Dear Regime: Letters to the Islamic Republic

Part C(ontextual Notes)

Part C(ontextual Notes) You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. “Dear Regime,” Kebab kubideh is ground-meat kebab. “In Praise of Moths II” Mehmunis are gatherings in Persian homes that typically last a long time. A jub is an aboveground distribution channel that directs water throughout Iranian cities. “In Praise of Moths V” Doogh is a yogurt drink. Uncle N— refers to the author’s eldest uncle, Nasrallah Sedarat, assassinated after the revolution in 1979. SAVAK was the secret police working for the Shah. “In Praise of Moths VII” The green police enforce the moral code in Iran. Abgusht is a kind of meat stew. “Calligraphy I” The artist alluded to is Shirin Neshat. “Cousin Farzad’s Wedding” Jujeh kebab is a kebab made from chicken. “Eating Chelo at Aunt Behjat’s in Tehran” Chelo is Persian rice. 75 You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. “At the Hezbollah Recruiting Station” Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is the current leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah. Eid-al-Fitr is the Islamic holiday marking the end of Ramadan. Imam Ali, as the cousin of Mohammad and Mohammad’s first son-in-law, is considered by Shi’ah Muslims to be the first and rightful caliph of Islam. “Qormeh Sabzi” Qormeh sabzi is a kind of vegetable stew. Tadeeg is the crunchy rice cooked at the bottom and around the sides of the pot. “Haji as Stick Figure” Haji refers to a Persian character, Haji Baba of Isfahan, made known to the West by the nineteenth-century British writer J. J. Morier’s picaresque novel The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan (1824), which depicts Haji as a kind of charlatan, much like Molière’s Tartuffe. The character of Haji has since been reappropriated by Persian culture. “Persian Haiku” A norangi is a small citrus fruit indigenous to Iran. “Advertisement Proposal” For a background on this poem, visit the following online article by the poet: http://www.persianmirror.com/Article_det .cfm?id=792&getArticleCategory=41&getArticleSubCategory=3. “Tanboor” Tanboor is an ax carried by sufis. 76 You are reading copyrighted material published by Ohio University Press/Swallow Press. Unauthorized posting, copying, or distributing of this work except as permitted under U.S. copyright law is illegal and injures the author and publisher. ...