Latest news with #Mohammadkhani
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In election post, SPS board member questions display of Iran flag, blames board makeup
A day before the April 8 election, Springfield school board member Maryam Mohammadkhani questioned why a specific flag — the one representing Iran — was among the many flags displayed at a local school. "The flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran hangs in the cafeteria of Rountree Elementary," she wrote April 7 on the Facebook page for her campaign committee, Parents for Mohammadkhani. "Under the guise of inclusivity, well meaning staff accepted this gift from a (Missouri State University) professor." Officials with the district and board said Mohammadkhani did not raise concerns about the flag with the school, district officials or the board prior to the post on the eve of the election. Mohammadkhani pinned the responsibility for the displayed flag in the school on the elected governing body that she has been part of since 2021. In the post, she wrote: "Question: Who is responsible? Answer: The Board of Education." She added: "Your vote has consequences." Rountree is one of three Springfield elementary schools that offer the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme. It features an interdisciplinary academic approach that aims to teach students effective communication, critical thinking, problem-solving and belonging, locally and globally. "There are IB schools in almost 160 countries," Mohammadkani wrote. "Why display this flag?" The News-Leader asked that question of the Springfield district. "It is a long-standing tradition for some International Baccalaureate schools to represent students from a variety of backgrounds by displaying flags from the various countries where they were born. The flags signify that a student from that particular country either currently attends, or has attended, that school," wrote Stephen Hall, chief communications officer, in the district response. "In alignment with IB traditions, this is a visual way to represent varied cultures and is not an endorsement of any government or ideology. Neither the school nor our district has heard from Dr. Mohammadkhani regarding any concern related to this matter." Mohammadkhani, a retired pathologist, was born in Iran and has lived in Springfield for more than 20 years. Her post about the flag displayed at Rountree generated more than 90 comments and shares on her campaign page on Facebook. Some of the commenters called for the flag to be removed or argued only the American flag should be displayed. Others questioned the timing and appropriateness of the post. "As a teacher at Rountree who teaches multiple students who speak languages from the areas in and around Iran, when I see the flags, I see the people, their culture, their humanity," wrote Rountree teacher Michelle Garrison, in a comment on the post. "We can celebrate a variety of cultures without being swallowed up by politics affronted by the false efforts at 'diversity' and the like. And we can still encourage a sense of American pride while teaching about a variety of cultures. You don't have to agree with the politics or religion in order to care for the people, especially the students, whose heritage for which the flag might be the closest representation." In the comment, Garrison wrote that of all the issues teachers and students face, flags take up "very little" attention. "We hope the school board focuses on what is most important, caring for kids, and the real problems teachers face in the trenches every day." Mohammadkhani, elected to a second term in 2024, has been vocal in the school board election, publicly supporting incumbent Kelly Byrne and first-time candidate David Myers. Byrne and Myers are among the four candidates, including first-time candidates Sarah Hough and Gail Smart, vying for two open seats. The two with the most votes will be sworn in April 15. Other board members have also been vocal in support of candidates and Susan Provance, elected in 2024, was in a TV campaign ad for Hough. Asked about the post, board president Danielle Kincaid said there is an "appropriate process for sharing concerns with fellow board members, the superintendent and the district we're elected to represent." "That process provides board members with an opportunity to seek clarity on issues and resolve potential misunderstandings. In this circumstance, Dr. Mohammadkhani chose not to follow that process. She did not engage with the board, administration, or other district representative before posting her comments directly to a campaign page on the eve of an election," Kincaid wrote. Mohammadkhani was also featured in a TV campaign ad paid for by Back on Track America, a conservative political action committee, that supported Byrne and Myers. Kincaid said Mohammadkhani's post about the flag does "not speak for the Board of Education." "In recent years, SPS staff have expressed concern about perceived surveillance from board members during campus visits. Dr. Mohammadkhani's posting of photos on social media without appropriate context fuels ongoing concerns and diminishes trust with Team SPS," Kincaid wrote, in a statement. "It is disappointing that the board and entire SPS team learned of Dr. Mohammadkhani's concerns through unconventional channels." The News-Leader left a message seeking comment from Mohammadkhani about the timing of the post, if she had previously raised concerns about the flag with the district or board, and what outcome she is seeking. This story will be updated if she responds. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: SPS board member questions display of Iran flag, blames board makeup
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mahdieh Mohammadkhani Returns to L.A. for The 2025 Farhang Foundation Nowruz Celebration
Mahdieh Mohammadkhani never wanted to leave Iran. It's the country where she grew up, and where her family and friends remain, but her artistry and desire for freedom was something she was unable to fully express in her a musician, Mohammadkhani faced restrictions in Iran. Under the conservative religious government, Iranian women are only able to sing in public if they're part of a choir, or as solo artists for female-only audiences."I never had any permission to perform in the country, and all my performances were always outside of Iran," she this, Mohammadkhani is a globally acclaimed classical Iranian singer."I've always wanted to stay in Iran, even with all the restrictions that were imposed on me as an artist," Mohammadkhani tells me. "But I have [left] because of the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement and the Mahsa Amini incident."She's talking about the 2022 tragedy when Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman died in custody of Iran's morality police (the Gasht-e Ershad) after she was detained for not wearing her hijab properly (as part of the mandatory Islamic dress code). Following Amini's death, the country fought back and protests rang all throughout the region and the movement quickly grew under the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom."Mohammadkhani's global performances have only recently resumed because as punishment for her support of "Woman, Life, Freedom," her passport was confiscated and she was stuck in Iran until January 2024. "Over the last few years [in Iran] I was also forbidden to work, even as a [music] instructor, and I was forbidden to leave the country to go and perform outside of Iran," she feminists have been protesting and organizing against the conservative religious rule since its theocratic government was established in 1979, but the government has continued to rule. Amini's death gained global recognition and it became the largest act of protest since the 1979 revolution. This series of protests in Iran left close to 20,000 people arrested and more than 500 dead, as reported by the Human Rights Mohammadkhani's travel ban was lifted, she fled to Dubai, where she currently resides."In picking a country for exile, I selected a country that is closest to my homeland. And in a way, I feel like I still have connections to Iran through the Persian Gulf. I feel my roots there," Mohammadkhani living in Dubai, Mohammadkhani has resumed performing and is "determined to focus on [her] career and expand [her] recordings and live performances," she says. As part of her return, the Iranian singer has come to the United States for the first time in over a decade to perform at the Farhang Foundation's Nowruz concert at Royce Hall UCLA on Sunday, March 9. The concert is part of the Foundation's annual Iranian New Year Celebration in L.A., which begins with a day-long Nowruz festival."Our sole mission is to celebrate and promote Iranian art and culture for the benefit of the global community," says Alireza Ardekani, the CEO of the Farhang Foundation. The Farhang Foundation is a non-political, non-religious, and not-for-profit organization that was founded in 2008 by a group of philanthropists in Southern California."The reason the organization was established was because our founders felt that what the general [public] sees about or hears about Iran is what they see on the news, and specifically, what the current government of Iran is doing," he says. "All the beauty of our culture, our history, our poetry, our every contribution that Iran and Iranians have made to the world over centuries was really simply forgotten."The California-based organization is one of the largest Iranian cultural and arts organizations in the world—globally, they reach over 8.1 million people. This year's free day-long Nowruz festival will begin at 12 p.m. at UCLA's campus. The 6 p.m. concert following the festival will be held at Royce Hall and features Mahdieh Mohammadkhani, Cameron Shahbazi, and The Iranshahr Orchestra."We invite everyone to come and celebrate Nowruz because Noruz is a festival that you don't have to be Iranian to celebrate," Ardekani says. "It's a celebration of mother nature, spring, rebirth, and just the beauty of nature." Plan Your Perfect Weekend! Get the best events, dining, and activities around Los Angeles delivered to your inbox. Sign up for Los Angeles Magazine's Weekend Guide below or by clicking here.
