Iranian Officials Arrest ‘Funny in Farsi’ Translator

Two weeks ago, Iranian authorities arrested the Iranian scholar Mohammed Soleimani Nia. Nia had translated American works into Persian, including Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America. The memoir’s author, Firoozeh Dumas, tells host Marco Werman about Nia’s work, and his impact inside Iran.

“Iranian Roots Music” from Band Ajam

In the UK, a group of young musicians is doing un-traditional things with traditional Iranian music.

Moms of detained US hikers travel to Iran

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The mothers of three American hikers detained in Iran are heading to Tehran today to appeal for the release of their children. The mothers are asking for compassion from the Iranian government. The World’s Jason Margolis reports on the role of governments — both American and Iranian — in cases like this.

Iranian music

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Today’s Global Hit takes us to Iran, but not contemporary Iran. We’re going back to the 60s and 70s. TWO new compilation CDs of the era have come out this year. Music programmer for KCRW in Santa Monica, California, Tom Schnabel, dips into both of them.


Pomegranates
Raks, Raks, Raks

Iranian blogger still in prison after a year

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Reporter Cyrus Farivar has an update on the plight of Hossein Derhakhshan, a pioneer of the Iranian blogosphere. He was arrested in November 2008 during a visit back to Iran.