Subject: soc.culture.iranian: Frequently Asked Questions [monthly posting]
From: [email-masked] (mack)
Date: 3 Mar 1994 16:35:28 GMT
Newsgroups: soc.culture.iranian,soc.answers,news.answers

Archive-name: iranian-faq
Last-modified:  1993/10/7
Version: 1.3

                      Introduction to the

   Soc.Culture.Iranian Frequently Asked Questions (with answers)

The charter of SOC.CULTURE.IRANIAN is to serve as a discussion group
for issues related to Iran and Iranian things. This monthly posting of
frequently asked questions (FAQ), with answers, is intended to prevent
the recurrence of specific questions or types of questions that are
either unanswerable, or are asked seemingly weekly. The information
contained here is based on the best postings from the net on these
subjects, and thanks are due to the netters who provided them.
Information from international sources would be a welcome addition.

As with any newsgroup, it is best to read it for a few weeks before
posting anything, in order to see what topics are currently being
discussed.

It may be that some of the information in this file is outdated. If
you want to add, delete or change any information in this FAQ, please
email to:

    [email-masked]

with "Iranian FAQ" as subject.

Whenever possible, please include the entire paragraph before and
after modification, this will help me in avoiding misunderstanding
when applying your suggestions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Contents of this FAQ:

    ===================================================================

    1q. Where is the anonymous FTP site for soc.culture.iranian?
        What's available there?

    2q. Where is/how can I contact the closest Iranian
        consulate/embassy/interests secion?

    3q. What are the Persian word processors? What are some of their
        features? Where can I get them? How much do they cost?

    4q. What are the radio frequencies and broadcast times of Farsi
        speaking radio programs and/or programs originating from Iran?

    5q. How do I tranfer money to/from Iran?

    6q. What is the latest on military service/exemption?

    7q. Where can I find/how can I contact an Iranian travel Agency?

    8q. Where are the Persian/Middle Eastern stores/supermarkets in my
        area?

    9q. Where can I find a Persian restaurant?

   10q. What are the various Farsi magazines and newspapers, and how
        can I subscribe to them?

   11q. What are the Iranian organizations around the world? How can I
        contact them?

   12q. If there is not a Persian store in the area that I live, how
        can I purchase some of the items that are likely to be found
        in Persian stores? Is mail order possible?

   13q. Where can I get books in Farsi?

   14q. How do I watch a video cassette that was made in
        Iran/US/Europe? Where can I convert such videos from one
        system to another?

   15q. If I or a friend do(es) not have access to USENET, but
        have(has) access to e-mail, how can I (s/he) read articles
        from soc.culture.iranian?

   16q. How can I post to soc.culture.iranian if I don't have posting
        capability, but have e-mail access? How can I post
        anonymously?

   17q: I have heard one can send/receive e-mail to/from Iran. Is this
        correct?

   18q. Can people in Iran read/post to SCI?

    ===================================================================

And here are the answers:

    ===================================================================

    1q. Where is the Anonymous FTP site for soc.culture.iranian?
        How do I access it? What's available there?

    1a. Tehran.Stanford.EDU [36.28.0.189] is the main ftp site
        for soc.culture.iranian. A lot of useful information can be
        found by browsing through it. Whenver anonymous ftp is
        mentioned in this file, it is implied anonymous ftp to
        tehran.Stanford.EDU. Please use the following guidelines when
        using the ftp service:

            o use login name anonymous
            o enter your e-mail address as password
            o in order not to increase the load on tehran, try to use
              this service after business hours, Pacific Standard Time

        If you don't have access to ftp, you can get all the above via
        e-mail. Here's how it works:

            o send mail to [email-masked] and in the
              Subject line write: "send info" (without the quotes).
              You will receive a mail from Mr. Background (daemon) at
              tehran with all the information and list of the files.
              (but PLEASE do not reply to daemon@tehran)
            o After you choose the file you want, e.g. gerdsooz.c just
              send mail to sci-ftp with subject line: "send gerdsooz.c" 
              and Tehran will send you a uuencoded file, gerdsooz.c
              All you need to do is, save your mail in a file and then
              run uudecode filename.
            o There is another feature that may be helpful. The list
              of files are too long and annoying, so Farhad has
              created a catalog of lists, to get the catalog menu,
              you use: "send info catalog"
              then you can choose from the menu of catalogs.
              i.e.  if you want a list of Noor publications then you
              use: "send list Noor"
            o remember capitalization is very important and All
              catalogs start with a capital letter (but there can be
              more than one capital letter, except pub).
            o Here is the list of catalogs:

                Archive             Recipes             Farrokhzad
                Calendar            Yellow_Pages        Kadkani
                Conferences         Shariati            Mazaheri
                Converters          Biographies         Moshiri
                Editors             Book_Reviews        Naderpoor
                Gerdsooz            Hafez               Sayeh
                Misc                Khayyam             Sepehri
                Schools             Molavi              Shamloo
                TEX                 NaserKhosrow        Soltanpoor
                Fonts               Qobadiani           SourinShaker
                ISI                 GolAghA             Yoshij
                Images              Farshid_Far         Others
                Dispiscii           Hafez               Pictures
                Peik                Azizpour            Sounds
                Noor                Behbahani           pub
                Poetry              Etesami             GIF

            o Currently all files greater that 150K are under
              construction and you can not retrieve them via email but
              they all are available through the normal anonymous ftp
              to Tehran.
            o Please if you find any problems or have better ideas
              then let me know ([email-masked]).
            o Also if you want to put new files into anonymous ftp
              then send mail to [email-masked]
              and it will be put there.

        A partial list of what's available on Tehran follows [this
        list will continue to expand on a daily basis --mack].

        ===============================================================

        - Gerdsooz
                Path: Iran_Lib/Gerdsooz/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o get and read the files sci_announce.gerdsooz and
                  README.gerdsooz in the above directory.

        ===============================================================

        - dispISCII
                Path: Iran_Lib/Dispiscii/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o The dispISCII package provides for a methods of
                  display Persian text on workstations which support
                  the X11 Graphical User Interface. As stated by its
                  name, dispISCII displays bilingual text encoded with
                  the Iranian National Standard, ISCII.
                o get, uncompress, extract (tar) the file that suits
                  your hardware from the above directory.

        ===============================================================

        - khayyam
                Path: Iran_Lib/Calendar/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o The 'khayam' program allows you to convert the
                  Jalaali and Gregorian calendars into each other.
                  The first is official in Iran (and surrounding areas
                  like Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics and
                  Kurdish Mesopotamia) and the second in the west. The
                  Jalaali calendar is named after Jalaal-ol-Din
                  Malek-shaah-e Saljuqi by the great Iranian
                  poet/mathematician Omar Khayyam who re-worked it in
                  late fifth century hejri.  The Gregorian calendar is
                  named after Pope Gregory XIII who introduced the
                  latest changes in the calendar in 1582 AD. The two
                  have more or less the same year-length, but are
                  based on completely different systems. They differ
                  in both structures and in the way they deal with
                  leap years.
                o get and read the file README.khayyam in the above
                  directory.

        ===============================================================

        - LaTeX-TeX text formatting software
                Path: Iran_Lib/TEX/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o get and read Nehar-announce in the above directory.

        ===============================================================

        - persian poetry
                Path: Iran_Lib/Literature/Poetry/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o Classical poems by famous poets such as Khayyam,
                  Molavi, and Qobadiani, as well as modern poems by
                  poets such as Sepehri, Moshiri, and Shamloo are
                  included in the above directory. In addition comic
                  poems such as those by Gol-Agha and a few poems by
                  unknown poets as well as some poems by SCI
                  subscribers are included in this directory. Some
                  poems are in Gerdsooz format.

        ===============================================================

        - book reviews
                Path: Iran_Lib/Literature/Book_Reviews/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o A brief review on the following books are available
                  in the above directory:

                    after_you_marco_polo
                    dance-of-life
                    foreigner
                    in_xanadu
                    mantle_of_the_prophet
                    masquerade_an_adventure_in_iran
                    noon_val_ghalam
                    paintings-Katoozian
                    persian_adventure
                    persian_nights
                    roots_of_revolution
                    savushun
                    the_road_to_oxiana

                o Also, the following files contain references to
                  numerous books about Iran and/or Persia:

                    books_about_iran
                    books_about_persia

        ===============================================================

        - biographies of famous Iranians:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Literature/Biographies/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o Summaries of biographies of famous Iranians as
                  published in various publications are included in
                  the above directory.

        ===============================================================

        - speeches by famous Iranians:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Speeches/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o English translations of important speeches by famous
                  Iranians are included in the above directory.

        ===============================================================

        - gif files 		
                Path: Iran_Lib/Images/GIF/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked],
                                   [email-masked]

                o persian miniature drawings/paintings
                o photos
                o old/new maps of iran
                o get and read image.toc under /Iran_Lib/Images/

        ===============================================================

        - jpg files
                Path: Iran_Lib/Images/JPG/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o persian miniature drawings
                o get and read image.toc under /Iran_Lib/Images/

        ===============================================================

        - persian music:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Sounds/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o Get and read binhex-help in the above directory.
                  Samples of Persian music in hqx format are available
                  in the above directory.

        ===============================================================

        - Old/New issues of NOOR in postscript format
                Path: Iran_Lib/Noor/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o get and read README.noor in the above directory

        ===============================================================

        - ISI (Informatic Society of Iran)
                Path: Iran_Lib/ISI/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o get, uncompress and print the compressed, postscript
                  file isi_intro.ps.Z in the above directory.

                o for membership information please contact
                  [email-masked]

        ===============================================================

        - SIP (Society of Iranian Professionals)
                Path: Iran_Lib/Answers/sip
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o get and read sip for more information on SIP.

                o for activities and membership information please
                  contact [email-masked]

        ===============================================================

        - persian name list
                Path: Iran_Lib/baby_names
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o names contains about 200 names with Persian origin,
                  or commonly used names in Iran with their meaning if
                  known, in alphabetical order. Especially useful for
                  naming babies.

        ===============================================================

        - list of Persian bookstores:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/bookstores
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o bookstores contains name, phone number, and contact
                  address of 36 Persian bookstores, book distributors,
                  and publishers world-wide.

        ===============================================================

        - list of Farsi publications:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/publications
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o publications contains name, phone number, and
                  contact address of nearly 100 Farsi publications
                  world-wide.

        ===============================================================

        - list of persian restaurants world-wide
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/persian_restaurants
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o persian_restaurants contains name, address, phone
                  number, price range, and comment on quality of food
                  on 63 Persian restaurants worldwide.

        ===============================================================

        - list of Iranian Travel Agencies world-wide
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/travel_agencies
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o travel_agencies contains name, address, and phone
                  number of 26 Iranian owned and/or operated travel
                  agencies world-wide.

        ===============================================================

        - list of Persian stores world-wide
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/stores
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o stores contains name, address, and phone number of
                  14 persian stores world-wide.

        ===============================================================

        - list of Iranian mail-order services world-wide
                Path: Iran_Lib/Answers/Yellow_Pages/mail_order
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o mail_order contains address, and phone number of 14
                  persian stores world-wide.

        ===============================================================

        - recipes of Persian dishes:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Recipes/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o the recipe for for the following
                  dishes/appetizers/deserts/snacks are available in
                  the above directory in files with the same names:

                    abgousht
                    baghali_polo
                    chelo_sefeed
                    fereni
                    ghareghorout
                    halva
                    kabab_kubideh
                    khoresht_bamieh
                    khoresht_fesenjoon
                    khoresht_ghormeh_sabzi
                    khoresht_karafs
                    lavashak
                    nan_khamehie
                    paneer
                    rangeenak
                    tahcheen
                    zereshk_polo

        ===============================================================

        - pictures of SCI subscribers in gif format:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Images/Pictures/
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]

                o scanned pictures of some SCI subscribers is
                  available in the above directory.

    ===================================================================

    2q. Where is/how can I contact the closest Iranian
        consulate/embassy/interests secion?

    2a. In United States:

            Embassy of the Republic of Pakistan
            Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran
            2209 Wisconsin Avenue NW
            Washington, DC 20007
            Tel: (202) 965-4990 to 94

            Here's what a netter had to say about their service:

            => Thanks to all those responded to my earlier request
            => with regard to passport renewal. I contacted the
            => Iranian Interest Section in D.C. (202) 965-4990 to 94 
            => and was kindly connected to an automatic fax facility
            => that sent me the forms I requested (via the touch-tone
            => interface). I was both surprised and delighted with the
            => service and the speed of transmission, i.e., as soon as
            => I hang up, the forms were coming out of my fax machine!
            => This service is available even outside the regular
            => business hours of the interest section (take advantage
            => of discount long distance times!) You can also send the
            => interest section a fax with your requests, messages,
            => etc. at (202) 965-1073.
            =>
            => These are some of the three-digit codes that might be
            => of interest to this newsgroup. (use these codes to
            => punch in the form you want to order) You can get a
            => complete list of these codes by using the 700 code (is
            => 700 the lucky number? :^)  ) 
            =>
            => 100  tamdeed, tajdeed, or tafkeek gozarnameh  
            => 900  similar to option 100 for students with green card
            => 055  similar to option 100 for students with F-1
            => 427  information about military service
            => 903  approval of student visa
            => 054  approval of student documents
            => 600  buying Iran-Air tickets
            => 901  request for exit stamp for students with F-1
            => 902  "   "   "   "   "   "   "   "   "   "   green card
            => 300  "   "   "   "   "   "  for people with green card

    ===================================================================

    3q. What are the Persian word processors? What are some of their
        features? Where can I get them? How much do they cost?

    3a. We have a fairly comprehensive input from: 
        Kees van 't Hoff, CWI, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
        Here goes his contribution: (many thanks Kees)

        --------------------------------------------------------------

        Good idea!!!
        
        I have been away quite a while myself, but I am back again, so
        I'll post my list about word-processing which could be
        included in such a FAQ-list.

        Latest change: Prof. Lagally's LaTeX macro's latest release
        (2), incompatible with previous releases.

        The list that hopefully says it all about farsi word-processing.

        Please feel free to make (or mail me) any corrections and/or
        additions to the list.

        MAC:

            AlKaatib:
                Is a right-to-left editor and comes with an Arabic
                font, in any case bitmaps. Is supposed to run under
                MultiFinder. You type your text in AlKaatib, and then
                copy and paste it into your favorite application
                (MacWrite, MS-Word, Excel etc.)
                Personally, I've used version 1.0 from an illegal copy
                back in 1986 for a while, but did not really like the
                concept, so I never bought it.
                Price: $199.00 retail; Alkaatib
                       $199.00 retail; Alkaatib Laser Font (PostScript)
                       $299.00 retail; Tawfiq Laser Font Family (postScript)
                       $199.00 retail; Ferdosi Laser Font (Postscript)
                Availability: Eastern Language Systems
                              39 West 330 North
                              Provo, UT 84601
                              1-801-377-4558
                According to recent news, the Mac line is no longer
                supported, but just the MS-DOS line.

            WinText:
                Is a mixed left-to-right, right-to-left wordprocessor.
                It uses AIS (Arabic Interface System) or PIS (Persian
                InterfaceSystem), the Apple systems for use with the
                Arabic script (see below). 
                I have been playing around with a demo-version and was
                quite impressed. However, I have heard rumours that it
                does not like large documents, but never seen real
                proof of this.
                The price was too steep for my intentional use (just
                personal correspondence).
                Price: 2200 FF (french francs), approx. $350-$400.
                       (Last year's price)
                Availability: WinSoft
                              34 Boulevard de l'Esplanade
                              38000 Grenoble
                              FRANCE
                              tel: (33) 76875601
	
            Patrick Jost's shareware Persian/Arabic text processing
            capabilities.
                I have no idea about this, but he announced his
                package on soc.culture.arabic last year.
                Price: shareware, $15 (US-price)
                Availability: Patrick Jost
                              12228 Venice Boulevard #495
                              Los Angeles, CA 9006
                              [email-masked]

            Nisus:
                Nothing as of yet, but they have announced that they
                will have an Arabic version in october, based on Nisus
                3.06.
                Price will probably around $350, but maybe an academic
                rebate ala normal Nisus.
                Availability: Contact Paragon (+44) 81 642 2255)
                              or fax: (+44) 81 642 4621 (in Europe)
                              I don't know any numbers in the US)
                I have heard it is out by now.

            PIS, AIS:
                The interface systems by Apple for the Arabic script,
                AIS and PIS, are as far as I know only available
                through APDA (Apple Programmers Developers
                Association). You can find them on their CD-ROM's
                (latest version: 6.0.7).  Companies like WinSoft can
                give you the interface system for an additional price,
                when you buy their products.

        PC's:
            There must be quite a few of them around, but being a
            DOS-illiterate, I have no idea about them, apart from a
            shareware one (posted by Ala), and an announcement I saved
            from comp.text and soc.culture.arabic.

            INTEXT:
                Available through ftp: vmd.cso.uiuc.edu
                name: ipfs
                passwd: mark
                command: quote acct iran
                command: binary
                command: get INTEXT.ZIP
                and you have the unzippable (PKUNZIP) version. 

            Multi-Lingual-Scribe:
                Wordprocessing program supporting 5 to 10 different
                languages, including arabic. Works with matrix and laser
                printers.
                Price: ?
                Availability: Gamma Productions
                              710 Willshire Blvd, suite 609
                              Santa Monica CA 90401
                              Tel: (310) 394-8622
                This info is two years old, so don't sue me if it does not
                proof to be correct!

            Nevisandeh
                System requirement: PC and compatibles with EGA or higher.
                Printer: Any 24 pin with at least 16K memory, HP Laser
                         II and higher, any Laser printer emulating HP.
                File exchange: To and from Apple Macintosh, ISCII 2901
                Spell Checker: Farsi and English and capability of
                               adding words to the main or user
                               defined dictionary.
                Documentation: Step by Step guide and comprehensive
                               online help.
                Price: $150.00 ($120 for students)
                Availability: Optimate Ltd
                              18 Edmonscote
                              Cleveland Road
                              London W13 0HQ
                              U.K.
                              Tel: (+44 81) 997 1848
                              Fax: (+44 81) 998 8304
                              Email: [email-masked]

            Universal Word
                This package has ability to support any dead or living
                language(depending on what options you buy), up to 16
                color for text and graphics (can import PCX,TIF
                files), pull down menu, mouse, EMS, unlimited document
                size and winodow, (you are limited only by amount of
                disk space or RAM), scaleable fonts between 2 and 100
                point,dictionary,spellcheck,mail merge support.
                System requirement: IBM PC,XT,AT,PS/2 computers or
                                    compatible, with at least 7 MB
                                    hard disk space and runs with
                                    (Hercules,CGA,EGA,or VGA).
                Printer: dot matrix,laser or postscript
                Price: $297.50 (US) [1992]
                Availability: 300 Corprate Pointe
                              Suite 410, Culver City,CA 
                              USA
                              Tel: (310) 215-9645
                              Fax: (310) 215-9668
                              E-mail: [email-masked]

        Various systems:

            TEX:
                There are at least three TEX packages I know of. Since
                TEX runs on different platforms, you could probably
                move it almost anywhere.

            NEGAR-AFZAR
                This package which will be marketed by Negar-Afzar is
                a "Complete", "Fast" and highly "Integrated"
                implementation of TeX and LaTeX in Farsi. The user
                interface is completely in Farsi; hence the user
                actually sees the Farsi text as he/she types it on
                screen. This is accomplished by an advanced bilingual
                text editor that has a complete on-line help and is
                included in the package.

                The implementation is "complete" in the sense that all
                standard LaTeX style files which are
                    a) book
                    b) report
                    c) article
                    d) letter
                have been converted to Farsi.  "Any" LaTeX command
                that can be used in English version in these different
                styles can also be used in the Farsi version.  This
                means that the handling of footnotes, equations,
                section titles, table of contents, captions, automatic
                numbering, and anything else available in English
                LaTex is now available in the Farsi version.  The math
                mode handles Farsi digits and automatic size changing
                for these digits when they appear in sub or
                superscripts. You can also include any bitmap (.pcx
                format) picture (or EPS graphic file if using a
                postscript printer) in your document or use the
                LaTeX's picture environment for producing simple graphics.
                You can even type the LaTeX commands in Farsi. The
                implementation is extremely fast since the optimal
                line breaking is determined by TeX. The implementation
                has a simple Farsi GUI (graphical user interface) that
                leads the user through the 4 steps of preparing a
                LaTeX document  There is also a complete on-line help
                that can be called in case of having a question.

                The package comes with Farsi Naskh font, Farsi Slanted
                Naskh font, and Farsi Bold Naskh font at point sizes
                from 5pt to 25pt at LaTeX standard size increments. 

                System requirements:
                    IBM PC-XT/AT, 386 and 486 (and compatibles)
                    DOS 3.0 or above
                    EGA (or VGA or higher) graphic cards
                    Color Monitor
                    HP-LaserJet+ or higher printers (all models) and
                    compatibles
                    Nearly all dot matrix and ink jet printers
                    All postscript printers

                For more information and Negar-Afzar's address, read
                the announcement file available from this ftp site.
                For ftp instructions see earlier sections of this
                file. The path to the file is:
                Iran_Lib/TEX/Negar-announce.

            ARABTEX:
                This is Prof. Klaus Lagally's LaTeX extension for Arabic
                writing. It consists of three packages: the actual Arabtex
                package, the MetaFont package (for those interested), and
                the style files used by Arabtex. Most recent version: 2
                (spring 1992). The latest version has better support for
                Farsi. It worked wonderfully for me, both on my
                Sparcstation and on my Mac (with OzTeX, also a free
                package).
                Price: free
                Availability:
                    anonymous ftp: ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23) (USA)
                    tex.babel.arabic.macros-lagally and
                    tex.babel.arabic.fonts-lagally
                    or
                    ifi.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (129.69.211.11) (Europe)
                    pub/arabtex
                    or
                    nuri.inria.fr (128.93.1.26) (Europe)
                    /TeX/tools/arabic
                    or
                    mail to [email-masked]
                    and include the lines:
                    SENDME ArabTex.TEX
                    SENDME ArabTex_MF
                    SENDME ArabTex_STYLE
                    in your mail to get the complete package.

            PARTEX:
                A package also known as ATEX, as far as I know by Terry
                Regier ([email-masked]). The drawback is that
                it needs a filter before you call LaTeX, but the filter is
                relatively simple and easily adjustable. Also it uses
                Yannis Haralambous (France) fonts, and I don't know
                whether these are still available in the public domain. He
                used to mail them to interested people, and I have a copy,
                but I don't know whether I have any rights to distribute
                them (see below).
                It worked fine for me however.
                Price: free
                Availability:
                    anonymous ftp: ymir.claremont.edu (134.173.4.23)
                    tex.babel.arabic.atex
                    or
                    icsi-ftp.berkeley.edu
                    pub/ai/atex/atex.tar.Z
	
            SCHOLARTEX:
                A package by Yannis Haralambous ( [email-masked])
                for Mac and MS-DOS, supposedly handling almost any language.
                Price: approx. $200 (institutes pay a higher price)
                Availability:
                    Yannis Haralambous
                    101/11, rue Breughel
                    59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq
                    France
                    Tel. (33) 20.05.28.80
                    Fax  (33) 20.91.05.64
                    Bitnet: yannis@frcitl81

        --------------------------------------------------------------

    ===================================================================

    4q. What are the radio frequencies and broadcast times of Farsi
        speaking radio programs and/or programs originating from Iran?

    4a. Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting

            Frequencies below 3000 kHz are medium wave broadcasts and
            can only be heard in areas in the immediate vicinity of
            Iran (unless you have an exceptional receiver and a
            special type of antenna). Receiving FM broadcasts abroad,
            on the other hand, is virtually impossible.

            Radio Tehran External Service Schedule:

            Broadcasting Schedule: No. Nov. 91 - Feb. 92 (D91-92)

            Program        UTC/GMT        Target Areas  Frequency (kHz)
            ------------------------------------------------------------------
            English        1130-1230**    East Asia     11790, 11930, 9685
                                          Middle East   9525, 7215, 1224, 702
                           1400-1500      West Asia     702
                           1930-2030*     Europe        9022, 15260, 6030
                           0030-0130**    America       9022, 15260, 9720
            French         0630-0730*     Europe        9022, 9720, 15260
                           1830-1930*     Europe        9022, 15260, 6030
            German         1730-1830*     Europe        9022, 15260, 6030
            Russian        1530-1630      West Asia     9022, 11790, 1404, 1449
                           1930-2030      West Asia     1404
            Spanish        2030-2130*     Europe        9022, 15260
                           0130-0230**    America       9022, 9720, 15260
                           0530-0630*     Europe        9022, 9720, 15260

            * For Tehran on FM (100.7 MHz)
            * For Tehran on FM (97.7 MHz)

            Correspondence can be addressed to 

            IRIB
            External Service
            P.O. Box 3333
            Tehran 19395
            Iran 

        *******************************************************************

        Voice of America

            The following are times and frequencies of the Persian
            language programs of the Voice of America and the BBC.
            The information presented is at least six months old, so
            there could have been some changes since then.

            Time (UTC)       Frequency (kHz)
            -------------------------------------------------
            0300-0430        7651 *, 9635, 9700, 11805, 15105  
            1700-1900        6160, 7280, 9680, 11835

            * This frequency is used for the broadcast in Single
              Sideband mode (Lower). It is the frequency of the
              station in the US that relays the program to Greece.
              Your receiver needs to be equipped with a certain type
              of circuitry in order to demodulate this broadcast. All
              other frequencies originate in Greece and are in normal
              AM.

        *******************************************************************

        British Broadcasting Company

            BBC:

            Time (Tehran)      Frequency (kHz)
            ------------------------------------------------
            0600-0630          720, 1413, 9590, 11740, 15575
            1945-2030          1413, 7160, 11720, 15575
            2200-2230          720, 1413, 7160, 11720

            Note: UTC = Tehran Time - 3.5 

        *******************************************************************

    ===================================================================

    5q. How do I tranfer money to/from Iran?

    5a. The easiest way to transfer money from US to Iran is through
        Bank Melli Iran. They have a branch in New York. You can wire
        the funds from any bank in the US to Bank Melli in New York
        along with the receiving party's name and address (or account
        number) in Iran. For a nominal fee, Bank Melli will transfer
        the funds to Iran within a few days.

            Bank Melli Iran
            New York Branch
            628 Madison Avenue,
            New York, N.Y. 10022
            (212) 759-4700

            They have a post office box too:

            Post Office Box 1420
            F.D.R. Station
            New York, N.Y. 10150

        Bank Melli also has a branch in Los Angeles:

            Bank Melli Iran
            Los Angeles Branch
            818 Wilshire Boulevard
            Los Angeles, Ca 90017

        There are contact numbers for Bank Saderat both in New York
        and in Los Angeles:

            Bank Saderat Iran
            New York Branch
            (212) 753-6400

            Bank Saderat Iran
            Los Angeles Branch
            (213) 489-2900

    ===================================================================

    6q. What is the latest on military service/exemption?

    6a. From: [email-masked]

	I have some info on one of the unanswered questions in the FAQ,
	namely "What's the latest on millitary exemption/service?'

	From what I've been told by relatives in Iran, for a nominal
	fee of 8 to 10 *thousand* dollars, one can 'purchase' their
	exemption from millitary service.

	Also note that millitary service is mandatory for all Iranian
	men above a certian age (17?), and that the government has
	a rather loose interpretation of the definition of Iranian
	citizenship.  If your parents are Iranian, you are considered
	an Iranian citizen and eligible for service ***even if you were
	born in some other contry***  Even if you've lived in that other 
	country all your life.

					Bob Amini
					[email-masked]

        [more info would be appreciated --mack]

    ===================================================================

    7q. Where can I find/how can I contact an Iranian travel Agency?

    7a. Available via anonymous ftp (see 1a for more info):

        -list of Iranian Travel Agencies world-wide
                Path: Iran_Lub/Yellow_Pages/travel_agencies

                o travel_agencies contains address, and phone number
                  of 26 Iranian owned and/or operated travel agencies
                  world-wide.

    ===================================================================

    8q. Where are the Persian/Middle Eastern stores/supermarkets in my
        area?

    8a. Available via anonymous ftp (see 1a for more info):

        -list of Persian stores world-wide
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/stores

                o stores contains address, and phone number of 14
                  persian stores world-wide.

    ===================================================================

    9q. Where can I find a Persian restaurant?

    9a. Available via anonymous ftp (see 1a for more info):

        - list of persian restaurants world-wide
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/persian_restaurants
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o persian_restaurants contains address, phone number,
                  price range, and comment on quality of food on 63
                  Persian restaurants worldwide.

    ===================================================================

   10q. What are the various Farsi magazines and newspapers, and how
        can I subscribe to them?

   10a. Available via anonymous ftp (see 1a for more info):

        - list of Farsi publications:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/publications
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o publications contains name, phone number, and
                  contact address of nearly 100 Farsi publications
                  world-wide.

    ===================================================================

   11q. What are the Iranian organizations around the world? How can I
        contact them?

   11a. Available via anonymous ftp (see 1a for more info):

        - list of Iranian organizations:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/organizations
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o organizations contains name, phone number, and
                  contact address of 34 Iranian organizations
                  world-wide.

    ===================================================================

   12q. If there is not a Persian store in the area that I live, how
        can I purchase some of the items that are likely to be found
        in Persian stores? Is mail order possible?

   12a. Available via anonymous ftp (see 1a for more info):

        -list of Iranian mail-order services world-wide
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/mail_order
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o mail_order contains address, and phone number of 14
                  persian stores world-wide.

    ===================================================================

   13q. Where can I get books in Farsi?

   13a. Available via anonymous ftp (see 1a for more info):

        - list of Persian bookstores:
                Path: Iran_Lib/Yellow_Pages/bookstores
                Keeper/Maintainer: [email-masked]
                                   [email-masked]

                o bookstores contains name, phone number, and contact
                  address of 36 Persian bookstores, book distributors,
                  and publishers world-wide.

    ===================================================================

   14q. How do I watch a video cassette that was made in
        Iran/US/Europe? Where can I convert such videos from one
        system to another?

   14a. [someone help me with this --mack]

    ===================================================================

   15q. If I or a friend do(es) not have access to USENET, but
        have(has) access to e-mail, how can I (s/he) read articles
        from soc.culture.iranian?

   15a. You can send mail to [email-masked] and be put on a
        mailing list which automatically sends you sci articles via
        e-mail.

    ===================================================================

   16q. How can I post to soc.culture.iranian if I don't have posting
        capability, but have e-mail access? How can I post
        anonymously?

   16a. Mr. Shahrokh Mortazavi has been kind enough to set up a
        posting service that can be used via e-mail. Here's what you
        need to do:

        E-mail regular posts to     : [email-masked]
        E-mail problems to          : [email-masked]

        The features described in 15a and 16a will provide anyone with
        access to e-mail read/post access to sci.

    ===================================================================

   17q: I have heard one can send/receive e-mail to/from Iran. Is this
        correct?

   17a. Yes, it is correct that one can send/receive e-mail to/from
        Iran. The connection is made possible through a bitnet site in
        Europe. However due to very limited resources, few people
        (mostly universities and research institutions) get the
        priviledge of having e-mail access in Iran. Therefore,
        ordinary people can not get accounts on the machines that are
        connected to the network.

    ===================================================================

   18q. Can people in Iran read/post to SCI?

   18a. Yes! Currently SCI articles are being forwarded to a few
        individuals in iran via the SCI-by-email facility outlined in
        16a, and sometimes one can see articles posted by an
        individuals from Iran.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
End FAQ