VIEW

Truth ONLY.

I see most of those rankings are not peer reviewed, factual journals. Alot of them are there to serve certain purposes for certain people (nations). One thing is very sure and that is how we perceive ourselves will ultimately determine our fate. So if some body wanted you to have not a good fate, the said person would like to make you feel bad about yourself, that is how rapists and torturers make their victims feel like. The truth is always a relative and rational description. Iran might not be the best place in the world to do business but putting it at the end of list surely is a joke because alot of people including western countries are making alot of money in Iran much more than in Chad, Zair, Bolivia, Iceland... and tens of other countries so I would expect it to be somewhere in the middle. The same goes with other parameters more or less.
No body has forgotten that the same US gov. the article is trying to defend has allocated huge funds, so that these kinds of illusions can be made in media, to be exact I think the amount was 450 milion. And oh, yeah the article did not mention the support of US gov. for the good old Saddam. A quick visit to his web page on wikipedia would be of immense revelations. Alot of Iranians died to stop Saddam the third largest recipient of American aid in the world. Every thing that goes around comes around so if a vice-president of a country can sing bomb bomb Iran then they should expect some thing similar.
Love should be reciprocated with love.

Facts:

If you are so concerned with rights of Iranians then why not to talk about IranAir FL.655.
Or, Iranian wealth still trapped in the financial system of the west since revolution sure with the interests those tens of billions of dollars have become quite an amount in these 30 past years.
And yeah, another thing, England had signed an agreement with Iranian gov. in 1903 that basically had given all oil gas and hydrocarbon reserves of Iran to the queen of England for a period of no less than 100 years till beginning of 2004 with possibility of a further 100 year s extension in 2004 to 2104. In the contract Iran was to receive a total amount of 16,000 Pounds per YEAR. yeah, you heard it right only 16000 pounds per year for all the hydrocarbons they could get away with and if we were supposed to be shut up and not demand for it kicking them out we would still be getting 16000 pounds. Do not forget in 1903, Iran was a poor country and while with that Oil England made herself a modern economy based on electricity and internal combustion leaving behind coal gas and steam locomotives, fighting two world wars and who knows what, Iranians were kept starving and in dark. I am not saying it is their fault, it was ours that we did shut up like orphan kids scared to challenge the master much like oliver twist if you may.
And the value of all those oil stolen in those 50 years combined with interests for the past 50-100 years would surely make each and every Iranian a fat multi-millionaire that is if the human rights conscious country of England decide to give us back that treasure, by starting giving lets say cheques of 50,000,000 pounds to each Iranian upon visiting their consulate, How about that for the start of the love?

Why They Call You "Zionist", Israeli Agent, Etc.

Farhad,

Don't be deterred by the mob's accusations. Calling everyone who diagrees with IRI a Zionsit and an Israeli agent is a part of a well planned IRI counter intelligence operation. They do it inside Iran and their agents are on the internet under different names and titles doing the same to the opposition. Even Mohsen Sazegara talks about in in this article:

//iranian.com/main/2009/feb-25

So don't be deterred by IRI's covert operatives. Keep on writing.

Right on:)

You know...

I wish i did. I could have garnered some serious buisness for them, couldn't I?
My address is 1234 iranian.com Ave. Austin, Tx:))
Can your secretary hand-deliver the bill? If she is khoshgel enough i will take care of everything:)
see you on another blog soon:)

Jamshid Logged out

Besmelaheh rahmaneh rahim.....Benameh Khoda.

Now could you list the dozen other examples for the "hypocrites regime supporters!"??

Always

Please always start with besme l laah or benaame khoda.
Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Dear Farhad, Good article.

Dear Farhad,

Good article. The fact that so many IRI supporters have swamped your blog could only mean that your piece represents a truth that has hit their nerves.

They do this in other blogs too. They "methodically" attack the author and attempt to protect their "valinemat", the IRI, by using proven and effective methods of diversion, sophistry and other useful tools in their arsenal.

I think someone else should take some time and categorize and discuss these methods. Here are three of them:

1. Diverting attention from IRI's crimes to potential crimes committed by other countries.

Hey you hypocrite regime supporters! Crimes are committed by almost all countries of the world. This fact does not give a free ride to the IRI to continue committing human rights crimes against its own citizens.

The regime supporters' job is to dilute IRI's crimes by exaggerating potentially committed crimes in the US or elsewhere.

2. Playing the role of Iran's and Iranians' "protectors". They diligently try to represent themselves as the "protectors" of Iranians against "foreign" interests.

Hey you hypocrites regime supporters! The last time an innocent Iranian got hanged or tortured, it was done by a regime supporter in Iran, not by an American nor by any other foreign citizens. Also currently, it is IRI elements and its supporters that are looting Iran's riches, not foreigners.

3. Playing the role of "victim". They depict themselves as victims of foreign oppression while they themselves are the ultimate and true oppressors of Iranians.

Hey you hypocrites regime supporters! The true victims are the people of Iran and their oppressors are not Americans, the true oppressors of the Iranian people are the IRI government and its supporters.

These were only three, there are dozens more.

Kouroush

You work at the promotions department at ABC Television or something? LOL

I know that the system is in shambles. As a matter of fact, you're understating it big time, to say the least. I guess the question to be asked is, do you want to get caught up in this broken down joke of a system, or get the visa with as litlle fuss as possible? Whether it's for a two month visit or something lengthier, sometimes a little pride needs to get sacrificed.

Oh, and as for the bill for the services I rendered, send me your address, my secretary will send you an invoice.

Just as soon as she gets back from her INS interview.  :-)

Okay Dr. Phill. How much do i owe you now?

Kaveh.

I think we both kind of realize that we are a little bit getting off track from the main theme of the original essay. But i do not want to leave your points unanswered.
first of all. I never took any positions against the INS or ICE, as it is aptly named and known today, and demanded respect from all the agents. I know that they have been trained in certain ways to do their jobs. But at certain times they go a little too far.
As much as it is a time and energy-intensive process, People's lives are not dependent upon it. Yes they do get dissapointed for a while, but that is the end of it. Either they try some other time or they just forget the whole thing.
Severe consequences, simply refer to the future of a particular applicant, and his or her chances for being able to repeat the process later on. One dumb and shallow and spiteful observation from an agent, for any reason, is enough to jeoperdize the odds. I guess it all depends on how "badly" one wants the visa.
You have to keep in mind, that coming to america even as a visitor, may not be a sincerely desired wish for everyone, But the fact is that people do have many relatives and children in this country, more than any other place on earth, and the need IS there to come over, every once in a while.

Your criticism of These agents are so just and fair, but get this.
This country's immigration system is in shambles, as has been acknowledged by many senators and Gov. Officials time and again. The rules that were in the books never got enforced properly when they should have been, hence all jak o joonevare arabo hendi ... found their way into the USA. Now that they have realized their huge mistake, Now that they know they have beem dooing a Shittii job of checking and keeping records and more importantly comparing notes with all other appropriate agencies, they act like a fu... Wounded bear and want to take their god damn anger on innocent people and blame them.

I suggest You watch "home land security" on ABC to see some oghdeis in action.
Tuesdays. 7 cst.

KouroshS

No, they don't have the right to treat anybody this way. I'm not suggesting that they do.

But you focusing on that is juvenile.

You're sounding like the kind of guy who'll stand in line to buy a lotto ticket, and someone cuts in front of you. You win the jackpot, become a multi-millionaire, but instead of celebrating your wiindfall, all you do is complain about someone cutting in line!!

And you are dead wrong. Applying for a visa is a time consuming process that sometimes requires spending some money to ensure everything is handled properly and smoothly. Anyone who takes that much time out of their lives and drops money on an immigration attorney and says they don't care if it's approved or not is full of shit.

I never said the U.S. was a paradise. It's what you make of it. And what is this "serious consequence" you're talking about? An INS agent wants to push your buttons a little and you'd rather put him in his place than get the visa? Why? To prove some kind of point? To show him, "I'm Iranian, I am so and so from a prominent family back home, I am a respected member of my community, blah blah blah." Who cares? The guy interviewing you that thinks his shit doesn't stink came from a rice paddy in Vietnam or a village in the Phillipines or some banana republic in Central America, or if he's a white American he probably descended from a criminal thrown out of Great Britian or Ireland or Europe ten generations ago and sent here.

And you're worried about possibly being offended?

You want to win one small battle rather than the whole war.

Re: Poor Israel (thanks Mr. B)

Mr. B. "People who revile Israel should try to do what the Israelis have already done . . .gather up their cojones and GO BACK to FREE THEIR LAND."

Mr. B. I agree with you. "Iranians" such as Mr. Kashani who see IRI as the cause of all the evils in the world, should ...gather up their cojones and GO BACK to FREE THEIR LAND, INSTEAD of manipulating Americans or Israelis to start a war with Iran.

I have told this to Kashani many times, over and over again. Thanks for supporting me Mr. B.

Poor Israel

Dear ./.

Regarding your comment about Israel not doing so well . . .

I feel sorry for Israel, I really do. It is a wonderful place. Even a site like iranian.com, attracts comments from refugees (who left a frighteningly unjust regime in the hope of obtaining freedom somewhere else but who still pile on anti-Israeli rhetoric). Poor Israel. What should they do? Call off the last 60 years of history and vacate the premises?

Would that make the Iranian regime a kinder, gentler dictatorship? Where did all of the people who log on to iranian.com go when they felt oppressed? Ah, yes they went somewhere else. For safety.

Just like Jewish people; The Jews went to Palestine, a vastly neglected Ottoman territory they had historical ties to. Over the years they revived it and kept immigrating there because everything was signally worse for them just about everywhere else.

People who revile Israel should try to do what the Israelis have already done . . .gather up their cojones and GO BACK to FREE THEIR LAND.

Or, is it easier to sip tea and criticize the fashionable enemy of the moment? Yes, I agree it's easier than standing up to tyranny, easier than bringing freedom and democracy to one's homeland.

KAveh nouraee

The affidavit is only requested to determine the professional/economic status of the person who resides in the States. In other words, they want to know, whether the applicant has the adequate means to support himself, or can be supported. Where does the issue of "upstanding moral character" comes up?
Once it is all said and done.. kaveh is gonna be right there on the spot and he will maintain damn organized records of who has misbehaved and who has not! wow. Could not display your arrogance any better than this.

I am sorry that you find this hard to believe, But there are people who really could care less if they do not get a US visa, regardless of what they went through to get it. You always deny all the facts and everything that might not please you. Fine, I am in the minority, But I am right and you are Wrong.

The Little indignity, Just so you know Mr. All american Nouraee, could sometimes create serious consequences for an applicant and NO ONE should have to go through this. SO, although you don't get to see the jerk again, the kinda of remarks that they put in your passport will be on your permanent records. NO INS agent has any buiness being rude or condescending to any iranians , Just because bunch of LAATS in IRI are doing what they are doing. These are two Highly unrelated events. And those who usually come on a Visa plan on staying a short while with no intention of being a burden to the society or compete with anyone! I though you were educated enough to know the difference!

Look. I respect the fact that your father was a hard working man and never complained about what he got. I respect the fact that in general US is the country with the greatest number of Opportunities, But Not all things are good and dandy all the time. there are exceptions to the rules, there are people who Can not take advantage of these chances, no matter how motivated and driven they are. And finally. It is not about whether there is a list of iranians wanting to move back, It is about how many of them have actually moved back and started lives in iran.

anonymous...

i think this thread is winding down and all our points were made.  to answer your comment would just continue a subject that provides closure to no one.

i'm sure i'll run into you again elsewhere and we will engage in another interesting debate.  hopefully we can dispense with the insults next time around.

peace out.

A...Fish...

Since you are very amusing, here are a couple of things worth noting:

A juvenile interpretation of a typo (ann….fish) is nobody's fault by your own. I'm only guilty for not proof reading my post, which is time I invest according to the sophistication of my audience. And who said you are sexually affiliated with an Iranian? What does that even mean? And why didn’t they say you are married to an Iranian?

Next one is an example not even worth mentioning, but it may be better suited for your level of comprehension. You say: "i'm a grammAR and spelling junkie" yet you write: "first i'd like to tell you that i'm open to construction criticism"...... Did you get it? :-)

Fish, I wasn’t the one who pointed out your racist commentary, but again, since you’re amusing, let me point out a subtle indicator in just one of your posts. You come to a portal called Iranian.com and you say: “america does not need or want you. we value the many contributions that iranians have made” Fine! Thank you your highness! But what makes you think that you are any more American than people who chose to be outspoken about our government’s failed practices and policies? Is it their funny name, or their participation in a site called “Iranian.com” that makes you more American? Also why should you take it personal if someone points out the shortcomings of our culture? If one suggests that a book full of hip hop lyrics can’t measure up to a single line from Rumi, why not explore rumi, then either promote him wholeheartedly, or enlighten the audience with hip hop’s depth or superior substance?

The fact that you don’t before randomly making such classification makes you a racist. And if your style was the prevailing pattern for our nation, you would be busy waiving the confederate flag, while I'll be heading out for my daily dose of hush puppies.

Fish, I know you don’t give a rats ass to what I say or think, but I look forward to your off the wall and comical reply as that will be good enough amusement and brain candy for most of us. So please keep them coming. If you don’t reply, then I settle for the fact that you're on your way to passing on more objectivity to your kind and southern subculture.

Ya'll come back now, you hear now!! ;-)

How did I know

Dear fishie

You owe me NO apologies what so ever. And for that fact, I never criticized you. I was merely making and observation.

You did not have to say that you are from the south, for I have lived in south for past 30 years. That is why I said what I said about the way you sometimes come across.

About your second point, let me tell you a little story

When I first  landed in US, My first university prof gave me one piece of advise. She saw me[I was in my first semester of my Grad school] desperately trying to translate a text from Shakespeare in order to understand it. 

She told me, in order to truly learn a language, you must THINK in English. At first the idea came as ridiculous, I said to myself bs[I learned that word very quickly]. It was soon after that I really realized what an valuable advice she had given me.

This takes us back to what your husband tells you. It is not the vocabulary, nor the slang's that are problem for an immigrant, but it is THINKING the language and the culture.

Regards

capt_ayhab [-YT]

sorry... me again

to anonymous.  i don't know if you're the same one... it's hard to tell the bottom feeders apart.  but if you are, then i'll tell you right here and now that i don't give a rat's ass what YOU think.  your opinion mean less than nothing to me.  but i had to respond to the civil war comment... how ironic.  i was having a discussion with Q on this very subject.  trust me me dude... don't go there.  you must have like MY bandwagon comment... you're welcome.  i never mind anyone quoting me.  :-)

i have absolutely nothing against anyone criticizing the US.  but you better be able to put your money where your mouth is.  random pot shots are going to be answered in kind.  and a purely defensive attitude (like when someone wants to shitcan the US but not take criticism of iran) isn't going to cut it either. 

the hit and run is still an issue.  neither you... nor judge judy... nor any of the rest have yet to come back and give me an example of racism.  i think that's cowardly.  period.  if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. 

You are forgetting that ....

You are forgetting that the so called "pro-Amercian" governments are not doing much better. Take Israel for example, its inflation is over 1000% per year, its violation of human rights and occupation (specially against palestinians) is worse that any country in the world. So go figure....

Cap'n

thank you kind sir for your words of explanation.  now let me tell you a little something about myself.  you might even have read it in another thread where i was trying to explain something to niloufar.  first i'd like to tell you that i'm open to construction criticism.  that's why i'm here.  :-) but i'm no different than anyone else when it comes to defending myself against charges of racism or insulting someone or defending my country.  i hold no respect for someone who insults me (ann... fish).  or someone who refers to my marriage as being "sexually affliated with an iranian".  that dog won't hunt.  :-)

but arrogance... ah, that is a horse of a different color.  lol

i admit that i might appear to be sometimes.  and i'm not making an excuse or even trying to justify, merely trying to explain.  i'm from the south... THE south.  we're referred to as rednecks all the time.  and there is of course some truth to that!  my major was English and i even had thoughts of going into journalism at one point.  then i realized i was far more interested in reading than writing!  but i did spend a year or two working on our college newspaper.  my career (which has consisted of 3 jobs in over 30 years) has included a great deal of legal proofing and website creating and review.  in other words... i'm a grammAR and spelling junkie.  i even won numerous spelling contests in elementary school!!!  whoo hoo!

so i admit that my tone sounds stuffy sometimes.  i told niloufar that i'm a very relaxed chick... fun loving and a smart ass.  but when i get upset or in a seri-ass debate, i DO tend to sound a little... dare i say... pompous.  but it is NEVER MY INTENT to sound arrogant.  ok, maybe a little.  but absolutely never ever to sound insulting.  so for that i do apologize, except to the aforementioned asswipe.

it took me years to overcome my southern accent because of the lack of respect i usually got... but give me a couple miller lites and i'm y'all (ing) all over the place.  

i get soooo pissed off when the husband uses that "english isn't my first language" excuse...lol.  his spoken english is almost perfect. but i have to remind myself that no matter how long you live in a foreign country, there are issues of interpretation.  so i hope that you'll cut me a tad bit of slack... :-)

can ya dig it?

A..Fish

I'll give you credit for being passionate about your position, but not much more!

If you go back and follow the posts on a play by play basis, you'll find so much descrepensy in your comments that one can't help but feel amused and surprised as to how you keep coming back for more. No an insult or an attack, just an objective obersvation.

- Couples do hold hands and (unfortunately) express affection to one another in public. If you hear otherwise, it is your responsiblity to flush out the circumstances and the details before you randomly jump on the bandwagon of thoese who want to see the mullah's removed regardless of the cost to innoncent human life. More importantly, this protal has shown clips of couples in Iranian parks, or out and about in an obvious display.

- In your opinion if someone is critical of the US, then they are unpatriotic and must leave. Have you ever read about the civil war and what American's did to one another inorder to free the US from ignorance? It's your obligation to differentiate between constructive critism and random US bashing. You've consistenly failed to differentiate between the two, yet you constantly stick your chest out to pick a fight with however that says something that you don't care to hear.

As much I believe Kashani needs a good bitch slapping to help him recaliberate his twisted views, I'll give him credit for creating dialogue that in essense can lead to education and enlightenment for some people like you, programmer craig, and the zion's of this portal. Of course zion and programmer craig hold an opposing position, but you? I won't hold my breath for you to come around to reality, but as long as you randomly take a hawkish position without real non propeganda facts to substantiate your position, you can expect fellow smarties to give you what in your own words you describe as hit and run.

Very nice Xerxes

How old are you?

Zion

re-lie-able resource (to Roshanbeen)

Roshanbeen, I am not familiar with all the resources that Mr. Kashani has used. However, Mr. Kashani himself is one of the most re-lie-able people in this that I have come across in this site.

Guys watch this

Guys, watch this:
hey Zion: Ahamdinejad.
lol

AF, KN

Nothing is illegal in Iran.

In other words, the country is lawless and people don't respect the rule of law because the said laws don't reflect the legitimate will of the people.

Thank you Dayush for spelling things out for us.

Great piece Farhad

Your point is already proven by the comments you have got from the same kind of people[as if it needed any proof in the first place!]

Thanks for always being there and speaking up.

Zion

Daryush

In reality, nothing is illegal in Iran

That is why Iran is in the state it is in today.

Dear captain

I think that we have gotten so use to blaming others that for example I still can't believe this guy is Iranian. An Iranian talking about his country like this? To put an ugly picture about himself in front of foreigners?

I have to say, Iran should broadcast this site for all kids in Iran, because only when I am here I feel great living in my own home land.

Fishie

I don't need government permission to do anything, well as long as it's not harmful to anyone else:)

Laws are very different in Iran than it is in the west. People continue to do what they always did regardless of what law is in place. So to answer you, No. Iranian government doesn't allow access to many sites that it feels doesn't hold the moral standing. But again, how can they control it? they can't. So what does that mean? Nothing. To be honest with you, I want you to really understand this:

Iranian government doesn't care at all what you do in your private life, or even in some cases, in social. As they feel more and more secure about the established Islamic Republic System, the more they loosen up. (knock on wood) I have never ever had any problems, and believe me, I am bad. My family, I and our friends don't feel "claustrophobic" or under surveillance, not at all. Very relaxed. Actually year ago when I was talking to my friend in the US, he was more worried about surveillance and whether he was being watched (no reason, just paranoid). He didn't want to use the word, Iran, terror, Israel or Bush so they won't bother him. He said what if they take me without charge and etc.
I never feel like that here, never. I am not saying Americans feel that way, just saying that we are not living in a dark dungeon. We have access to information and know what's going on. But things do happen, and I believe out of ordinary things happen
everywhere. Iran is a safe and relaxed country and people love to joke
and have a good time.

I'll be fair, life for women is not as relaxed and my sister can tell you all about it. It's not horrible but needs a lot of work. Believe me when I tell you that Iranian women are lion hearted individuals and we will win not too long from now. Society is too advance for some backward laws. Education level is high and demand for higher standards are higher. It will change for better.

AND YES power to the people.

Roshanbeen

Dear sir/madam

Your name really suites you and your opinion. I could not have said it any better even if I tried.

Respectfully

capt_ayhab [-YT]

Dearest Fishie

Thanks for the very kind words, feeling is mutual and you know it.

If you notice, underlying tone in my response is [objectivity] for one and Kashani'e constant hatred of Iranians.

He, as I have stated many times, has a very narrow vision of the events. His constant demonetization of Islam, and Iran leads me to think that he has an underlying agenda, and that he, very seldom[if any] is unbiased and objective.

You know that I have adopted US as my second home[or she has adopted me] through out my life here in US I learned one thing that I am very proud of.

I learned that 99.99% of American people are hardworking, family oriented, decent human beings. I learned that political parties, administrations, public servants, and [government] are one YET different from ordinary people of USA.

These people also have grievances against their government, and disagreements with the policies. BUT I am yet to see one single American who belittles his/her country in any shape or form, despite their disapproval of [lets say] administrations policies.

Unfortunately I can't say the same about characters like Mr. Kashani. I find majority of his treads to be ONE sided and hateful. My point from bringing up the human rights violations in US was, that relatively speaking, every country has issues which they like for them to go away. Either we can talk about it, seek ways to correct it or sit on the sidelines and constantly BASH entire population of US for the deeds of few bad public servants.

One good man once said:[Wars are fight by DEHUMANIZING the population of a nation]. One will have easier terms with his/her conscious if, for instance faith of a country  is portrayed as religion of hate, and war against them is portrayed as war against lets say evil.

I can speak for Iranians when I say that anytime you talk to an Iranian[in Iran] all you hear is that they love Americans, or any other nation as far as ordinary people are concerned. But as you know better, Mr. Kashani's attitude toward  Iran and Iranian is that they equate IR with Iran as a whole, hence all the call for attack on Iran and what nots.

Now dearest fishie,  as i said earlier, I hold great deal of respect for you. With what I am about to say I do not mean to be critical of your opinion. However, I have noticed that in some of your comments in various threads, you DO come across as a bit arrogant. Perhaps that is the reason why some people criticize you harshly. I personally try my best to look beyond that. At times your comments DO come across as[stereo typing Iranians], as a result it attracts many objections as you have seen.

Do not take me wrong, some of us Iranian Americans despite our long term residence in US have a bit of comprehension issues[no disrespect intended toward anyone] when it comes to English language.

capt_ayhab [-YT]

P/S If you take a look at a new thread called Tehran Prostitution , you will see my exact point: //iranian.com/main/2009/feb/tehran-prosti...

ostaad

now that is what i like to see... :-)  i have a big problem with big brother... whether here or in iran. 

power to the people... power to the people, right on.

peace out.