IDEAS

Arab Anti Israel racism vs Israel's tolerance

To "Lebanon"!

The only racism that there is there, is Arab racism on Jews / Israel, Why can't the sea of racist Arabs accept Israel's right to exist, and democratic tolerant Israel has 20% Arab population treated equally with non Arab citizents?

The same Arab racism & extremists´ Islamic bigotry that the starter of this whole conflict, namely the Mufti Hitler's buddy was all about, which is hatred, long before that "occupation" myth was even born.

Answer me this example, Why did the Mufti (Haj Amin Al-Hussein) led the massacre on Jews of Hebron (Israel - "Palestine") in 1929?

Why do racist Arabs blame Israel, when vicious Islamic terrorists Hamas of Hezbollah use their own women/children as human shields in order to bring about Arab kids to die?

Why does the powerful world Arabist propaganda (greased by Arab oil lobby) potray Israeli soldiers that are weak because they can´t, they won´t hit at unarmed civilians as "Goliath" but the cruel "Palestinians" that target mainly unarmed non combatants as "David"?

The racist side and real Apartheid "palestine" controlled by "Palestinians" does not even allow to non Arabs (Jews) to reside there, now that´s real ethnic cleansing!

But in Israel ANY ARAB WOMAN CAN VOTE for high office.

Israel does NOT "mistreat" Arab "palestinians" only those that make troubles and comitted to genocide on Israel because of terrorists' anti Israel racism and their Islamic radical bigotry on ANY non Muslim infidels.

Well you know Leb, if you'll ever see this....

my conversations with you served me thus: 1) I refuse to apologize for ANY attrocities committed by the IRI, big or small. 2) I automatically grant Zionists that they are right when they assert that leftist propaganda on Palestine is biased. 3) I have challenged about five "lefty" men on this site while arguing about politics, e.g. Ahmadinejad vs. the "West" to please explain to me how Mahmood is relevant when already Rafsankhamenei are CLEARLY discrediting him through the use of the most vitriolic pro-Holocaust propaganda, and I have refered them to Memri tv.

Thusfar, not ONE of them has responded to me or acknowledged the problem and that is exactly what I expected. Because a) they're too embarrrassed to look at it and/or b) they don't really care....

And you are my own private Zionist rightwinger to whom I owe the full flourishing and articulation of what I perceive to be a more honest leftism. I said the day I got here that I'd rather talk to people who disagree with me than with those who agree, and I was right.

I have a blog now. I published once, last week. Visit me there, will you, when/if you read this. I miss you.

And forgive me my leftism. I am after all a pragmatist (except that I'm also a pacifist...), and so all I expect from it all is mixed economies anyway. In other words, we were better off with Ma Bell/ATT, and so with certain heavy industries in developing countries, etc.

Robin

Leb??????????

Hey, I was actually really sick for a few days last week when I didn't answer. Now does it mean the party's over?  I want to address your last past now but I wonder if you'll come back. 

I know Shah got on very well with Jews and I know Monarchists like me a lot, and actually the anti-bombing ones (sorry!  ;D  ), I like them too. Also it wasn't just a political US/Israel/Iran axis; I think Shah genuinely was a cosmpolitan in terms of ethnicity (except had problems with retrograde Arab/Muslim elements). I like that aspect of him.  Actually I like a lot of things about Shah. It's very freeing to be able to admit it and still say I believe in mixed economies and nationalization of major industries in developing countries and so on...it's a relief....

Your distinctions between the two kinds of anti-Semitism are interesting. I'd like to go further with this.

I DIDN'T think First Gulf War was justified. I called it the Kuwait Corporation, a British corporation. I kinda thought Iraq had historical rights to it...it was another ambiguous situation though. All of these states forged after Ottoman collapse, they're a mess, aren't they?

Okay I will very grudgingly give you Lebanon. Or...I don't know...It just seemed so incredible to me to destroy the infrastructure all the way up to Beirut and beyond. Why couldn't they stick to the south? Do you think chemical weapons were used? Maybe I'll just say I don't know...but...

But the whole Iraq agenda, it was so reckless and pointless. I knew it would end up the way it did. From the moment they talked about invading I knew it would be like this, like Yugoslavia. If I knew and I knew little then about Iraq, how could they not know?  No, I can't forgive them for that. Maybe more sense in Lebanon than in that. It's not a question of ideology, it's one of ethics, Leb. Ideology, well, you were right. What am I doing defending people who stone people? I don't do it anymore. 

I am going to write about it too. About the hypocrisy of the Islamacist apologism of the left. I'm still on the left and I can't give you Iraq, too much of a mess. But honestly I hate George Bush. But still you help me to see things more clearly. You're my private "Zionist hawk" doppelganger. I hope you come back. I really do. It would very very lonely here without you.

Robin

Actually....

I hadn't seen your reply when I just posted, for some reason. No, no, no, your blog was a big, big, big world of Sasha, much bigger than I think you're aware. From what I gathered from it, which I have only been able to scan so far, you gave a bunch of Persian guys an opportunity to feel free to express their thoughts on spirituality and poetry without worrying about being laughed off the webstreet by the ideologues (who are also valuable in their way but...) What you did was what we call in Yiddush a "mitzvah". You freed them.
goldbird

Another thought or two for Sasha

Hi, I was thinking maybe one of the reasons you thought I was some devious person was because of something you thought I said that I didn't. You might remember that during all the hubbub over the "moderation" issue, at a certain point I wrote a series of e-mails to various people beginning with the prespostrous statement, "Jahanshah Javid told me to tell you that..." including a couple on his own blog. I thougnt it was funny because he was generally incommunicative (not a criticism btw, just that he was I think overwhelmed). Apparently he found it funny too because he posted them with his own minor revisions. did was post them with minor revisions. In one of them (I think even probably directed to you), I talked about Ben Madadi as being sensitive or unhappy or some such thing, and jj changed it to something like "fucking idiot Ben." (Don't flag me). Ribald as I am, I have to say it cracked me up. BUT:

I would NEVER have said that myself for several reasons: 1) because Ben has allowed us to be guests here; 2) because Ben is hypersensitive; 3) because even though I had been using plenty of curse words on site to demonstrate points ABOUT censorship, I NEVER used them TOWARD anyone as a direct affront and I never would because I see my main purpose here as softening the edges of the various bickering factions so it would be very counter-productive for me to curse at people; and 4) last but by no means not least, because I would NEVER EVER EVER use that kind of language frivoulously with YOU. EVER. Because I know you're religious and because I know that you are a LADY. And a lady these days is a very precious commodity.

Maybe you thought you were seeing my dark side. No, it was just jj being silly.

Which brings up a further point, I wrote a private e-mail to jj last night, finally out of the blue remembering his e-mail address from three years ago. I have to work this stuff out with him--some quite old from three years ago and spilling over into the present, at least on my side. I'm sure it will all be fine. I think he is a wonderful man.
Much love to you
(and Leb, and Ben
and jj, if they should
stop by),
Robin
:D Write me!

Rosie T. nice to see your brilliance once more............

 Nice to see your brilliance once more.  You know I thought of just going amuk myself. Iranian men really love to debate whether it has a real point or not. They will debate their point of view until do or die.

I must say I did learn a great deal from the debate going on with my blog. I honestly did not think it would ever be a featured blog. I just needed to express myself in writing, like I always do. Only this time it was my little world of Sasha.

Natalia (real name)

PS

I meant to say that my venerable colleague cared not if Iran fell into the sea leaving only her music and poetry, having grown up there, NOT because of ethnic animosity toward Christians but because, I paraphrase:

Iranians are completely ideologically motivated; it is impossible to have a conversation with them that is not ideologically based, and they are completely irrational.

PPS To the errant cyber-traveler who may wander into this our secret hideaway, well, he said it, not me. I didn't say it for another four years.
RJG

Leb/Sasha, I wonder if/when you'll see this

I'm sorry, I meant to answer you much sooner. But things did happen. Indeed. Thank you for your concern, Leb.

I've
already said a few things to Sasha in her recent blog on Islam
and maybe they would solve some riddles for you, too, Leb.

Sasha,
it wasn't as incoherent as you thought. Basically there were two
kinds of posts I was writing. One of them was just really
satirical, as in the one I wrote to you about the burqa and
osteoporosis. Those types of posts, taking logic to its most
extreme extreme, result in what is called a reductio ad absurdum, logic
reduced to the absurd. Almost all the men on this site, virtually all,
are completely ideologically motivated, and they are so certain that if
they just slug it out rationally they'll prove that their ideology is
the correct one. So either the Shah, or the secular Socialists, or the
Islamicists are EVIL, and they shall prove this through language.
Further, in the endless ABSURD discussion about whether Iran is
"really" Aryan or Muslim, one day one side shall prevail. And bla bla
bla.

An Armenian Iranian professor (colleague) confided in
me in 2003 when I first embarked on this ship I sail called Iran that
he'd left Iran in 1965 never to look back. Although he strongly
encouraged me to learn the language, it was for the purposes of poetry.
Beyond poetry and music, said he, as far as he was concerned, the
entire country could fall into the sea.

I do not wish for
the entire country to fall into the sea but I have to say that for a
relatively sophisticated, well-educated people, Iranians in general are
the most ideologically fixated and stunted that I know of. And as long
as they keep trying to prove who is "right", Iran WILL fall into the
sea. That was the reason for those "hyper-rational" posts, to show that
there are limits to reason and there is no single one rational "truth."

This
is the reason why Leb and I get on so well although we sit at very
different places on the political spectrum. We are both concerned
with ascertaining facts as best as we can approach them, and what is
unknowable, we freely concede. Our political concerns do not stem
primarily from ideology but from a personal sense of what is the most
pragmatic step to take at any given time in order to prevent the
least human tragedy. We do not at any moment claim to be completly
"right"; we don't cloak our political preferences in "isms".

Actually
before I "met" Leb, perhaps I tended to do so more than now, but he
made me see the error of my ways, that I was in ways a hypocrite, an
apologist for a savage, disgusting regime because it suited my
ideology. And this shedding of this skin of mine, this ideological
skin, gave me a passionate desire to understand as bet as possible how
the various factiosn (Monarchists, Islamicists, socialists, etc.)
really FELT, not what they THOUGHT, and to dismantle whenever possible
hyper-rational ideologies that were being used for nothing more than to
tear each other to pieces.

And so I chose to pontificate on burqas and so on, BECAUSE they know how intelligent I am and BECAUSE it WAS ridiculous.

The
other voice, the one barely identifiable as such but upon further
scrutiny so revealed as poetry, I have explained to you, Mermaid and
Jamshid (and whoever else happens by) under your blog on Islam. I
warmly congratulate you. You have managed to top EVERY SINGLE
BLOG since I've been here in the number of posts; even subtracting your
own frequent replies you are still up there with the big boys arguing
about such crucial matters as whether a country which is 98% Islamic is
in fact Muslim, and whether in a country with a 2,500 year old history
of kingship extending from Greece to China and thus preparing for the
footprints of Alexander's armies which determined the entire history of
"Western" civilization, let alone Persian, a person is entitled to
propose a constitutional monarchy as a POSSIBILITY in the political
discourse. And so on. YOU finally established a discourse of the heart
and people really got into it. Again, congratulations.

I
wasn't running as amok as you thought, but there did come a time...well
there did come a time...I told you I've been incommunicado. And I
have to repeat that there was one crucial, really crucial, really
essential post I wrote more or less articulating where this poetic
voice was coming from and why, and it was beautiful, and it had one of
my three-years old poems in it, and it was not posted. And I asked JJ
if he ever got it, and he did not reply. Had he posted it, I think my
meaning would have been clearer, and others would have understood me
better and perhaps I would not have wound up so far out on a
limb.

Be that as it may, I am where I am now at the present moment. And my
understanding is that jihad is the mastery of the human heart over
itself, and in order for it to be mastered it must be shackled many
times. So. It was quite a week....

And you, Mr. Lebanon, I want to continue our discussions here in
our own private little corner of JJ's giant lego toy. (JJ, if you
should ever read this, well, we'll have it out sooner or later.... how
many times, how many times I wrote to please contact me at my e-mail or
by phone because I was trying to get my students involved in this
website, NEW YORK CITY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY LOVES IRAN, My dear
students, this is the most important homework assignment you've ever
had...and so on and so on....I just wanted those posts to remain in a
prominent place so that when the kids did their research they'd see my
name and feel comfortable..and we could start a whole web dialog
between New York and Tehran...but he wouldn't answer me......and maybe
that's also why I went out so far.....enough, yes, JJ, I'm so very
grateful you let me swim in YOUR aquarium, closed paren for JJ ).
Leb:

--politics you know they say makes bedfellows and it is very
unsettling when someone points out to you that you've been in bed with
your ideology for the last two decades. That's why sometimes it's
hard for me to reply to you because things take a long time to
digest. And for other reasons as well. For deep emotional issues I have
with JJ and Iran and my past on this website. But I haven't forgotten
you. I have decided however that I am a pacifist and that
I...just...am. . As such I cannot accept the Neocon's political agenda
under any circumstances' it was just TOO incompetent and TOO many
people have died. All I can do is deplore it.

But
that shouldn't stop us from continuing our discussion. Actually it
should make it rather more spicey. I dearly hope you find this because
I have no other way of locating you if you don't check here.

Last but not least, isn't Sasha pretty?
Robin JG

PS The computer appears to have mucked up the format, I'm sending it as is.

Lebanon: I have posted a photo of yours truly :o)

 We shall see what they have to say about it now.

Natalia (real name)

Lebanon: Thanks :o)

 Thanks so much for your kindness.  

I am truly grateful that I do live in America where I can choose the path that I must follow. Which reminds me I need to pray for Rosie because I do not know what is going on with her. She is incoherent in her comments. It is not the Rosie that we both knew and that I greatly admire.

 Take care,

Natalia (real name)

Thanks for the update Natalia!

I hope Rosie is OK. I read your coming out story. Good luck on your Journey. I believe that one should follow whatever makes them happy. If you find that happiness in Islam, good for you! Don't listen to any one who tries to change you mind (can you believe this is coming from a Jew:) ) Many Iranians are mad at Islam (Iranian version of Islam) for good reasons so they will try to take it out on you to get back at other Iranian Fascists on this site. Religion is a personal matter. That is why America is such a good place. You can pray to whatever you want and the government will not get involved in it (like they do in Iran unfortunately)!

Lebanon: Rosie has..................

 Sorry but Rosie has been kind of running amuk through out several articles and blogs on iranian.com. I am not sure if she is trying to prove some point or what. She is currently not making any sense. I'm hoping her current nonsense talk is only to prove some point and we will have the brilliant and articulate Rosie back.

Best,

Natalia (real name)

Where are you Rosie?

Just in case you missed my response below. Here it is again.

Dear Rosie,

What I mean by Persians not being anti-semetic is as follows: They don't have the classical European anti semetic beliefs (such as Jews rule the world, Jews need blood for matzah, the protocols of zion garbage......). The anti-semetisim stems strictly from the mosque. The Shiites are very zealous when it comes to their religion. They are extreme when it comes to their religion and prophet being the best. Although they have to be respectful for the "people of the book", a Jew's (or Christian's) testimony in court is worth half of a Muslim's, their were periods of forced conversions in different towns and even progroms in towns such as Isfahan.

The Jews of Iran had it the worst in the Muslim world. The Jews in the Arab world and Turkey were treated much better. For example, the Jews of Mashad (western Iran) were forced to convert many times and they kept their customs in secret. They have a very large community in Long Island today (around 5000). A lot of them have Islamic names such as Abdullah, Amir, Saaid, Iraj.... these are names adopted during the forced conversions. Jews also had to pay special taxes and were not allowed to own personal property. This is up to my grandfather's time.

However, a lot had changed during my father's time and Jews had become very successful under the Pahlavi's because of equal rights under the modernized Iranian laws. Yes there was always that Muslim superiority thing but it was not open like it is today as you see on Memri. Todays Iran is not the Iran I knew. It is totaly different. Today, you see classical anti-semetic themes in the rethoric such as Jews try to control the world.....jews were a pain in the neck in europe, the protocols to rule the world.... This is new and it started from the time of the revolution. Before the revolution, EL AL had direct flights to Tehran/Jerusalem. Israel was invited to the Asian Olympic Games. I saw Israel play Iran in soccer and basketball in 1976...

As to Israel's use of Excessive force: Do you know a war where the force used is not excessive? War is
a terrible thing! But sometimes necessary. The 2006 war was necessary for reasons I have stated earlier.

If you look at the Lebanon war, you will notice that
Israel relied almost exclusively on air power until about 24 hours before the ceasefire (Israel destroyed Hezbollah's main missile stockpile- these are the large Iranian ones- in the first day of the war). Olmert did not want Israel to become an occupying power again. That is why there was no cease fire until Hezbollah agreed to allow the Lebanees army to takeover the south and also allowed international forces to come in. Of course Hezbollah still has a precense in the south but its not as overt. And yes, the US (and the west) did not want a speedy ceasefire. They wanted Israel to hit Hezbollah hard. This was a message for the Syrians and Iranians. This was also a new type of warfare. 500-1000 men in Hezbollah with unlimited stockpiles of rockets (that had no military value whatsoever) lunched indiscriminatley at Israeli cities. Israel was not fully prepared for this type of warfare. We will see what happens the next time there is trouble (I think the next one will be the real big one).

Also, if you recall, Israel stopped using air power for a day or two, after that building with all the civilian's inside was struck with a bomb. It allowed more people to escape. If you ask me, more People would have died had Israel made a full land invasion of Lebanon and that would have been much more excessive. The reliance on air power actually saved more lives but diminished the damage that Hezbollah could have suffered had there been a land invasion. However, the use of cluster bombs was very problematic because of the explosion failure rate (as high as 30%) and danger of explosions in urban areas after people return to their homes. I Think that went to far and was wrong.

I don't think Friedman is a neocon (I wish he was). I think he is right there in the middle. If Friedman is a neocon, then so is Hillary and the rest of the Democrats that voted for the war in Iraq. On his economics, I really do not understand world economy, but I like how he talks and his examples/story telling style. You don't like him because he was for the war in Iraq probably. Neocons only became more main stream after 9/11. Many people, like me, became tough guys after 9/11. Papa bush did not like their ideas and dissmised them during the first gulf war which leads me to ask you:

1) Do you think the first gulf war was justified?

2) Was the international community wrong in liberating a defacto country called Kuwait that only existed since 1960 something?

3) If Israel does not have a legal right to exist, why do Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Dubai & UAE have a "legal" right to exists (the territories were all part of the Ottoman Empire prior to WWI and were not nation states at anytime in world history)?

Robin: It is serious

Robin it is serious for you to use your real name. This is really upseting you. I was surprised you were up so late too. The new format is still so new and I have only been visiting iranian.com since the spring. You know better how things are done by JJ than I. Do you think that he will listen. I know he has been reading the comments.

Natalia

Rosie: Some assistance por favor

I wanted to read the blog on moderation but I can not find it. Any advice on how to better search for it.

   I also finished reworking the "Women's Sexuality". I think you will find it more on target. I did have someone leave a comment. Of course it was idiotic. It is funny but I am so excited even if the commentor is an idiot. I have never been commented on before. I have no intentions on commenting to him.

A woman's sexuality is influenced by their socialization through out their life structure. Gender roles, gender stereotypes, heterosexism, gender schemes, gender role norms and living in a patriarchal society with authoritarian parents can be detrimental for a woman's freedom of sexual expression. In American society, things have improved greatly for women sexually. However, many ethnic groups in North America still have a traditional culture in which women are sexually oppressed.

Growing up we are treated with a double standard in which girls are normally not allowed to date until they are ready to get married because one is to remain pure and virginal for one's husband. Now the young men can start dating at 16 and can have many girlfriends.

The majority of girls get their first sex education through the classes offered at school, which are usually in Jr. High. We also receive our education on menstruation in the 5th or 6th grade. I remember going to the library to watch some movies on menarche and the reason it occurred. Talking about menarche and sex is taboo in our culture or our mothers wait to tell us too late. We also learn from any Americanized friends.

Women are not talked to about contraceptives in our traditional cultures because since we are to be virgins until marriage there is no need to. Any woman using contraceptives and unmarried is considered a promiscuous woman. I am not sure of the statistics on unmarried pregnant young women but I would not be surprised if it was high.

In my Jr. High, several girls got pregnant and never finished school. Back in the 1980's there were no programs to help pregnant girls stay in school. In fact, they were publicly ostracized. I was not allowed to have such friends. At least now, programs exist to help girls stay in school or go back to school.

We still have a problem on the number of young unwed women in the US. I consider it an indication that the use of contraceptives is still denied to them. Women should not be discouraged  from using contraceptives such as Norplant, Depo Provera, birth control pill and condoms. Religion plays a major role in the use of contraceptives in that some are against it.

Women no matter what ethnic group should not have to live with a double standard and have the right to decide what to do with their bodies. We deserve to have the necessary sex education and contraceptives without being made to feel like we are promiscuous. Knowledge is power. Women should be empowered and not oppressed.

Yeah, Sash...

JJ has his own agenda. His agenda is JJ.

I'm very disturbed. Go back to the blog on moderation.

Robin

Rosie: Love that Cobra Mustang photo

 Rosie,

   Thank you for not sacrificing me to Karim. It would be the last thing I need. Ha! Ha! :o)

      I actually  did think about how I would probably recieve many emails soliciting a date and then some. I actually did register myself for some dating websites in the summer to research online dating. I have closed them. Everytime the men would contact me because of the pretty picture. Not once did they read the information on me. They kept asking me questions that I had answered on my profile. What is it with this men and a pretty face? I still need to write the article.

     I thanked JJ for  the new Stang picture. I think I am in love with the new Mustang photo. I know I am funny. Sometimes a girl just feels the need for speed. There is something about 8 cylinders of raw power under the hood of a car that just gives me such a rush. I guess knowing I control it and not the other way around. My current Mustang is only 6 cylinders but I get a rush driving it every time. Ha! Ha! :0) Of course my mom things I am nuts. Wait till I show up one day driving a motorcycle.

    I was going to ask you if Bacheh Poroo was an actual name and if not what did the words mean. Apparently, I have been insulting him. It seems that by what you said porro is not a good thing. Yes, he did behave like a gentleman even when he thought I was a man. :o)

   Thanks for the compliment on my writing. I have been trying to improve it constantly. I think that creating my blogs will make it easier to improve. I think you are right. I will have to stop metioning my heritage when I write unless like you said, tie it in with Iranian culture, which is so similar in many ways.

I do agree in that JJ thrives on chaos. JJ has his own agenda that will be followed by iranian.com. Funny that you called JJ the Shah because someone referred to him as Father.

I did not realize the go go dancer had replied. I will have to hunt down the story and read it. I found it interesting how the Iranians were disgusted with her choice in career. You know Hispanic culture would have done the same.

I had not realized you had been on this website for three years. You have earned your balls. I wrote a blog under Sasha "Superstition but I did mention my culture, perhaps I will go and rework it just a little." :o)

Sasha

Sasha

Yeah, we all need to toughen up a little. I caught your article while the photo was still up. If you put it back you are going to get so many offers for dates to learn takhteh and to fly you up to Haji in Victoria that you won't have time to sleep at night. And then there is this crazy guy Karim who writes pornography and he's been following me around...if I were devious I'd encourage you to repost the photo so that I could lose him at last. Don't use the photo while you're working on your balls. Anyway you already have a thing going with Bacheh Poroo, it seems. ;D Funny, he really is the least poroo of all...
I liked your writing. And it's getting tighter all the time and you're focusing more clearly on issues. It's good. Be careful when you talk about your heritage to specify what it is, that you are chicana. And also try to tie it in explicitly to aspects of Iranian culture. And get that into the title somehow so more people will read you. Marketing is everything.

Regarding the censorship debate, actually I don't think the users are the main problem with this site, the problem is the editor. Who is VERY much alive btw. JJ is someone who thrives on chaos and his definition of "nothing is sacred" is not really a definition; it's code for: how do I ENSURE that nothing becomes sacred? JJ is the great leveler.
There was a really good discussion under the go-go dance video. Majority of the community had been censuring her, and first the videographer, then she replied. Once she replied there was an opportunity to get to the heart of the issue and right after that he moved it off the top of the page, and you know how lazy people are, if it isn't dangling right in front of their noses they won't go and look for it. So the conversation was aborted just when the confrontation between the generations of Iranicans could make some headway.
Also under the Iraq/Iran war video, a non-Iranian guy requested videos from inside Iran so that he could broadcast them on other places to convince people not to bomb Iran, and I knew he was gonna do it, he moved the thing immediately. Goddam video on Iraq/Iran war lasted about a day and a half. And this right after the anti-war march in San Francisco that he publicized. JJ is the great leveler. Nothing is sacred except that nothing is sacred. Or even important. Unless of course it's his work, that is.
I could go on and on with this but I won't. I have worse stories. One of them goes back three years and is rather painful. Actually JJ and I had contact back then, I was published on here twice, and and...well...suffice to say what I need to know about him I learned at that time.
Read the other blog on censorship to get a sample of what I know. None of it surprises me. Nonetheless he is the Shah of the Website. So I suppose we must be grateful to him.

Rosie

Sorry Rosie

Sorry Rosie but the powers that be removed the picture of me and now I have a nice picture of a Cobra Mustang which they selected for me. I must say, I am glad they remembered I like Mustangs, it could have been a worst picture.

Best wishes,

Natasha

Rosie

I was not sure if Naser was kidding or not at first but I decided to take it seriously and add some sarcastic humor into it. I do have a wicked sense of humor from time to time. Hey! I added a photo of me to my account. I am not sure if you have to be a registered user to access my bio by clicking on my name "Sasha". Try it and see if you can see who I am. I also have began to create little articles on my blog. By the way that article I copied and pasted is yours truly but I am sure you figured it out.

You should read the article written by Bahmani The Editor is dead, long live the editor. Several writers Ben Madadi among them are talking about leaving. They are tired of ignorant comments in which anyone can just piss on their articles.  I had a feeling Ben was not going to write anymore. I actually sent him an email trying telling him to please continue writing. I think it will take more of us to convince him.

Sasha...

That exchange with Naser is one of the funniest things I have ever seen! Hard to know if he was kidding at first but you both sure got in some damn good satire later.
I will read the article and get back to you on it.
Rosie PS Figured out why we're not on most viewed list. They rotate it. Hope it NEVER comes back to here!

"Examining my narrative"

Dear Rosie,

What I mean by Persians not being anti-semetic is as follows: They don't have the classical European anti semetic beliefs (such as Jews rule the world, Jews need blood for matzah, the protocols of zion garbage......). The anti-semetisim stems strictly from the mosque. The Shiites are very zealous when it comes to their religion. They are extreme when it comes to their religion and prophet being the best. Although they have to be respectful for the "people of the book", a Jew's (or Christian's) testimony in court is worth half of a Muslim's, their were periods of forced conversions in different towns and even progroms in towns such as Isfahan.

The Jews of Iran had it the worst in the Muslim world. The Jews in the Arab world and Turkey were treated much better. For example, the Jews of Mashad (western Iran) were forced to convert many times and they kept their customs in secret. They have a very large community in Long Island today (around 5000). A lot of them have Islamic names such as Abdullah, Amir, Saaid, Iraj.... these are names adopted during the forced conversions. Jews also had to pay special taxes and were not allowed to own personal property. This is up to my grandfather's time.

However, a lot had changed during my father's time and Jews had become very successful under the Pahlavi's because of equal rights under the modernized Iranian laws. Yes there was always that Muslim superiority thing but it was not open like it is today as you see on Memri. Todays Iran is not the Iran I knew. It is totaly different. Today, you see classical anti-semetic themes in the rethoric such as Jews try to control the world.....jews were a pain in the neck in europe, the protocols to rule the world.... This is new and it started from the time of the revolution. Before the revolution, EL AL had direct flights to Tehran/Jerusalem. Israel was invited to the Asian Olympic Games. I saw Israel play Iran in soccer and basketball in 1976...

As to Israel's use of Excessive force: Do you know a war where the force used is not excessive? War is
a terrible thing! But sometimes necessary. The 2006 war was necessary for reasons I have stated earlier.

If you look at the Lebanon war, you will notice that
Israel relied almost exclusively on air power until about 24 hours before the ceasefire (Israel destroyed Hezbollah's main missile stockpile- these are the large Iranian ones- in the first day of the war). Olmert did not want Israel to become an occupying power again. That is why there was no cease fire until Hezbollah agreed to allow the Lebanees army to takeover the south and also allowed international forces to come in. Of course Hezbollah still has a precense in the south but its not as overt. And yes, the US (and the west) did not want a speedy ceasefire. They wanted Israel to hit Hezbollah hard. This was a message for the Syrians and Iranians. This was also a new type of warfare. 500-1000 men in Hezbollah with unlimited stockpiles of rockets (that had no military value whatsoever) lunched indiscriminatley at Israeli cities. Israel was not fully prepared for this type of warfare. We will see what happens the next time there is trouble (I think the next one will be the real big one).

Also, if you recall, Israel stopped using air power for a day or two, after that building with all the civilian's inside was struck with a bomb. It allowed more people to escape. If you ask me, more People would have died had Israel made a full land invasion of Lebanon and that would have been much more excessive. The reliance on air power actually saved more lives but diminished the damage that Hezbollah could have suffered had there been a land invasion. However, the use of cluster bombs was very problematic because of the explosion failure rate (as high as 30%) and danger of explosions in urban areas after people return to their homes. I Think that went to far and was wrong.

I don't think Friedman is a neocon (I wish he was). I think he is right there in the middle. If Friedman is a neocon, then so is Hillary and the rest of the Democrats that voted for the war in Iraq. On his economics, I really do not understand world economy, but I like how he talks and his examples/story telling style. You don't like him because he was for the war in Iraq probably. Neocons only became more main stream after 9/11. Many people, like me, became tough guys after 9/11. Papa bush did not like their ideas and dissmised them during the first gulf war which leads me to ask you:

1) Do you think the first gulf war was justified?

2) Was the international community wrong in liberating a defacto country called Kuwait that only existed since 1960 something?

3) If Israel does not have a legal right to exist, why do Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Dubai & UAE have a "legal" right to exists (the territories were all part of the Ottoman Empire prior to WWI and were not nation states at anytime in world history)?

Rosie: Good come back

I like your comments to the writers who want to quit iranian.com. I too am earning my balls here. :o) I needed to toughen up.

Regards,

Natasha

Rosie: Check it out

Rosie,

Anonymouse and I are discussing a suitable personal ad for Haji on "Escaping Iran for a better life". Check it out and let us no what you think.

moraghebe khodet bash

Natasha

PS:  Also check out the article "Women's Sexuality" and let me know what you think about it. It is dated Oct. 29th. It is written by someone you have met very recently. :o)

My response to Naser's response

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by Sasha on Mon Oct 29, 2007 02:43 AM PDT

No offense Naser but I do not think you understand the concept of "virtous woman of the people of the book". I will not have SEX with a man that is not my husband. Other reasons why  I am not a suitable choice are that I am a divorced woman and I have two sons but only one lives with me now.  I am 39 years old but will be turning 40 soon. I am not planning on having any more children. My time for giving birth has come and gone. I  have a university degree and my career focus will be Bilingual Education (English/Spanish).   I plan on going to graduate school too. My life is in the US not in Canada. 

Naser, as much as I want to see Haji happy and with a family of his own; I am not the most suitable choice for him.

Regards,

Natasha

Naser's response to my response

by Naser (not verified) on Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:55 AM PDT

That's even greater Natasha!
A virtuous people of the book! I like that... and I am sure Haji will like that too! Even more than I do because Haji is a virtuous man ( I am not!), the only thing is that you might quarrel over religion, you a christian and Haji a Muslim.
But don't worry, that can be easily solved if you both like each other.
Either Haji could change religion or you or even better each keep his/her faith, have sex and enjoy life! and if you want to marry later, you could have many children... And live happily ever after up to the age of 120...
And the good thing for us, as Iranian.com readers will be that we would not have to be tormented anymore by Haji's pessimistice caricatures.
He will call you my dear Natasha, bella Natasha, and you will call him: "My dear Haji Antonio Bandares"... Wouldn't that be fun! Think about that seriously and let us know. Either JJ would pay for your ticket to Vancouver or we fans might put up money to get you a ticket (we prefer one way) if you don't want to pay it yourself.

Yours in full respect,
Your brother in faith,
Naser

Rosie: You are not going to believe it.

Someone named Naser just posted a comment for all to see about me having sex with Haji. I cannot believe it. They do not even know what I look like. It is unreal. This is why I stay anonymous because as soon as a man  sees a picture of me they forget about my intelligence and cannot stop talking about my pretty face. I will copy and paste Naser's comment and my response here for you:

by Naser (not verified) on Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:12 AM PDT

Sasha I tell you this in respect, I am not joking and I really mean what I say. Please read this if you are not married, otherwise forgive me.
" you know Haji's problem. His pessimism about women is mainly due to his lack of..., you know what I mean. I mean, we all know what I mean.
Now -if you are not married- and as you are a Haji fan, and many of us are, could you please arrange for a meeting between you and Haji: like you spend a few days in Vancouver visiting Haji talking about his art and ...
I saw his picture online, true he is not Allen Delon but he is not that bad after all.
A lady called Azam was going to do that but I don't know what happened to her!
This can greatly change his attitude towards women. He will become the real Haji we want afterwards.
Let us know of your decision please and if positive, let us -if possible- be aware of the steps you both take in this regard, and even in this site we could have an online Haji sigheh party and enjoy the news!
With regards
Naser

by Sasha on Mon Oct 29, 2007 12:37 AM PDT

Naser,

What are you thinking? Yes, I am single but I do not sleep around. I am what is called a virtous woman of the people of the book. Don't faint, we still do exist.  However, we are in danger of becoming  extinct.  :o)  Look his pessimism is not just due to a lack of SEX,  come out and just say the word. We are all grown ups here. There have been a series of events in his life that have led to this point. Yes, perhaps the love of a good woman in a committed relationship would help ease his pain and solitude. However, it is not a cure all. Who is Allen Delon? I will need to look this up.  You do realize I am Hispanic and you would have been better to say "He is no Antonio Banderas". Just kidding. I do have a great sense of humor.

Natasha

Rosie: I have written a new comment for bacheh porroo

I did go back and write a new comment for him. I thought when he said guys and the other comment he was just treating me as one of his people. It did not occur to me that he actually thought I was an Iranian man. I told my son and he was laughing. Please go read my new comment. Tell me what you think of it. I tried to apologize but the words did not come out easily. Ha! Ha! :o)

moraghebe khodet bash

Natasha

Rosie: What? He actually thought I was a guy. Ha! Ha!

How funny. No wonder he was so harsh on me. Usually they are very sweet to me. Even if they think it is nonsense. I guess I do have to go and explain to what's his name. I think I will change my name to Natasha, which is another nickname of mine. At least everyone will know I am a woman. Ha! Ha!

So I guess I was all over the place on my comments to him. Please I need a critique here. Thanks

Sasha=Natasha

Saaaaaaaaasha.......

Sasha, Bacheh Poroo thought you were an IRANIAN MAN! He wasn't trying to insult your sexual orientation!
And he took a lot of time to reply to you very cogently about his position on the issue. Most people here do not write long posts. It was very well-organized and well-written. He must have put a lot of effort into it. He called you clueless or whatever at the beginning because he thought he was slugging it out with an IRANIAN MAN! Also, Javid doesn't CHOOSE the Iranian of the day, you can send in a picture of your dog as Iranian of the Day, he will publish it if it is named Bahman (or even if it is not). (Now you must go back and make nice to Bacheh Poroo!)

As for monarchy there is nothing wrong with the institution of monarchy per se, with a constitutional monarchy, but it is horrible idea for Iran, because there are too many people who hate the Pahlavis and installing them would cause an immense bloodbath. And there is no one else to enthrone. So so much for monarchy. No, there aren't as many people who love the Pahlavis as the Monarchists think, especially not inside Iran.