It is the end of the day for me, and I am heading home. I didn’t have a great day at work today. But your writing brought me back to see what really matters in life. Have a wonderful day.

Peace, AS

April 21, 2005

Parissa Sohie (in reference to Make Me Persian) wrote:

Dear Mr. Appleton,

I don’t know if you’re Iranian or not--if not your knowledge of Iranian day to day goodies and life are impressive. May I add to your list: gojeh sabz, zoghalakhteh, laboo, baghali, chaghaleh badoom and zalzalak—all being sold from little carts by various schools to excited children during each season.

Best wishes,

Regards, Parissa

April 23, 2005

Abdy Sadri ( in reference to Make Me Persian) wrote:

Dear Brian (?)

What a wonderful writing. It was delightfully nice to read it.

Thanks for writing it.

Abdy

Then when I explained I was not Iranian, this was Abdy Sadri response:

Dadash Brian,
I am sorry if my earlier message was short and brief. I thought you were one of those uncircumcised Iranians, (or should I say, anglicized Iranians) who wish to be called names other than Iranian, and that was why I put a question mark after your name. Now that I have realized my mistake, and that you are just a better man than myself, I wish I had the entire city of Tehran to myself, then I could, and would, have given half of it to you and the other half to a lady of your choice, and would have begged pardon. I know how Rumi felt after meeting Shams.

Wishing you Good Health and happy living,

Abdy

My response:

Okh okh okh… Persians certainly have a way with words which I can only hope to aspire to…I am a mere counterfeit. I am just an admirer of the real thing, you flatter me. Nokeretam…and May God Bless you!

I know what you mean about self hating Iranians who anglicize their names. I know a Jeff Fini (Jafary Fini Kashan) descendant of the owners of the infamous bath house where Amir Kebir was murdered no doubt.)

I love Mullana too but please don’t compare me with him…I am not worthy of his shadow…

Yours,
Rasool ( Brian)

7/25/2002

Mehrak Kiankarimi wrote:

Dear Brian,

I have read both your articles in the Iranian with amazement and joy. You have a knack for story-telling and your grasp of Iranian culture and customs is uncanny. What a pleasant surprise to have a non-Iranian speak fondly of our beloved land and truly appreciate its culture and tradition. I do not know too many adventurous souls like you who would open their minds and hearts to a foreign culture the way you seem to have done,

Thanks for sharing your memories with us. May we return to a free Iran one day and experience the heavenly taste of fresh noon sangak at home.

Cheers,
A Homesick Iranian

10/ 24/2002

Shahrokh Nikfar wrote:

Dear Mr. Appleton,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I was wondering if you have published any books regarding your experiences. If so, please email me the titles and dates.

Thank you, Shahrokh Nikfar

4/22/2005

Hewson Gail from UK wrote:

Hi, I just wanted to say what a joy and pleasure it was to read your article.

You reminded me of all the reasons why I feel privileged to belong to that wonderful and greatly misunderstood land and culture…

Kind regards and bedoone taroff,

Esmita

4/21/2005

Grace wrote:

You’re American?

May we all find the strength to know when we need to find a little more Yitzchak in our lives, accepting who we are and finding the inner strength to begin building all that we can become

10/24/2002

Kavon Shamloo wrote:
Brian, thanks for such honest yet deep and profound article of the truth.

Please keep on writing, and keep on enlightening us with your experience and knowledge.

Thanks,
Kavon

PS: I know the truth is out there, but is it reachable by millions of Americans in dark? Especially with such controlled mass media?

10/23/2002

Fatema Soudavar Farmanfarmaian from London wrote:

Dear Sir,

Like you, I was also a victim of the revolution. My children and I were expropriated and demonized because of the name of my husband who had died in a ski accident six years before the revolution. And like you, I refuse to let my personal feelings interfere with the greater picture. My son, too, who was taken hostage-and liberated – in Afghanistan, while he was with International Red Cross as Persian translator ( he was just 21) and who saw how, soon after the Soviet withdrawal, the Pakistani army began to intrigue everywhere, has kept his love for our Afghan brothers. It is wonderful that people like you should rise above their personal experience and tell things as they are. Our nation needs friends like your self. Please continue writing. People with fair and objective attitudes should speak louder everywhere, so that we can get out of this present mess.

My warmest thanks to you, Fatema Soudavar Farmanfarmaian

12/16/2002

Shary Rais Gharib from Geneva wrote:

Dear Brian,

I must say that your “Zirzameen Tales” are extremely nostalgic, it brings back so many good memories. We must have met at some point during this period, incidently in story # 7, the girl you mention Roya, is a very good friend of mine. If you ever go to London , let me know and I will give you her details.

All the best and thank you for making us relive those years.

Kind Regards,

Shahrazad Gharib-Rais

4/23/2005

Guive Mirfendereski from Boston wrote:

Loved your piece for all the things that it reminded.

Guive

10/23/2002

Setareh Makinejad Shared Computer Services Sr. Analyst, University of Nebraska, wrote:

Dear Mr. Appleton,

I truly enjoyed reading your new article titled, “We Are Responsible.” I left Iran in the summer of 1979 for Iowa University . Regretably I have not been back ever since. However, your article brought back many vivid memories from that year. I participated in many of the vents that you described in your article: chanting anti-Shah slogans from the rooftop of our house, marching in the ‘6 mile’ march, leaving school early to participate in the women’s march after Khomeini took power while being threatened by the mob on Pahlavi street, and finally being almost at the head of the one mile long line around the temporary branch of the US Embassy on Takhte-Jamshid street, and being among the last and only group of students who were issued visas before the school was shut down by the authorities. The six-month period after the revolution-referred to as “The Spring of Freedom’- was truly an exciting time for everybody. I am indeed grateful for having been in Iran

Do you publish your articles in main-stream journals in the US ? I wish more people in the US

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to educate misinformed people. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,
Setareh Makinejad

And again on 10/24/2002

Dear Brian, Hi,

Thanks for your reply. Being an active participant in a revolution, feeling and witnessing the solidarity amongst the different groups of people who were fighting for a common cause, is quite a unique and remarkable experience. You and I are lucky for being able to talk about such an unforgettable period in our lives.

Again, thank you for your efforts in educating the uninformed.

Sincerely,
Settareh

Jan 30, 2006

Jon Goldust wrote:

Thank you fo your wonderful piece! When I say things like you, nobody listens! But, I hope when you as a “native” so to speak, writes this article, I hope some of these ignorant people would listen! Thanks again!

Jon

12/16/2002

Sharokh Nikfar wrote:

Dear Brian Agha,

Thank you again for sharing your fond memories from Iran . I always enjoy reading about your adventures. I wish that you could put all your stories together in form of a book. Have you read “Searching For Hassan,” by Terrence Ward and “Nick Danzinger’s Travels,” obviously by Nick Danzinger?

Looking forward to reading more of your memoires.

Eradatmand,
Sharokh Nikfar

Sept 22, 2007

Mountain ( defending me from a critic) wrote:

Thank you for all your efforts Brian. I know you do it out of the goodness of your heart, for humanitarian reasons, and probably a lot more which I don’t know. These people who have written vulgar stuff, they want to be vulgar and use disgusting language.

They don’t think. They can’t even do that.

You don’t have to apologize for anything, it is them who should do that.

From what you write-and have written before-I feel you are a really wonderful person. There should be millions and millions more like you in the world.

Thanks,

God Bless You.

My reply:

Thanks A. Mountain,

Whoever you are I think I love you … ;)

Readers like you make me want to keep writing.

My apology was irony and also an attempt at humility which we all need as a steady diet…

Yours, Rasool/Brian

A Mountain responds:

Hi Again!

What I said was true!

Remember there are tons of people who read these articles

But don’t leave comments, although they probably agree 100%!

Keep up the great work!

Luv you too my cyberspace friend!

Sept 16, 2007

Mina M ( in my defence) wrote:

Dear Brian,

…Since you love and history with Iran ’s from your previous articles), probably even a long time before some of these (cannot even give them a name) were born, I am quite certain that with your understanding, you will not judge all by a few very diseased minds.

I am deeply sorry, beyond what I can express.

I wish you the very best in the world,

Mina M.

Sept 16, 2007

Farrad (in my defence) wrote:

Brian,

I am so ashamed and sorry for the idiots who responded to your heart felt account with disgusting profanity. I have always enjoyed your writings about Iran

God Bless Xena and you.

God save all of us from the radical ideologies of any kind! To me, nothing is worth spewing this type of hateful vocabulary against anyone! Nothing is sacred after all! You guys need to get a life!

Thanks, FR

Sept 16. 2007

Caspian (in my defense) wrote:

I wish people who CANNOT comprehend what is being said here would just keep quiet!...Just a wish!-will never happen!

We have a saying: Ankas keh sokhan nagofeth bashad eib o honarash nahofteh bashad! If I don’t have it exactly right please forgive me. Loosely translated it means:

If you don’t speak no one will know your vices or virtues! ( in this case I’m referring to the people answering with a bag full of vices.

Brian, all the best!

Sept 9, 2007

N.J. (in my defense) wrote:

I see that the anguish of losing your cat has made you think of the bigger picture of “loss”…by loss I actually mean losing, not knowing their whereabouts, having no news of them…and then fearing the very worst.

I can only imagine the constant nightmare it must be for those who “lose” a loved one…the wait for their return, the wondering, the dreadful imaginings one may have.

How indescribably painful!

Many years ago my mother knew a woman who had been waiting for her son’s return for 25 years…every day she had thought “that day” would be the day she would see him again.

On the other hand a lot of times pets Do return, like my dog did when I was just a teen and we were living in Turkey .

He just re-appeared after more than one month. Never found out where he’d been!

Hope you see Xena again soon.

Sept 9, 2007

Naseem wrote:

I hope Xena returns home safe and sound asap. Pets bring a whole lot of joy and love to the heart.

March 13, 2003

Alex Patico wrote:

Brian,

Wonderful essay on Iranian.com! Thank you for that.

One line, regarding the way the Shah’s government started to “…corrode from within…” reminded me of what I think was the first line of a Sadegh Hedayat novel, “Blind Owl”: “In life, there are sores that tear away and eat at the soul like cancers.” Not that my Persian was good enough to really read Hedayat, but I reda him in translation and used that line as part of an English lesson for my twelth-grade class. (In a high school in Firuzkuh, near Mt. Damavand, in 1968.)

Alex Patico

Secretary, National Iranian American Council (NIAC)

Advisor, Iranians for International Cooperation (IIC)

March 8, 2003

Gloria Elia wrote:

Dear Brian,

Just a quick note to let you know your articles for The Iranian are wonderful.

I am really enjoying reading them and will share them with my family.

I’m Assyrian (American), but my family lived in Iran prior to 1958. My father’s side pf the family, Nestorian Christians from Hakkari, Turkeywho fled the Ottoman persecution in the 1800’s knew very well the tolerance and hospitality of the Iranian people. Thanks for sharing your unique perspective and many positive experiences about the country and its people, a country and people sorely misunderstood by many Westerners.

All the best,

Gloria Elia

Oct 23, 2002

Dennis Wilson of APEX Voice Communications wrote:

Brian,

I read with interest your article on today’s Iranian.com.

Good for you! The truth needs repeating.

I, too, was there during the revolution, in Isfahan from ’77 to ’80. I reopened the Iran-American Society after the revolution as its manager.

We were closed down the day the hostages were taken. I was interrogated and went through the revolutionary court system in Isfahan , charged with being a spy. But I was absolved, since no evidence was presented, and then I was allowed to leave with my Iranian wife.

Where do you live? What sort of work do you do? I am a technical writer for a software company in the telecom industry in L.A.

Have a good week!