Behbahani, Iran's national poet, spoke with NPR's Davar Iran Ardalan from Tehran on Friday June 26th. She recites two poems inspired by the protests -- one dedicated to the people of Iran and the other dedicated to Neda Agha-Soltan, the young woman mourned around the world because her death during last Saturday's protests was viewed by millions on the Web and TV.


A Poem for the People of Iran





The Call - ندا -Neda

Much more at:
Andrew Sullivan at theAtlantic