Why do you think about us and our country this way?

Question

I think reading this in 5 minutes would be better than listening to the news in a lifteime.
Hi people.I'm Iranian and I live in Iran.When I chat with people from other countries, I understand that they have totally wrong ideas about Iran.I just wrote this article to correct you.
The first thing they accuse our government of, is that they don't let you be free.Actually, Iranians would be some of the most free people in the world, since thousands of millions of strict rules in other countries, don't even exist in Iran.In Iran every single house has a sattelite. Sattelite channels have a serious influence on people, now the way they wear clothes sounds like western countries, only there are scarves that don't seem to be worn because we're Muslems.People wear fashionable scarves to make themselves more attractive and most part of their hair is out.They do whatever they wish to, and some of the things they do, don't fit our culture at all, however it's normal in Iran, since people have got used to such acts and behaviours.You really need to pay a visit to Iran and you'll be surprised seeing the difference between what you imagine and how the real Iran is! It's wonderful, believe me.The Iran you know, is related to at least 40 years ago.At present, everything's so great.Even at that time Iran was not a bad country either, but many things have changed so far.
Some people think music is forbidden in Iran, but did you know that Iranian pop music has won the nobel prize in France in 2005?Iran's full of music and they're all current pop music.The best you've ever heard.I've put some links at the bottom of the page to some Iranian music.If you like you can just right click on them and choose "save as" to download.


Some people think women don't have any rights in Iran! What would you tell me if I tell you that women are now overtaking Iran? They're treated very well, most of the times they're the winners in most cases: They get into the best universities, they get the best jobs, they've got rights that have made it difficult for men to marry them, because husbands seem to be under control of women and they have to buy them expensive things and treat them very well, otherwise women will have the right to divorce them, and then the their husbands have to pay them a great amount of money which most husbands cannot afford. (so, they can simply sit in the corner of prison! lol).Another funny thing: Your footage about stoning the women who have committed adultery.Have you ever asked yourself they relate to how many years ago?Just for your information, those are from Afghanistan which was once ruled by those freaks (Taliban).I find it difficult to make you understand that Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan are SEPERATE COUNTRIES! and thet we're Persian not Arab!And I find it even more difficult to make you understand that Iran is a normal country like any other countries in the world.There's nothing mysterious about it!(The media is very good at making good scary titles: BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS!!! IRAN UNDERCOVER!!! This would be enough to scare people away! Iranians are much more educated,sophisticated, intelligent and open-minded than what you think!!! I'm sure you don't know that there are lots and lots of Iranian geniouses and scientists that are all under 25.You don't hear about their discoveries and inventions on TV. A small example is this 17 year old boy who's invented 72 amazing inventions that the biggest scientist haven't ever managed to.You don't know that Iranian students and spotsmen are winning gold and silver medals in different compotitions in the world all the time such as robotics, biology,maths,physics,anything! Why don't your media talk about them?Did you know that the countries having the highest number of scientists in the world is in this order? 1-India 2-Korea 3-Iran
Some people think, Iran's a desert! Iran's a modern country with very beautiful nature and lots of historical places to visit.Please take a look at the following links and see if Iran looks like what you think or not! (Surely it doesn't!)
This is a photo of Tehran: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Tehran-2-1600.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran

If you like you can visit these too, hope you like them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hills_south_west_of_Sanandaj_near_the_village_of_Kilaneh.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jhcfjuhfuvfjhyf.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dariushhotel2.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kish-island.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Dariushhotel3.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran


See how the media are fooling people? None of the things you hear on the media about Iran are true.So, please don't worry about us, cos we're really free.Ok?

I thought it's better to clarify some political matters as well:
Some of the Americans I chatted with (not all of them), said here in the U.S it's said that president Ahmadinejad hates the U.S and Israel and wants to nuck them!! Now, this is so odd, their media is good at putting comments, it's easy to show a video or an image of our president or leader on the T.V screen or on the internet and say he says this, he says that.....
First of all you should know that Iranians don't hate anyone, if our government complains about some injustice that's now going on in the world, it's not bad.Is it? Nor do we hate Jews, nor do we hate Americans.They're both nice people.If they're media is fooling them, it's not their fault.If I were in thier shoes, I would hate Iran too regarding all the terrible lies they keep hearing about it nearly everyday.Who says we want to force the others to convert to Islam?Have you ever found a Muslem that knocks at your door and asks you to do so?Who says we call Americans athiests?That's so funny, Christians and Jews are both God believers.We've never disrespected them.I wonder why the media like putting words in our mouth and raising hatred.In Iran, religion would be the least important thing, it means that where you come from and what you're religion is, are not important for us at all.And I wonder why some Muslim countries think there's a problem between Shittes and Sunnies, it doesn't make sence in Iran.
I wonder Iran is a threat to whom? How is it possible for Iran to nuke somewhere while it doesn't have any nukes?!!!(The media have never been intelligent liars).Has Iran ever attacked anywhere?
Some say he said: Israel should be wiped off the map! But have they told you the rest of his speech and that why he's said this at all? If you know a little literature, you know that it's a passive sentence.He's never said that IRAN wants to wipe Israel off the map! And he wasn't talking about destroying Israel, he was talking about relocating Israel, so that they could live seperate from Palestinians and they could both live in peace.They've only told you this phrase not the rest of it and it's mistranslated deliberitely.Be concious! Iran's always defended itself, but it's not an offensive country, while most countries have nukes and are clearly threatening Iran to nuke us! Good isn't it? Some say he's said: Holocaust is a myth! Ok, he's said this, but is saying it a crime? If 6000000 Jews were killed, that's so terrible, but those 300000 Shiite Moslems who were killed by Saddam aren't important at all! 650000 Iraqi people are killed and it's not important! When Fox News simply says: America and Israel are capable of destroying and killing all Iran's 690000000 population (, it's OK and no one says they're treatening other countries to nuke them (I saw this with my own eyes on the Fox News web-site) I know Americans don't like it either, but what can they do?
Links to music:
(I just want you) http://download.bia2music.com/Music/Irani/Mansour/Crazy/Delam%20Faghat%20Toro%20Mikhaad(www.Bia2Music.com).MP3
(The window) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/03_%20Panjereh.mp3
(Stop world) http://www.sarzaminmusic.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Reza%20Sadeghi%20-%20Vaysa%20Donya/01_%20Vaysa%20Donya.mp3
(Hold my hand) http://www.sarzaminmp3.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mansour%20-%20Beautiful/09_%20Dastamo%20Begir.mp3
(The wind's kiss) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/01_%20Boosaye%20Baad.mp3
(Keep me in your memory) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Siavash%20Ghomayshi/07_%20Yaade%20Man%20Baash.mp3
(Reveal your visage) http://www.sarzamin.org/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mohammad%20Esfahani/04_%20Talab.mp3
(It's beautiful) http://www.sarzaminmp3.com/Sarzaminmusic/Persian/128KB/Mansour%20-%20Beautiful/02_%20Ghashangeh.mp3

Answer 1

My short answer your primary question:
Many people think about Iran in a negative way because of the actions of the Iranian government, though a lack of historical perspective and a hyperactive media are contributing factors.

Now for the long answer to the long question:

Many people are nervous about the idea of Iran having a nuclear weapon -- particularly in light of President Ahmadinejad and other Iranian officials' comments internally regarding the need for such an "Islamic bomb," as they have labeled it. Many people do not take Iran's claims regarding their need for nuclear power at face value, in light of Iran's immense supply of other fuels that would be a lower-cost alternative to nuclear power, and view this instead as a thinly-veiled effort to develop such a weapon under the guise of nuclear power through enrichment or reprocessing, as North Korea has done.

There are also several human rights issues that cause problems with people's perceptions of Iran. For example, under current Iranian law established in 1979, the penalty for two gay men kssing is 60 lashes and the maximum penalty for being gay is death -- all of this despite Persian literature on the subject stretching back to at least the 13th century. As a gay man, this does not personally give me a favorable opinion of present-day Iran.

Sorry, but not every house in Iran has a sattellite dish, and the Nobel awards are given in Sweden and not in France (and there is no Nobel award for music, it's physics, chemistry, physiology/medicine, literature, and peace). I won't refute each of these sorts of statements, but assertions like those weaken your case and make you look like you are working for Iranian intelligence for a public diplomacy campaign. If that's true, you should let your commanding officers know that truth works best and that they should be issuing more convincing arguments in their public diplomacy campaign.

I agree with your points about the media influence. Fox News in particular seems to go to great lengths to inflame passions whenever possible, and this needs to be avoided. We all know that the spectre of war is hanging over all of our heads, and everyone needs to do what is possible to avoid it -- and this includes those in the West as well as those holding the reigns of power in the Iranian government. The choice for everyone should be very clear by now. It's been very discouraging to see how the level of interaction between the U.S. government and the Iranian government has deteriorated so quickly in the past 5 years. I mainly fault the Bush administration for how this has been handled, but it is very clear that both sides are inflaming passions and not doing enough to prevent conflict.

Answer 2

The people who say that are people who have the concept that only SOME U.S. citizens have a right to run the country. When someone else starts running the country, they believe they somehow "lost" their "right" to control the country. I'll give you one guess as to WHICH citizens those people think should be the only ones entitled to own and run the country. Hint: Look at Mystery Man's answer, above mine.

Answer 3

I'm sure Iran is a wonderful place, but so was Germany before WWII.
it so happens that Iran is ruled by a convent of Mullahs, and by a president with a very belligerent attitude towards the free world, and especially everything connected to the US and Israel.
I'm sure Iran could be a wonderful place, you only have to be rid of your fanatics and extremists, who supply money to terrorist organizations and perform terror acts abroad.
as long as you let them control and lead you, do not be offended by the fact that you are considered a leper country.

Answer 4

I agree with some of what you say. Dont listen to the media they only make the world see what they want them to see. The truth never comes out.

Answer 5

David, Save the effort! Your words will fall on deaf ears attached to craniums void of any brain cells.

Answer 6

I'm not reading all of that........

you need to get laid!!