|
Tuesday * Close call Unbelievable! I just got off the phone with my friend Kamran in New York. He was at home and was still in shock. He said he was in the World Trade Center when the first plane hit. He was in the basement where the subway is. They didn't want to let people out but the smoke started to build up and they let them out. So he went to his office across the street from the WTC on the 30th floor. He was there when the 2nd plane hit the WTC. They evacuated his building and as soon as he got to the street he saw people jumping off the WTC and he was about 300 yards away from the WTC when the building crumbled! He said there was just massive amounts of debris falling on him and covering the place. His eyes were bleeding and a paramedic helped him clean out his eyes. He then went to the hospital and got a check up and was released. He was home sleeping when I called. He said he had lived in Iran during the bombings and that was nothing like this! It was horrible! Thank God he is okay. His wife Debbie was in Texas. He said he has called his family in Iran and told them he is okay. Then he wished me a happy birthday! I can't believe he remembered my birthday even after everything he had been through! Take care, Karim * Perpetrators must pay I would like to take this opportunity to express my outrage and disgust at the events that have unfolded today in New York and Washington. It has been a very difficult day for me personally. I have watched with horror the destruction of innocent lives. I still cannot comprehend or believe what has happened. I am dazed and confused and can not concentrate. I am an immigrant from the Middle East. I came here to escape the excesses of fundamentalism and intolerance. I live here because I am free: free from fear and persecution from my government and its foot soldiers. I chose the US because it protects my basic human rights and allows me to grow as a man. Now when I see what has happened to it, I get angry. The people who have perpetrated such evil must and will pay. There is no justification for such act. God does not forgive evil, and this undoubtedly is evil. I watched with horror when WTCs collapsed, knowing that the buildings could not have been fully evacuated, and that there were fathers, and mothers, brothers and sisters, grand fathers and grand mothers trapped inside. So many people have been scarred. No one knows who is responsible for this evil. But sooner and later it will be known who has executed this tragedy. But I do know one thing. For one my life will never be the same. And for us ME immigrants, it will be even harder to be accepted. We are already the face of backwardness and fanaticism. I can no longer blame America for looking at me with suspicion. God help us all, the barbarians are here. * Shamefully inappropriate I have read your editorial regarding the tragedy at the World Trade Center ["Holy smoke"]. Frankly, your editorial was an additional unpleasant shock in what has been already a shocking day. I realize that your web magazine is yours, and as such you're entirely free to say what you want, when you want. Nonetheless, with freedom comes moral if not legal responsibility. It was highly irresponsible of you to link today's events to Iranians and Islam in general by bluring the distinction between Iran and Afghanistan, and by implying that today's terrorist acts had something to do with Iranians or Islam. You know perfectly well that vigilantes and other crazies who may attack innocent Iranians do not make distinctions between the true terrorists, and Iranians, Afghans, Arabs, the Taliban, or Muslims in general. It was shamefully inappropriate of you to abuse the tragedies of today - at a time when the United States is under attack, a time when people should be united and concerned about the victims, a time when innocent American-Iranians are potentially targets of vigilantism - as an opportunity to push your political views and to vent using such inflammatory and accusatory language. Under the circumstances, your editorial can only serve to misdirect anger against Iran and innocent Iranians in general. I expected more from you, and I am extremely disappointed. * Admiration I admire your editorial ["Holy smoke"]. A sleeping giant has been awakened. Take care, * Terrorists will strike again I was sitting in the lunch room of my lab, watching the news coverage of the events. And one of my Chinese co-workers turned to me and said something that ringed very true in my mind. She said "well you know America has created so many enemies around the world", apparently implying that we shouldn't be surprised, even by the magnitude of such an attack. ["Holy smoke"] You know what? After the smoke settles and the fires stop burning and America finds and "brings to justice" the perpetrators, I think that, in the end, the United States of America should think about that statement. They should think about the fact that they have so many enemies around the world and THEN ask themselves "WHY?". I can't help but think that if America didn't have its nose stuck in every corner of the world, that if America didn't so often encourage and perpetuate injustice around the world, that if America wasn't so neo-imperialist and present in places they have no business being in, then they wouldn't have so many enemies in this world. The more enemies one has the greater chance of getting hit eventually. You're like a gang leader who's been marked by rival gangs-you're going to get hit eventually, no matter how prepared or armed or careful you are. From Okinawa to the Middle East to Indonesia to Columbia to Sudan to the Balkans, America has enemies. From leftist paramilitary groups and drug cartels to Islamic fundamentalists and innocent Palestinians to Serbian nationalists to ordinary Japanese folks who are tired of their daughters getting raped by American soldiers. Lots and lots and lots of enemies. Hatred for America is a global phenomenon. Even Europeans hate America, or at least Americans, in their own way. I know, I lived there. My point is not to justify the terrorism or say that "America deserved it". I or one of my family members or friends could have been on one of those flights or working in the WTC. I'm just as scared as anyone. What I am saying is that instead of just viscerally condemning Islamic fundamentalism once again, perhaps we should look at this from another angle and speak in rational terms. Let's try and understand the psychology behind terrorism, the ideals and motives. Fundamentally what would motivate someone to take such drastic action? To this end I think that it's time for things to change in America and in American foreign policy. Big changes. A month from now America can bomb Afghanistan again and take out Bin Laden, but terrorists can and will strike again, anytime, anywhere. * God damn them those bastards I read Mrs. Sabety's article, who expressed all the ambivalent feelings anyone with a minimum of humanity can feeI in such circumstances ["Blond or bearded"]. I have no more tears to shed. God damn the bloody terrorist bastards responsible for this unqualifiable crime. Here in France they accuse the Afghan Taliban. Iranians for once are not even mentioned, or suspected. I guess it's good news. I watched the French reporters interviewing American citizens in a pub in France, they don't even know what to think. It's worse than a bad Hollywood disaster movie. God damn those bastards. I am a 35-year-old, American-born Iranian living in Europe. Unlike Mrs. Sabety, circumstances have it that I don't live in America. Words fail me, all I can say is God damn those bastards. They won't even pay for their crimes because they are dead. God damn them, God damn them for I have no more tears to cry. * Condemnation Iranians for International Cooperation (IIC), condemns the atrocious and vicious acts of terrorism, which occurred in the United States, on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. IIC is saddened and devastated by this tragedy and urges all members residing in New York and Washington, D.C. to offer assistance to all whom have been affected by these catastrophic acts of aggression. Iranians physicians are also requested to offer aide in this time of pain and uncertainty. In addition, all IIC members located in the United States are requested to donate blood to the Red Cross. For more information on blood donation, please visit <//www.redcross.org> or call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE. Our members should also make monetary donations to those agencies which are helping the victims and their families. IIC calls on all media professionals to exercise restraint and proper judgment when reporting news and to delay drawing conclusions until all evidences are gathered. Above all, it is important to remain united in these troubling times. IIC stresses the need for international understanding and cooperation, in addition to creating a coordinated effort to combat terrorism, political violence and oppression. The prayers of IIC members go out to all whom have been affected by this inhuman attack. May this be the last of such violence. On behalf of all IIC members, Mohammad Ala President, * Get out Get out of my country. It will never be the same with you here. * Shit head At a time when the whole world is in grief, you stupid mother fucker allow shit like the article written by that dumb ass Peyvand in your web page ["I'm afraid, pops"]. It is shit head like you that gives us true Iranians a bad name. I am happy to remove your fucking web page from my computer. Put this in your fucking web page you insensitive mother fucker. Laughing and mocking innocent people who were killed by scum like you. Shame on you. * America's unique chance As shocked as I've been today as a result of such violence against civilians, and as sorry and desperate about the loss of innocent lives, at the end of the day I'm much relieved that the authorities are in control and have begun assessing the damage. Let's hope that this act of despair will change people's minds throughout the world leading to the end of this era of hate and distrust, instead of worsening it. America has now the unique chance to show the world how to handle such crisis with courage and wisdom, in a peaceful way. * Never again Regarding Mr. Simpson's letter ["Amazed at Iranian attitutude"]: We Iranians have a long memory of being victims of colonial "divide and conquer" strategies in the Middle East. For example, notice BBC's current policy of referring to the Persian Gulf as "the Gulf." In his letter Mr. Simpson, who identifies himself as a Zionist, seems to be following this colonial legacy quite accurately, in line with Noam Chomsky's evaluation of the nature of the Israeli state. My reason for abhorring Israeli BEHAVIOR has little to do with "Islam." My revulsion results from my taking seriously the notion of "never again." When I see the self-proclaimed "defenders of Jews" commit pogroms ("ethnic cleansing" and other atrocities) against Palestinian semites (genetically identical to Middle Eastern Jews) in the OCCUPIED territories, I also ache for the souls of those who perished in Hitler's gas chambers. Did they perish in vein? What has happened to the Israeli conscience? In whose gas chamber is it turning to ash? I also note that thanks to her zero sum survivalistic mentality, Israel does not want any genuine rule of the people in any truly independent and strong Middle Eastern country, including Iran. The latest example of such animosity against the people of Iran is AIPAC's successful campaign in the US to renew anti-people sanctions, which were passed even against genuine American national interests. To help awaken the conscience of those who need such awakening, I recommend the reading of Finklestien's Holocaust Industry. He is son of a Jewish Holocaust victim. Also reading Noam Chomsky (also a "Jew") could be helpful to Mr. Simpson in order to help him understand the nature of the Israeli state, so that he is not so "amazed." As indicated in my article about Israel in the Iranian [Think Wider], I am deeply concerned about our tiny and fragile planet, which continues to be victimized by blind tribalism, a mentality that assumes survival is a zero sum game--a prominent champion of such mentality was Hitler, from which Sharon has learned a lesson or two. Let us keep alive the spirit of "never again" so that our tiny globe does not keep getting warmer and warmer in the gas chamber of selfishness. Peace, * I know my own name This name problem is not strictly one-sided. Americans may mangle your name and give you silly nicknames, but they never question your knowledge of your own name. Countless Iranians have insisted to me, again and again, that I have mistaken my own name, that my real name MUST be Zahra, that I myself pronounce it wrong and misspell it, or that I am gharbzadeh for having changed it. Not true. I know my own name. What's interesting to me is the absolute conviction they have that they are right and I am wrong.
|
|
|
Web design by BTC Consultants
Internet server Global Publishing Group