Over the years I have followed Commander Ali Dizaei‘s timeline with great interest. Having lived in the UK for many years, I have seen how Iranians can be prejudiced against and thought he was fighting a just cause against institutional racism in British Police.
I wished him well and jubilated at his triumphs. I thought to my self, here is a proud Iranian who refuses to trade his cultural beliefs and practices, just because he got somewhere in a foreign land, and when people, jealous of him decided to frame him, well he just stood up to them and said no!
This was until couple of days ago, when I learned that he has been convicted with abuse of power in the same British court that has acquitted him on previous occasions.
Now, the British society may have a lot of fallacies, but its fair and square judicial system is not of them. Time and again, it has proved to be on the side of the underdog and if you have a case beyond reasonable doubt, it makes sure you would get what you deserve. So while I’m not trying to vilify Commander Dizaei, I would go with the inclination that he has had a fair trial in this case.
What I would like to criticize about him is when you are a distinguished member of society, tipped to be on the top of your career path and entire diaspora congratulates itself on your achievement, why would you act in a way to throw that out? Wouldn’t you let down a community that is already having a hell of time fighting for its right in a foreign land that is already prejudicing its members to a very extensive degree? Wouldn’t you confirm the point of view of those people who are prejudicing your fellow Iranians? Wouldn’t you make their case for them?
We Iranians have a tendency for making stupid mistakes. It’s written all over us, and the bigger in status is the more stupid and disastrous the mistakes becomes and we somehow end up destroying all that we have gained through years of hard work and toil. This is a syndrome called “Irooni Bazi”. Our leaders have done it though out the history, ordinary Iranians, including myself, have practiced it at least once in their life time, and it’s just doesn’t go away. It has become a national hallmark of our nation.
It didn’t matter that Commander Dizaei could have become the first non-white head of Scotland Yard thus becoming an ever bigger pride and joy and an inspiration for all the hardworking Iranians all over the world who are best at their field and deserve to be in high places but just can’t break through. Didn’t matter that he was in a legendary position that could immortalise him. None of that mattered, he simply had to blow it off for a lowly 600 Pounds! Even if he didn’t owe that guy this amount of money, he simply could have paid him to avoid tarnishing his high status, aberosho hefz koneh. But now he chose the route to “Irooni Bazi” and he blew it off.
The entire might of a police system spent millions of pounds to get the better off him and they couldn’t. He simply did it for them for 600.
I am sorry to have been the witness of his demise, he was a great Iranian. But there is a little “Irooni” in every each one of us waiting to come out and do a little of “Irooni Bazi” and destroy everything.
I wish Commander Dizaei all the best in the world.
