LettersOctober 2005 Following Bush's exampleOn President Ahmadinejad's "Wiping Israel off the map" comment: There's a Farsi saying that requests of you the answer to the question: "From whence did you learn your manners sir?" The resounding response is then, "From the ill-mannered" In Farsi: "Adab az keh amoukhti, az bi adaban." When George Bush labelled the nation of Iran as part of the "Axis of Evil", we should have adhered to our lesson in reversing the ill nature of making such ill-mannered statements. Surely an "evil" country, and note, "country" - not government, or leader, but "country" - is as strong an admonition as Ahamdinejad's call to erase Israel off the "map." I mean, who would want "evil" on a "map", right? In other words, Iran has been called to be "erased", repeatedly, for the better part of 3 years now. The only thing that I lament over when it comes to Ahmadinejad's comment is his not having adhered to our own Persian proverb and instead doing the reverse. Taking the bait so to speak. Learning his manners not by chosing the opposite path of those lacking in good conduct, but rather, by following them in their footsteps. Afsaneh Mirfendereski We are better than thisOn Mehran Makki's "Wiping democracy off the map": Hello?!On Mehran Makki's "Wiping democracy off the map": "Israel does not violate the human rights of its citizens". Hello?! Israel has illegally occupied Palestinian land and it has systematically violated Palestinians' human rights, bulldozing houses, blowing up cars killing bystanders, using Palestinian civilians as human shields in battle with militia. So those don't count as human rights violations? So long as Jewish rights are protected Israel is a democracy? I suppose Mehran Makki doesn't think Palestinians are human beings as well! On another note, I can't believe anyone can be so naive as to think the only reason the leaders of the Islamic Republic have a problem with Israel is that Israel is a democratic country! Good people, bad governmentsOn poll "Should Israel be destroyed?": No, I had not voted and you won't let me vote which is just as well because my answer isn't a simple "Yes" or "No". (It never is, I'm a woman, and a logical one at that!) Jay Z Following Bush's exampleOn President Ahmadinejad's "Wiping Israel off the map" comment: The Palestinian national charter once had called for the destruction of Israel and driving of the Jews into the sea. I believe that part of the charter has not been revoked formally. Despite the stated threat to Israel's existence -- the Americans who for a long time had called Arafat and his gang "terrorists" finally sat down to talk with them, not once but time after time here, there and everywhere, in the open and in secret. The two sides have entered into multiple agreements and the U.S. now pays a good chunk of change toward the Palestinian development fund and hosts the Palestinian dignitaries at the White House. Maybe Mr. Ahmadinejad too has finally figured how to cajole the Americans -- by threatening Israel to death! This might just work -- as father used to say -- the U.S. foreign policy rests on two competing urges -- thadid-e doust (threatening one's friend) and tahbib-e doshman (befriending the enemy). Too bad that it is the policy of the U.S. Government not to talk to terrorists. Wink, wink! Divide & dominateOn President Ahmadinejad's "Wiping democracy off the map": Indeed, this pen is in the service of social class that it belongs to. I came across the Mr. makki‚s article, I do not see the but of his article, is he trying to tell us that the purpose of US intervention in Iraq and in the Middle east in general is to expand democracy? Is he trying to tell us that Israel is a democratic state? Is he trying to show us for the first time that the Islamic regime is reactionary? Is he trying to answer us all these fundamental issues? Where is his reasoning? I do not see it at all. I have heard several time Mr. Bush saying that he is defending US interest in the Middle East, I have clearly heard him several times saying that the purpose of Iraq war is to defend US interest in the Middle East. By now, even the naive Americans know that Sadam‚s weapon of mass destruction, and the all other garbages of that sort were never the reason behind Iraq invasion, the most naive people have learnt by know that the American interest in the sensitive Middle East, and the fact that The US wants to control the world in the world re-division which presently the main goal of Imperial countries is the reason behind the invasion. Their occupation of Iraq has transformed the most secular state of the Middle East into a tribal country where people are divided according to their ethnic or religious origin, the Iraqi society is in a total chaotic situation, no one can guess what is going to happen next, people are killed daily, more that 2000 Americans and more than 100000 Iraqis are dead since the beginning of the war, more than 15000 American soldiers have been seriously injured, the number of injured Iraqis is undoubtedly in order of hundreds of thousands, American are planning to stay in Iraq at least 10 years, that is what Mrs. Rice has said recently, The most reactionary form of Islamic militia is controlling the people's life, women have become legally again the second class citizens over there, the Kurdish tribal leaders are governing a part of the country in a tribal fashion Is this the democracy according to you? As for Israel, indeed in this country; there are elections, indeed, the human rights are respected, but remember that every thing is controlled by torah, the elections are for Kalimis only, a non Kalimi has practically no rights, according to a dissident Israeli soldier: "Israel is the country of apartheid", and according to any human right definition the system governing Israel is an apartheid state millions of Israeli Arabs are second class citizen, they have either been chased from their homes or their homes are destroyed daily when a reactionary government agent decides, they are Arabs, they are not ordinary Israelis, is this really domocracy? I have visited Israel, I have seen the apartheid over there my self, that state is anything but democratic, please do not accuse me of being anti-Semite, some of my best friends are Iranian kalimis. My friend, I do not know you, but what are you defending? You are either very immature or you are really a reactionary, in both case, please stop giving us advise, we have learnt that no body, neither God, nor King nor heroes are going to bring us freedom, we know that we must wage our freedom by our hands. Join us, we promise you, we shall topple the Islamic regime, as we did the shah, we shall rebuild our country, we shall create new traditions, new human beings, we shall transform Iran into a progressive country, to achieve this, we shall work day and night and accept any help from all the people of the world, we shall not wait your friend W to come and liberate us, if you are intelligent enough, you will not wait him either, he is of no use, he is as reactionary and the Islamic Mullahs or kalimi Khakhams. Wish you maturity. >>> October 31 >>> October 13 -- October 14 -- October 25 -- October 31 |