Successful Iranians in Exile

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Successful Iranians in Exile

Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:02 pm

The soft-spoken developer behind Rancho San Juan
By LARRY PARSONS
Herald Staff Writer



As a young man in Tehran, years before the 1979 revolution toppled the Iranian government that employed his father, Mohammad "Moe" Nobari knew he wanted to be a builder.

That desire eventually led Nobari to set his sights on about 700 acres of rolling farmland just north of Salinas. That happened 25 years ago, when Monterey County officials were first proposing the area for major growth.

Nobari acquired the land from Hartnell College and a Salinas-area ranching family and hopes to build what he calls Butterfly Village there.

With 1,077 homes and apartments, Nobari's residential-golf community would be the first phase of the sprawling Rancho San Juan development.

"There are two things I like in life, construction and being my own boss," said Nobari, a 56-year-old developer-contractor who lives in the Marin County community of Tiburon.

"I like the business -- building something from the ground up," Nobari said. "When I was young, I thought that was the best thing you can do in life, be constructive, be useful and build something that would last."

As lead developer in the Rancho San Juan proposal, Nobari occupies the point in a land-use fight that has smoldered for more than a decade.

The battle will heat up again next month, as the county Planning Commission holds two days of hearings on the latest plan for 2,600 acres on Salinas' northern border.

Nobari, who won a lawsuit to force the county to keep moving on Rancho San Juan, discussed the project and his background in an interview last week.

Development potential|

Born into an Iranian business family, Nobari started in construction while he was still living in Iran. His first job was tutoring math students, but he soon turned to the building industry.

His father, a lawyer and engineer, and other family members had to flee Iran before the fall of Shah Reza Pahlavi's government in 1979. But Nobari had been living in the United States since 1973, studying business at Santa Clara University.

He received his master's degree in 1976, but unrest at home kept him in the United States.

"It affected all of us," Nobari said. "You have to start anew. It does give you a sense of appreciation for what you have here."

While attending school in Santa Clara, Nobari became aware of the development potential in nearby Monterey County.

There was a predicted shortage of 12,000 housing units, a move to diversify the economy and a county plan to grow northeast of Salinas, he said.

"I know there was a good potential for business. I got involved," Nobari said.

Though Rancho San Juan has been a fiercely debated, political punching bag almost from the beginning, Nobari said he never gave a thought to walking away from the project.

He refused to say how much money he has invested in the project or how much he hopes to gain. But Nobari still believes in the original growth vision.

"It's still a great plan. It has gotten better," he said.

Biggest project|

In 1988, HYH Corp., one of about a dozen of Nobari's development and construction companies, bought 154 acres in the Rancho San Juan area from Hartnell College for $1 million. The money was used to endow a Hartnell scholarship fund.

Nobari also has spent about $575,000 on Rancho San Juan planning efforts, said his attorney, Mark Blum.

A soft-spoken man who favors conservative business suits, Nobari appeared peeved when directly asked how much he is worth.

"It doesn't make a difference about what kind of person I am," he said. "Try to judge me by my character, not by my pocketbook."

Nobari has built other residential projects in Marin, Sonoma and Sacramento counties -- about 500 homes in all. He employs only five people, hardly a development empire, he said.

Butterfly Village, a name designed to convey an image of "a friendly community of people and wildlife in harmony together," would be the biggest project of Nobari's career.

Nobari bought some of the land from Andrew Hollenstain, whose family was a major landholder in the Rancho San Juan area.

Hollenstain said he was looking to sell and met Nobari through a friend in Silicon Valley whose daughter was married to Nobari's brother.

"I've seen some of the developments he did in (Marin County's) Lucas Valley," Hollenstain said. "We got together."

Vision kept|

At one point, Nobari gave Hollenstain a book put together by his family that chronicled the last years of the shah's government through letters and newspaper articles.

"They were an old Persian family and they got the hell out," Hollenstain said, before Iran fell to Islamic fundamentalists who still control the country today.

People who have known and worked with Nobari over the years describe him almost in Boy Scout terms. They say he's courteous, low-key, unflappable and not the kind of developer who tries to throw his weight around.

Former county Supervisor Marc Del Piero said Nobari is "a very nice man at the personal level."

There's no high pressure with Nobari, Del Piero said. "He seems honest and upfront."

Michael Hitchcock, a Walnut Creek planning consultant, worked with Nobari on a Petaluma project and was one of Monterey County's first planners for Rancho San Juan.

"He's a very hard worker," Hitchcock said. "We worked quite long hours."

Hitchcock said Nobari keeps his goals in mind and is unflagging in their pursuit.

"He's worked on this thing for 25 years, and it's gone up and down," Hitchcock said. "He's kept his planning vision."

Del Sala, who ran a family dairy in the Rancho San Juan area until two years ago, described Nobari as "easy to get along with."

"He's a down-to-earth guy," Sala. "All he wants to do is get some money out of it."

Sala leases part of Nobari's property to grow strawberries. He said it's always been a handshake deal.

Current North County Supervisor Lou Calcagno said Nobari "is a cautious individual who cares about how people feel."

"He comes out low-key and soft-spoken," Calcagno said. "He doesn't want to offend."

Political contributions|

Others view Nobari as a shrewd businessman who rallied other Rancho San Juan property owners to put up a united front to help the project. And they note that his 2001 lawsuit against the county kept the project rolling.

Nobari flashed displeasure at the insinuation he's just an out-of-town developer trying to milk money out of Monterey County. "It's patently unfair and shortsighted," he said.

Two decades of working the project has given him a network of friends in the county, he said. He's also paid a lot of taxes on his still-undeveloped land.

"I'm really part of this county. I've spent most of my adult life working here," he said.

Since 1979, Nobari has made campaign contributions totaling $17,200 to six Monterey County supervisors, including current board members Calcagno and Fernando Armenta. The earliest contributions were made in 1986; the most recent came in 2002.

Former supervisors to whom Nobari contributed were Tom Perkins, Barbara Shipnuck, Del Piero and Simon Salinas, now a state assemblyman.

County records show Nobari gave $2,400 to Shipnuck, $3,750 to Del Piero, $1,000 to Salinas, and $200 to Perkins.

Nobari has contributed $5,750 to Calcagno since 1998 and $100 to Armenta.

Nobari says his campaign contributions -- which are modest compared to contributions made by some development firms to local politicians -- are a matter of civic participation and not a way to win support for Rancho San Juan.

"It's part of being a good citizen," Nobari said.

'Difficult' place to work|

Nobari and his wife, Parvaneh, have two adult children. Their daughter is a dentist and their son is a neurosurgeon.

But Nobari doesn't dwell on his children's accomplishments. That's also in keeping with his character. People who know Nobari said he's never flashy or one to shoot off his mouth.

"I think he's a real nice guy," Sala said. "He's upfront with you."

Nobari has only two vehicles to drive, a sport utility vehicle and a 1990 Mercedes.

Asked about hobbies, he said, "I wear jeans and go to the construction site."

That's all?

"I play tennis," he said. "I like walking and skiing."

Nobari would rather talk about Butterfly Village than his hobbies. He said people should really look at his proposal, rather than make snap judgments or "hide behind no-growth" rhetoric.

Though Nobari is optimistic about his project's chances with current county supervisors, he has been around Monterey County long enough to appreciate its complicated land-use politics.

"It's very hard and very unpredictable," he said.

To demonstrate, Nobari told a story about a conversation he had with another developer. He told his colleague that he was working on a project in Monterey County.

"Oh what a hard place," the other developer said. "It's harder than Marin (County)."

"I'm doing one there, too," Nobari told the other developer.

Finishing the anecdote, Nobari smiled and said, "Maybe it is written that I have to work where it is difficult."


http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/monterey...ld/10062980.htm
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" -J.F.K
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:02 pm

Yet another honorable Iranian:

http://www.ghaffari.net/parvin/index.htm


About Parvin Ghaffari:

Parvin Ghaffari (Blind), Born in 1951. Realized she was blind when her parents took her to the streets at the age of 4 to join the crowds watching the King’s Motorcade. After hearing people talk about how the King looked and what he did, she knew there was something wrong since she was not able to experience that by herself. That’s when she decided to meet the King in person some day. She has managed to be a strong voice for people through her political/social activities including her role as City Council Woman of Tehran (population 4 million in 1976), as well as meeting His Majesty and becoming a good friend of the Royal Family.
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:03 pm

Iranian immigrant donates $6 million to B.C. hospital
Last Updated Thu, 04 Nov 2004 11:19:11 EST


VANCOUVER - An Iranian immigrant says he gave a record $6-million donation to a children's hospital in B.C. to thank the country that welcomed his family 18 years ago.

Vancouver real estate developer Djavad Mowafaghian's gift is the largest individual donation in the history of the B.C. Children's Hospital. The money will be used to expand the children's cancer clinic.

"I've got enough for one house and my children. The rest, I want to put [aside] for education and health," said the 77-year-old man on Wednesday.

Mowafaghian, who toured the hospital last year after telling officials he wanted to make a sizable donation, said he was struck by the crowded conditions he saw at the hospital.

"It broke my heart to see the crowded, rundown conditions the children had to endure while undergoing painful and difficult treatments," he read from a statement.

Hospital officials say the clinic, which is used by as many as 60 patients on a daily basis, will be more than doubled in size.

Mowafaghian, who was a general contractor in Iran during the rule of the Shah, left the country following Ayatollah Khomeini's Islamic Revolution.

Written by CBC News Online staff


http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?l225312189
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:04 pm

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Young Millionaires, Class of 2004: Entrepreneur magazine, November 2004
"The first few people [you hire] play a major role in the culture you're going to have," says Payam Zamani © with John Truchard (L) and Behnam Behrouzi ®. Founders of reply.com




Young Millionaires: Class of 2004
Online Referrals, Cell Phone Sales & Multimedia Publishing



Reply.com

Company description: Online referral source for automobiles, real estate, home improvement and financing
Founders: Behnam Behrouzi, 23, John Truchard, 32, and Payam Zamani, 33
Location: Walnut Creek, California
Projected 2004 sales: $20 million

Coming to America: The story of how Reply.com was founded has more twists and turns than a Hollywood movie. It begins with how Payam Zamani got from his home country of Iran to the United States. At age 16, Zamani was smuggled out of Iran to escape the extreme religious persecution that members of the Bahai Faith were subjected to. He came to America in 1988 with $75 and no knowledge of English.

Paint the Town: The entrepreneurial bug first bit Zamani during a summer as general manager of Student Works Program, a student-run painting franchise at the University of California, Davis, where he met fellow student (and future vice president of sales) John Truchard in 1992. "Since Payam and I both enjoyed the experience, it was natural for us to talk about future opportunities," says Truchard.

A Portal Is Born: Remember AutoWeb.com? A co-founder, Zamani left AutoWeb six months after taking it public in 1999. "I always felt that there was a lot left undone," he says. "I wanted to get back in there and rebuild that concept." And that's just what Zamani and his team did.

Next Step: In 2001, Next Phase Media was launched and later became Reply.com. Besides automobiles, Reply.com is a gateway for real estate, home improvement and financing. All the content is free to the consumer. Since Zamani's nephew, Behnam Behrouzi, had been an entrepreneur since high school, Zamani pulled him in. As CTO, Behrouzi played a pivotal role in building up the technology to power the new venture. "Our vision was to eventually do with services what Amazon did with products," says Behrouzi.

Going Public: The co-founders made the decision to not touch any VC financing, instead opting to bootstrap the business. That has paid off. Behrouzi, Truchard and Zamani have big plans for Reply.com. An IPO could be in the works early next year. "Five years from now, Reply.com [will] be a household name," says Truchard. At the rate they're growing, you can expect it to be even sooner. —A.C.K.


http://www.entrepreneur.com/mag/article/0,...1----5-,00.html
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:04 pm

Another successful and bright Iranian living in exile because her country is under islamic terrorist occupation:


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Ba Sepaas
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:05 pm

Google insiders' rich Valentine's gift
Millionaires make millions after Feb. 14 lockup expiration
By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch
Last Update: 3:42 PM ET Feb. 18, 2005


http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?...%7D&siteid=mktw


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(Corrects number of shares sold by John Doerr, Omid Kordestani, George Reyes and Jonathan Rosenberg in last four paragraphs).

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - It was a sweet Valentine's Day for Google insiders, who collected billions in stock sales this week following the last big lockup expiration after the company's initial public offering six months ago, according to regulatory filings.

On Feb. 14, 177 million Google (GOOG: news, chart, profile) shares held by insiders became available for sale. The company has a total of 271.2 million shares outstanding. The search engine went public in August at $85 per share.

Shares of Google have held their value this week despite the insider sales. The stock fell 52 cents to $197.38 on Friday.

Co-founder Larry Page sold a total of 260,000 shares in a series of transactions on Monday and Tuesday for more than $51 million. He also sold a total of 140,000 shares on Wednesday to bump up his proceeds for the week to $75 million.

He sold 400,000 shares last month and another 882,415 shares in a pair of sales during 2004, according to trading data from Thomson Financial.

Page and other Google executives sold their shares under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Insiders had sold more than $1 billion worth of the company's shares in the months following its Aug. 17 IPO before the recent lockup expired.

Venture capitalist John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins, one of the company's early backers, completed the sale of 150,000 shares on Feb. 8. The shares were worth $29.9 million.

Omid Kordestani, Google's senior vice president of world wide sales/operations, sold 192,241 shares for proceeds of about $37 million.

Chief Financial Officer George Reyes sold 34,070 shares for proceeds of about $6.6 million on Monday.

Jonathan Rosenberg, vice president of product management, sold 34,020 shares worth about $6.6 million. Other sellers included general counsel David Drummond, who sold 40,100 shares, and Wayne Rosing, senior vice president of engineering, who sold 25,000 shares.
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:05 pm

A fellow compatriot from the earthquake-stricken ancient city of Bam:



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Mahyar Monshipour retained his World Boxing Association super bantamweight title on Friday with a sixth-round win over Shigeru Nakazato.

With 24 seconds left in the sixth, Monshipour knocked down Nakazato with a right cross to the chin, causing referee Raul Caiz to stop the fight.

Monshipour, born in the city of Bam in Iran but a French citizen since 2001, made his fourth successful defense since he won the 55-kilogram (122-pound) crown in July 2003, improving his record to 27-2-2.

Both fighters traded blows in a frenetic opening round, with Monshipour landing the cleaner shots.

Nakazato was sent to the ropes at the end of the fourth round when Monshipour landed a flurry of punches. But the Japanese kept coming back and landed several big hits on the Frenchman, whose face was bloodied over the right eye. >>> http://www.monshipour.com/
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" -J.F.K
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:06 pm

Anousheh Ansari
Founder and CEO
telecom technologies, inc. (tti)


http://www.siliconiran.com/company_profile...eh_ansari.shtml



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Anousheh Ansari is president, founder, and CEO of telecom technologies, inc. (tti), a supplier of softswitch based solutions for network and service providers offering end-to-end solutions for next generation, carrier-grade multi-service networks. Prior to founding tti, Ansari provided consulting services to the major telecommunications service providers and vendors in the areas of Frame Relay and ATM switch testing and evaluation.

Early in her career, Ansari held positions with MCI Telecommunications Corporation and Communication Satellite Corporation (COMSAT) in various engineering capacities. She worked on architectural design for SS7 and ISDN networks.

Ansari was recognized by Working Woman magazine as the winner of the 2000 National Entrepreneurial Excellence award, and was chosen as the winner of the 1999 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Southwest Region, for the Technology and Communications category. She has authored numerous technical papers and has two patents for her work on Automated Operator Services and Wireless Service Node. She was a U.S. delegate at ITU SG VII, SG XI and SG XVII, and a representative at American National Standard Institute T1S1 and T1X1 Technical Subcommittees.

Ansari holds a Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from George Mason University. She is also a member of Eta Kappa Nu, IEEE and NSPE.

Success
2000 National Entrepreneurial Excellence Award winner: Anousheh Ansari, CEO and chair of Telecom Technologies on the cover of Working Magazine (May 2000). "Anousheh Ansari once dreamed of being an astronaut while growing up in her native Tehran, Iran. Today the 33-year-old Ansari is turning upstart Telecom Technologies Inc into a force in the telecommunications industry."
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" -J.F.K
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:08 pm

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Cameron Cartio


Tehran-Barcelona-Stockholm- the Swedish finals for the Eurovison Song Contest

One of the debutants in the Swedish finals for the Eurovison Song Contest is Cameron Cartio. A highly charismatic and young 26-year old, born in Iran and raised in the city of Malmoe , Sweden . Cameron describes himself as a happy and positive person, an ambassador of joy so to speak. All his songs are of upbeat and dance driven nature with contagious energy flowing through them. After having created Hip Hop and Euro-Techno in the past, he has now found his own pop/dance genre influenced by Persian music and its special rhythms. "The 6/8 beat comes naturally while the 4/4 came alongside rock music to meâ€
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:08 pm

Miss Europe, German Iranian Shermine Shahrivar poses during red carpet arrivals for French directors Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu's in-competition film 'Peindre ou Faire l'Amour' at the 58th Cannes Film Festival May 18, 2005. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler



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"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" -J.F.K
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:09 pm

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PARIS (RolandGarros.com) -- The young French girl Aravane Rezai used her wild card to good effect in the first round of the French Open, disposing of Camille Pin (2-6, 6-2, 6-2).

Of Iranian descent, 18-year-old Rezai never knows she is beaten and shrugged off 64 unforced errors to turn things around against compatriot Pin.

Currently 244 in the world, Rezai has won four ITF clay tournaments over the last eight months, but facing Maria Sharapova was a massive step up for her on the show court.

Still, French wildcard Rezai gave Second-seed Sharapova her fair share of problems but the Wimbledon champion eventually saw her talent prevail at Roland Garros.

Sharapova, who has not always been comfortable on clay, fell 3-1 down as the home player started like a train.

Sharapova later explained: "She had nothing to lose, and she was just going for her shots. Some balls were just too good. But I finally started feeling a good rhythm out there, began playing better."

Once that happened, Sharapova - who twisted her ankle during that early spell - hit back and reeled off six straight games to open up a 6-3 1-0 lead, with a break of serve.

Many would have expected the world number two to roll on to an easy victory from there, but Rezai was not finished yet and she broke back and fought on to 2-2.

At that stage, Sharapova moved up a gear again and finally sealed a 6-3 6-2 win in 67 minutes.

Sharapova made just 13 unforced errors on her way to a last-32 meeting with fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze.
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:09 pm

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SF State receives largest individual gift in its history: $10 million


Alumni Manny and Neda Mashouf, of bebe stores, help fund new Creative Arts building


SAN FRANCISCO, May 28, 2005 -- San Francisco State University has received the largest private individual gift pledge in its history: a $10 million donation from alumnus Manny Mashouf, founder and chairman of bebe stores inc., and his wife Neda, who also is an SF State alum. The gift, announced today by SFSU President Robert A. Corrigan at the University's Commencement ceremony, will go toward a new performing and electronic media arts building for the SFSU College of Creative Arts.

The gift will provide private funding needed for the new building, which is planned to be named in honor of the Mashouf family. The private funding will enable the building project to be included on a future statewide ballot initiative that would, if passed, fund a variety of capital construction projects in public education through California bonds.

"Neda and I are excited to be a part of an innovative University that understands the changing needs of its community and the impact that technology has on every aspect of life such as music, art and business," said Manny Mashouf, who earned a bachelor's degree in political science from SF State in 1966. "The balance of career-focused education and ‘liberal' education is fundamental to SF State. I strongly believe the cultural fabric of our communities, grounded in technology and education, can be enriched by building new platforms for expression and by stimulating academia with consistent support to our educators and students."

The gift is the second largest alumni donation ever to a California State University campus.

"Manny and Neda Mashouf exemplify the San Francisco State spirit with their innovation, accomplishment and commitment to community," SF State President Robert A. Corrigan said. "Their great generosity honors the University, and, coming as it does from two graduates, stands as a testament to their appreciation of their San Francisco State experience. The Mashoufs' landmark gift spearheads development of a state-of-the-art building that will inspire students and faculty to reach new heights in innovation and creativity, and further contribute to the rich cultural life of the Bay Area."

The building will replace the existing Creative Arts building, located on Holloway Avenue between Serrano Drive and Tapia Drive, which can no longer contain the size and energy of its programs. The building held its first class in 1953, when SF State opened its current campus in the southwestern corner of San Francisco.

The new building, to be located at the corner of Font and Lake Merced boulevards, will cover about five and a half acres and 242,000 square feet -- 65,000 square feet larger than the existing building.

The new building will contain instructional and performance spaces -- including a 1,200-seat auditorium, 450-seat theater, 350-seat recital hall and 250-seat "black box" theater -- enhanced by a multi-story, glass-enclosed lobby. The building will house the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department, Theatre Arts Department and School of Music and Dance. The other departments in the College of Creative Arts -- Art, Cinema and Design and Industry -- will remain housed in the Fine Arts building, which was expanded and remodeled in 1993.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2009-2010, with doors opening in late 2012.

"I am inspired by the Mashoufs' commitment to the College of Creative Arts and support of our plan to build a new home for our world-class students, faculty and programs," said Keith Morrison, dean of the SFSU College of Creative Arts. "It has been a delight to meet Manny and Neda Mashouf and their family. I look forward to working with them as we develop a cutting-edge building that the entire Bay Area will be able to utilize and enjoy."

The existing Creative Arts building will eventually be demolished. SF State is working to determine a future use for the location that the existing building occupies.

Manny and Neda Mashouf are actively involved in SF State alumni activities and continue to support the University's strategic planning goals. They previously donated more than $200,000 -- primarily to the College of Business to help recruit and hire faculty. Manny Mashouf, a 2003 inductee into the SF State Alumni Hall of Fame, is a member of the College of Business Advisory Board.

Manny and Neda Mashouf are committed to expanding opportunities and accessibility to theatre, music, dance, performance arts, electronic media and other experimental and innovative programs. "It is essential that we keep cultural resources open to the public," Manny Mashouf said. "It is important that we invest in our own communities and inspire the next generation to do the same."

Manny Mashouf is also SF State's 2005 Alumnus of the Year. He received the award at the University's 104th annual Commencement exercises held Saturday, May 28, in Cox Stadium on the SF State campus. Previous winners include E-LOAN co-founder/CEO Chris Larsen, "Frasier" co-creator and executive producer Peter Casey, actress Annette Bening, and physician and NASA astronaut Yvonne Cagle.

The Mashoufs live in Southern California. Neda Mashouf serves as director of bebe stores and general merchandise manager of design for the company's BEBE SPORT brand. She earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from SF State in 1984. Manny Mashouf's son Karim earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from SF State in 2002.

bebe stores inc. designs, develops and produces a distinctive line of contemporary women's apparel and accessories, which it markets under the bebe, bebe O and BEBE SPORT brand names. bebe operates 206 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. The publicly held company earned net sales of $103.1 million in the first quarter of the 2005 fiscal year, up 23.3 percent from $83.6 million reported for the first quarter a year ago.

The SF State College of Creative Arts has the largest academic program devoted to the broadest array of artistic disciplines in Northern California. Under the direction of Dean Morrison, an internationally acclaimed faculty directs more than 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students in seven disciplines: art, cinema, broadcasting, music, dance, theatre arts and design.
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" -J.F.K
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:09 pm

Another SHEER-ZAN Irani.


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Iranian of the day
October 25, 2005



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In 2002 anthropologist Shahdokht Javan published her first novel, Je viens díailleurs, to tell her story. A year later, Bas les voiles! (Down with the Veil !), which condemned the Muslim veil worldwide, earned her sudden notoriety as well as threatening phone calls. In 2004, she was again brought into the limelight, for the publication of Que pense Allah de líEurope? (What does Allah think of Europe ?) translated into German and Italian. Her articles and interviews are periodically published in the French national press (Le Point, Libération, le Figaro). She has often appeared on TV . She also gives lectures at the French Senate and National Assembly, la Mairie de Paris, the Assembly of Women and LICRA (International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism) which awarded her the International Prize for Secularism in 2004.

Sent by Darius Kadivar
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:10 pm

Posted by HyrcannianPrincess on another website:



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Iranian vocalist Anoushé Xalili

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You've probably heard her in the flashdance songs by the group deep dish (also Iranians)
http://www.deepdish.com/


See the video here:
http://www.iranian.com/Music/DeepDish/Imag...ushehKhalili.rm
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" -J.F.K
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Liberator
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Postby Liberator » Sun Nov 13, 2005 3:10 pm

"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable" -J.F.K
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Liberator
Chief Warrant Officer 4
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