Iranian actress sentenced to 90 lashes, 1 year in jail

By Joshua L. Weinstein of The Wrap

An Iranian actress has been sentenced to 90 lashes and a year in jail for starring in an Australian movie with a shaved head -- and no head-covering.



Marzieh Vafamehr, who appeared in "My Tehran for Sale," has appealed the sentence.

According to Amnesty International, Vafamehr also appears to drink alcohol in the movie. Consuming alcohol is banned under Iranian law. The penalty is 80 lashes -- for the first offense.



The Australian movie, oddly enough, is about an actress in Iran who is forced to live a secret life in order to express herself.

In a written statement to TheWrap, producers Julie Ryan and Kate Croser said Tuesday that the actress's involvement in the film "was limited to her role as an actress and she was not in any other way involved in the behind-the-scenes filmmaking."

"As producers of the film 'My Tehran for Sale' we would like to express our deep shock and sadness at the sentence imposed by the Iranian government," they wrote.

Richard Harris, CEO of the South Australian Film Corp., wrote, "We are deeply disturbed by Marzieh Vafamehr's sentence for appearing in Granaz Moussavi's groundbreaking film, which is itself about the risks that artists are prepared to take for creative expression.

Amnesty International on Tuesday criticized the sentence -- and flogging in general.

"If Vafamehr is held solely on account of the peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression, she should be released immediately and unconditionally," the human rights organization said in a written statement.

Vafamehr's sentence is only the most recent example of the Iranian regime's ongoing crackdown on the entertainment industry.

On Sept. 17, Iran arrested five documentary directors and a producer and distributor. Among them was Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, who was detained at the Tehran airport as he prepared to go to the Toronto Film Festival.

And in December 2010, director Jafar Panahi was arrested. He has been sentenced to six years in prison and was banned from filmmaking and from speaking with the foreign press for 20 years.

Pompeii and Amalfi Coast from Cruise Ship-A Postcard Comes to Life!

On the last day of our 13-day cruise, we took an all day private excursion with 1) a 5-hour drive with stunning coastal scenary along both the majestic Sorrento Peninsula and the famous rugged Amalfi Coast AND 2) a 2-hour tour of the ruins of Pompeii with a local university scholar.

Sorrento, Positano, and Amalfi-A Picture Postcard Comes to Life

From the port in the gulf of Naples, we began our journey with a southward drive along the coast nestled between sea, sky, cliffs, and lush green groves of lemons, oranges, and olives. With stunning views at every corner, our eyes feasted on the world-famous Sorrento peninsula with its dramatic mountains, picturesque fishing villages and ancient Roman cities. We made a stop in Sorrento, a popular resort town since the 1700s. Legend tells us it was from Sorrento that the sirens attempted to lure Ulysses onto the rocks. Our group (of 8) headed directly to a friendly café, in Tasso Square, known for its ginormous cappuccinos (only 1.5 Euros), mouth-watering pastries, and clean bathrooms. With free time to explore, we strolled along the shop-lined medieval streets, ever welcoming year-round tourists, many of whom return again and again. I understand why.

We continued our drive along a The Amalfi Coast, via a rugged road that twists and turns amidst high rugged cliffs and low hills and valleys, overlooking the turquoise and emerald bay. Dotted with ancient villas dedicated to leisure and lush orange and lemon trees, olive groves and vineyards, the views simply take your breath away.

Sidebar: it actually almost did take some of our breathe away. This drive is not for the faint of stomach.

Our next stop was the steep-stepped and picturesque town of Positano, a town with narrow pedestrian streets that cling to tall cliffs. Until we reached the pedestrian-only areas, we strolled on foot while sharing the roads with automobiles navigating the winding roads. (I felt a bit anxious!) We encountered narrow-stepped alleys, pastel-colored houses with vaulted roofs, terraces and tiny gardens, and shops carrying a variety of colorful resort and beach where, pottery, and a wide variety of products made from the regions fragrant lemons. Here, I feasted on a mozzarella and tomato sandwich on herbed focaccia, from a friendly café.

We continued our drive down to Amalfi, a former 11th-century maritime republic, nestled between mountains and sea. Once again, we enjoyed its scenic beauty and original architecture while visiting shops that cater to its year-round tourists. Local lemon products abound.

From 1:30- till 2:30, we drove inland to Pompeii. Instead of seeing blue waters, our surroundings here were lush emerald green lemon trees, olive groves, and vineyards. Although beautiful, the drive was so upsetting to my stomach that I had to keep my head lowered to stabilize my insides.

Pompeii-one of the most important archeological sites in Europe

Our tour guide, who lives at the university, was passionate, thorough, witty, and allowed us to gain access to sections of the archeological site that are off-limits to the general public. I had heard that Pompeii is not as impressive a site as Ephesus. Boy, were the wrong! Words cannot describe how impressive these remains are of a city buried by an erupting Mt Vesuvius in 79AD-remains of which were first discovered around 1750. The site revealed remnants of a diverse and cosmopolitan city with richly decorated villas, paved streets, public forums, furnishings, brothels, gardens, wine cellars, temples, a 5000-seat amphitheatre, gymnasiums, merchant shops, craftsmen stalls, indoor plumbing, aqueducts, and even an intact toilet. Paintings, friezes, mosaics, sculptures, and commercial signs are seen throughout. Most impressive are the plaster casts that recreate the bodies of victims killed by the volcano’s toxic fumes while engaged in everyday tasks.

Of note, Mt Vesuvius dominates the backdrop of Naples and its entire environs. I even took photos of Mt Vesuvius from my balcony room on the ship.

What a splendid day of discovery, beauty, and gastronomical delight!

PS Our driver played famous Italian songs like "That's Amore", as we drove along the Amalfi Coast. It reinforced our great mood.

PPS we paid less than $120 for our full day private tour (8 tourists) (lunch was on our own) while RCL charged $345 for the same itinerary (minus stop in Amalfi) for a larger busload of people. We hired a university scholar on Pompeii (100 euros for 2 hour tour). They used headsets and had guides whose English was challenging to understand and they were “dragged” to a “cameo factory”.

Kusadasi, Turkey-Bazaar Delight!

Known as the gateway to visits to Turkey’s most prized, well-preserved ancient city of Ephesus, and a shopper’s delight, Kusadasi is one of Turkey’s most popular seaside resort cities. Since I had visited Ephesus. House of the Virgin Mary, and ruins of St John’s Basilica/Temple of Artemis, all just 10 months ago (see my blog post here http://tinyurl.com/5v7fky8), I chose to remain near the port visiting the town and Pigeon Island.

After disembarking, I headed for the ancient Kaleici neighborhood via the shop-lined “pedestrianized” main street. I found the vendors in the two large markets close to the ship to be so aggressive that it disturbed me. I felt like red meat for a pack of hungry wolves. The were the most aggressive vendors I have experienced in a while.

After spending some time in Kaleici, I decided to seek a peaceful contrast to the chaos of the markets. I took a leisurely stroll across a causeway to Pigeon Island, for which Kusadasi is named. As I strolled along the waterfront toward Pigeon Island, the sun began to melt away the tension and I enjoyed scenes of fishing boats, cafes, sailboats, and cats.

Located on the island is defensive castle, a monument that can easily be seen from our ship. The scenery on this peaceful, tiny island was stunning with views of the sea with its iridescent turquoise waters. I explored and took photos.

Palermo, Sicily-First visit to Itay's toe

My first time in the “toe” of Italy’s boot, I spent 7 hours touring Palermo, taking in sites on and off the beaten path. What struck me most was the interesting and varied Norman Arabic, and Baroque architecture; unbelievably chaotic traffic; and that only Italian is spoken here (it is not infested w. tourists). Heavily bombed during WWII, there remain bombed out sections of the city that were never restored. I must confess: I couldn’t help but think of La Cosa Nostra—especially when there are a plethora of t-shirts, post cards, and other souvenirs that feature mafiusu and even Don Corleone! I bonded with the local merchants when I told them I am from Chicago—infamous for serving as Al Capone’s home base. Every since I began travelling 30 years ago, I find that foreigners connect Chicago to Al Capone. In France, they used to say, “Bang, Bang, do you carry a gun!” (in a really broken accent!)

I began my day by searching for stop #1 on the red line of the Hop on Hop Off bus. Because the process for acquiring tickets and boarding was so chaotic, I decided to sit back and enjoy two complete circuits that included stops at The 4 Corners Square, The Famous Markets, and The Palace Reale

I disembarked and got acquainted up close and personal by strolling through the narrow streets, visiting colorful and abundant markets, and savoring a gelato, a cappuccino, and a delectable slice of pizza.

I will save a visit to the Catacombs for my next stop here.

Tour From Haifa, Israel to Nazareth and Galilee and More.

On day 6 of our cruise, we explored the beautiful North of Israel from the Port of Haifa.

Our journey consisted of a full day tour to the historic locations and stunning scenery of the places where Jesus lived, preached and performed his miracles. Included on our full-day shore excursion were: Nazareth, Cana, Tabgha, Mount of Beatitudes, Capernaum, Sea of Galilee, Yardenit Baptismal Site on The Jorgan River, the Haifa Bay and Baha'i Gardens, and lunch overlooking the Sea of Galilee. We travelled through lush green hills and we could see the Golan Heights and Lebanon from different points along the journey.


First, we traveled along the plains of Armageddon to Nazareth - the place where Jesus spent his early years. In Nazareth, we toured the Basilica of the Annunciation, established at the site where, according to Roman Catholic tradition, the Virgin Mary received the news from Angel Gabriel that she would give birth to Jesus. Rebuilt in 1969, on the remains of Byzantine and Crusader churches, it is the largest Christian sanctuary in the Middle East. The vast upper church and courtyard are decorated with large gift mosaics of the Virgin Mary donated by 43 nations from around the world. Each mosaic reflects characteristic of its mother land. My favorite mosaics were from Cameroon, Japan, Thailand, and the USA. Here is a site that shows all 43 mosaics, gifts and more….
http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/AnnunciationMosaics.html


The site has been a pilgrimage destination since earliest times and remains an important stop for Christian Holy Land pilgrims today.


Then onwards to Tabgha, the site of the miracle of loaves and fish. There were fish mosaics in the tile throughout. We saw the great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great greatgrandparent of the fishes from THE loaves and fishes :).

Next, was my favorite stop because it was beautiful and peaceful--a visit to the Mount of Beatitudes where it is believed Jesus preached the famous Sermon on the Mount. Located on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee near Tabgha, the Mount of Beatitudes is the traditional site of Jesus' delivery of the Sermon on the Mount, probably the most famous sermon of all time (Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. …) I found it a bit odd that our tour guide asked a fellow traveler to read The Beatitudes from the bible. Perhaps he simply refuses to read from the New Testament—he did this several times. Pilgrims have been drawn to this scenic place since at least the 4th century.

Next was a visit to Capernaum, an ancient fishing village located on the beautiful shores of the Sea of Galilee, considered the center of Jesus' ministry. The town is cited in the Gospel of Luke where it was reported to have been the home of the apostles Simon Peter, Andrew, James, Matthew, and John. Key points of interest here are the archeological site where excavations have revealed ruins of two ancient synagogues, built one over the other; (where an impressive mosaic floor was recently discovered), an olive mill and an olive press dating from Roman times: and the octagonal church-- ALL with a stunning backdrop of the sea of Galilee.


Lunch was traditional bountiful, middle-eastern fare at the restaurant St Peter, overlooking the Sea of Galilee.


Continuing along the panoramic seashore, we drove to the Yardenit baptismal site where the River Jordan separates from the Sea of Galilee. This site is believed by some traditions to be the actual site where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. In this naturally scenic and symbolic setting, with diverse flora, and some exotic animal species, pilgrims from around the world come to perform baptismal ceremonies. Entire church groups even travel here for Baptism ceremonies. The gift shop, naturally, was immense. See this site for some photos: http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/yardenit.html


We ended the day a with picturesque drive to the top of Mount Carmel for a panoramic view over the Haifa bay and the famous golden-domed Baha'i Temple with its exquisitely sculptured and manicured gardens. What a magnificent choice of locations for the world headquarters of the Baha'i Faith. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is an oasis of sheer beauty. Of note, here are 7 Baha'I temples in the world, one on every continent. I have also visited the Asian site in Delhi India.

From atop Mt Carmel, we had a perfect view of our ship docked at the port.

Another enriching, moving day touring Northern Israel. Taking a small, private, group tour is always the best way to visit a port city and nearby sites.