The Iranian

 

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Alefba

Farshchian

Sehaty Foreign Exchange

    Letters

Friday
October 20, 2000

Obligation to Iranians first, not Palestinians

Iran is facing her most critical of times. But the way our elected and non-elected officials and other self-appointed guardians are viewing the Middle East crisis, makes me wonder ["Crooked wall"].

Iran's population has nearly doubled in the past twenty some years. The majority of the 67 million Iranians are under the age 25, which means even faster population growth in the near future. That also means the majority will be over 70 years old in 50 years, which means great heath care and social security issues. There are over 19 million students who will be demanding jobs once they are out of school, just like the current millions of unemployed.

Addicts are in the millions and the daily narcotics usage in Tehran is measured in tons. The violent crime level is at its highest, 30 rape/murders in the past six months in Tehran alone. There are more refugees living in Iran than any other country in the world. Pakistan is our neighbor to the east with the Islamic Bomb. Afghanistan's Taliban rulers make our Ayatollahs look like a walk in the park.

All sorts of discriminations and dealing with corruption in Iran are as routine as going to work everyday. Our big cities are getting bigger and more polluted every day and the environment is not protected the way it should be. Education policies change so often, students can't figure out what to expect next. Students are more involved in demonstrations than education. Reformist papers are shut down and opposition leaders are locked up. The election process is anything but democratic, and the judicial system is far from just.

On top of all this, in the past twenty some years, we have heard our top officials talk more about the problems of the Palestinians and Lebanese than our own problems. Not a day that goes by without a comment relating to the Palestinians' struggle or Hizbollah's Jihad. Extremists with their papers and loud speakers cry out for them, day and night. The military schools decorate graduating officers with the symbolic Palestinian shall.

The amount of money collected from the poor people of Iran to help Hizbollah's cause or the Palestinian leadership is astounding. The massive population of young Iranians, while disconnected from their own set of values, is encouraged to emulate Palestinian youth.

I hope some day soon the Palestinian struggle comes to a fair and peaceful end. I hope some day soon Iranian officials realize, above all, their obligation to the people of Iran.

Hamid K.

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