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Love me or hate me
27-Sep-2007
I have developed such a HATE-CLUB (as opposed to fan-club) for myself I don't know I should be proud of it or not. It is indeed an achievement though, you must acknowledge, to make so many virtual haters who would even be ready to fill up a petition, complete it with virtual signatures with different IP's to throw me out of Iranian.com. I still don't know whether to be proud of this achievement or not. Believe me that I did not have the least idea that my writings would lead to this. I was surprised. Then I could choose among stopping the writing, changing my attitude, or continue on. I have chosen to continue on.
There is another guy on Iranian.com who may be able to match my hate-club nevertheless for completely different reasons, and he is a Canadian-Iranian cartoonist, Hajiagha. His cartoons are nice but the reason for the hate is that he does not like western way of life, especially in regards to homosexuals and women. He thinks (as I deduced) that the West is morally corrupted. I don't agree with him. I think the West has gone a long way to have achieved such an open-mindedness.
Open-mindedness, and the lack of popular prejudice, has allowed various self-conscious groups to flourish. This has been achieved because of a long track in which western societies have been through dramatic and costly changes, little by little, step by step. Prejudices have been fought, and little by little, women have started to be seen as equals to men (in their rights, not in their nature, which has never been equal), and minorities such as homosexuals have started to be seen as equals (not yet completely) to heterosexuals as well (also in their rights, and not in their nature).
The process is not complete and it will never be. Human kind moves on and prejudices give way to kindness as people start to discover that the best way to having good lives is to cooperate and accept rather than suppress or fight. So, I do disagree with Hajiagha indeed. I actually believe that it is worth censoring material that are insulting to individuals or groups. But then again it is very difficult to maintain the right balance. Even my writings can probably be seen as insulting toward some. We can always ignore things we dislike anyway.
There are also so many people who disagree with me. Are they the majority of the Iranian.com readers? Either they are the majority (I think so) or they are the most vocal, or a combination. I cannot speak on behalf of Jahanshah but I believe the reason for him allowing material like mine to be published on this webstie is that there is indeed a significant number of the readers who want such material. They may be the minority, but they exist. Just like there are significant minorities, of one type or another, who do exist in Iran though the majority almost always finds ways of ignoring or suppressing them.
I have received disapproving, and insulting, emails (and more recently comments) for my articles just from the start. It is nothing new. I did not evolve into a hateable creature over time. I have been so long ago among the Iranian diaspora. This only goes for my pen-name, but in real life I am not aware of such a large number of people hating me, but this is not the place to talk about my real life because I wouldn't be the last one on earth to have a completely different view of my life than other people, i.e. I would be subjective. I am not so sure whether the same would be true if I wrote in Persian and the audience were Iranians of Iran (Iranian.com is blocked inside Iran). It would probably be different, though I am not sure how different.
Let's go further and waste less precious time of the reader! I am not saying I am right in what I am writing. I think I am right (sometimes) but I am also wrong quite often. But why such a large number of haters? And why such an aggressive hatred? I also used to be a proud Iranian when I was little because I was fed with the same education and propaganda like any other Iranian in school, on TV, and almost anywhere else. I used to think that being an Iranian was equal to being superior. This is a simple definition of what being an Iranian means, and it can be seen in the average Iranian attitude.
I am openly saying that I am not that proud of being an Iranian anymore. This is not a good option in case one wants to be popular among Iranians. Not all people who seek popularity are also right in their pursuit. Why should I be proud of being an Iranian as it is now? Do you hate me for not being proud? You, and I, have the possibility of living in the world we have not built, a free world, so we can express ourselves freely. So you can hate me freely. You cannot do that in Iran. And it is not only the Islamic regime to blame for that. Imagine YOU (the nationalist Iranian of the diaspora) had the power in Iran! What would you do to a person like me? Shoot me? Hang me? Or hang me, then shoot me while hanged? Or hang me, shoot me, then chop me into pieces?
For example I have never mentioned anything even remotely similar to declaring myself a pan-Turkist, but I have been accused of being one. Many Iranian Turks have been executed because of exactly the same allegation. Similar things happened to other Iranians of various backgrounds. You see, the Internet allows anonymity in a community where anonymity has almost never been possible for a journalist or a writer, or a speaker of conscience. Britain or America are used to anonymous writings for more than a hundred years. Iranian writers have never been able to be truly anonymous because in case the writing would provoke hatred or aggression the writer would quite certainly risk serious retribution.
In today's world on the Internet this is possible. I am benefiting from this possibility so I can write things that cannot normally be possible in a dogmatic and dangerous society, or community. There is no reason to pursue anything but what conscience dictates. You may sometimes get things wrong. One may even be paid by enemies or plotters to do harm to the community. So, what shall we do in order to avoid such possibilities of occurring? We have long censored and persecuted, and the outcome has not been great. Maybe the reader is smart enough to understand what is going on. And in case he is not smart enough, then other writers, or commentators, can clear things up.
I am not an Iran-hater, nor an Iran-lover. I am simply a freedom-lover. But for being an Iranian I am also a part of that community, a part which does not pursue popularity, though I am not a big fan of hate-mails either. Somebody needs to do this too. It won't hurt Iran and Iranians. Write your own stuff proving me wrong! At the end something good can only come out of this pot and I will never be loved, so you may be!
There have been cases when individuals have been treated with serious danger for simply expressing themselves. They were wrong, I know. Why they were wrong? Because they did not know they were going to end up dead, or even worse. In case they knew it and they spoke their minds, then they were only, probably, wrong for their assertions, whatever they may have been. We are all partially wrong in what we say. What comes out of this big mess, or expressions and opinions, is probably the only right, when everybody expresses themselves and therefore the society becomes a better place.
The society, the Iranian society, by having killed, or silenced, people who spoke their minds, ha been most wrong. And it is still most wrong. That society has continuously killed conscience for one reason or another, and it has succeeded. Iranians have continuously been victims of prejudice, instead of taking them one after another and dealing with them. And you, the nationalist Iranian of the diaspora, who everyday benefit from all the possibilities the West has provided you with, think Iran is worth being proud of because Iran has a 5, 7, 10, or whatever thousands of years it may be, of history? What we certainly know about this Iran is that it was an empire, the Persian Empire, as it was known in the West. And it is nothing but a mess now.
An empire, by definition, is not a place of freedom. It is a place where an emperor is worshipped. It is a place where people are subjects of the emperor. This pertains no freedom, but a glory to the emperor alone. Yes, the world has moved on, so should we. Am I proud of the Iranian culture, the Persian literature? That is something worth considering (I haven't done much for it, neither have most other Iranians who arrogantly treat, or mistreat, others), though I would have preferred a free society rather than a proud silent one. I would have preferred a society in which my relatives would have had more, and better, jobs, and enjoy better and more promising lives. The problems of the Iranians are not the Mullahs ruling Iran, but the demons ruling within the Iranians. We must get rid of these demons first, prejudices that make us, Iranians in general, believe that we are better than we really are.
There are some subjects that the majority of Iranians dislike. I can recount some, from my own experience. If you say that minority groups are discriminated in Iran the majority of Iranians will hate you for that and call you a foreign plotter or other names, just like the Iranian regime does (the Iranian regime also goes further and silences you). If you say anything unpleasant about the Iranian culture or beliefs in general, a similar feedback will follow. If you say anything perceived bad about Iran's historical, especially pre-Islamic, dynasties you are going to be hated and targeted! Someone needs to say these things, right? Someone who does not desire popularity. Someone who can actually, thanks to modern technology, be anonymous, something that existed in Western journalism for a very long time. Not all these things will be right, but opening up the issues can open the possibility for re-valuing things that we for so long considered either taboo or sacred. Free and modern societies can only be built with the cost of breaking such barriers.
Next time when you see something I have written and you do not like, why not instead of insults, and instead of hating me, try to prove yourself better by writing a counter-article, or by proving me wrong by reasoning your point? There are many people like me out there, some may be crazy, while others may have many other problems, psychological etc, and some may even be the hands of foreigners trying to do you harm. You cannot blame them for being what they are. You can only be better, or worse. We are living in a free world and hopefully we can work together to work toward a free Iran as well. But first, instead of blaming one or the other for the lack of that freedom, we need to work on freeing ourselves.
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ben the writer
by Brick of common sense on Sun Oct 07, 2007 12:06 PM PDTben you have gained yourself many a hater yet they read your writings. just shows that even haters will read your work. I for one support the fact that you have hit a nerve in this area. (which undoubtedly you have a knack for) I agree with some of your works (love me or hate me) and disagreed with other ( how to get some) I have read and reviewed many books that hit the controversial area but you have hit more in one article than some books from cover to back. Now to all those who hate ben I can see why though I can see why people would like him. He cuts out the details and gives his view as is. blunt tatic but a good one. I may not like some of your articles but I must say I respect and admire your efforts on getting people to think for themselves instead of just saying (well he said or she said). that is the one of the purposes in writing articles like these; to get people to make some time in their daily lives to write hate mail or opinions on what they have to say. either way you have gotten them to read your article and therefor think about it and how they will react to it. I have read all your articles ben and I will continue to do so and support your standings .(also happens to be humourous sometimes). i believe that your number 6 on your bio Mr. Madadi and your articles a nine froma one to ten scale. =)
ben the writer
by Brick of common sense on Sun Oct 07, 2007 12:11 PM PDTsry for two
To LOVE or HATE Ben, whoever he maybe
by Sasha (not verified) on Sat Oct 06, 2007 07:31 PM PDTI prefer to love than to hate others because it only consumes a person. It is best to see things from an objective perspective as to find a resolution to the severe issues in Iran. It is what is is about? How does Iran recover to its former glory? It was glorious at one time and yet can be again.........there is still time..........still hope.......by having Iranians working together..............rather than working apart. I speak to my friends in Iran and it pains me to hear the conditions there........I worry about them...........I worry about the US invading Iran and my friends suffering more............I saw what happened at Abu Grahib at a lecture at the university. I do not want the same fate for Iranians. I do not think I could bear it.
Response to Question
by Sasha (not verified) on Sat Oct 06, 2007 07:08 PM PDTI was born in Mexico but at the age of 3 my parents moved my family to the US for better opportunities. The economy in Mexico is not well. The government does not seem to care about its people rather the politicians are self serving. There is a separation of Church and State but in Mexico you are guilty until proven innocent.
I never really knew my country. The only memories I have are the ones when I would visit my cousins. My Spanish was not perfect and my not looking like a Mexican did not help either. I was seen as the other and ostracized, gawked at and marginalized by those in Mexico. If you could see me, I am very fair skinned, light brown eyes and light brown hair. Even within the Hispanic community in the US where I lived, I was still seen as the other. I had very few friends and in time books became my best friends and of course my siblings. To the Whites in the US I was also the other because of my slight accent and some glitches in my English. I am fluent now in both languages. I have strived to have an academic level in both languages.
I never understood as as a child why others disliked me so much. All I did was be born. It was not of my doing. In school I was placed into a Bilingual program which was limited back in the early 1970's. In school I was forbidden to speak my native language or we would be punished. I grew up in essence in a chilly classroom and nulling environment. In time my voice was silenced and I developed a low self esteem, a fear of success, low motivation and just fear of being sent to the principal just for knowing Spanish. I was never assimilated into the American culture. I am accultured.
I have learned to take the best of the Hispanic(traditional values) and American (modern thinker) and combined them to make who I am today. I do not see the US or Mexico as my country. I have a different perspective on the world. People simply do not understand me and yet again I am the other. However, now that I understand the whys of it, it no longer matters what society thinks of me. It only matters what I THINK OF ME. I like me. It is funny many people when first meeting me ask me the same question "What are you?" I reply "Human, I am simply Human but if you are asking what my ethnic group is then I am Mexican". Some have thought I was Middle Eastern, Iranian to be specific, French and Spaniard to name a few. Life is ironic and funny...........
I hope that answers your question for QUESTION.
Ben Your a moron
by Anonymous4 (not verified) on Sun Sep 30, 2007 07:43 AM PDTSee here, your leader Khamenei is listening to Turkish verses. If it was banned why is the leader of the country listening to Turkish verses! Stop the lies! The era of Qajars is over, forever and ever.
//youtube.com/watch?v=vmFC1o3DxhU&mode=relate...
Future national debates in Iran
by Kamangir on Sat Sep 29, 2007 05:35 AM PDTI agree with the fellow who points out that what the priorities are righ now. We've the worst kind of enemy in Iran, the arabo-muslim mafia that is taking our country back to the deserts of arabia of 1400 years ago. Let's get rid of them first and then maybe we can talk about all these other issues on a free national debate on the TV channels and radios of our dear future 'free' Iran. Fiest thing first!
first things first
by Iran iran (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 08:29 PM PDTIran Iran, Iran vatane maast, har zarreh az khakash paareye tane maast, iran vatane mast...
Let's focus on getting rid of those bastard lying thieves and religious criminals that are occupying iran today first, the ajnabi-parast mullas, instead of falling for this garbage separatist plots...
The Twisted (Pair) Mentality of "Ben" Madadi
by Joubin Houshyar (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 08:01 PM PDTSalaam "Ben",
The main reason that you are reviled by those who love Iran and Iranians, is mainly due to the fact that you are a harbinger of the sort of evil that currently has the nation of Iraq in its death grip.
//images.google.com/images?q=iraq+violence
At any other, less critical, time in Iran's history, your twisted views would merely be looked down upon as a alien to the higher mindset of the Nobel Iranian Nation.
And why feign surprise at "inspiring" "hate"? Isn't that what your (gross) verbal discharge all about?
//www.marine-genomics-europe.org/upload/DNA_m...
/& Salaam
My dear friend .Are you sure
by Tebirizi123 (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 01:01 PM PDTMy dear friend .Are you sure that you have meet with
azerbaijanis from Republic of Azerbaijan?I live among them but i have never heard such nonsense before.Azerbaijanis first of all like South accent thus,it seems very natural for them.And if you have been in Baku you can see everywhere the name Tabriz.
Tabriz one of the famous man name in Azerbaijan.
And from the history books all Azerbaijanis know that cultural and political center of Azerbaijan was
Tabriz.Azerbaijanis are proud with Sattar Han,BagerHan,Googoosh,Ali Dae and etc.
May be all azerbaijani youth know Shariyar poems by heart.
yes ,some azerbaijanis really thing iranian azeris are religious but it stems form Soviet atheistic past,not from caracter of azerbaijanis.
Reply 4
by Ben Madadi on Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:56 AM PDTI wanted to try whether it was possible to respond to comments, but it is not of much use. Any reader, any person, can interpret things as they wish. Unfortunately it is technocally possible to pretend to be any-one on the Internet, one can pretend to be anyone, and there can be no proof of one's identity etc. Only one single person can also comment, or even write articles, pretending to be different people from different backgrounds. So the best way to communicate on the Internet is through reason and knowledge, and baseless accusations have no use. But they succeed polluting the atmosphere. The level of language and attitude from the side of some commentators (they can also be one or two, or three, pretending to be many, or not, I don't know) shows the level of their personality. But this is the Internet.
Dear sasha
by Question (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:47 AM PDTCould you tell use a bit more why you say so, and what happened to you -- I don't mean personal stuff, but generalities -- i want to know if the same thing is happening to migrant iranians. thank you very much.
Iran for Iranians Only
by Anoshirvan (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:41 AM PDTGentle Ben: I am very glad that you are out of iran. I think you should facilitate departure of any other person from iran who does not feel iranian by heart and soul. iran is for iranians only, no matter what ethnicity and religion they are from; the rest should leave; what you see today is the smallest iran has been in centuries. in fact, parts of asia minor and central asia belongs to the greater iran that your favorite colonialists captured (and destroyed) - historically iran's neighbors to the north-west have been city states of Greece (Ionians). if you look at tajik and afghan sites, they show so much pride in their iranian heritage and love to be part of iran at some point in time. those who want to rip the country apart, or do not believe in self-determination and integrity of iran have choices of 191 other countries to go to -- since they are not iranian anyway (this includes IRI leaders who have been crying wolf for arabs while robbing poor iranian kids). The rest are well capable of building iran. imagine the day that this highly educated nation wakes up and gets going on the right track -- that is the day that being iranian is ultra joyful. we should love every real iranian, who is iranian by heart and soul, no matter which part of the country they come from or what religion they practice. historically, Azaris are in fact a mix of migrant turks and persians although they speak turkic, and azarbayejan has always been an integral part of iran and will always be (same goes for khuzestan, baluchestan, kurdestan, ...). we iranians love all iranians: azaris, kords, baluchs, ..., and persians. BTW, armenians are also iranian in root (shirin, the lover of khosrow, was armenian). real iranians love them too.
Amazed
by Sasha (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:33 AM PDTI am a woman without a country. I do not truly belong anywhere. It was not of my choosing but by my parents choice long ago. I am truly amazed at the passion shown by Iranians about Iran. No matter what side they are on, the passion for what they believe about Iran and Iranians comes through. Most excellent
Reply - Pan Azeri?!!!
by Vahraz Yazdanmehr (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 10:30 AM PDTAt the risk of giving you too much credit, I will offer this last comment on your current posting. Mr. Madadi (or whatever your name is), there is no room in Iran for a pan-Azeri, pan-Beluchi, pan-Arab, pan-Lor…etc. There is only room for pan-Iranians, those, who like your Azeri commentator, Sanaz Azeri, love their country and consider themselves a part of the collective Iranian culture. Those Iranians who consider themselves pan-(insert ethnicity) such as yourself, are ethno-racists. It is unfortunate that you cannot see this in yourself, because if you could, you may be able to work toward correcting it.
Additionally, the brand of ethno-racism that you advocate is very dangerous in that it encourages other racists, separatists and foreign governments to become actively involved in attempting to rip Iran apart. Ms. Sanaz Azeri provides evidence of this danger by making clear the claims of non-Iranian Azeri ethno-racists in Iranian territories.
Lastly, no one is trying to intimidate you. We are pointing out the obvious fact that you are an ethno-racist, something that you tacitly acknowledge by admitting that you are a pan-Azeri. You cannot continue to call Iranian nationalists racists and cry foul when you are confronted with evidence which demonstrate that your ideas are much more racist than the ones that you are trying to “expose”. You can rest assured that I, for one, will continue to monitor your postings in future, will dissect them and will convey their true meaning to the readers of Iranian.com.
USSR-Azeris
by sanaz-azari (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 08:13 AM PDToh yeah, i forgot to mention,,,they hate our dialect,,,they say its "dahati".....they r very up-tight ppl,,,and they r arrogant,,,i have met a lot of them,,,,and they want to destroy iran's territorial integrity,,,they not only want our beloved azarbaijan but they also claim mazandaran for themselves...they r nothing like iranian-azaris.
azeris from USSR
by sanaz-azari (not verified) on Fri Sep 28, 2007 08:08 AM PDTazeris fr. USSR hate iranians azeris,,,,they r very racists againsts iranian azeris....i've met quite a few of them,,,and they dont like us,,,they say we r too religious and that we have no "class". ITS TRUE,,, and they consider themselves very "europeen",,,b/c now they speak russian and they associate a lot w/ russians and other former ussr countries. iranian-azeri are different, they r humble and down to earth,,, and have made such a great contribution to iran,,,and they r lovers of iran,,,unlike ussr azeris.
Reply about United Azerbaijan
by Ben Madadi on Fri Sep 28, 2007 02:24 AM PDTI am pretty sure these replies do not have much effect because texts aimed at intimidation will go on without or with replies. So, let's clear this one too. I have never said anything about myself supporting a united Azerbaijan, north and south etc. I have never said anything like that but I have said that I believe that Iranian trritorial integrity is important for the security and peace within Iran and also in the region. A united greater Azerbaijan, comprising of Iranian Azerbaijan, may be the desire of some Iranian Azeris, and that would not called racism, but a simple personal desire of some. But they are in the minority among Iranian Azerbaijanis. This is what I believe. And I am one who wants Azeris to be part of Iran, but I cannot speak on the behalf of anyone but myself. I want Azerbaijan to be part of Iran because it would be such a huge waste to break up a country, therefore families etc for what? I don't see much of a reason for that. So, if you call me a pan-Turkist or whatever please bring proof! No proof? Okay, continue your slogans! Pan-Azerbaijani maybe more appropriate than panTurkist anyway, but I am not even that. I am a pan-Iranist maybe because I want Iran's territorial integrity to be respected, and that is my personal opinion.
Reply about United Azerbaijan
by Ben Madadi on Fri Sep 28, 2007 02:24 AM PDTI am pretty sure these replies do not have much effect because texts aimed at intimidation will go on without or with replies. So, let's clear this one too. I have never said anything about myself supporting a united Azerbaijan, north and south etc. I have never said anything like that but I have said that I believe that Iranian trritorial integrity is important for the security and peace within Iran and also in the region. A united greater Azerbaijan, comprising of Iranian Azerbaijan, may be the desire of some Iranian Azeris, and that would not called racism, but a simple personal desire of some. But they are in the minority among Iranian Azerbaijanis. This is what I believe. And I am one who wants Azeris to be part of Iran, but I cannot speak on the behalf of anyone but myself. I want Azerbaijan to be part of Iran because it would be such a huge waste to break up a country, therefore families etc for what? I don't see much of a reason for that. So, if you call me a pan-Turkist or whatever please bring proof! No proof? Okay, continue your slogans! Pan-Azerbaijani maybe more appropriate than panTurkist anyway, but I am not even that. I am a pan-Iranist maybe because I want Iran's territorial integrity to be respected, and that is my personal opinion.
Reply 3
by Ben Madadi on Fri Sep 28, 2007 12:54 AM PDTFirst of all let's straight this, it was and still is seen among Iran's Azerbaijani poipulation as an insult to Iranian Azerbaijanis, and probably all Muslims, that the Iranian regime helped Armenia. My loyalty lies with no-one, and has no reason to. But that has little relevance. If I would support the people of the republic of Azerbaijan, I openly say it because we are one people, and a normal and decent Iranian government would have normally supported a Shia Muslim state. That bothered Iranian Azeris, and there is no surprise in that. I also have never said that the Qajar regime was better. REeading BETWEEN THE LINES, as said before, is interpreting. So some may interpret what they may. There must be clear proof. Which there is none for the interpretations. I think the Qajar regime was a corrupt one, more or less corrupt than the Pahlavi regime. Happy now? Some people hate the Qajar regime because they were simply Turks. That is racism indeed. I dislike the Pahlavi, and the IRI, regimes because of human rights. Even the Qajar disrespected human rights. Unfortunately most of the comments below are slogans, so I cannot find answers to them. I would prefer reasoning and civilised discussion rather than that.
Reply to Reply - Ben's Racism Exposed
by Vahraz Yazdanmehr (not verified) on Thu Sep 27, 2007 08:52 PM PDTBen,
It is remarkable how quickly you became unraveled-and how your true intentions became clear in the face of a little scrutiny.
First, let get your rationale straight. You claim that we are calling you a racist because we want to stop you from your “writing”, and not because you are actually a racist Azeri who advocates the supremacy and uniqueness of your particular race to the detriment of the rest of the Iranian nation. This actually reveals your tactic, which is to attack and intimidate Iranian nationalist, because, as I have said many times, and as apparently many people agree with me, this is part of your and other racist pan-Turkist like you, tactic to attack and weaken the cohesiveness of the Iranian society so that you can work toward your ultimate goal of creating a so-called unified Azeri nation. You fabricate a so-called Persian supremacist myth so that you can shame us into shying away from expressing our Iranian nationalism. You are a racist because your sole objective is to spread your pan-Turkist ideology. And by the way, the last thing that a Persian nationalist such as me is afraid of is your unintelligible “writing”!!
Second, your claim that you are not a racist because you have never said “anything racist” is ludicrous and truly cunning. We are not simpletons who cannot read between the lines. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the Iranian population in the U.S. is the most educated immigrant population in this country. Therefore, you are dealing with a highly educated community. Every rant of your contains tell-tell signs of your racism: the way you try to silence Iranian nationalism by calling nationalists racists, the way you advocate “special rights” for Azeris, your nostalgia for the Qajar dynasty…etc. We were not born yesterday.
In addition to being a pan-Turkist racist, you are also a disgruntled Turk who is still bitter about the loss of the last Turkish dynasty, the Qajar’s grip on power in Iran. Your astonishing, unsupported claim about the Pahlavi regime being a racist Aryanist regime is dangerous if it wasn’t so stupid. In reality, you are sad that after hundreds of years of Turkish rule over Iran, that rule ended at the hands of the Pahlavi dynasty. Whatever you may think about the Pahlavi dynasty-and there are passionate opinions on both sides-it was not an Aryan supremacist dynasty! By the way, even if it was, I would take a Pahlavi Aryan supremacist regime over an anti-Iranian Turkish supremacist Qajar dynasty that gave half of Iran away any day! Your beef is really not with the Pahlavis, but rather with all Iranians because your Turkish kings cannot rule them any longer.
In sum, the veil is off. You are exposed for the racist pan-Turk that you are; and incidentally, this is not the first time that I have exposed you as the racist that you are. Read my previous comments to your rants, and you will see.
Thank you Vahraz
by manesh on Thu Sep 27, 2007 04:10 PM PDTAlso, let's not forget this gem below by mr. Madadi:
"by Ben Madadi
#08 Tue Aug 28, 2007 09:04 AM PDT
You know what most affected me, and most other Azerbaijanis, and has since added to their feelings against the Iranians regime???? It was Iranian regime's help to Armenia. Believe me that this is the ticking point... "
from: //iranian.com/main/2007/azerbaijan-iran
His concern is not so much what happens to Azaris IN IRAN, but what position Iran takes that affects the OTHER Azarbaijan. Does this make clear where his true loyalty lies?
So, in order to be GOOD Iranians in the eyes of Mr. Madadi, Iran should be a surrogate of the government of Azarbaijan? And "Aryanism", a term he invented and throws around liberally, is a lable for anyone who is not pan-turkic.
Reply to Farokh!
by Ben Madadi on Thu Sep 27, 2007 01:16 PM PDTYou have a good point. Maybe you could use more civilised langauge too! Ignoring me is not a bad idea for those who cannot control their anger.
Reply 2
by Ben Madadi on Thu Sep 27, 2007 01:10 PM PDTAs far as I know the Qajars ruled with the Qajar tribe. They did not have a nationalistic agenda. They hired Persian chancellors more often than they hired Qajar or other non-Qajar Turk chancellors. Their used written language was Persian too. I have always called using the word ARYAN as racism (Aryan is a race, so literally correct) not the word Persian as racism. Persian is also an ethnic group in Iran. Qajar rule was QAJAR tribalism, I may call. Pahlavi rule was Aryan racism. It is pretty much simple. The Pahlavi dynasty had a nationalistic agenda. And I am not defending the Qajar. Why would I care about them? The Pahlavi adopted a policy of Aryan nationlism, using all possible means to assimilate all Iranians into a modern Aryan nation, though in fact Persian language and history were used for that purpose.
Reply to Reply
by Vahraz Yazdanmehr (not verified) on Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:48 PM PDTSo, when it comes to Turks, it is tribalism...but when it comes to Persians, its racism! Now do you see why you are a racist?
Also, we should take for granted- and accept as fact-all the nonsense that you spew about Persian racism, but when it comes to Turkish racism by the Qajar, it "should be researched"! Now do you see why you are a hypocrite and a racist?
Love him or hate him!?
by Farokh (not verified) on Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:46 PM PDTBen;
You are so stupid that I don't think you even realize how bad you are.
We have a saying that translates into, " The best response to an ignorant/idiot is silence".
If people stop insulting you(or paying any attention to you), maybe you will go away!!?
Enjoy your miserable life.
Reply, so far!
by Ben Madadi on Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:35 PM PDTFirst of all, I didn't mention any apologies. The article has nothing to do with being apologetic. Some think I am a racist???? Please quote one single place where I have said ANYTHING that would make me a racist? These folks DO NOT think I am a racist. They are just saying this to intimidate me, so that MAYBE I would not write anything. Nope, won't work ;)
The reason for the hate-club is because I have hit on the Aryan myth of Iran, and on the Persian nationalism that has been somehow to blame for Iran's modern chauviniztic system.
Someone said something about the Qajar. That may be true. It is worth research. However if Tehran is full of Qajar tribe then it must have been a Turkic city, which it has never been. The Qajar ruled Iran with specific tribalistic tyrranny. It was NOT a nationalistic system.
We Dislike You Because You Are a Racist!
by Vahraz Yazdanmehr (not verified) on Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:18 PM PDTDear Ben,
Your recent mea culpa is quite entertaining. I will respond to this rambling article as I have responded to many of your previous rants. First, please do not call yourself a writer. You cannot even write a coherent paragraph, let alone an essay. That being said, I should point out that your soft, quasi-apologetic tone in this so-called article is dramatically dissimilar to your previous provocative, racist rants. Next, the reason why you have so many people who strongly disagree with you, such as myself, is that fact that your are a racist in disguise. Any half-intelligent person who reads your rants will immediately see the veil of disguise that you –poorly-attempt to pull over your pan-Turkish racist ideology. You are no different-if not worst-than the imaginary racist “Persians” that you attempt to expose. In fact, the only exposé here is you being exposed as a racist. Due to the lack of sophisticated writing skills in your rants, it is extremely easy to read between the lines in your demands for “special rights” for Azeris, etc. (special rights is code word for we are better that you and, thus, we should be treated differently). Otherwise, why should a tribe (Turks) that essentially ruled for Iran for centuries, since Iran gained its independence from Arab invaders, deserve special rights? Did Afshars, Qajars…etc. provide “special rights” for Persians? In fact, during the Qajar dynasty, you could not even get a government job if you were not a member of the “tribe”. That is why most of today’s Tehran is inhabited by descendants of Qajar and other ethnic Turks who were given government jobs because of their ethnicity. Qajar supremacists, to this day, boast about the fact (illusion?) that they are related to the Qajars (just speak to someone in Tehran). Isn’t that racism?
People do not hate you because you are a “freedom lover” or because you somehow stand for freedom of speech in an oppressive Persian expatriate community. People dislike you because you are a racist and a hypocrite. You disparage other Iranians for ideas that you believe in. We know that you believe in these ideas because-despite your poor attempts to disguise them- you pretty much say so. I once again ask that you stop writing this nonsense and find a better hobby....such as , perhaps, reading a little history!
"The guy commenting below is
by Anonymous22 (not verified) on Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:17 PM PDT"The guy commenting below is talking about the republic of Azerbaijan??? Let the citizens of that country talk about their problems!" Bingo! Waiting for Ben to talk about his (quote) "greater Azeri nation", (unquote). p.s. I wonder what the Bens will do to the ones who are not ethinically "Azeris" or half-bred Azeris, in their quest for "freedom"!!!!!!
Great Article
by Kaveh Nouraee on Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:02 PM PDTVery well done, Ben. Just as "youth is wasted on the young", Iran has been wasted on Iranians.
I remember the time I could hold my head up high and say, "I am Iranian", and be looked upon with reverence and respect. Believe it or not, I was a kid back then. Now, Iranian has become a dirty word, and we are the ones who made it so. We literally defecated on our own history and culture and tradition. There are those who still hold their heads up so high, yet are blind to the fact that their heads are high up in their own ass. They turn their noses up so high, they risk drowning. Not from rain, but from their own stupidity and ignorance.
I don't blame you for not being that proud anymore. We don't have much to be proud of anymore, anyway. I know I don't. And you have no idea how much it kills me to feel that way.
???!!!
by Anonymous000 (not verified) on Thu Sep 27, 2007 11:42 AM PDTThe guy commenting below is talking about the republic of Azerbaijan??? Let the citizens of that country talk about their problems! We are Iranians.