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- Khalil commented on Zahra’s Paradise
To Dara's question: yes, Dear Dara, Zahra's Paradise has print publication commitments for all the languages featured on the web site (German coming up soon, and a few more hopefully as well,) except for Arabic and Farsi for now, but we're confident that those two will come along as well at some point. And Dear Desme, do let us know what the Professor thinks of Zahra's Paradise. Thank you very much to all you, lively commentors. Amir and I are very much enjoying reading each and every one of your interesting thoughts and reactions!
Reply to This Comment - Daphne commented on Zahra’s Paradise
"Wow" agreed! I zooming in 300% to enjoy this panel writ large on my screen. Hints of so many other stories here, too.
Reply to This Comment - Desme commented on Zahra’s Paradise
In answer to your question, if in Iran what would I do? There is no way to answer this. I come from a society and a country where I have never had to face a situation that could even remotely be similiar. I could only speculate from total inexperience. I may have mob mentality and be the first to strike or I may have a whiff of compassion for the Basij. It would depend on many factors. For example, have they hurt my children or loved ones? As any normal human, I experience strong feelings of vengeance and anger when I feel the side of righteousness has been gravely wronged . I know I would act on the side of my beliefs and those would be outrage at the injustice and brutality. But, I also may have the desire to not act in the same manner as that which I opposed. I do have a fierce pride in independence and the right to be who I am. This I believe to have inherited from my Kainai great grandfather, who practiced the Medicine Dance (aka Sun Dance) when outlawed by the Canadian government. The repercussion was not death or imprisonment, but they had their own special ways of making him pay for his defiance. Adherence to his beliefs and culture and identity as a free man were worth the persecution. I embrace this right to question and disagree and go against a governing force that does not have my best interests in mind. Is there a way to live under tyranny while retaining dignity and as much freedom as possible without violence? My great grandfather accomplished this. Perhaps I could too. That would be my wish.
Reply to This Comment - Desme commented on Zahra’s Paradise
At our local college, there is a professor who teaches a Graphic Novels course. I recommended Zahra's Paradise to him and indeed to anyone I think may take a look and perhaps even further...
Reply to This Comment - Desme commented on Zahra’s Paradise
"Don't cry for me, cry for your own plight." Jahan Pahlavan Takhti an admirable and honourable man.
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- Khalil commented on Zahra’s Paradise
I enjoy reading the discussions after I peruse the panel. This often offers more insight than I earlier gathered. This is all quite foreign for me, so it is good to gather all the main story progression from Amir & Khalil & the additional information from the readers.
farhad jan,
be zoodi farsi dorost khahad shod. Motasefan nasher farsi nadareem va az oonja ke farsi ye man tarifi nadareh, bayad az doostan komak begeeram, baadesh ham hata vagti tarjomeh amadast ye dang o fangi deegar ineh ke tarjoma ro bezaran tooye in gerdaliha…kholaseh mokafatiyeh…adam kheyli narahat meesheh, choon toyeh tamam zaboonha be gheyr as farsi o arabi, nashera hameh kar o meekonan… kheyli mamnoon as lotf, sabr, hemayat o mehraboonitoon…
Amir
Hi Katja,
You are so right about the net. Often, in interviews, I tell people that at no other time could our idea of “we” and “us” be as vast as in our time–neither space, nor time, nor language can separate us the way they used to!! We = US plus Iran, Germany, Brazil, Italy, France, Israel, Korea and whoever else jumps onto our bandwagon. And it’s instantaneous.
Khalil and I were also very lucky. Our editor, Mark, and publisher, Simon, really saw and trusted the electronic frontier, and the potential to launch Zahra’s Paradise on the net. Just as so many people in Iran believed that they have to connect with the rest of the world through the internet.
But beyond the net, what has made Zahra’s Paradise possible is a network of publishers, bloggers and others who can work across media. Without their investment in an infrastructure of translators, graphic designers, and techies who convert old words into this fast digital currency that we can exchange in any language at the speed of light, Zahra’s Paradise would be no more than a lump in my throat.
Instead, it’s turning into a dream that we can share through this vast electronic screen that unites our faces….I love your dream that one day the power of these friendships (netships?) will protect the people of this world. Let’s hope the friendship we form around ZPnet will help the women, labor, student and religious leaders imprisoned in Iran.
Thank you Katja’s Germany!
Amir
As always you discuss so beautifully what has been going on in Iran at least in my lifetime, since around the revolution. Yes, the Basiji were during the war the poor lambs who were sent to slaughter by the enemy. They were under age, country boys who got a month or so training, and just were cannon or mine fodder for the Iraqis.
But, LET US NOT FORGET, it was the mullahs who recruited them, at the promise of a plastic key and pretend Imam Zamans. The Iraqis were stuck in the war, even after the several offers of peace. From around 2 years in the war, it was all the Iranian regime’s fault that so many died.
Thanks for reading.
Wow, your artwork is amazing! And it is good to learn things..
Maybe one day we, the people of this world, will be able to work things out together. Maybe one day we will have so many friends everywhere thanks to the net that war will be unthinkable and we can protect each other, no matter what the governments do. We’ll have to protect the net however..
Greetings and good wishes from Germany,
Katja
Taymour Khan is right. Look beyond the uniform!
However there is a level of concernment where one cannot bear up such a noble attitude.
سلام دوستان من … ما در ایران بی صبرانه منتظر قست های فارسی هستیم ولی الان مدتهاست که این تصاویر رو نمیبینیم … خواهش میکنم کمکمون کن