The Greatest Generation of Iranians

Balatarin
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Faramarz_Fateh
by Faramarz_Fateh
10-Jul-2009
 

Several years ago, Tom Browkaw, the previous NBC news anchor man wrote a book called "The Greatest Generation".  It was a best seller for many weeks on New York Times' best seller list.  In his book, Brokaw contended that the greatest generation of Americans were there ones who grew up during the Great Depression and then went on to fight in WWII and those whose productivity and sacrifice within the war's home front made a decisive material contribution to the war efforts.  After reading this book, I was in full agreement with the conclusions.  Sacrifice of 1 generation made a super power out of the U.S.

Then, a few days after the so called elections in Iran and the protests that ensued I started to think about the greatest generation of Iranians.  I must say that personally, I am ashamed of my generation as well as all the generations going back to my great great grand parents.  I am more so ashamed of the Muslims living in these periods because they were in majority by far.  My great grand father was some sort of Shiet cleric and actually ran a mosque in Semnan.  One of his decisions caused the death by stoning of a 17 year old woman who allegedly committed adultry even though 2 of her female relatives testified on Quran that she was raped.  Anyhow, too much digression.

During the time span of these last 5 generations, Iranians were busy with "tan parasti" as opposed to "vatan parasti".  Although for example the motto during Shah's reign was "Khoda, Shah, Meehan", in reality meehan was not even in the top 10.  Hell top 25.  We Iranians only care about ourselves and our immediate family.  We talk about patriotism and loving Iran but most of us have done jack shit for Iran.  There are families with martyrs from the time of war with Iraq. But other than the soldiers who were forced to go to the war fronts, the ones who went volunteerly went more for Islam than Iran.  For generation after generation Iranian men either promoted oppression of women or did not do a damn thing about it.  No sacrifice.  Same with plight of the Bahais and Jews in Iran.  Everyone used to say "yeah, these Bahais are mazloom and not mardom azar" but nothing more than lip service.We stood by as these people got killed and discriminated against.

The generation of Iranians that is now between the ages of 15-25 is different; not all of them but at least the ones not regularly paid by IRI or brainwashed in Mosques.  These are the courageous young men and women who are putting their lives and the lives of their immediate family members in grave jeopardy by participating in mostly non violent protests.  They want a free Iran so they can live free.  They see women and their equals. They don't want help from anyone or any foreign nation to achieve the goal of democracy in Iran; THEY want to be the agents of change and progress in Iran, for themselves and their children.

So, I nominate the young men and women protesters in Iran as the greatest generation of Iranians.

Balatarin
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more from Faramarz_Fateh
 
Faramarz_Fateh

Hamsadeh,

by Faramarz_Fateh on Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:42 AM PDT

I will continue to challenge you with my questions:

1)  List contribution and sacrifices of past generations;

2)  List YOUR contribution and sacrifices;

EITHER OR in the context of helping the country of Iran and its progress.

You can repeat your nonsense and I'll repeat mine.


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Faramarz_Fateh

As I asked before Hamsadeh,

by Faramarz_Fateh on Sat Jul 11, 2009 05:18 PM PDT

please list contributions and sacrifices of past generations as they pertain to Iran and its progress.  I give you some examples:

1) The greatest generation of Americans was the 40 million soldiers who went to the war front in WWII and then sent their kids to Vietnam; all in the name of the USA and freedom.

2) American women who worked in factories producing ammunitions, guns, tanks etc for 3 years with almost no salary while their husbands fought in WWII.

The entire population of so called political prisoners during the time of the Shah was less than 4,000  Most of these were people who were jailed just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I don't know about the IRI but no doubt its much higher.  The so called political prisoners of IRI are not people who made sacrifices in FOR Iran.  Political prisoner by IRI definition could be anybody.  A political prisoner does not necesarily mean someone who has sacrificed for Iran although many have; such as publishers or editors of news papers as an example.

You have missed, as usual, the entire point of the blog.  So let me make it a bit more simple; what sacrifices have YOU as an Iranian done FOR Iran and its progress; list those please instead of pointless generalities you keep posting.

 


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hamsade ghadimi

faramarz

by hamsade ghadimi on Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:41 PM PDT

your "truth" is subjective. in fact i think you mean it is your belief. your writing, in general, paints braod strokes (stereotypes) over all generations past. there's no qualifications such as 'most', 'some', etc. in your writing. you claim that during the past 5 generations, iranians were busy with "tan parasti."  as if, political prisoners are a new phenomenon that was created by the iri government, let's say, 10 years ago (that's when today's 25 year olds were 15).  we've had different forms of dictatorship and totalitarianism governments in our nation since the ahde shah vezvezak. and throughout various governments, political prisoners have been arrested, detained, tortured and executed.

you make statements such as "we iranians only care about ourselves...". i am particulary averse to those who try to stereotype iranians (whether they are iranians or not) based on their own experience. iranians, like any other nationalities, are very diverse people. and i'm not talking about religion, ethnicity or language. i'm talking about human characteristics.  so you need to exercise caution when projecting your own experince on tens of millions of people. there's a saying in academics, one who references himself in a research has a fool for a reference.

you claim that no one went to the iran-iraq war for his love of iran. another reader disputed that and i like to second his opinion, i know someone who left their comfortable life in the u.s. while very much against the iri regime and joined the front of the war. he was only injured but every single person in his group were killed.  do you just make things up as you write? have you surveyed the soldiers? have you done some kind of research on these topics?

every generation has had their righteous ones and the wretched ones. i too nominate this generation as the greatest that i have witnessed in my lifetime. but i don't feel a need to say no other generations had sacrificed until now.


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Faramarz_Fateh

Hamsadeh,

by Faramarz_Fateh on Sat Jul 11, 2009 09:48 AM PDT

I am not denigrating anyone.  I am speaking the truth.  Please name a few contributions of the past generation as it pertains to Iran and its progress.  I am not talking about contribution of 1 man or woman; like Reza Shah; I am talking generationally.

 


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hamsade ghadimi

feast or famine

by hamsade ghadimi on Sat Jul 11, 2009 06:55 AM PDT

faramarz,

you need not to put down all generations past to glorify the current generation (as you say ages 15-25). in essence, you would be insulting even those, above age of 25, who are risking their their lives in the streets of iran during this crisis. you also would be insulting the shahid parvar parents of the 15-25. every generation has its' specific constraints and goals. we can praise this generation based on their courage and selflessness and there is no need to denigrate those who are not in your preferred age range.


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Maryam Hojjat

I agree!

by Maryam Hojjat on Sat Jul 11, 2009 04:17 AM PDT

with you that this generation of Iranians are different.  I pray they achieve what they are looking for.

Payandeh Iran & Iranians

 


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Death_To_Fascism

The greatest were those of the Constitutional Revolution

by Death_To_Fascism on Sat Jul 11, 2009 01:35 AM PDT

Since they fought and laid the groundwork of everything we are doing now today. They seeded the democratic aspiration in Iran. 


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IRANdokht

I have no problem with calling this generation the greatest but

by IRANdokht on Fri Jul 10, 2009 09:51 PM PDT

Why do we have to elevate and praise a group of people at the expense of another? Every generation of Iranians have had their own battles to fight, their own daemons to conquer and every generation has faced a number of challenges and oppression. Our parents generation had to deal with the CIA coup and the lack of freedom under Shah, but it was them who sent their sons and daughters alike to universities and supported them to fight the regime in the hopes of freedom. Our generation fought for the country in a war and was arrested and persecuted for their values that did not conform with the IRI ideology. Now the new generation is standing tall and all of us from previous generations are supporting them.

Societies have to run certain course before they change or evolve. Ours has been changing frequently because generations of our people have been smart and brave despite the challenges that have been extraordinary due to the geopolitical situation of the country.

Lets not put anyone down, each generation of Iranians have done their best to move forward despite the obstacles.

IRANdokht


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Proud_To_Be_Anonymous

I beg to differ

by Proud_To_Be_Anonymous on Fri Jul 10, 2009 07:05 PM PDT

When the war with Iraq started, my brother who at the time was 30 years old and was not pro Islamic Republuic, volunteered for the war and was sent to the front.  He was there for six months until he was told that he was too old for the army and they had enough younger soldiers to fight by then.  I am sure there were many like him who volunteered to defend their borders and their country.  I am proud of my brother and his generation.  Speak for yourself please. 


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