Dear Dave G, I appreciate that! I can actually sense your change of tone in writing, and willingness to amend US historical mistakes if you could. Sadly, neither you nor I have the power to repair the damage done by the governments of the United States of Arrogance and the Islamic Republic of Ignorance. But I think our main difference is that you actually believe the US is right and has always been right, while I am not a supporter of Iran's foreign policy because I don't think Iran has ever had a true democratic government , except for the short period when Mosaddegh had some limited power. But the other thing that you can do right now, is stop your unelected G.W. Bush from fraudulently staying in office for another 4 years, while we Iranians must unite and overthrow the Mullahcracy without letting your Neo-Con presidential cabal sink their interfering claws into our homeland. Maybe...just maybe...then we can make a fresh start and forget the past.
- By: Arash on July 11, 2003

I am writing my view on Dave's comments in my weblog. It would be great if you can add your comments on it.
- By: Iman on July 11, 2003

Hi Arash - I'm glad you're enjoying the fun. Putting talk of nukes aside for now, I'd like to correct some commonly held misbeliefs you have. The U.S. is not warmongering or guzzling oil. All of the western economies need oil and we just want there to be market in which we can buy oil. We could invade countries and take it, but we don't because we're so nice. We tolerated Saddam Hussein for all these years (and all the other knuckleheads like Quadafi and the saudi dogs and the ayatollahs) and if it wasn't for our fear that he was developing weapons of mass destruction and might cooperate with terrorists, we wouldn't have invaded. Remember - we are at war. Until we no longer feel threatened we will remain at war. The europeans hate us and are consumed by envy. Great powers hate not being great powers anymore. The europeans are in decline and they want to drag everyone down with them so they don't feel so bad. We do what we think is right, not what the europeans tell us we should do. As for Iranian mistrust, will someone please tell me what all this fuss about Mosaddegh is all about? From what I recall, it was the British oil interests that were threatened, and they asked for our help. We had a real pig for a Secretary of State at the time, John Foster Dulles. He was really into that cloak and dagger stuff, and wanted the U.S. to play the Great Game like the european powers had for so long. The U.S. had tried to stay isolationist but got dragged into the First and Second World Wars. We came to realize that we had to stay involved in the world to prevent another great world conflict. The Soviet Union had swallowed up many eastern european countries and openly called for communist domination of the world and they were far more powerful than the european countries. China had just been lost to the communists, too. Toppling Mosaddegh was more about preventing the Soviets from taking over than about securing oil. And maybe we thought the Shah would be a better ruler. I recall before the Shah's downfall how the western media was absolutely filled with stories of how bad the Shah was and how his dreaded SAVAK had killed hundreds and imprisoned thousands. How many have the Ayatollahs killed? (Notice the liberal western press plays down how bad this government is, yet they led a relentless campaign against the Shah.) I would rather have lived in Iran under the Shah than under the Ayatollahs. But, back to Mosaddegh, who by all the accounts I read was something of a flake. Didn't he hold a referendum on his rule where he got 99.9% of the vote? That's moslem democracy for you. The kind of results that Saddam Hussein and Quadafi and recently, Hosni Mubarek got. Plus, the CIA was completely incompetent in that operation, like a bunch of clowns. If there was so much support for Mosaddegh, how come the people didn't take to the streets and prevent the coup? There must have been factions that wanted it. I don't recall a civil war, or even much fighting that took place. So it wasn't a very stable or permanent democracy. Any democracy that was held dear by the people could never, ever have been toppled so easily. Besides, that was during the cold war. The U.S. and the Soviets treated countries like chess pieces. Okay, we behaved badly. We're sorry. Get over it. It was 50 years ago. And when you got rid of the Shah, that was some revolution you guys had. Ugh. Why did you let the religious psychos take over? Don't blame us for that one. As for the downing of the airline, that was an accident (our fault, but not deliberate murder, unlike Iran's retaliation). It's too involved to get into a discussion here, but if you want, have at it in another message and I'll set you straight. Oh, and Saddam and his war. Hey, you live in a part of the world where everyone looks like a barbarian from our point of view. Religious fundamentalists thundering about the Great Satan and the vile dictator Hussein (who didn't look quite so bad when he first took power) squared off. We helped the lesser of two evils because we thought if Iran won, they'd annex the Shiite parts of Iraq and destabilize the entire region (and they would have). If the Ayatollahs hadn't killed all the Shah's generals and emasculated his formidable military, Iraq would never have dared invade. But, easier to blame us for everything. No, I think we are (with a few minor lapses) the Good Guy. The rest of the countries of the world are, for the most part, the Bad Guys. It's obvious. Get it? I rest my case.
- By: Dave G. on July 11, 2003

Dear Dave G , I am really enjoying this discussion thread, but feel the urge to make an effort,however futile, to insert my $0.02 into this topic. For the record, I am not a religious person and do not practice or preach any faith, and I truly loathe Islam for what it has done to my Iran. But I believe you are missing some key points. The 1.3 billion muslims in the world are not all terrorists and are not all Hell-bent on destroying you and the US. If they really were, you would surely not be reading this comment now. Do you really believe a bunch of religious fanatics like Irans Mullahcracy ,and CIA trained mercenaries like Bin Laden, and egotistical and 'former US allies' like Saddam, officially represent a population of 1.3 billion human beings? Dave, we are talking 1.3 billion human lives here. How many 'Nukes up the Wazoo' would it take to get rid of all of them so you can get back to watching your baseball in peace? Have you ever stopped to wonder that maybe the US government is suffering the repercussions of a wrong foreign policy, instead of pointing the finger at Islam ? Don't you think that Islam is the only viable excuse for the US to continue warmongering and oil guzzling now that Communism no longer poses a threat? I am truly surprised that you do not even mention the current European stand towards the US. Do you have any idea how strongly Europeans detest the US these days? Once you get rid of the 1.3 billion, do you plan to nuke Europe too? Face it, the US has lost all international credibility and exposed itself as a power- drunk bully who has not yet learned from its past mistakes. Besides, Irans' mistrust of the USA goes way back before the Islamic revolution and is not based on religious fanaticism. The US support of the coup d'etat and overthrow of Mosaddegh was not because Mosaddegh was promoting Islam, it was because the US was scared stiff that for once a true democratic leader was gaining power in Iran and cutting off a major US oil supply. After the revolution, the US support of a madman like Saddam for 8 years and selling him WMD's to use on Iranian soldiers, and the arrogance of the US in shooting down a civilan Iranian Airplane by the USS Vincennes and honoring the ship commander, are just examples of why the US is going to have a lot of formal apologies to do before Iranians even try to digest your junk food and junk culture.
- By: Arash on July 10, 2003

Reza - I was born in New York and I have no Iranian ancestry. My knowledge comes from being a history major in college and taking a couple of courses in Islamic and Arabic history. So, I am certainly very far from being an expert (especially about Iran), but I still know more than most Americans, who have probably never read a single book about that part of the world. I brought up nukes because I thought it was important that it be mentioned, as I know many people who think we should have retaliated far more forcefully to 9/11 (and to other attacks against Americans) than we did. I think it is only a matter of time before Bin Laden or another terrorist smuggles a nuclear weapon into the United States and uses. it. Imagine what would happen if New York City gets nuked and millions of people lose their lives. There would still be many millions left who would have lost family and loved ones, and they will not be screaming for us to kill Bin Laden. They will be screaming that all moslems should be killed. You can kiss Mecca and Medina good-bye. You can say good-bye to many, many other moslem cities, too. Don't think it couldn't happen. The moslem world is playing with dynamite and the possible consequences are too horrible to contemplate, but also too horrible not to contemplate. In the name of Islam, fanatics could plunge the world into a nuclear holocaust, and many moslems go about their daily lives without even an inkling what a horrendous catastrophe could befall them. They need a wake-up call. As for the Arab-Israeli conflict, I do not think this is really on-topic for this thread, as there is too much to say and I think it strays too far from the subject of Iran and it's future. But I will address your statement briefly since it seems to consume so much energy and emotion among Iranians, who should really concentrate on their own problems. The U.S. is not a guardian of Israel. The U.S. is there to guard the moslem nations FROM Israel. If the United States pulled out and said all the nations in the middle east can resolve their problems however they wish, Israel could just deport all the Palestinians from the west bank and gaza, or destroy all their arab neighbors. The moslem world thinks Israel is just an extension of the West, or a colony of sorts. It is not. It is a sovereign nation. The U.S. also feels a deep moral commitment to Israel's survival and feels that a great historical wrong was corrected when Israel reclaimed it's land. It does not view Israel as a beachhead to future conquest or domination of the countries in the middle east. They support Israel because it is the right thing to do. How many Iranians or arabs have ever read a history of the Jewish people? Virtually none. They have opinions based on years of propaganda from those who hate Israel with a blind, unreasoning passion. They don't try to understand the other side. Their minds are set in concrete. In the case of the Saudis, the United States will get attacked no matter what they do. After the Ottoman Empire fell, the British and French carved up the middle east for their own ends. The United States did not participate. They were willing to do business and have cordial relations with whatever countries emerged. If the U.S. does business with the Saudis, they are condemned for helping to prop up a tryannical regime, simply by dealing with them. If the U.S. tries to encourage regime change, or even just an easing of the hardships on the people of Arabia, they are condemned for interference in the internal affairs of another nation. We're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. We would very much like to see regime change in Arabia. What would you have us do? As for your comments about the huge amount of money that has been spent, I agree. I think it has been squandered. I would have solved the Iraqi problem by calling for millions of Hindu volunteers from India, and building a huge mercenary army, trained and armed by the United States, and promising them all prime Tigris And Euphrates real estate when the conquest was over. It would have cost a fraction of what we spent and would have terrified the Iraqis more than the prospect of Americans invading (who they know will sooner or later leave). Plus, there would have been no American casualties and you can guess how the Hindus would react if Saddam's mujahedeen took pot shots at them. (Okay, I know it's a fanciful notion, but what a wonderfully effective threat a Hindu mercenary army would make!) Your last point is the most relevant, as my initial comment was to make the point that it is the Iranians and the moslems who most need to learn about the West, not the other way around. I think the U.S. should have an ambitious policy of educating and informing the people in that part of the world. It is reported that many, many people are buying satellite dishes in Iraq right now. I think the U.S. should subsidize the sale of these dishes, so they are cheap enough for evey family to buy one. And we should publish dozens of newspapers, magazines, and books to give the people alternative viewpoints and ideas. We should also create and broadcast many T.V. shows aimed at informing the people and breaking the stranglehold that islamic-influenced news has on everyone. Of course we probably don't have enough arabic speakers, and it never occurs to us to actively challenge the lies that get broadcast day in and day out. (It wouldn't hurt to have some Farsi language channels of our own beamed into Iran, and not rely on Iranian expatriates broadcasting from Los Angeles.) There are many other ways to effect change and improve the lives of people in that part of the world, and perhaps it is a worthy topic that can be discussed on it's own, but I think it's too ambitious to discuss here and now. I do think the catalyst for change will probably have to come from people like you, who are familiar with the West and can help change minds and attitudes. But first, Iranians who want to build bridges to the rest of the world need to open their minds and hearts and try to understand how other peoples think and feel. Right now moslems only see things through moslem eyes. - apologies for the length of this response, and I hope it comes out with paragraphs instead of lumped together like my other comments
- By: Dave G. on July 9, 2003

Reza, I have trouble agreeing with the assertion that leaving the middle-east alone will result in the end of America's problems. In post WWII, the US repeatedly entered into political in-fights with France, Britain and even Israel on *behalf* of Muslim countries. If the US is Israel's Guardian, it should also be considered Guardian of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait and the Soon-to-Be-Democratic Iraq (among others).... During the first three attacks into In fact, adding up American intervention on behalf of losing Muslims in their self-initiated wars; our protection of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia; our intervention on the behalf of Muslims in Kosovo; our intervention during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan; our attempts to install consensual government in both Iraq and Afghanistan; adding all these up, I cannot think of another country that has done *more* for Muslim people. Yet they continue to wail about a comparatively miniscule piece of land that would have little or NO use save for the work done to it by Jewish Settlers. Given this datum, I can only assume that if America dropped everything and walked away, we would still be blamed for every woe in the place- just as we were blamed for leaving Post-soviet Afghanistan to itself. And the Muslim people would still be handedly beat down each time they attempted to invade Israel. And we would have even less control over the next Muslim extremist who attempted to target American civilians. No thank you. Your argument, though clichéd enough to be mistaken for common sense, lacks logical foundation. -HB
- By: Henry Bramlet on July 9, 2003

I would like to know more about the sense of humor of the people of Iran. The fabric of a culture shows well in it's humor.
- By: Claire on July 9, 2003

http://www.yousefi.persianblog.com/
- By: bhy on July 9, 2003

BTW, I am still stuck to my theory that all of the relgions are the same. West won the world after the Crusade, and Moslems lost it after the Crusade.
- By: Reza on July 9, 2003

What should I say Dave? To be honest with you I even think you have been born in Iran, but that is not so important. You brought up the problem, but what is your solution? are you still insist on the nuke solution?!? if yes then you will lose a lots of "Kind Folks". So far, US spend more than 70,000,000,000$ of tax payers money on War on Iraq (just Iraq not Afghanistan), just because some rich guy are going to make, probably 1% of it, and they can't make it directly from the people money. Ok, let me tell you what my solution is. First, don't bother to be involved in the mid-east problems, then no body even think about you, what is your business with Israel? Are you guys crazy? Leave them to deal with their own problem? US always act as Israel nanny. Please don't accuse me to anti-Semitism and those shit, my wife is a Jew and I don't have any problem with them, I just don't understand why is US an Israel Guardian? and at the same time why do Americans Government support Saudi Arabia government? For god sake, they even put their family name after the country; they are the true symbol of "medieval dictatorship". I didn't tell, you like their oil, but I couldn't figure it out why US support this government. Do these two things and I promise you with all of my beliefs that nobody even think about America. Second, if you are really really care about the people and their problem, spend some money to educate people, 70,000,000,000$ is more than enough. Don't you guys have the technology to educate people in that area instead? Just give the money to Gates or Ellison, I am pretty sure they will come up with an awesome idea! If you think it doesn't work, you are wrong, and if you think using nuke is a solution you are wrong twofold.
- By: Reza on July 9, 2003

When you see a person who thinks s/he is the best one, knows everything, can do everything, can solve all problems , owns all arts ...etc. be sure s/he is Iranian. (s/he just think , not in fact!)
- By: Paul on July 9, 2003

Sorry about the lack of paragraphs in the previous comment, but my browser kept crashing so I had to write the comments and paste them in. I tried to insert lines after each paragraph, but as you see....
- By: Dave G. on July 8, 2003

I'd like to thank all the kind folks who have given me constructive criticism on my posted comments. I know - I'm ignorant, infantile, a fanatic, and brainwashed by the zionist media. Sorry to disappoint you, but I can think for myself and make up my own mind about issues. It's true that most Americans know almost nothing about Iran and Islam (most Americans couldn't even find their neighbor Mexico on a map if they had to). And I admit I am certainly not an expert, but my knowledge surpasses that of most people in this country, and because I have learned from different sources than most Iranians, my knowledge is both greater than theirs in some ways and less than theirs in others. I made the comments to show you that there are people who believe completely different things from what the majority visiting this weblog believe. Hajir - James Woolsey has it wrong. I think he is one of the more insightful commentators talking about this subject, but he doesn't understand Islam (virtually none of the politicians or journalists in America understand it either). Even if the students succeed in starting a revolution or forcing the mullahs from power, Iran would continue to pose a threat. There would still be millions of religious fanatics in Iran, and while they may not be able to retake power, they could and would work to help terrorists attack the United States. Woolsey was Director of the CIA, and he didn't take action to destroy the terrorist threat when he had the chance. Now he thinks we may have to wait years before Iran finally gets it's house in order. Sorry, but the threat is too great. Parkometer - Yes, my understanding of Iran is simplistic. The only thing that matters to me is the potential for Iran to contribute to the destruction of American lives. I don't care about Persian poetry or architecture or film. I don't care about the Shah or Mossadegh. And you can bet the rest of America doesn't care either. You can focus on how great the Iranian people are, how glorious is their history, the potential they have to make wonderful contributions to the world - we don't care. The single thing Americans are focused on in that part of the world is that we don't want to have our families murdered by fanatics. Unfortunately, as long as there are uneducated mobs of moslems screaming for our blood, it doesn't matter how many millions of idealistic progressive students and young professionals there are. The murderous ones amongst you are tolerated. Every moslem nation has mobs screaming 'Death to America' and 'Death to Bush' and of course 'Death to the Jews'. Every moslem nation has an educational system that teaches intolerance and hate and a media that preaches intolerance and hate, and government institutions who blame the West and non-muslims for all their failures. That is the impression Americans have of the moslem world - I know there is far more diversity of opinion and affection for the United States (well, at least it's people) in the moslem world. But most Americans see just the constant insults and fury directed at us. Reza - YES! Islam is very different from other religions. Other religions concern themselves with the spiritual (for the most part). Islam concerns itself with everything - the spiritual, the social and the political. Islam is a straitjacket that keeps the people from learning and exploring and progressing. Islam is terrified of change because it has put itself on a pedestal and regards all other religions as inferior. When confronted, decade after decade, with it's own inferiority - militarily, socially, culturally, economically - it acts like a poorly behaved child throwing a tantrum. It's not our fault that moslem countries are poor, weak and backward. And while moslem commentators can bemoan their place in the world, they would be torn to pieces if they suggested in their own countries that Islam is the cause of all their ills. But, you're right about the media in America - it's superficial, biased, incomplete and just plain wrong much of the time. But it shines like a beacon of truth compared to the media in the moslem world. Rouzbeh - I know, I know. I oversimplified. There are many differences among moslem countries, and to paint them all with a broad brush is unfair. Iran is one of the most complex of all. And in my opinion, it has the most potential of all the moslem countries. But most Americans see arabs, Iranians, Pakistanis, Sudanese, Bengalis, etc. as pretty much the same. Religious fanatics. And the ones who aren't are immoral because they don't condemn the fanatics. Americans never hear about opposition to the fundamentalists - it doesn't get much coverage in the press. But we do hear of the illiterate masses who listen to their imams and do as they're told; mobs who are told to demonstrate, so they demonstrate; ignorant people who are told how to vote, so they vote as they're told. And of course, the zealots who are told to murder innocents so they can go to heaven and orgy with lots of willing virgins (what do the female suicide bombers get?) You can have your revolution, but you'll still have your hateful imams trying to stir up trouble. Ali - oh, Ali, Ali, Ali.... where do I begin? You sound like you've never been outside of Iran. You accuse me of being brainwashed and yet you sound like someone force-fed propaganda for a lifetime. You fervently believe what you want to believe, and I doubt you've ever taken the time to read about the other side. But, if you live in most (all?) moslem countries, you can't get information about the other side. And the lies you are told are so comforting, the blaming of others feels so good, why open your mind and try to learn something new when you can just wallow in self-pity and hate? Kombiz said oil is the heroin of the middle east. I think hatred of Israel is the heroin of the middle east - the people partake of it til it dulls their senses and paralyzes them from climbing out of the pit of despair they've dug for themselves. I think it would be a good exercise for you to write down 5 reasons why you love the Jews. Come on, I know you can do it if you really try. After all, you sound so.... nice.
- By: Dave G. on July 8, 2003

Get an Iranian roommate, possibly a new comer who hasn't been brain washed by your media. Talk to'em as much as you can, ask them questions and their opinions to understand their political point of view. Listen to them to find out if they are fanatic about something, anything. Some of them may be fanatic, but most of are not, just like any other nation in the world: Look at Dave G.; perhaps one of few American fanatics. Another way of knowing Iranians: Stop reading invalid translations of Iranian classics. Look for translations of modern works (I am currently working on poems of a very young Iranian poet: Granaz Mussavi). Stop complaining about lack of resources. There are tones of translations out there. In last five years, many Iranian book pulishers have published bilingual books, farsi and english in the same volume. PS: I don't like Hoder's political analysis to be quite honest, but I am very grateful to him, because of his efforts on spreading the good word about his country, his decent people and the indecent State that is governing his people.
- By: Slices of Life on July 8, 2003

Here is my idea: 1. Books like Photograph of Nasrolah Kasraeeyan. In this way, they will understand that we have mountains, snow and Iran is not a deserted place. 2. Food is another way. Most of foreigners thinks that our food is spicy, something like the food in India or Pakistan. 3. Friendship and talking with them is the best way. Those Iranian who live abroad, have a responsibility to familiarize the non-Iranian with our culture. This could be done by a chat with a colleague or inviting them to our homes and show them we are friendly not a bunch of terrorists. 4. www.payvand.com is a good resource too. Everyday it has articles about accomplishment of Iranian inside or outside of Iran, along with the challanges facing people in Iran. 5. I saw a movie called "7 days in Tehran", almost a year ago. I think that is a good movie, because addresses the very same issue: exposing non-Iranians with Iranians. I don't know whether it is available on dvd/vhs yet. It is the production of France. It is really helpful.
- By: Poopak on July 8, 2003

I think they can find anything they're looking for, on www.iranian.com I love this site!
- By: Marjan Nikou on July 8, 2003

Comments of David G. below is a classic example of Ameirca under Bush. How dare the U.S. talk about things like liberty, freedom, justice, tolerance, and basic human decency when they are the biggest violator of all above in the past 50 years worldwide. David is an instance of brainwashed puppets, product of Zionist funded media. In their view Islam is the biggest threat, why? because its the only thing that keeps Israel in its border. The truth is neither Islam nor any muslim or Iranian for that matter has any hostility with America or west in general. All the difference comes from the un-conditional financial, military and media support of America for an official racist regim who stops nothing short of daily massacre of Palestinian civilians for its cruel purposes. If Israel was shaped in Central Africa (as it was suggested at some point) and was occupying everybody's land in the neighborhood, then you'd see all Africans would naturally turn against it and the supporters. If only Americans understood how much they are losing by favoring five millions multinationals trying to shape a country in stolen lands which is not going to stick and last anyway, maybe they could save themselves from the horror or threat of the next nuke which by the way is their own present to the humanity. As neither of Iranian, Roman, British and Russian empires last more than a relatively short time in history, nor will the rein of America.
- By: ali on July 8, 2003

Dave G. has some fair points in his comment. It is true; there are many things in the American way of life that should be learnt by the Iranians: culture of democracy, tolerance, and also free market economy which reduces the role of government in people’s every day life. That’s totally true, and in fact that’s the essence of the current Iranian crisis: the society is trying to change the old habit. However, it seems like Hoder’s suggestion makes perfect sense when you see these kinds of oversimplifications. Dear Dave, almost all of your assertions are wrong: > Iran is a Muslim country (true), > Muslims hate the West with a passion (Well, not true in case of the vast majority of Iranians) >Iran wholeheartedly supports terrorism (completely oversimplified: no terrorist activity or support for that has been seen outside the fundamentalist faction of Iranian government and they are exactly the ones who are struggling to keep their power against the people who resent them and their ideology no less than an American like you, Dave). >Get rid of the mullahs, and you will still have a population eager to support the murder of Americans and others in the name of their "religion". (Wrong. Again, you are confusing the Iranian public with the criminal gang on top whose days are numbered (and they know it). The Iranian public has no sympathy for the international anti-western terrorism, In fact they are fighting to get rid of it, and that’s how Iranians are different from majority of Arabs) To respond to Hoder’s suggestion I recommend this site: www.iranchamber.com, and this book:
- By: Rouzbeh Gerami on July 8, 2003

Here is my list of Five Coammanments: -If you are interested in stuff regarding religion and Islamic radicalism and so on, and if you are wondering if there exists any modern version of Islam (that respects values such as democracy) THOU SHALL READ WRITINGS BY DR. SOROUSH.(http://www.seraj.org/)-If you want to learn about our history and figure out what was it that made Persia so different from other empires THOU SHALL READ SOMETHING (ANYTHING)ABOUT CYRUS THE GREATE. -If you want to know why was it that the Islamic Revolution had such strong anti-American sentiments THOU SHALL READ SOMETHING ABOUT DR. MOSSADEQ AND HOW HIS DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT WAS OVERTHROWN BY THE AMERICANS. -If you want to explore the various dimensions of our rich culture THOU SHALL NOT SEE "NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER" (it is nothing but a bunch of cheap accusations against Iranians). -I am proud to come from a country where its president is Mohammad Khatami, its film maker is Abas Kiarostami, and its athlete is Ali Daie.
- By: Siavash Saffari on July 8, 2003

Here is my list of Five Coammanments: -If you are interested in stuff regarding religion and Islamic radicalism and so on, and if you are wondering if there exists any modern version of Islam (that respects values such as democracy) THOU SHALL READ WRITINGS BY DR. SOROUSH.(http://www.seraj.org/) -If you want to learn about our history and figure out what was it that made Persia so different from other empires THOU SHALL READ SOMETHING (ANYTHING)ABOUT CYRUS THE GREATE. -If you want to know why was it that the Islamic Revolution had such strong anti-American sentiments THOU SHALL READ SOMETHING ABOUT DR. MOSSADEQ AND HOW HIS DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNMENT WAS OVERTHROWN BY THE AMERICANS. -If you want to explore the various dimensions of our rich culture THOU SHALL NOT SEE "NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER" (it is nothing but a bunch of cheap accusations against Iranians). -I am proud to come from a country where its president is Mohammad Khatami, its film maker is Abas Kiarostami, and its athlete is Ali Daie.
- By: Siavash Saffari on July 8, 2003

"Dave G" brought a valid point about the religion, but is Islam so different from Judaism or Christianity? I believe Judaism is a base class for Islam! Everybody who read Quran should try Old Testament as well. He asked a good question, why Israel is a friend but moslem countries are the foes, and Howcome all of the sudden, moslems started killing American people!!! Realy why? because they can't publish true news?! Personally, I don't thing so. Anyway, if you call CNN a NEWS NETWORK then, yes, you are right. From my point of view, CNN is a kind of reality show, something like "American Idol" or "Temptation Island", but not even in the same quality as Osbournes. His INCREDIBLE knowledge about the region and the news inside Iran is a little bit odd for an American!
- By: Reza on July 8, 2003

I added my five suggestions: For a more detailed description check out my entry. Before you start throw away ever idea you have about the middle east and Iran. Now start over with a blank slate. First, "Persian Mirrors" by Elaine Sciolino. It's a very good viewpoint of Iran from an American who knows Iran well. Second, Food. Food is the foundation of our culture. I get into some of it on my website. Third, Mossadegh for people who are thinking about the implications of foreign intervention in Iranian politics. Fourth, Culture through cities. My favorite city in Iran is Ramsar. We all can learn a lot about the culture from history and the cultures of the people within in different cities. Fifth, Poetry. I don't know any Iranian who doesn't at some level write poetry. Iran's famous poets stitch together not only different races and religions, but prick deep into a collective sense of hisotry. (*Chuckle) I just read the last post, yes we're not Arabs. That is very important. We share coming from a location called the middle east and oil (the heroin of the middle east), but that's pretty much it.
- By: Kombiz on July 8, 2003

www.Iranian.com can be an excellent media for the non-Iranians to start with.
- By: Sheema Kalbasi on July 8, 2003

the american people they don't even know where is Iran. most of them think that we have the same culture as arab.if we say no we are not arab they think we are like pakistani people or indien. one the important things is about wemon and dressing in Iran. for them is strange that i say i'm engineer . they think that we are not allowed to go to the universities or we cannot work. i think it's better somebody take the picture if iranian wemon and shoe them. this is one the millon things that they have to know.
- By: bahar on July 8, 2003

living in Iran for a while is the best !
- By: SARA on July 8, 2003

Dave G, Hoder's suggestion is exactly for people like you. Your understanding of Iran is more simplistic than a 5 year old Iranian kid. Hoder, you better push what you suggested more. It seems to be a very important issue.
- By: Parkometer on July 8, 2003

hmmmm. 1. How about machine translation of persian to english? To get the gist of blogs, news sources, articles and educational institutions. 2. An American television sitcom. 3. Student exchanges.
- By: Phil Wolff on July 8, 2003

Reading these books! By Homa Katouzian
- By: Aziz on July 8, 2003

Five spells of Persians : 1- GLORY OF THE PAST : Persepolis 2- THE DYING MOMENT :Omar Khayam Of threats of Hell and Hopes of Paradise! One thing at least is certain--This Life flies; One thing is certain and the rest is Lies; The Flower that once has blown for ever dies. 3- POSSIBLE FUTURE? : Sillicon Iran 4- THE CHALLENGE OF THE EAST : Mohammad Mossadeq 5- UNHOLY FURY : Hashashin
- By: Shervin Afshar on July 8, 2003

> Get rid of the mullahs (fat chance!) and you will still have a population eager to support the murder of Americans and others in the name of their "religion". Dave, writing these words is the soul proof of your ignorance. > Personally, I think a good Nuke up the old wazoo would work wonders. You are damn wrong again and again, read James Woolsey's points about nuke in US arsenal right up the old wazoo, nothing is more stupid than doing that Dave, nothing, it won't be any time lest for football to see then, don't you get it, go and get some knowledge. "We can't necessarily count on revolution soon in Iran but nothing would be stupider than to move militarily and drive everyone into the arms of the fanatics." James Woolsey Read more: http://101days.blogspot.com/
- By: Hajir on July 7, 2003

they do nothing! just don't interfere in our problems! if they do that, mullahs will say students are supported by U.S and Islams enemies!
- By: Plate on July 7, 2003

It seems to me to be less important that Americans know more about Iran, than that Iranians know more about America and the West. Americans already know the most important things - Iran is a muslim country, muslims hate the West with a passion, Iran wholeheartedly supports terrorism, and Iran and all muslim nations are a threat to America's survival. Get rid of the mullahs (fat chance!) and you will still have a population eager to support the murder of Americans and others in the name of their "religion". Yes, I know I'm simplifying things, but that is the gist of how Americans see Iran, and for their own security it's a good thing that Americans have shed the illusion that Western democracies and Islamic countries can ever peacefully coexist. The fault, of course, lies with Islam. It cannot change, adapt, grow or evolve to allow the liberties, tolerance, and openness necessary for true democracy to take hold. There are many democracies in the world, but most do not function well. And the United States cannot wait for several generations of Iranians to gradually create a more modern, rational society. We want to kill all the bad guys now and get back to our TV shows and football. Americans have the resources to learn about Iranians and arabs and moslems. I suggest reading the Koran and basic history for those who don't already know about that part of the world. But how do we counter the massive propaganda machine of closed societies like Iran? Has the United States ever been allowed to make a case for it's policies and actions since the Ayatollahs took over? It's true we do a miserable job of telling our side, but would we be allowed to place advertisements in Iranian papers to explain why we consider Israel to be a friend and ally, for instance? The newspapers that dared to publish such a thing would be closed down and their publishers arrested, if an angry mob didn't burn them to the ground first. No, what's needed is not for Americans to teach themselves more about Iran, but for us to teach the entire islamic world about liberty, freedom, justice, tolerance, and basic human decency. So a better question to put to your readers would be: How do we better inform the Iranian people about the true nature of our system and our values and how do we help them cast off 1000 years of backwardness and darkness? Personally, I think a good Nuke up the old wazoo would work wonders.
- By: Dave G. on July 7, 2003

I'll try to think some more, but right off I think of a novel, in English. There are others, and nonfiction, too, but the book I read that to me felt like the Iran I knew when I lived there was Diane Johnson's Persian Nights. With the exception of one moment (she has an Iranian making a gesture that makes sense to an American but is understood to be coarse or worse in Iran), it seemed to me to capture the place.
- By: Bruce Umbaugh on July 7, 2003

I believe the first step towards introducing Iran to non-Iranians, is clearing up the misconceptions etched into their minds because of the ongoing misinformation campaigns of the past 25 years. Only then will we be able to show them Iran's true face behind the grotesque makeup applied by the Western media to our image. How about a list of "100 things that you always thought were true about Iran, but were too afraid to ask"?
- By: Babak Khiavchi on July 7, 2003

I'm a big fan of reading books. I know its easy to just google for sites, but my experience teaching college students has led me to be suspicious of the random quality and even reliability of the information one sometimes finds on-line. So I'd say go to a library and get some top-line works on the subject, such as Daniel Brumberg's Reinventing Khomeini or Moojan Momen's An Introduction to Shi'i Islam, both of which have perspectives and/or information relative to modern Iran. In terms of web sites, you could always read the most recent human rights reports at places like Human Rights Watch. In addition, the UW Middle East Studies Program is producing an on-line education center, though the Iran stuff is not yet up to par. You can definitely check out the "Middle East Media" page though, which links to Iranian media, some of which is in English. Iran is also the center of an award-winning film culture. So if you can check out an Iranian movie, do so.
- By: Brian Ulrich on July 7, 2003

Wel as far as I am concerned, if you go to any local library in the U.S and simply search for books written on Iran (keyword=Iran, Persian, etc...) you will most certainly end up finding a vast variety of good books discussing Iran's issues. But the thing is its kinda hard to find the ones that are more current. Most of them are at least 15 to 12 years old books. Another good source of info could be iranian blogs written in English. There are also a large number of documentary films regarding things happeing in Iran. If you have ever stopped by a blockbuster you can easily check them out, they are normally located in the "foreign movies" section.
- By: Soroosh on July 7, 2003

Read this book. It is an excellent book on learning about Iran and the people of Iran. Better yet, get to know someone from Iran and TALK TO THEM!
- By: Kimberly Paternoster on July 7, 2003

Hoder, you might want to turn on the "Convert Line Breaks" feature for comments. Meanwhile, the URL for our Iran archives is... http://windsofchange.net/archives/cat_geo_iran.html
- By: Joe Katzman on July 7, 2003

Here are my suggestions, but they're general topics rather than specific resources. Of course, we do have all our Iran stuff in its own category, which represents a very useful mine of information: [1] Understand the role of the bazaari merchant class in Iran, which both helps to support the Islamic regime and acts as an agent of cultural reform. I see them as the pivot on which the struggle there will turn. [2] Understand the politically fragmented state of Iran under the surface. Yes, it's an authoritarian theocracy with totalitarian ambitions. But people need some grasp of what's beneath that surface in order to understand what may come next, and also where leverage may exist. [3] Payyam's post about "Iranian vs. Arab" is new information to many people, sadly. It's worth making. [4] Understand the fact that Persian history is mostly a history of empire - not someone else's, theirs. That affects how Iranians see their role in the world, seems to be more and more relevant to how the mullahs are perceived in some quarters (i.e. as alien), and may be especially relevant to the WMD issue. Sketching out the broad outlines of that history, or even just how Iranians see it, that would be valuable. [5] Anything that helps convey the views, admired figures, cultural influences, aspirations, and/or pet peeves of the 15-30 demographic in Iran. These are Iran's version of the baby boomers, and the answers will shape the future of its society.
- By: Joe Katzman on July 7, 2003

I'm not Iranian, but here are five things I would like to know. Pointers to appropriate resources welcome. --How is the Iranian government currently structured? That is, who chooses the members of the religious and secular arms, and how is power divided between them? --What is the ultimate goal of the current protests? Do the students aim to replace the current regime entirely, and if so with what? Or do the protests seek to reform the current regime, and if so, how? --In the best of all possible worlds, what role would the Iran the students seek to build play in the region? In the global Islamic community? --I know that Iran is Persian, while most of its neighbors to the west are Arab. But what does that actually mean? What are the key cultural differences between the two groups? --I understand that Islam sees the relationship between secular and religious concerns differently than Christianity (at least moderate Western Christianity) does. Can a state that defines itself as Islamic support the freedom of thought and conscience that is essential for democracy? Can you point me to references (in English) that discuss these issues further?
- By: Katherine on July 6, 2003

This reminded me of a post I wrote up this a while back: http://www.mirrashidi.com/sfdays/archives/000016.html
- By: Payam Mirrashidi on July 6, 2003