Iran Heritage, Persian Gulf, Iran Alliance, VAFA and Mehr Animal Shelters

Redux

May we agree on some basics here:

• The poster is in poor taste say the least. It may be legal under American law. But it is disgusting. 
• We in USA have a right to condemn it in a peaceful way. This is not the same as a Fatwa as some claim. People have a right to express my disgust at it in writing and peacefully.
• IRI actions and rhetoric is also disgusting and is right to condemn it. We may condemn burning American flag and death to America or Israel. I do condemn those for the record.

We might as well take personal stuff out of this. Our families and kids will suffer. If we do not protect our reputation. There is nothing we may do to change IRI. But there is a lot we may do here. It begins with acting as civilized people do.

Iranian Americans already behave civilized; get jobs and are not a burden. We do not chant "death to ***" or burn flags. At least I do not know of many instances of it.  Maybe we should take out full page ads in NY times condemning IRI.

Peeling the layers of the proverbial onion here one gets to the

Peeling the layers of the proverbial onion here one gets to the crux of the grievance and that is NOT the content of the Texas poster's message or its potential impact and ramifications on the Iranian-American communities!

But, rather the core grievance actually emanates from and is directly related to the pain felt by the IRR regime as a result of the American sanctions! Illegal or not, I am not a lawyer, therefore I can not confirm or dismiss! But, effective, I bet it seems to be!

Just not to be labeled as cruel, coldheartted, and in-humanitarian individual, Iranian people have a choice to fly via non-IRR airlines on oversees flights and maybe it's in their best interests to boycott IRR's airlines for domestic flights and travel by bus and trains instead! If American-made planes and spare parts are of any limitations!

Mohammad Ala, I feel obliged to say that

you are doing exactly the same thing in your recent comments, just on the other side of the toss of the coin i.e. mixing up an individual's rights and those of minority groups under the US constitution - an internal affair -  with that of governmental international politics. Exactly the same line of thinking of the restaurant owner, as portrayed in the quotes in the article and of quite a few of the comments on this blog.

In effect, by thinking along those lines, you are perpetuating what you claim to be against. "it don't wash with me." And it's dangerous.

My advice is to stick to the law, as stated in the article. Stick to the laws that protect individuals and minority groups under the laws that exist, of which the fundamentals are not subject to interpretation.

Very valid points Iraj Khan

Did everybody here watch this movie, My name is Khan (and I am not a terrorist) ? Strongly recommanded to those who didn't . The movie is based on a true story:

//www.imdb.com/title/tt1188996/

Lost or missed in translation…

Several attempts were made to reason with business owner by both Americans and Iranians.  The owner or the poster does NOT bother me as much as the people who posted hateful comments.

When the news came out on October 25, 2011 in dismantling the US atomic bomb (in AMARILLO, Texas), the majority of those who commented indicated to drop it on Iran   … so the hateful comments are on the rise… which was the summary of this thread.

Keep ignoring illegal sanctions against Iranians (knowingly or unknowingly).  Keep saying the hateful comments are not on the rise and the summary of this thread should change as if only people such as you or Fred are free to express your views.

I made my points and rest my case for now.

To Get It

Or Not To Get It. 

1. If there is going to be a war between Iran and United States, Iranian Americans will pay for it dearly. How?

1. Iranian school children will be humiliated and threatened on a daily basis here.

2. Iranians will be under constant suspicion by some circles of power here.

3. Iranian businesses such as grocery stores, gas stations, etc could be targeted for hate crimes.

4...

This existantial threat against Iranian Americans stands on own merit and not to be confused with other issues that face Iranian Americans.

But it's a whole different story if one doesn't live in the United states. We actually feel we are a part of this country and this people, unlike such places as Italy, France or U.K. 

Here we are all Americans and a part of the 99%. 

Mehrban

It seems to me that your opposition is more toward Dr Ala, himself, than toward criticizing that poster!

Just tell me please, regardless of what you think about IRI, or Dr Ala, or NIAC...etc, do you agree with what I say here or not:

Everybody living in civilized countries (or every country for that matters) must fight against all signs  of racism from all kind of individual or organization, whether in America or not, whether against the Iranians or not.

Now your answer might be:
Yes, but if we do this in America, then we must do the same in Iran too, against the anti-American demonstrations.
Then, i will again ask you : Do we have the same freedom, over there?

Why shouldn't we use our freedom in a free country? Just because it is not practiced in a backward country, should not prevent us to use our freedom to say what we think against an aubse of freedom in a free country.

Maybe knowingly.

Good call.

I wish the self appointed leadres of the I/A community

Would for a change show some leadership as oppose to jumping on the band wagon.  It would have been quite refreshing and civil of the so called leaders to have recognized the restaurant owner's freedom of speech rights but in some sort of a civil discourse try to persuade him to take the poster down.  

As it is, they are jumping up and down and grand standing and talking "hatred" and "violence".  It reminds me a little of the Fatwa against Solomon Rushdi or the Hooha (thanks Tiger) after the Danish cartoons.

Mr. Ala, IR has for over thirty years wipped Iranians into a frenzy over every little thing.  I am sorry, but it looks to me you are doing the same here.  Maybe unknowingly. 

 wouldn't be surprised if

 wouldn't be surprised if PressTV reported "the poster story" in a few days, omitting to mention when. Like the honourable blogger did. ;o)

 My thoughts exactly.

"We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both." - Louis D. Brandeis

What's Wrong with 'Arab Gulf' ? Isn't that what you wanted ? ...

The current flag of iran

Halah Begoo MARG BAR SHAH !

Shah of Iran hits back at Mike Wallace for not using the correct term « Persian Gulf »

Related:

Constitutionalist Student on '79 Revolutionaries Infatuation with Arabs 

Mashallah Ajoudani on Intellectuals and the '79 Revolution

Mission accomplished...

Mission accomplished: (1) comments demonstrate there are different values or understandings for freedom of speech. (2) both Americans and Iranians continue to ignore the illegal sanctions against Iranian people (e.g., Chicago Convention) and their heritage (e.g., wrong name used instead of Persian Gulf).

No nationality should be subject to this type of behavior…. just when a progress is made to improve the relations between the two countries of USA and Iran… something like this pops up to reinvigorate the hate.  Both sides are at fault.

From out of the Iranian circle

Pictures and videos of Iranians in Iran burning the US flag and shouting "death to America" are all over the place. Does it prove that anti-American sentiment is on the rise in Iran? I doubt it. For the way I see it, those burning the flag and shouting are hardly representative of the Iranian society by and large.

There was recently on this very IC a video of Iranians demonstrating in the Hague and shouting "death to Israel!". Does it prove that Iranians living in Europe increasingly wish all Israelis dead? I doubt it. For they represent just a small fraction of Iranians here. 

So, how does a poster that was put up 30 yrs ago prove that anti-Iranian sentiment is on the rise in the States goes beyond my understanding. 

As for the sanctions, they are not directed at Iranians as a people (even if they also suffer from it), they are directed at IRI. So, that doesn't prove anything either.

Having said the above, yes, the poster should definitely come down. It's poor taste and it's offensive. But hey, you've got the numbers, so, apply pressure and cut the long story short. 

PS. wouldn't be surprised if PressTV reported "the poster story" in a few days, omitting to mention when. Like the honourable blogger did. ;o)

Hia babes, Mehrban

I do understand, but it really is a question of "intention" *and " consequences".

I don't actually agree with the hooha about the poster,my personal concerns lie elsewhere, but the fact remains that the poster is illegal.

*see Nonmacher's own quotes, although again, I don't want to jump to conclusions as quotes are taken out of context.... 

 Mehrban! Please, don't make me search the internet for the relevant links; I prefer going to the pub! ;)

Congratulations

You have let a Texan redneck wind you up so much that he is having a cheap laugh at your expense. The ignorance of the poster actually made me laugh than an angry. It reminds me of Sacha Baron Cohen, a Jew, going to a Texan saloon singing, 'Throw the Jew down the well'. I tell you what should rewlly offend you is Seyed Ali Geda Khamenei saying Islamic civilisation is better than the Iranian one; or Hassan Abassi saying that the Achaemenids were Jews even if they existed. If you want to find real anti-Iranian propaganda look no further than the Islamic Republic and the religion of Islam which promised to bring an Army of death onto Iran........and boy, did they bring death to Iran.

Hi Tiger, about "incitement"

To prove an incitement to violence will be quite difficult when this poster has been up for THIRTY years and no violence has happened as a result of it. 

Souri and AO

Souri, thank you for appreciating my efforts and saying so.

It's actually what the US Constitution and its Bill of Rights is about, in particular articles relating to race, and especially the sections about clauses within Freedom of Speech and incitement to various 'notions'.

AO

You stated:

"For example, the fact that they cry that this poster is an incitement to
violence, when it has been up for 30 years and no violence has
happened."

It's a question of intention and consequences or rather in this case the lack of, that are decided in a US court of law and are reflected in sentencing.

A restaurant, although a private enterprise, is not a person's home, and let's not forget that there are laws to which all US citizens are subject to, which apply to the home too. A restaurant is open to the general public.

There are cases, which wouldn't go under the aforementioned laws, e.g. the display of such a poster in a museum. Here the difference would lie in intention e.g. that of education purposes.

مشت نمونه خلوره

If we are to use this as litmus test, it shows how divided we are as a group.  As unfortunate as it is, this is one example that it is not about IRI or the government of USA, but the people of two nations and one would have thought:

As Iranians, we would have been offended by depicting such treatment of us

Or

As an American we would have been offended by seeing our country men displaying such barbaric and hatful sign towards another group of people.

I believe this just shows that for some, their absolute and blind loyalty to the USA is matched only by those of IRI supporters in Basiij and Sepah, which comes either as a result of personal gain or sheer ignorance.

If we are to be a sample of what opposition to IRI is going to be, we are doomed and IRI will be there for the foreseeable future. 

'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory 

Mehrdad

Contrary To What Some Ignorant Folks May Claim!

Contrary To What Some Ignorant Folks May Claim, This Thirty-Year-Old Poster Is An Unambiguous Reaction To IR's Actions! Individuals Who Are Suffering From Stockholm Syndrome Or Due To Personal Or Organizational Reasons Feel Obligated To Defend The Regime, May Find It Hard To See The Connection!

VKP Jan! I agree! Iranian citizens of US are also protected and

encouraged by the 1st amendment to express their outrage about the Texas restaurant owner.

I only wish people who are so outraged about this Texas business owner wrote a piece here displaying their outrage at the IRR for desecrating the flag of USA and other American symbols! That's all!

Dear Oon Yaroo

You are right and I already said this is most likely protected speech. But the constitution says "congress" and extended to state government. It does not stop people from complaining about it.

We may write the owner; boycott his business. We may even boycott the whole state if we want. Any peaceful objection is allowed. Including letters to editors; op-eds and so on. We may even put up a sign saying "no racists allowed"!

Regarding IRR we have people criticizing it ALL the time. I do it; you do it and so do many others. There is no reason to not do both. Therefore we are using our right to peacefully object to actions of this restaurant.

USA

Is a very strange country...

1 amendment blablabla, america blablbla... Scheiße... Use your brain instead:

What do/did cowboys do with indians?
A) Hunt them and shoot them
B) Build homes and hospitals for them

Now, what will cowboys do with iranians?

sigh^2 ....

Clearly hate propaganda against a nationality... I would guess the US have some laws for that...

First Amendment to the United States Constitution!

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Many of us who lived in US during the hostage crisis understand and feel what it means to live under constant fear and apprehension of getting beaten up, abused, and harassed by the angry mobs.

But, thank God for the the police, the authorities, and the American justice system, they came to protect and rescue us every time we needed them!

The business owner in Texas has every right to hang posters, statements, and what you have on his business premise as long as it's protected by the 1st amendment and not harming anyone else!

Those of you objecting to this anti-Iranian gesture in Texas, USA pause for a second, take a deep breath, turn left 90 degrees, face the East about 7000 miles, and get seriously outraged at the biggest, the most vicious, and most active anti-Iranian profane gesture called IRR!?!?!?

APFSD

When you say:

  If an Iranian says the same thing about an American, we would all speak out against that iranian too.

Can you please post a link to a blog or comment of yours where you have criticized the actions of Iranians in burning American flags, posting anti-American posters and chanting "death to America?"  

Please bear in mind that your comment above that I have cited says that you speak out against negative things said about America by "an Iranian," which means any Iranian, including the ones in Iran.  So, please do not claim that those actions are done by the IR only.  

I will be looking forward to seeing your links and reading your comments in that reagrd.  Thanks. 

DM-e gerami

You're up to something my good man.  What we're dealing here is the Iranian Tea Party.  As mush as they complain about the Tea Party and call oters "neocon," they are actually the mirror image of the American Tea Party.  Yet another example of hypocricy and double standard.  

See, just like the Tea Party, they do not want to hear ANY crtiticism of the Iranian society or culture.  The minute one criticizes anything Iranian, they call him anti-Iran, or un-Iranian.  Sounds familiar?!!  They don't want to hear anything that opposes their views.  Sounds familiar?! And evidence is irrelevant.  Sounds familiar?!  For example, the fact that they cry that this poster is an incitement to violence, when it has been up for 30 years and no violence has happened.  Very Tea Party-esque.  In fact, these people are more Americanized - in a bad way of being Americanized--than the people they pretend to criticize.  People like me, on the other hand, are the liberals of the Iranian society who, just like the liebrals in the U.S. (which I happen to be one), criticize what is wrong with our culture.

See the laughable irony?  I'm sure you do, but these numb nuts never will!  

Not anyones business

What poster he wants to put on his own restaurant is his own business.

Blog in response

I just wrote this blog to discuss the reaction of some to this poster. And the fact that my posts criticizing some people keep getting flagged.

//iranian.com/main/blog/veiled-prophet-kh...

Bravo Tiger Lily

You made the great point! I am really impressed. You said it all, in a very short sentence, where others failed to explain the opposite view, in some large comments!

Thanks Dr Ala for this great and useful blog (which is sooooooo rare in the recent history of IC)

BTW, where are the usual commentators who are almost every where, every day? Don't see one single comment from them! Not a single research or reference to some doctrines....etc?

Ajab!!

Whoever is flagging my posts

Stop flagging my posts. I am not going to stop and will file a complaint if you don't get off my back. I have a right to my opinion. You flagged it; the flag was removed. Then someone went and flagged it again.

If you don't like my post don't read it. What are you people so afraid of? 

I challenge you: 

1) Tell me who you are.

2) What is exactly offensive in my post that you are flagging.

If you don't want to respond then leave my posts alone. Go and post your own reply. 

Raoul

a poster depicting a negro or a jew being lynched would have [indeed] created an outcry the first day that it was put up

It is not due to historical anything rather being organized. Those groups have organizations like ADL and NAACP that monitor these.  Before they got organized they were getting the same treatment as well. 

The poster is indeed over 30 years old. But it was recently brought out. At the initial time Iranian Americans lacked the organization to object. Now we have several and they are taking action.

This is very simple. Iranian Americans are now organized and fighting for equal rights. Remember we are not asking for government handouts. Not for quotas or special treatment. Just objecting to a poster advocating we be lynched.