It feels so different watching an aircraft carrier group coming toward you than watching it sailing away from you toward another part of the world.
I'm an American who used to live in New York City. All my life, when I heard about warships, it was US warships going places far away. I never even imagined hostile warships sailing toward New York. Now I'm in Tehran, and aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis is heading our way. And as it sails, people are discussing Israel and/or the US bombing Iran as if my family and 69 million other people weren't even here. I'm getting scared.
Most Iranians that I know don't worry about this as much as I do, though they're wondering how the sanctions will affect the economy. Khomeini had a famous saying that we actually saw on a sign yesterday in another town: "America can't do anything to us." Some friends here speculate that Bush just needs an enemy so that he can continue his programs in the US, and that Iran is the enemy du jour. I wish I could believe that.
The way I see it, somebody has to stop the US president right now, and it's very upsetting that the Congress isn't doing it. My frustration is greater because I'm in a country where the Internet is not completely available. For example, I tried to send a donation to Dennis Kucinich, but PayPal wouldn't take it because of the embargo. I tried to write to my Congressperson, but the Islamic Republic blocked the communication, presumably because it was with the US government. (Sometimes news stories that I want to read are blocked, too, but there are ways around that.)
If the US and/or Israel attack Iran, it will be a war based on lies, just like the Iraq war. Iraq didn't have WMD, but Iraqis died in the hundreds of thousands. The lies about Iran seem intended to, first, make Iran look like the new Nazi state that must be bombed so as to avoid a new Holocaust, and second, make Americans fear that Iran will hurt our soldiers in Iraq or give nuclear weapons to terrorists who will hurt us in "the homeland."
History shows that Americans are very susceptible to demonization of particular leaders of countries that the US wants to attack. Remember Castro? Noriega? Saddam? Now it's Ahmadinejad. Whatever people think of views attributed to Ahmadinejad, it remains the case that it's not morally acceptable to kill people because of their president, whether that president be Saddam Hussein, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, or George Bush.
I want to discuss six big lies we are hearing to justify expanding the war to Iran.
LIE NUMBER 1: President Ahmadinejad "has repeatedly threatened to wipe Israel off the map."
Even Al Jazeera English version based in Qatar keeps saying that. Why hasn't this mistranslation been corrected after it's been thoroughly exposed? (in the Guardianand prisonplanet.com)
Juan Cole, in Informed Comment, explained how "wiped off the map" was a mistranslation; Ahmadinejad was restating the official Iranian policy that the government system based on Zionism must end. And why the heck can't newscasters learn to pronounce the man's name? Anyone who knows Farsi could teach them in a minute. Why should we think they know what he said, in Farsi, if they can't even say his name?
LIE NUMBER 2: The Iranian government is run by 1930s-style anti-Semites.
Last Spring, a story was planted that the Iranian parliament had passed a law forcing Iranian Jews to wear yellow badges. "Fourth Reich," screamed a banner headline on one of the New York City tabloids. In a few days, the neocon source was disclosed and the story was completely retracted by the Canadian paper in which it was first published. The New York paper never apologized. When I mention the "yellow badges" to people here in Iran, they look incredulous. "But ... that didn't happen." I know. But I'll bet there are some Americans, and Israelis, who actually believe Jewish Iranians are walking around wearing yellow badges.
LIE NUMBER 3: Iran is bent on wiping out the Jews.
Maybe Americans should have a little humility and remember how recalcitrant the US was about accepting Jewish refugees fleeing Hitler during WWII. Iran has a very good history, under Cyrus the Great, of protecting the Jews. The long history of Jews in Persia is indicated by a monument to the Jewish prophet Daniel in the south of Iran. As for the European Holocaust deniers who were among the speakers at the Holocaust conference in Tehran, I just can't figure it out, unless Ahmadinejad is trying to win popularity points with pro-Palestinian regional populations by appearing to be unafraid of Israel and the US. Or he could be a fool and/or a religious fundamentalist (like some other presidents who shall go unnamed).
LIE NUMBER 4: Iran is causing trouble in Iraq and threatening Arab states.
Everyone should be very clear: Who's meddling in Iraq, who's flying thousands of missions shooting at Iraqi citizens, who attacked whose diplomatic mission, who is detaining whose citizens, and who has announced that it is supporting subversive operations inside whose country and across whose border (from Iraqi Kurdistan)? Most likely some of the undemocratic and unpopular rulers in the Middle East are afraid that their own citizens may be attracted to the Iranian model. That may concern the US oil men and financiers who have business and military ties with them, but it's not a reason for Americans to back destruction of Iran.
LIE NUMBER 5: Iran is dangerous to humanity because it's trying to get nuclear weapons.
Rosa Schmidt is an American married to an Iranian, hence the second last name, Azadi. She's a long-time peace activist with a background in anthropology, education, and public health. She's also one of the people who walked away from the falling Twin Towers on 9/11 and returned to help with the recovery effort. Out of this experience of destruction, death, and horror came a deeper commitment to human life everywhere and specifically to non-violence. Retired and splitting her time between rural New York and urban Iran, Rosa Schmidt is doing all she can to promote world peace.
Mrs Rosa Azadi - The Iranian Academy of Literature has recommanded to use the english word of فارسی which is Persian. Just as the English world of Deutsch is German. Thank you.
by
Max Najma (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments)
on Saturday, February 3, 2007 at 10:59:49 PM
for your passion and your dedication. The disinformation campaign seems to indicate rather clearly Bushs' intent to create a distraction using Iran, one aimed at deflecting attention from the budding investigations into this administrations criminal activities and looting of our Treasury on behalf of the wealthiest in our nation.
Americans seem all to willing to succumb to hatred and to relish war, perhaps because there is no draft to bring the tragedy of war home to us, perhaps because, as the economy plunges and jobs become more menial in nature and pay less with concomittantly fewer benefits, we need distraction, no matter the cost.
We must , as a nation, understand our own slavery, we must learn to comprehend how we have been bought and paid for, how we have all been sold a mess of pottage. And we must learn how to take our country back!
by
ardee D. (6 articles, 4 quicklinks, 1 diaries, 2388 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 9:32:33 AM
I have tried repeatedly to point Americans to official IAEA communications as the only source they should believe regarding Iranian nuclear programs because the lies and spin regarding this has been incredible. The other items you mentioned are breathtaking as well.
I hope enough people have taken the effort to learn the truth about all of this.
by
Steven Leser (189 articles, 35 quicklinks, 32 diaries, 1265 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 10:50:06 AM
Sadly, and tragically, they have preconceived notions--and despite facts the notions don't change. Iran is just a series of the line of "rogue" states.
For example, Condoleeza Rice during the 2000 elections:
[Iraq] Saddam Hussein's regime is isolated, his
conventional military power has been severely weakened, his people live in poverty and terror, and he has no useful place in international politics. He is therefore
determined to develop WMD. Nothing will change until Saddam is gone, so the United States must mobilize whatever resources it can, including support from his
opposition, to remove him.
[Iran] Finally, there is the Iranian regime. Iran's motivation is not to disrupt simply the
development of an international system based on markets and democracy, but to
replace it with an alternative: fundamentalist Islam. Fortunately, the Iranians do
not have the kind of reach and power that the Soviet Union enjoyed in trying to
promote its socialist alternative. But Iran's tactics have posed real problems for
U.S. security. It has tried to destabilize moderate Arab states such as Saudi
Arabia, though its relations with the Saudis have improved recently. Iran has also
supported terrorism against America and Western interests and attempted to develop
and transfer sensitive military technologies.
Iran presents special difficulties in the Middle East, a region of core interest to the United States and to our key ally Israel. Iranian weaponry increasingly threatens Israel directly. As important as Israel's efforts to reach peace with its Arab neighbors are to the future of the Middle East, they are not the whole story of stability in the region. Israel has a real security problem, so defense cooperation with the United States -- particularly in the area of ballistic missile defense -- is critical. That in turn will help Israel protect itself both through agreements and through enhanced military power.
Still, it is important to note that there are trends in Iran that bear watching. Mohammad Khatami's election as president has given some hope of a new course for a
country that once hosted a great and thriving civilization -- though there are questions about how much authority he exercises. Moreover, Khatami's more moderate
domestic views may not translate into more acceptable behavior abroad. All in all, changes in U.S. policy toward Iran would require changes in Iranian behavior.
Eliot Gould has described "fundementalist Iran" as a threat to "moderate Saudi Arabia".... what a sick joke.....
Iran is probably the only democracy in middle east though not a perfect one... where women are integrated in the work force where female ratio of students in universities and colleges is greater than western countries where the murder rate is one of the lowest in the world where education is free where medicare is adequate and where jews have their syangouges and christians their churches
While the US ally and " moderate" Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship ruled by kings of terror where the exterimist ideologies of Alqaeda (former US ally aganist Russians) is worshipped wherefrom 15 out of 19 hijackers of 911 came from where Christians and Jews found building places of worship will be beheaded in public, where women are not allowed citizenship rights and driving license. But wait a min. thats how US friends are....
Saddam was a US friend and ally who attacked Iran and fought 8 years using US supplied WMDs against Iranians to the point that Iran is the second biggest sufferer of WMD after Japan. US navy fought side by side with Saddam against Iran to the point that USNavy shot down a civilian Airliner of Iran Flight 655 with 266 passengers on board including 66 children killing them all. How many Americans have Iran killed? None. How many Iranians US killed only during the 1953 coup? 10,000 how many during Iran Iraq war? 1000,000 how many......
Its a shame that America is one of the most repressive places on earth. While CNN and Fox are allowed to roam in Iran making News of their choice Iranian News agencies in USA are not allowed to work beyond the boundary of UN building. You see you are free as long as you are with in this system if your ideology is different there is no more repressing place than USA where media corporates are literally controlling the peoples choice where one king is suceeded by his son and another by his wife in a dual party sucession agreement where the modern version of George Orwell's 1984 thought police and ministry of love and peace are patrolling the land and keep everything and one in line. Thats why you see so much arrogance and hate among the american paroles, as for the inner an outer circles and Goldstien well every one know who they are and what they are doing.....
by
aisha zahir (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 7:04:06 PM
1. I fully believe that what Mrs Azadi writes is true. We have no right to attack Iran and all the 'lies' are lies. I also believe that Iranians do not need anyone to interfere into their affairs
2. I still would like to say that the foreigner's vision is a foreigner's vision and foreigners usually prefer to see what they want. In the former Soviet Union there were many foreigners who lived there permanently and they usually did not want to see the horrible repressive machine and ( this down to the letter) ' skiing was good there'.
Now, I think, Mrs. Azadi should look a little deeper. Not to invade Iran, no, but to show that they certainly do not live in Persian Paradize. V. Naipol, the Nobel Laureate once visited there and interviewed the mullahs and his recordss were not so ... hopeful.
Again, I fully consider that missionwise Mrs. Azadi is right and absolutely no one has a right to attack Iran. I also do not think that the ' Jewish' issue is an issue here. But we need to know more ( and accept more): that people may live under very oppressive regimes and still live, you know, still have fun sometimes. Regime though still exists...
by
Mark Sashine (44 articles, 19 quicklinks, 228 diaries, 3268 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 12:18:55 PM
Golly Gee! Oh Heck! The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling! Hell Hath Frozen Over? Call Jerry Falwell quick! Panurg and I agree about something again. Panurg you are really beginng to fail in your writing. Must be old age. You are exactly righ about this good article. I might have said it better, but as you know, I am so humble I would not proudly do so.
Phil
by
pratliff94 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 940 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 11:09:45 PM
I could not tell from your writing if you are a sports fan or not. Personally, I am not unless I am the participant. LOL I couldn't help but notice that the propaganda message of the day is SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, and of course the dire warning of it being a LEVEL 1 Terrorist threat target. That is disconcerting to say the least. I pity those who work hard and think they are living the American dream by attending this mass display of pseudo-competition amongst millionaires playing grab ass with each other. Today it was announced there was an incredible bomb attack in Iraq and the death toll has risen again. At least 1000 Iraqis are dead and I think Orwell Media said 4 U.S. choppers went down. That is serious stuff, but all will be down the memory hole as rednecks consume mass amounts of Budweiser and cheer on those who fight for nothing but a ring and the all mighty dollar. I have a bad feeling about today's events. At the very least I would not want to be there and especially not allow my family to be there because with that sort of threat level one can imagine being x-rayed, and anally probed. Just to watch a football game? Even if I gave a darn I would think a big screen TV with surround sound would be a much more comfortable environment and certainly give you a better view. I pray for those in attendance, but God's will is God's will. As characters in the human race we are given the amazing and powerful gift of free will. It can be used for great good, or evil. Sadly it can even be wasted when it is replaced with robotics. Some people are shepherds and others have to be the sheep. This country has it's shepherds, it's sheep, and unfortunately wolves lurk among them all. God bless our country and our world and those who cannot see the light. The darkness never goes from some men's eyes, but their hollow dark sockets will be blinded when truth is shined upon them. Then it is up to the human race to use God's great gift of free will to rise from enslavement and punish those who would be their slave masters. We must rise up when the plantation masters tell us IRAN is to blame. Regardless of who wins the Super Bowel and who gets probed only to suffer more butt damage sitting in the cheap seats for a cheap thrill. DO we all not recall the propaganda that pushed us into IRAQ? Everything was blamed on them, (and the French of course who simply knew better than to get involved with our imperialistic masters). I think the cat is out of the bag on Bush, Cheney, and their gang of merry theives so let's sick the big dog of American truth and justice on them before it is too late.
by
JohnNmissouri (5 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 40 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 4:19:08 PM
Eliot Gould has described "fundementalist Iran" as a threat to "moderate Saudi Arabia".... what a sick joke.....
Iran is probably the only democracy in middle east though not a perfect one... where women are integrated in the work force where female ratio of students in universities and colleges is greater than western countries where the murder rate is one of the lowest in the world where education is free where medicare is adequate and where jews have their syangouges and christians their churches
While the US ally and " moderate" Saudi Arabia is a dictatorship ruled by kings of terror where the exterimist ideologies of Alqaeda (former US ally aganist Russians) is worshipped wherefrom 15 out of 19 hijackers of 911 came from where Christians and Jews found building places of worship will be beheaded in public, where women are not allowed citizenship rights and driving license. But wait a min. thats how US friends are....
Saddam was a US friend and ally who attacked Iran and fought 8 years using US supplied WMDs against Iranians to the point that Iran is the second biggest sufferer of WMD after Japan. US navy fought side by side with Saddam against Iran to the point that USNavy shot down a civilian Airliner of Iran Flight 655 with 266 passengers on board including 66 children killing them all. How many Americans have Iran killed? None. How many Iranians US killed only during the 1953 coup? 10,000 how many during Iran Iraq war? 1000,000 how many......
Its a shame that America is one of the most repressive places on earth. While CNN and Fox are allowed to roam in Iran making News of their choice Iranian News agencies are not allowed to work beyond the boundary of UN building. You see you are free as long as you are with in this system if your ideology is different there is no more repressing place than USA where media corporates are literally controlling the peoples choice where one king is suceeded by his son and another by his wife in a dual party sucession agreement where the modern version of George Orwell's 1984 thought police and ministry of love and peace are patrolling the land and keep everything and one in line. Thats why you see so much arrogance and hate among the american paroles, as for the inner an outer circles and Goldstien well every one know who they are and what they are doing.....
by
aisha zahir (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 4:40:47 PM
"Saddam was a US friend and ally who attacked Iran and fought 8 years using US supplied WMDs against Iranians to the point that Iran is the second biggest sufferer of WMD after Japan. US navy fought side by side with Saddam against Iran to the point that USNavy shot down a civilian Airliner of Iran Flight 655 with 266 passengers on board including 66 children killing them all. How many Americans have Iran killed? None. How many Iranians US killed only during the 1953 coup? 10,000 how many during Iran Iraq war? 1000,000 how many......
"
Thank you Ms Azadi for taking the time to write this and for posting it here. Hopefully you will continue to share your insights and news from Iran with us here in the Former USA.
It is sickening to watch mainstream 'news' programs here repeating almost without question some of the NeoCon disinformation propaganda every evening on their broadcasts.
Please know that your efforts are appreciated by plenty of "Americans" who are not buying another word of Bushite lies.
Peace to you and all your neighbors in Iran.
by
mrk * (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 295 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 9:25:22 PM
Thank you ever so much for your editorial that gives us a glimpse of the REAL Iran, rather than the demonized, stereotypic images thereof projected by our psychotic "president" and his fellow criminals, who even now are beating the drums of a pliant and pathetic corporate media to brainwash the American people into perceiving Iran as a "threat," in order to justify yet another pre-emptive crime against humanity.
Thank you for reminding us that one can simultaneously be an American and an Iranian, and we are ALL merely human beings, trying to get through life. Blessings upon you and your countryfolk, now living under the shadow of the criminal, lying madman in the White House! May we in America collectively awaken, impeach them all, and throw off this fascist, unelected, warmongering regime before they wreak havoc on your people and on the entire planet!
by
Tom Ellis (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 17 comments)
on Sunday, February 4, 2007 at 10:59:20 PM
I am an Iranian.I live in Iran and I forced to choose turkey becuase Iran is not in list of opednews!
I want to say you are wrong.
If ahmadinejad and Iran Gov was able to wipe Israel ,the would not think twice before that!
I was in Basij when i was teen,they teach that some day world will be in the beam of islam.Islam will be the only religion and all people will be muslem and we must fight for this.not only Israel ,all world will be wipe out if dont agree islam!BE SURE they think this way ,i was one of them!
about democracy,we really need help from outside ,Many iranian wishes US attck !!
beilve me many ppl here say why US change regime for barbarian arabs in Iraq?
We know war is evil,but the only solution.may be i will killed in this war by an US bomb but this is price we must pay for getting ridd of mullas!
by
Shahram B (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments)
on Monday, February 5, 2007 at 9:15:39 AM
Delphirod claims to be an Iranian wanting "American Freedom" . My suggestion is for him to move to " democratic and Free" countries of Afghanistan Or Iraq and live happily there after, Because I as an Iranian will never allow dirty boots of American troops in my country and will fight them till the last drop of my blood against them. That is why we need a nuke bomb to protect ourselves from Imperial colonialist USA led by fascist supermacists wanting to control the whole world. Tell me which country has invaded 63 other countries in the world in the past 55 years? Answer: USA, Which country has used Nuclear weapons on civilian Population? Answer: USA, which country has WIPED off another country from the map to creat another based solely on race and religion? Answer: USA (Israel was created after domolition of Palestine, Which country has supported terror operations against civilians and democratically elected Governments? Answer: USA like support for Fatah against Hamas like support for pinochet like support for contras ....
Saddam Alqaeda Osama Saudi Arabia and Dictatorial Jordan and Saudi Arabia as well as Racist Israel are all either current friends or were past friends of USA while Iran long ago had warned against Saddam against Taleban Saudi and Wahabis and Alqaeda Remember?
If you like America then its fine because in Iran you either love Iran or Leave Iran. There is no other choice....
I think for all those so called "Pseudo freedom lovers" its better to leave Iran and take refuge in Afghanistan Now a " Free and Democratic" country where human rights are respected and the civil rights are at its maximum based on human dignity and ofcourse there is 99% of the worlds opium as well to enjoy as bonus! So please dont stay in Iran Delphirod Go to Afghanistan NOW!
by
aisha zahir (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 4 comments)
on Monday, February 5, 2007 at 10:56:05 AM
Clearly you misread what was written. The quotes were from Condoleezza Rice's writing in 2000-- while George Bush
was still governor...What I was saying was the the Administration does not veiw the facts but holds preconceived notion which despite the changing world remains unchanged. This included the false view of Iran and preconceived notions of Saddam and WMD. I provided a link to now secretary Rice's article...and her seven points. But firmly I believe them to be false values based upon misinformation.
The chemicals which Saddam used were in fact sold by Amerika during the Reagan adminsitration...before it was halted in 1986. I suspect he had used those up in the proxy war with Iran during than period-- along with their useage upon Iraqi people.
That of course lay 'supportive evidence of WMD", which also extended the arguments of the administration upon nuclear weapons...which were serious nor real... At law, such is an indespensible precursor. Had the United States not sold chemicals weapons to Saddam and Iran there would have been no basis for WMD-- which includes chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. The rest was purely speculative based on preconceived notions--such as the article linked shows.
As for the modern Iran, there is no rational reason to the policy of agression...At best, even if they could put together the centrifuges, it would be years before weapons could be effectively developed. And Bush should be long gone...
But he is too trigger happy...
Any misunderstanding of "my position" is regretted.
by
Eliot Gould (7 articles, 0 quicklinks, 20 diaries, 80 comments)
on Monday, February 5, 2007 at 3:11:44 PM
Great Post. Reminds me of the weblog I seen a couple of days ago, it was a video of Iran, Just images, flowers, mtns, people, to show the real side of the enemy.(To those who think that way)
Believe me NOT all Americans here want us to go into Iran and many of us want to get our kids out of IRAQ too.
I am ashamed of my governemnt right now.
by
kc (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 1 comments)
on Thursday, February 8, 2007 at 6:01:17 PM
Iran is next after the surge. Currently, approximately 200,000 soldiers fight for 'democracy' in Iraq [roughly US troops + foriegn troops + paid mercenaries (i.e. Blackwater)]. So, the President's solution is to add 10% more (20,000 troops). Even assuming these extra troops perform 100% efficient, things will merely get 10% better in Iraq. Will 10% be worth the continuing carnage of American soldiers? Don't look to the Democrats for help. They will sit idly by as they did when the gov't suspended habeas corpus, opened mail, banned the novel "America Deceived" from Amazon, stole private lands, conducted illegal wire-taps and continues wars in the Middle East based on a false-flag event known as 9/11. If the Democrats cannot stop the current 10% increase in this war, then they will never stop 100% of this war and certainly not stop the upcoming war in Iran.
Only remaining link (until the gov't pulls the novel off Google Books):
America Deceived (book)
by
Lorring II (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 86 comments)
on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at 11:59:35 AM
Ms Asadi seems unfamiliar with what happened at the Holocaust Conference...(which gets parsed as Holocaust Denial conference in those seeking to wage war with iran).
She can learn more here from Michel Collins Piper's article:
'WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN IRAN . . .
By Michael Collins Piper
Take this for what it's worth: what you may have heard on television or radio or read in your daily newspaper about the now-infamous international conference on the Holocaust in Iran is largely untrue, or, at the very least, seriously distorted and very much misrepresented.
In some respects, the conference was largely painted as a rally of anti-Semites, white racists, and Muslim extremists, when nothing could be further from the truth.
Instead, the conference-which included some 67 invited researchers from 30 different countries-was a diverse and eclectic gathering which not only featured a group of anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish rabbis but also included Black speakers from the African continent, as well as Palestinian Muslim attendees and European academics who insisted that the Holocaust, as it is popularly remembered, did happen, that it was a major tragedy in which many millions of Jews were deliberately exterminated.
Thus, the false image presented by the media-that the conference was some sort of "hatefest," dedicated entirely to the proposition of what has been called "Holocaust denial"-is anything but the truth.
etc
http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/iranholocaustconf.php
by
brian (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 87 comments)
on Saturday, February 17, 2007 at 10:42:14 PM
