Kioumarth Saberi Foumani (Gol Agha) is one of the oldest contemporary satirists. Apparently he does not intend to view anything seriously. In a letter that he wrote to the political deputy of the ministry of state two or three years ago, he had mentioned that he doesn't want to do anything unprofessionally meaning that he considers writing satires as his profession. Gol Agha gives an unusual satiric answer to all serious questions. A kind of satire that is always accompanied by narrow, yet tangible and sharp layers of criticism. What follows is an unusual dialogue between Saberi Foumani, the editor of Gol Agha and ISNA journalist.

Q: What is the role of satire in ameliorating social behaviors?

A: When we like to affect our own social behaviors, we mix some of the satires we wrote 16-17 years ago with certain newspapers and stir them together. Once thoroughly mixed we pour a spoonful of it into a bucket and then take the handle by hand and pour the content...After 10-15 days, it will affect our social behavior so much that we get really astonished and amazed, and so far we have been astonished thousand times.

If every member of the society takes satire three times a day (morning, noon and night) and shakes himself before taking it, it would definitely affect his social and non-social behaviors.

Q: Can political satire change into political crime? In general is political satire considered political crime or not?

A: Political satire is and will be the clear evidence of various kinds of crimes. Therefore, as you are a new news agency and to some extent ignorant, you should know that political satire of the old times has now transformed to political crime and it is done away with forever! However because political crime has not so far been properly defined, therefore you have mix up the question. That means that if political satire can transform into political crime, then it is obvious that it would be considered political and its proof is the verse by the mellifluous poet that says: when it comes to hundred, ninety too is in our hand.

Yes, everybody knows very well that political satire is considered as a kind of political activity par excellence and in addition, it has the potential to transform into political crime by all means. Secondly and worst of all it has prepared and would prepare the ground for many other crimes (and perhaps more). However, there is another usual way for satire to produce immediate effects on social behavior and that is by needles or satire syringe that can be inserted subcutaneously, intramuscularly, intravenously and...but its effect is transitory. According to an old proverb: "do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Q: How can satire affect political and cultural development?

A: Essentially, satire (and caricature too) has two distinct functions, one is reformation and the other is development. The mechanism is the same in both. The only difference is that satire and caricature only have a role in the development of culture and politics while they can be applied to economic development and other things too.

In the old times, they did not use satire and caricature for the development of these and other things. Later when they realized that it is possible to develop things by satire and caricature, they started to make effective use of them and are still doing that. Briefly, satire and caricature have a close relationship with politics and culture from the developmental point of view and they mutually develop each other and (vice versa). Unfortunately, considering the vastness of the scope of this development (including satire and also caricature) the more I answer your question, the more the subject is prolonged. Then it would be possible that we might stumble and make trouble for you (let alone ourselves).

Q: Why has Gol Agha softened its critical approach to the government after Khordad 2^nd?

A: What is it that Gol Agha has not softened its critical approach to? Sheikh Ajal says: "You that crave for reaching the destination, don't hurry!" Particularly when the critical approach to this government has been continuously intensifying from four directions and six angles. Any satirist, no matter how mentally deranged, knows that every remark has a its own place and every wit its own occasion.

Secondly, there was a time that we had work to do and so we went too fast. As the result we started to stumble and so we went backward and all of a sudden we realized woe! we are all in sweat. As everybody knows that if one goes too fast, one would sweat and anybody that sweats, would probably catch cold. To tell you the truth we don't like to catch cold. That is why they say: 'camel walks slowly all day and night.' You know that it is stated in the constitution of our tearoom that it is better for humans to go slowly and unceasingly. In addition, what is wrong with it that when everything is increasing everywhere, there would be a place where some of the things are decreasing. Therefore it is not in our hand that the sharp critical approach of Gol Agha to the government has softened.

From the first day, we told everybody what sort of Gol Agha we are and I suppose that is why that somebody calls us Gol Agha of the Iranian nation and somebody else calls us safety valve which means that is what we are.

Q: How can satire be successful in criticizing the authorities?

A: First of all the authorities are of two kinds: successful and unsuccessful. Therefore, satire is unsuccessful with successful authorities and successful with unsuccessful authorities, but the mechanism is the secret of the work. You Mr. Journalist of ISNA, you are rather young, we old people can not be deceived by a young man (you) to unfold the secret of our work. But in order to give you a good answer, I would say...writing satire is not without its own tricks and secrets.

Q: One of the caricaturists of the press has said that Gol Agha acts quite exclusively and does not allow its writers and caricaturists to work somewhere else. Is this true?

A: First of all 'one of the caricaturists of the press' has made a grave mistake to have said such a lie. This is for the sake of other periodicals that we don't allow a caricaturist that works for Gol Ahga to work somewhere else too. Is it wrong to be concerned with the well-being of other periodicals?

It is true that we keep these 10-20 pages of Gol Ahga exclusively for our co-workers. However, if a writer or caricaturist that works for other periodicals sends us articles or caricatures, we will look at them to see what they are. If they accord with our standards, then we would see how many writers and caricaturists we have whose works have been waiting in the tea-room of Shagholam to be published. If there would be no similar stuff, we would publish the work. Finally, I should say that Gol Agha has a series of rules and criteria and these sorts of things that because you have not inquired about them, we happily stop answering at this point.

Q: Compared to other periodicals why does Gol Agha receive more financial aid?

A: That is not the right way to pose a question! This is seven eight questions that you should ask one by one. What you have said is an example of 'dissemination of lies and confusing the minds'. You are under the influence of the world estekbar (imperialism) and say things that can not be found in any apothecary and even if it is found it is not as gross as you say. Any way first of all you should say what are these financial aids that Gol Agha is receiving and then we would say why other periodicals do not receive them. (Let alone the news agencies as we don't have any news agency other than ISNA and IRANA, do we?)

Q: Why has Gol Agha been the pioneer in breaking the red lines and taboos?

A: Never! Look what he says! He thinks that if we even intend to continue a course we would unfold it from the beginning.

Q: Why doesn't Gol Agha change into a newspaper?

A: What are you talking about? We are publishing a weekly periodical and you are asking us about financial aids! If we publish a newspaper then how could we answer such questions? In that case, we would perhaps have to answer the questions of the judge and the jury of the press too! Any kind of work has its own time and place. The poet says: "Where are those good old days of juvenility?" But if we could find some supra-wing group that would be willing to help us to publish an independent daily supra-wing paper working on the same line as Gol Agha we are even ready to publish an hourly paper, on the condition that we had the mood and money and vitality and potency and courage and will and other necessary things, that we don't have. Let alone financial aid and other benefits. We are not six-fingered creatures to sit and watch other periodicals receiving all these things. Even if our circulation would be low, it would not be less than the sum of the circulation of sold and returned and Internet copies of some of the newspapers!

Q: Why hasn't Gol Agha carried out any research in the field of education?

A: Woe... then what about all these forgotten caricaturists and satirists that we have revived their names and what about this large number of young people that we have trained (and we are still training)? Have they become satirist and caricaturist on their own? You are the man of the press, don't you know about these things? But you have a point in what you are saying. Gol Agha could establish a college in this respect. You get the necessary permission and the financial support and we would establish such a college before the end of the year. Although this should be the work of those organizations that have annually received the necessary budget for this purpose, notwithstanding the fact that they have done nothing in the past seven eight years that they have been receiving this budget! But you shouldn't undermine the expenses of the seminars they have held and will hold on this subject. After all, budget is there to be spent and not to be put in the crack of the wall.

Q: Mr. Saberi, when I called you to set the time for this interview, you said you like to see the questions first. Why?

A: Because I wanted to watch my steps and think about what I have to say. It is said that one day Mola Naserdin...no, that is not a suitable subject for an interview with ISNA nor with IRANA. Perhaps with the help of some self-censorship I would publish it in Gol Agha.

Q: Keyhan newspaper had mentioned that Gol Agha has bought a building in Afrigha Street. What was the real story?

A: It is a White House like other White Houses of the world! If we add 3.5 times 3.5 times 3.5 inches to its length and width and height it would then be a building exactly as small as that of Keyhan. You haven't seen the Whiter House, so why should you be interviewing us? Does it make you happy to provoke Keyhan to approach us again? Woe...

Q: How do you evaluate the function of the news agencies of the country, particularly that of the students?

A: You discouraged us several times while asking your questions. Now you expect us to praise you? Yes? Now that it is like that we should say we are not even in the position to evaluate your work! Did I discourage you, enough? You should have first said that the moustache of our Shagholam is exactly like that of Naserdin Shah, and perhaps more and then you should have asked this question, but not after calling us extortionist and bigot, receiving financial aids and so on. From now on put your questions in such a way that we would give you a good answer together with the necessary advice in order to spare our blushes. You should be happy that we have disheartened you so much up to now. Am I wrong?

Q: How do you evaluate the situation of satire and caricature particularly in the recent years?

A: Look. In order to overcome the portentousness of number 13, you have added the question 14 to them that requires an answer as extensive as a book and it is in itself 14 questions. So let's leave it for another interview.

-- Translated for payvand.com by Roya Monajem, royamonajem@gmail.com

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