Iranian of the Year
People
March 26, 1999
The Iranian
The following are comments in favor of various individuals as the
Iranian of the year. Each comment is from a different person. Names have
been withheld for reasons of privacy.
* People
* Simin Behbahani, poet
* Bahais
* Gholam-Hossein Karbaschi, former Tehran Mayor
* Maryam Rajavi, co-leader of the MKO
* Free-style wrestling team
* Dr. F. Shadab, community activist
* Unnamed artist
* Aqaay-e Haaloo
* Worst Iranians
* Back
to the Iranian of the Year main index
People
I vote for all Iranain people who live in Iran and make all these [changes]
possible.
TO TOP
Simin Behbahani, poet
Contineously speaking out against human rights abuses in Iran while
living there, and for arguebly being the best Iranian poet of the century.
TO TOP
Bahais
Members of the Baha'i Faith murdered by the government for their religious
beliefs.
TO TOP
Gholam-Hossein Karbaschi, former Tehran Mayor
His relenless effort to make Tehran beautifull and his help to get Khatami
elected which cost him his job. This is a difficult year for choosing Iranian
of the year because we had many heroes this year.
TO TOP
Maryam Rajavi, co-leader of the Mojahedin Khalq Organization
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi is a highly educated and poltically, a sophisticated
Iranian patriot. She is a true revolutionary modern Muslim woman who has
struggled against two dicatorial-criminal regimes, that of the Pahalvis
and that of the mollas. Her views, her dedication to the causes of freedom
and liberty, her untyring struggle for democracy and for human rights,
and her unique place in women's liberation movement in the Islamic world
is unmatched in the twentieth century and throughout the world.
TO TOP
Free-style wrestling team
For winning the world championship in Tehran in September 1998 for the
first time in 33 years.
TO TOP
Dr. F. Shadab, community activist
For his dedication to the Iranian community. He always tries to elevate
the Iranian image within the USA and abroad. Dr. Shadab is a well-educated
MD and he is the founder of Iranian Cultural Center of Orange County and
also the founder of Iranian who's who (www.iranwhoswho.com).
Not only is he is active to bring Iranians together within the USA but
he also tries to establish a channel of communication with educated Iranians
in Iran. I strongly recommend him for the Iranian of the Year.
TO TOP
Unnamed artist
The Iranian of the year is the winner of this year's United Nations
art competition. His painting depicted a flower, a gas mask and a condom.
The judges were so impressed by his symbolic message proselytizing preservation
of nature (the flower), reduction of pollution (the gas mask), and eradication
of AIDS (the condom), that they gave him the gold medal. When asked by
a reporter what he was thinking when he painted this masterpiece, this
year's champion responded: "having sex with a condom is like smelling
a flower with a gas mask!!!"
On the serious side, the Iranian of the year is every Iranian who spent
time with his/her children, disseminating knowledge and wisdom while instilling
self-esteem, not imposing their own will and rigid social rules on them.
The Iranian of the year is every Iranian who loved other people's children
as their own. The Iranian of the year is every Iranian who did not go into
science, law, medicine, and engineering for the sake of status, rather
holding love and understanding above all accomplishments. The Iranian of
the year is every Iranian who did not consider blacks and Hispanics as
inferior servants or automatic criminals. The Iranian of the year is every
Iranian who did not consider white women as whores, importing virgins from
Iran for marriage. The Iranian of the year is one who celebrated the success
of other Iranians and supported them. The Iranian of the year is one who
did not spend all his/her free time cooking up parties, rather spent time
appreciating the arts and literature and instilled appreciation for quality
(not quantity) in their offspring.
The Iranian of the year is every Iranian who reduced, reused, and recycled
in order to minimize their impact to mother Earth. The Iranian of the year
is every Iranian who volunteered her/his time to help needy people. The
Iranian of the year is anyone who did not abandon a friend or acquaintance
in the time of sickness, financial or emotional need. The Iranian of the
year is one who lived a greed-free life of compassion, professing peace
and non-violence in the process, and opposing injustice wherever it occurred.
The Iranians of the year spoke against the injustice of the bombing of
Iraq and the economic sanctions on the civilians, killing 1.5 million in
the past seven years.
Finally, the Iranian of the year did all of the above unconditionally
and as discreetly and anonymously as possible, not expecting recognition
in return. The Iranians of the year are those who did not live a life of
self-glory, not participating in the chauvinistic game of one-up-man-ship
believing and professing that they are better than others simply because
they are Iranian or simply because of their heritage. The Iranian of the
year did not utter the phrase: "Man Aanam Keh Rostam Bovad Pahlevan".
TO TOP
Aqaay-e Haaloo
Keh ey bikhabaraan, raah nah aan asto nah in.
TO TOP
Worst Iranians
I have several suggestions: If you please add the WORST IRANIAN OF
THE YEAR to your list you will get a better profile of the ideas of your
viewers. Make a distinction between living people and the martyrs, who
have sacrificed their life to defend and bring about our freedom.
For the living Iranian of the year, my vote goes to Arash Foruhar for
his courageous stand in the face of the Islamic Republic, and his demands
for justice while in Iran. The courage of Arash and his sister is admirable.
They could have crawlled in a corner fearing further retribution by the
Islamic secret police. They chose to fight for us all.
The Iranians of all times are those who have sacrificed their life for
freedom and justice for all of us, obviously are all those heroes who fought
the Islamic Republic's tyranny and fell by the sword of the Zahakmaneshan
Islamic regime; to just name a few recent ones: Dariyush Foruhar, Parvenh
Foruhar, Majid Sharif, Mohammed Mokhtari, Mohammed Jafar Pouyandeh, Piruz
Divan, Rostam Hamedanian, Ibrahim Zalzadeh ... This is a list of over 200
people. Let's remember them with respect, love, and admiration.
AND for the worst Iranians -- shame on us all -- are the Islamic clergy
who have shamed our country and us by their words and action.
TO TOP
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