I was born here, not of Persian blood, but I do know one thing. Alongtime ago we were one. As Indo-Aryans we were family all of us. Genetics tell us this. By DNA. I know also that the first man in history to give Freedom of Religion was not an American. He was a Persian. CYRUS the GREAT LIBERATOR. I learned of this man from my friends in school who were Iranian. This was in 1978. I began to read all the classics then. I wanted then to go and visit Persepolis and other cities in Iran. But when the 1979 Islamic Revolution began I saw my friends were sad and I was too.
I continued to learn more of Persian history and know that Cyrus is a man that the west and especially the United States has forgotten. I admire his pragmatic approach to politics and customs. He was a man of Tolerance. Unfortunatly not many in the United States are. I have studied the history of Iran, the people and know it is so diverse that I really love it. I want it free so that one day my sons and I can go visit. My dream is to visit Persepolis but also the mosque, the palaces, the markets, because everyone must learn to admire someone else’s culture. I have and I live in an area that many persians live. I see that at times they face discrimination and fear being telling anyone who they are. That is not the way it should be.
Some how I do not feel on writing the rest on the body. But I will say this. Persian was the first country I studied ever in my life. I know its religions, I know it is diverse. I know is has many cultures. I know it is not what many people think it is. I admire the people of Iran. They are very cultured and very tolerant. We should be too, we owe them that.
