Sohrab and Rustum
Friday and Saturday, November 7 and 8, 2003, 8:00 p.m.
(Pre-performance introduction to Zoroastrianism by Khurshid Rudina at 6:30 p.m.)
The fateful battle between the warrior Rustum and his son Sohrab is a beloved legend from Zoroastrian mythology, made popular in the epic Shah-nameh (Book of Kings) by the Persian poet Ferdawsi. Asian American writer/performer Zaraawar Mistry’s new play intertwines elements of the ancient legend with the tragicomic story of a contemporary Zoroastrian family in Bombay. It incorporates traditional rituals, object transformation and stylized movement to tell the story of individual dreams and passions set against a backdrop of the zenith, decline and now preservation of the Zoroastrians. The music for the play is performed live by Tim’Okeefe and Mayan Yusefzadeh-Keer, both members of the Persian music ensemble Robayat.Copresented in association with the Zoroastrian Associations of New York
Read the press release
Read the interview
SOLD OUT

Mysticism and Music: A Performance by Hossein Omoumi
with Mehrdad Arabi
Persian flute and vocals
Friday and Saturday, November 21 and 22, 2003, 8:00 p.m.
(Pre-performance lecture at 6:30 p.m. by Amir Hosein Purjavady)

courtesy of the artist

I am a hole in the flute
That God’s breath moves through
Listen to this music
I am the concert from the mouth of every creature
Singing with myriad chords
– Hafez–

Persian music has long been used as a catalyst to reach into the mystical heart of beauty; to reach to an experience of the divine. Rumi, Hafez, Sa’di, and other Persian mystical poets come to life through this program of music, song and recitation, featuring mastersinger and ney (Persian flute) player Hossein Omoumi. joined by Mehrdad Arabi on tombak (frame drum)

Presented in a teahouse setting, the audience is invited to sit on carpets, drink in both music and tea.
SOLD OUT

PAST PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Women and Social Change in Iran
Thursday, November 6, 2003, 6:30 p.m.
A panel of distinguished experts explores the status of women in contemporary Iran and their role in effecting social and political change. Panelists include Haleh Esfandiari, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; Shahla Haeri, Boston University; Negin Nabavi, Princeton University; and Elahe Sharifpour-Hicks, Human Rights Watch. Moderated by Shiva Balaghi, NYU. A Citigroup Asian Women Leaders Program.
$7 students; $10 members/NGOs; $15 nonmembers

Iran at a Crossroads: Examining the Future
Thursday, November 13, 2003, 6:30 p.m.
Iran today is a society engaged in a dynamic debate that could determine the future of the Islamic Republic. After nearly 25 years under Islamic rule, Iran’s overwhelmingly young and educated population seems to be growing increasingly restive with the current political, economic and social condition in Iran. This past June, thousands of Iranians expressed their discontent and frustration by demonstrating continuously for several days. Iran is also struggling to redefine its relations with western countries, including the U.S. Even in the absence of official relations since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Tehran and Washington found common ground to cooperate on Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the goodwill between Iran and the U.S. has not been evident thereafter. President Bush, in fact, labeled Iran as part of the “Axis of Evil” in his State of the Union address in 2002 and praised the June student demonstrations. What is the future of Iran as a theocratic state? What is the status of President Khatami’s reform movement and prospects for greater democratic change in Iran? What is the current U.S. policy debate on Iran? Join us to discuss these and many more issues.
SOLD OUT

Understanding Iran’s Nuclear Program: Pragmatic Policy or Realist Politics?
Tuesday, November 18, 2003, 7:00 p.m.
As a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran is prohibited from having nuclear weapons. Iran’s plan to develop nuclear energy to meet its rising energy needs continue to prompt much concern among Western countries, in particular, the United States. Some experts contend that Iran’s alleged civilian nuclear power program is actually a clandestine weapons program to manufacture nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program has been exclusively in the peaceful domain and has agreed to accept stricter international inspections of its nuclear sites to dispel any suspicions of wrongdoings. The panelists will explore the following questions: What is the rationale behind Iran’s nuclear program? Is Iran in violation of the NPT protocol? What can the international community do to ensure responsible usage of Iran’s nuclear knowledge? Is there a role for the US in this matter?
$7 students; $10 members/NGOs; $15 nonmembers

Ethnic and Religious Diversity in Iran: Past and Present
Wednesday, December 3, 2003, 6:30 p.m.
This roundtable discussion explores interfaith relations and society in Iran from the 16th century to the present day. Panelists include Mohammad J. Mahallati, ILEX Foundation and McGill University; Rudi Matthee, University of Delaware; Houman Sarshar, Center for Psychoanalytic Perspectives and The Center for Iranian Jewish Oral History; and Oktor Skjærvø, Harvard University. Moderated by Olga M. Davidson, ILEX Foundation and Brandeis University. Cosponsored by ILEX Foundation.
$7 students; $10 members; $15 nonmembers

Contemporary Persian Culture and Creativity
Contemporary Persian Culture and Creativity
Wednesday, January 14, 2003, 6:30 p.m.
A panel of artists, curators, writers and performers discusses Persian culture and creativity by looking at current developments in Iranian and Iranian American visual, performing and literary arts. Participants include Fereshteh Daftari, Museum of Modern Art, singer/composer Sussan Deyhim and Azar Nafisi, Johns Hopkins University and author (Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books). Moderated by Layla Diba, former curator of Islamic art, Brooklyn Museum of Art. Book signing follows.
$7 students; $10 members; $15 nonmembers

Strangers (Ramin Bahrani/2000/83 min./35mm)
Friday, October 24, 2003, 7:00 p.m.

courtesy of Noruz Films

Maria De Los Angeles (Shoja Azari/2003/54min./video)
Friday, January 9, 2003, 7:00 P.M.
A behind-the-scenes look at the making of Shirin Neshat’s Tooba (her 2002 video art installation currently on view at Asia Society and Museum). During filming, the small documentary film crew find themselves drawn more and more into discovering the ways in which life begins to imitate art. As the focus shifts from the process of filmmaking to the confluences of Iranian and Western cultures, the boundaries between fiction and reality become increasingly blurred. Filmmaker Shoja Azari discusses the film.
$5 students; $7 members; $10 nonmembers

PAST LECTURES

Iranian Arts through the Ages
This lunchtime lecture series will survey the magnificent visual arts of Iran from the pre-Islamic period through the golden age of Islamic civilizations up to the end of the 19th century. Cosponsored by The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, Design and Culture.

Mir Emad Hasani (d. 1615); Calligraphy Exercise or Siyah Mashq page from the St. Petersburg Album; Iran; late 16th century; Oriental Institute of the Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia.