Speed of Life

Behesht-e Zahra / Tehran today - July 30, 2009 / Zahra Rhanvard (Mousavi's Wife) #iranelection #neda #sohrab The Call - ندا -Neda 40 days after Neda Agha Soltan's murder, thousands of Iranians have gathered at the graves of those killed by Ahmadinejad's government. Today, at least 3,000 mourners pushed past riot squads to lay flowers on Neda's grave. A chant heard at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery today declared, "Neda is not dead. This government is dead." The Los Angeles Times reports that the security forces, after an initial flurry of arrests in and around Behest Zahra, retreated from the growing crowd. Noted Iranian filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Mahnaz Mohammadi, and Rokhsare Ghaem Maghami were briefly arrested then released. Enduring America reports: Etemade Melli has an account of Mehdi Karroubi’s appearance at the memorial, including the resistance of mourners when security forces accosted him, and of his speech. The English translation, courtesy of Mani: Karro...

Sussan Deyhim Originally uploaded by gregg chadwick Sussan Deyhim sings at the United for Iran Rally at UCLA on July 25, 2009. Sussan Deyhim's set was the most soul stirring moment of the evening. I could feel Rumi under the evening sky. A crescent moon hung above us giving this gathering for Iran a celestial blessing.

Springsteen and the E Street Band Born in the USA Udine, Italia July 23, 2009 Springsteen and the E Street Band Streets of Fire Udine, Italia July 23, 2009 Due per mio fratello! My brother Kent has an amazing piece in the Bainbridge Review: "My son Luke has been a great example to me of living right side up. Luke’s never met someone he didn’t want to greet. Over his 22 years of constant illness Luke has perfected living for today. Luke’s greatest joy is in making someone smile." "What Luke shows me is that living right side up spreads blessings all around you. He makes you feel good. So the whole community rejoiced when he had a successful double-lung transplant last year and had 12 great months of walking and feeling strong. He’s had serious setbacks this last month and is recovering slowly over at the University of Washington Medical Center. Knowing the greatness and fragility of life as it shines in Luke makes me want to share in it, right side up." - Kent Chadwi...

Charlie Chaplin's Final Speech in the "Great Dictator" subtitled in Farsi From the New York Times lede blog: Watching Charlie Chaplin in Tehran By ROBERT MACKEY In a brief update on Friday, the Twitter feed IranRiggedElect says that the video embedded below, of Charlie Chaplin’s final speech in the 1940 film “The Great Dictator” with Farsi subtitles, is popular on Iranian social networks at the moment. In this scene, Chaplin’s character addresses a fascist rally, while impersonating an Adolf Hitler-like leader, and denounces militarism and dictatorship: Amid signs that Iran’s military may be increasing its power, it is not hard to imagine why supporters of Iran’s opposition might be heartened by Chaplin's speech calling on soldiers to “fight for liberty.” A sidenote, Portrait of Charlie Chaplin by the French artist Fernand Léger from Léger & Murphy's Ballet Mécanique More at: Cubist Charlie Chaplin, Fernand Leger (1923-4)

Ouagadougou , originally uploaded by United4Iran .

U2 performing Sunday Bloody Sunday during their 360 degrees world tour in Dublin on July, 24th, 2009. As the song Sunday Bloody Sunday opens, U2 now scrolls the lyrics from the Rumi poem Azadi . The word Azadi itself simply means Freedom . U2 is supporting Artists 4 Freedom by using the Rumi poem which provides the lyrics to Dj Spooky and Sussan Deyhim's new track, Azadi (The New Complexity) . U2's multimedia screens mash together the lyrics to Azadi along with photos of the protestors in Iran and artworks by Shirin Neshat. Inspiring stuff. Azadi (The New Complexity) is a song based on a classic poem by Rumi, one of the poet laureates of Iran’s still vibrant poetic legacy. Here is the original poem translated into English SHOW ME YOUR FACE by Rumi i crave flowers and gardens open your lips i crave the taste of honey come out from behind the clouds i desire a sunny face your voice echoed saying “leave me alone” i wish to hear your voice again saying “leave me alone” i swear ...

Green Scroll Unveiled in Paris - July 25, 2009 David Bowie's "Heroes" for the people of Iran. Amsterdam rallies - July 25, 2009 To the People of Iran: "We have heard your voices. We are with you!" - Archbishop Desmond Tutu Reza Aslan - "Stand Up for Iran" Shirin Ebadi - Message of Support for Iran Artists 4 Freedom is international in scope and is located between London, Barcelona, Lisbon and Berlin. Link Below: Artists 4 Freedom

Artists 4 Freedom is international in scope and is located between London, Barcelona, Lisbon and Berlin. Link Below: Artists 4 Freedom

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 Peac...

Neda Sung by Iranian Singer Maral As the protests simmer and rage in Tehran, the arts in Iran are exploding and seeking solidarity with the outside world. The response to my paintings concerning the recent events in Iran has been strong and dialogues have begun to emerge. The website Bar-Ex picked up my interview on my paintings for Iran and I was privileged to hear a broad array of new important music from Behind the Iran curtain. I am reminded of the band "The Plastic People" and the works of playwright Václav Havel in Czechoslovakia and their artistic efforts to break down their Iron Curtain. In Iran today we have the singer Maral who has created a haunting and powerful song for the memory of Neda, who was murdered last month by the Basij on the streets of Tehran. Fittingly, Maral also lends vocals to the band,"The Plastic Wave." In Maral's lyric "Neda screams through her eyes of her pain" as Maral "cries of her own pain through Neda's n...

Losing my religion for equality Jimmy Carter July 15, 2009 from The Age Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God. I HAVE been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention , after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be "subservient" to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service. This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are prevented...

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

U2 Paints Berlin green for Iran (Sunday Bloody Sunday for Iran - Live in Berlin - July 18, 2009) Update: U2 Now Scrolls Rumi Poem Azadi in Solidarity With Artists 4 Freedom Artists 4 Freedom in support of Iran: Artists 4 Freedom Text of the Rumi Poem Here: U2 Scrolls Rumi Poem During Barcelona Concert July 7, 2009 Video in Milan Can Be Found Here: U2Goes Green Again for Iran in Milan "Our private lives continuously intersect with the history of our time." -Huston Smith

U2 Performs "Faraway, So Close" Live in Berlin - July 18, 2009 (Cassiel this one is for you! Nous sommes embarque.)

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 They are doing important work.

Bono and Edge appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross In the first segment check out Bono as he squirms "Stop! Oh, no!" when Ross airs a clip of U2 doing "Street Mission" on TV in 1978. The highlight of the second segment is the story of Barack Obama's witty comment to Bono at a prayer breakfast in DC when Bono attempted to evade then President Bush's photo op. Obama's words to Bono,"Nice work with the hug dodge."

Influential cleric and former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani delivers his sermon during Friday prayers at Tehran University The complete video of Rafsanjani's sermon is available on YouTube . All of the clips are posted here: Voice of Democratic Iran: Khandaniha From Nico Pitney at Huffington Post: Rafsanjani's most important line? Via email, Portland State University professor R. Kevin Hill writes: There was subtext and not-so-sub-subtext in several of Rafsanjani's remarks, based on the transcript of a live-blogger (caveats about accuracy, accuracy of translation, etc.) excerpt of which follows. If this is accurate, and I'm reading the oblique sermon style correctly, he's articulating a principle of popular sovereignty and calling on the government to resign. I've highlighted the crucial remark: "The Imam [Khomeini] would always quote the Prophet [Muhammad] who would say to Ali [Muhammad's successor]: leave the people if they do not want you. From ...

Update: Video of Rafsanjani's Speech Linked Here: Rafsanjani Video - July 17, 2009 RT @jimsciuttoABC Cellphone vid of 2day's protests, cn hear chants of 'Allah Akhbar' Video of July 17, 2009 #iranelection #rafsanjani RT @france7776: AP: Rafsanjani got tears in eyes said how prophet Mohammad respected the rights of ppl #iranelection #iran #tehran #gr88 onlymehdi describes the image as "President Mousavi in the Friday Prayers" - July 17, 2009 “Listen to the reeds as they sway apart, hear them speak of lost friends.” -Rumi

Photograph courtesy NASA From National Geographic: "Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin deploys a foil sheet for collecting solar particles near the Eagle lunar lander in July 1969. July 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing. Today Aldrin advocates a return to space targeted at Mars and other long-distance exploration missions." I am listening to Clint Mansell's haunting score to Duncan Jones' film Moon . It seems fitting 40 years after Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon that a richly nuanced and psychologically motivated film has been created by the son of the man who gave us Space Oddity in November 1969 in the wake of the first moon landing. The score is available now on itunes : Clint Mansell - Moon - Soundtrack to the Film More on Moon at: AppleTrailers for ipod - Moon

The Song - ترانه - Taraneh Gregg Chadwick 12"x12" oil on wood 2009 "First there was Neda. Then there was Sohrab. Now there is Taraneh." "The names and stories of the Iranians who have been brutalized or killed in the aftermath of the post-election protests are gradually seeping into a memorial vault of the faces of suffering and endurance in the name of sociopolitical reform. One by one, the faces of protest are providing an essential yearbook of the individuals who comprise the protest masses, and a catalogue of the Iranian government's treatment of political activists. On Friday July 19, a large group of mourners gathered at the Ghoba mosque in Tehran to await a speech about the martyrs of the post-election protests by presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi. According to one Iranian blog, 28-year-old Taraneh Mousavi was one of a group of people that was arrested by plainclothesed security forces for attending the gathering. Taraneh, whose first name i...

Delphine Minoui Thanks to Delphine Minoui in Tehran for Le Figaro and also Jahd Khalil in Beirut for the Los Angeles Times for linking to my post on Rumi and U2. Both Delphine Minoui's site Chroniques Orientales , which is decribed by Le Figaro: "Le blog de Delphine Minoui, correspondante du Figaro à Téhéran, répond à l'envie d'aller au-delà des titres effrayants de l'actualité. Il donne la parole aux hommes et aux femmes qui rythment le quotidien du Moyen-Orient." and Jahd Khalil's site Babylon & Beyond provide important information and insight into Iran and the Middle East. I am indebted to their journalistic bravery, The pen is truly mightier than the sword. Below is a bit of Jahd Kahlil's post: The text reads “Listen! Listen! Listen!” which one blogger attributed to "The Song of the Reed Flute," by famous Persian poet Jalaladdin Rumi. Persian poetry and Rumi in particular are some of the strongest sources of Iranian national p...

U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday in Green for Iran (Live 12 July 2009 @ Stade de France, Paris) In their latest series of concerts before U2 breaks into Sunday Bloody Sunday , the Iranian artist Sussan Deyhim's track Beshno Az Ney can be heard. (Unfortunately it does not appear on the videos I have found. If you come across a version that includes Sussan Deyhim's intro please let me know.) You can find the track here on itunes: Sussan Deyhim's Beshno Az Ney Update: U2 Now Scrolls Rumi Poem Azadi in Solidarity With Artists 4 Freedom Sussan Deyhim's haunting vocals grace the soundtracks to many of the moving films of Iranian-American artist Shirin Neshat. In an interview with Tyler Green, Shirin Neshat said,"I try to find beauty in the middle of the horror, and vice versa," she says. "Sometimes, really horrible things — you can turn into a weapon of beauty. " Sussan Deyhim and Shirin Neshat Logic of the Birds Shirin Neshat Untitled 1996 b/w RC print and i...

"Rue Mosnier with Flags" Édouard Manet 25 3/4 x 31 3/4 in. oil on canvas 1878 Getty Museum, Los Angeles photo by Gregg Chadwick Édouard Manet's "Rue Mosnier" was painted two years before July 14th was declared the French national holiday in 1880. The holiday is known as the Fête Nationale in France and commemorates the Fête de la Fédération of 1790, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris by an angry mob on 14 July 1789, sparking the revolution that rid France of its monarchy. Manet painted the scene as if he is looking down from his second story studio onto the flag decked street below. Manet's brush is fluid and the color scintillating but the weary amputee on crutches, perhaps a war veteran from the disastrous Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, is the figure with which we enter the painting. In essence we as viewers enter the scene carrying a ladder just behind the man on crutches bearing the "costs and sacrific...

Joan Baez Santa Monica Pier July 9, 2009 photo by Gregg Chadwick We Shall Overcome w/ Verse in Farsi for Iran Joan Baez Santa Monica Pier July 9, 2009

"Pompeii, especially, with its grand murals and flourishing gardens haunted by the dark shadow of Vesuvius, has always suggested uncomfortable parallels with our contemporary world, especially here in Southern California, where the sunlit life also turns out to have dark shadows in which failure and death lurk at the edge of consciousness. Now, in these times, we have even closer parallels with those ancient, beautiful, affluent people living the good life on the verge of annihilation." —Eleanor Antin on Classical Frieze Eleanor Antin The Artist's Studio from "The Last Days of Pompeii," 2001 (detail) chromogenic print 46 5/6 x 58 5/8 inches Eleanor Antin The Tree from "The Last Days of Pompei," 2001 chromogenic print 60 x 48 inches Eleanor Antin's film and photo work, Classical Frieze , re-imagines Pompeii and the classical Roman world as if seen through the eyes of a contemporary filmmaker paying homage to the sword and sandal film epics of t...

Text of the Rumi Poem Here: Update: U2 Now Scrolls Rumi Poem Azadi in Solidarity With Artists 4 Freedom U2 Scrolls Rumi Poem During Barcelona Concert "Our private lives continuously intersect with the history of our time." -Huston Smith

"Our private lives continuously intersect with the history of our time." -Huston Smith