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Insincere Messages about Freedom

I think Saudi Arabia has much bigger fish to fry than Iranian women.
Like I said, I'm going to continue to bring up the double standard, especially with respect to terror funding and women, just as Congress did back in June.

Madam, Thank you for your

Madam,

Thank you for your courteous reply, and I fully apprehended the focus of your article. I don't agree with it, but I understand it.

Now, in the words of President Ronald Reagan to President Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidental debates, 'There you go, again!' Even in your reply, you could not resist the urge to take another dig at Saudi Arabia by perpetuating the incorrect stereotype of Saudi women as being 'entities' with no legal status. Are you for real? Saudi women have access to free higher education, they hold jobs, including professional positions throughout the country, they have passports in their own right, they possess their own national identification cards and they own businesses worth billions of dollars in their own names. You do yourself and your arguement a an injustice by resorting to half-truths and stereotypes about a country of which you clearly are not well familiar with.

I shall not try to explain the reason for double standards of the U.S government, but guessing I'd say that the Iranian governments decision to take the diplomats hostage twenty-eight years ago probably ruined any hope of the two governments ever coming to terms. All of the bad blood between the two governments for all these years can be directly traced to that event. This is not to say the American government's hands are anything near clean as far as Iran goes because they are not, but you try object to the American's application of double standards, so one must focus on attention on how America feels wronged. America does not perceive my country as an enemy, but it does feel that way about Iran and has for a long, long time. You can object all you want to this reality, but it won't change a thing. Iran and the United States had the last, best chance to mend their sorted relationship under the administrations of Presidents Khatami and Clinton, but they sqandored it away. For the forseeable future they will continue to give one another the finger because the powers that be in both countries see the other in the worst light imaginable. In the words of Walter Cronkite, 'That's the way it is.#

My concern is not Saudi Arabia

Madam, You make sweeping

Madam,

You make sweeping generalizations which while partially true are largely untrue. You seem to think that Persians are people of virtue while we dirty Arabs are savages. It is true that SOME people in our kingdom do not care for Shias, you fail to inform your readers that there twenty percent of our population are orthodox Shias. Every community in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is Shia, or Shia/Sunni mix. The would include the major cities of Dammam, Khobar and Qatif. In addtion, in the SW of the country near the Yemani border there are 3 million Ismaili Shias.

While I presume you've never been to my country, I have been to Iran. Madam, please forgive me if I sound unimpressed at your condesction toward my country, but do you really know what it feels like to be an Arab Iranian in Abadan, Khoramshar,
Ahvaz, Boucher, Bander Abbas or a hundred other towns and cities in Iran? You presume that we are savages and Persians are such pure hearted people. I think not. In Kish, I was once told by a desk clerk at the Maryam Hotel that I shouldn't viist a certain part of the island becasue there was nothing there is except Arab trash. He told me that in another year or two the government was going to get rid of the Arabs by forcing them to move to Qeshem Island.

I will openly admit that some Sunnis in the KSA do not care for Shias, but prejudice is found in every society including your precious Iran. You decry the prejucide meted out to Iranians in America, or Shias in Saudi Arabia, but you fail to see the prejudice in your own culture. Prejudice lies within the human heart NOT with any one religion, or ethnic/linguistic group.

You mentioned the well-worn issue of women driving in Saudi Arabia to fortify your arguement that we are backward savages. It is true that women are not permitted to drive, but this is not due to a 'statute on our books.' It is due to custom and social convention only. If you research the issue, you will see that I am correct. More to the point, however, is why do you care if Saudi women are not permitted to drive? Every country including Iran has the right to enforce the laws and social conventions of its people. One of the beautiful things about Iran is that it is full of Iranians and because of that Iranians get to make all the rules. I have absolutely no problem with this fundamental reality of all nations. You, however, seem to wish to deny my people that which we would gladly acknowledge as the right of your people. You seem to think that Iranians should have the right to tell us how to live inside our country. Well, madam what's good for the goose is good for the gander. It is none of your business whether our women drive. Rule number one of living in Iran is that Iranians get to make all the rules. Saudi Arabia is no different. So while you are free to condescend toward us, the filthy Arabs of the world, I stick to my original thought that opinions are like assholes, everybody has one and some people can be one.

FYI: Seventy-eight percent of Saudi households employ one or more maids to do the housekeeping. Eighy-three percent of Saudi households employ private drivers to drive the female members and children of the household around. My point is that no amount of mud-sligging is going to change Saudi Arabian into Afghanistan. Our women are not slaves, they are loved and pampered by the vast majority of Saudi men and while you obviously have an adgenda, the truth will not be altered by your baseless half-truths.

Explain what you perceive as bias

I meant Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

Madam, How could King Abdul

Madam,

How could King Abdul Aziz issue a statement from the Crawford Ranch in 2005 when he died in 1952? One must get one's facts straight before one expresses one's biased opinions, but then opinions are like assholes...everyone has one!

Good Analysis Nazanin

don't let the fascists here discourage or intimidate you into submission.

Zionist Little harrow show

To our 1/2 Jew friends , please go fishing somewhere else.

Iran is in very good relation with Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

As a matter of act as soon as the Arms deal is through will com and give you a look see.

Good luck with finishing

Regime Change in Saudi Arabia

All this talk of regime change really makes me wonder why no one is talking about Saudi Arabia as most beneficial to the US in terms of regime change policy. This would probably bring about a great deal of peace with Al Qaeda!

US Double Standard

Thanks for your thoughtful response Roozbeh.

Future Comments by Anonymous

By "drivel" I hope you mean all future blog entries and articles by me. I expect that you stay true to your statement.

US Hypocrisy is Nothing New

Nazanin,

Well done on your article--I enjoyed it and think you raise important issues for debate. OF these, I think the blind eye the US turns to Islamic extremism in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan is mindblowing. Such oversight in the part of the US government indicates at best a selective preoccupation with the threat that Islamic extremism poses, one that is conditioned by the US need for oil and neutered by the billions of dollars the Saudi family throws around to these so-called think tanks and lobbyists in DC.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Iraq right now. The IRI DOES pose threats to US interests in the region--it is unclear to what extent the IRI is involved in Iraq, funding groups like Hezbollah Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, and all the other usual charges the US levels at Iran. But for the US to talk about the threat that Iran poses to the stability of the region, to American interests, and Israeli security WHILE OVERLOOKING the role that the Saudis are playing in funding Islamic extremism in general and supporting the Sunni insurgency that is targeting the government of Iraq and US soldiers is laughable.

Ramping up the rhetoric against Iran is counterproductive to US goals in Iraq, which include ensuring the stability of the elected government (which Iran has enthusiastically supported) and wiping out the Sunni insurgency (which is all too happy to kill US soldiers, Iraqi politicians, and Iraqi Shia).

In its efforts to contain Iran, the US is shooting itself in the foot, quite literally. Fear of Iranian influence in Iraq is driving US policy towards incoherence by distancing itself from the central, Shia-controlled government towards supporting Sunni groups in the West of Iraq. The US is also pandering to the Gulf States's fear of Shia, which they ruthlessly oppress in their own countries. Not only does this further discredit any US 'commitment' to upholding human rights, it sets the stage for the US to have to support these client Arab states in violating the human rights of broad segments of their own population simply because they are Shia and therefore, have to be under the mind control of the IRI.

These knee-jerk turns that US policy toward Iran takes end up hurting the US the most in the end. for two reasons. First, they never work and they second, they make the US look like it doesn't have any idea what it is doing in the Middle East. The IRI has done very little but talk since the US came to the neighborhood in 2001 with the invasion of Afghanistan. Iran has stood still while the US has spent billions of dollars, lost thousands of soldiers, and has weakened its economy by pursuing this fruitless war. The US basically put Iran in its current position of influence that the US is terrified of and is seeking to counteract.

What is funny is by pointing out these facts, or raising the issues you discuss in your article, there are some who will want to inform on you, call you a supporter of the IRI, etc. Some of these people have left comments in this forum for you. The current regime in Iran is responsible for a number of atrocities, mostly against its own citizens. But to conflate these issues with US propaganda against the Iranian government is foolish, and demonstrates an incomplete grasp of the facts and big picture.

The US obsession with Iran, coupled with its willingness to swallow any crap they are fed by the Saudis and Israelis, means that disinformation is what guides policy thinking right now. As such, the threat of war against Iran is still very real. What interactions exist between these forces is still the subject of intense debate.

Nazanin: Your problem is

Nazanin: Your problem is that you don't read. You have no credibility to me...thus, even if you had something remotely worthy to discuss, I wouldn't be interested because you're a highly suspect character with alterior agenda. You and your ilk disgust me. Don't bother replying.

THREE QUALITIES OF CREDIBILITY:

COMPETENCE -knowledge and expertise the audience thinks the speaker possess
CHARACTER- the intentions and concern of the speaker for the audience

CHARISMA- the personality and dynamism of the speaker

You see my point now. I will not bother answering your drivels anymore.

War is not going to help anyone

As I read personal attacks on Nazi, it reminds me of my roomate in Washington DC back in 1980, they belonged to Aghaliat , Aksariat and Rahe Kargar. They were convinced the mollahs are going to be over thrown in the war. In fact far from it, they became much more established and any semblance of democracy went off the window. The war (if it happens, you see, there is too much "manam") is the war between fanatics, but let there be no doubt it will hurt Iranians. There are 4 million refugees in Iraq and hundreds of thousands of dead.
Those who replace mullahs will be blood suckers and I hate
mullahs. The Arabs have attacked Persians throughout history and they will love to do it again, they did it for their brethren
Iraq on both sides. They will sell you their mother.

Focus on an argument, not a person

I understand that you disagree with me. But at least I am trying to analyze and understand a solution rather than attacking writers. If you have a better idea than I do, submit an article and explain why, rather than focusing on me.

Nazanin: Noone needs to do

Nazanin: Noone needs to do anything to Iran. Iran is its worst enemy. You need to read instead of talking too much. The sanctions are not going to affect those 40% (perhaps even more) already living below poverty line. The sanctions are going to affect the reformers conspicuous debauchery and consumption and their spoils-trough, which is directly linked to the hardliners. I couldn't care less about the reformers or the uppity northern Tehranis who couldn't care less about those who live in Narmak, Niavaron or other slums around the country.

You have the interest of the reformers and your employers at heart. I have the interest of my poor family in Iran who are struggling to make ends meet.

I'm thoroughy disgusted by reformers and the appeasers of the regime. You're not fooling anyone.

People do care

Nazanin: You have no

Nazanin: You have no credibility as a writer;hence, people don't care about your article or whatever topic you write about. People see right through you and your insincerity.

You sound like you just graduated from propaganda school of Islamic Republic; your framing of the issues give you away. You're very transparent to the savvy reader who is not connected to the IRI. You also use the same tactic when confronted with your credibility and agenda. You're insulting everyone intelligence by your inane and non-issue topics. I can deconstruct your argument and expose you for what you are in two second but I'm so disgusted and horrified at what the IR does to young people like you, that I can't bring myself to think straight. Please don't embarass yourself further than you have.

Fantastic coincidence

On Monday the Islamic Republic officially protested Saudi foreign minister’s disparaging remarks about IR at the UN. The timing of this piece and number of others in the same vein is statistically too fantastically coincidental to be accidental.

Thanks Nazanin for your

Thanks Nazanin for your article. It looked at the subject from different perspective. Good ideas, well researched and documented. Although I agree with you on the politics of the Saudis and Arian’s comment about the root cause of it but the reality on the ground is not going to be changed by Saudis masking the truth with nice words. There is a growing dissatisfaction with Saudi’s government amongst Saudis themselves and that’s why Saudi government’s got so worried and start doing funny stuff. US public opinion is not as favorable to Saudis either.

Please comment on the article

Please read and comment on the article. It seems most of the comments so far pertain to career advice and warnings. However, I would prefer comments regarding the article/argument, instead of questions/assumptions about aspects of my life. Thanks

Immaturity

There might be not concretely extensive evidence that all ex-followers of the IRI were in league with the IRI’s crimes against humanity. In fact, for those average people who did not understand the plague of political Islam, all honest Iranians have a fair understanding to forgive them.

However, the very opposite case is when a young person abroad still supports this Islamist regime, then there is no fair pardon. Either, the folower is mentally disorder or politically traitor.

Dear Nazanin, or whatever your name might be, if you want to achieve an author-carrier, you 'd better off firstly start reading the records of the IRI. Otherwise, your imaturity, if not a IRI's stooge, will throw you in one of these two cases.

Isliamic Republic was

Isliamic Republic was brought in by Iranians who went to street and said Esteghlal Azadi Jumhouriyeh Islami - So Fuck all Iranians who live inside and outside of Iran - Fuck you all for Kicking your King out and some still have the audacity to say shit about him - SO - fuck you ALL - stay in Diaspora and bitch about it - and to the Iranians in Iran - Fuck you too - stay and get buttfucked by the Mullahs - MABROOK

American Bombs are coming soon

The mullahs timer is reaching the end. It's the end of a 28 year honeymoon peiod for the bastardd mullahs. It's time for massive cocks to be inserted into mullahs butthole and their supporters.

5th column sleeper terrorist cell

So you have shown clearly that your code name
is Nazanin Ghasemian and that you are a front
for an IRI fifth column sleeper terrorist cell
financed and embedded in the U.S. with the mission
of committing sabotage in this country against
the government and people of the United States.

Formal requests have been submitted to the FBI and
to the Office of Homeland Security to investigate you. Other interested intelligence services have
also been alerted and will be actively involved.
Let justice be done.

It appears so

To take Saudis as who they are ( a Sunni nation) would not explain it. It would be like saying Shah and Soraya in Rome represented Shiite and thats why Mossadegh was over thrown. In fact Saudi Arabia is run by a bunch of rich businessmen (including Ben Laden family,Royal Family, Bushes, Aramco ...) and they have a financial (not religious) interest.

Shall we call them dangerous, most blood thirsty SAUDIs instead?

Be Farsi: Akh ghorboone dahanet! Gol gofti...
Nothing makes me prouder of being an Iranian than to see an open minded, educated (and by that I don't mean just academic) sophisticated, and bright intellectuals such as yourself, voicing their opinion in such judicious way! I just wished that there were more people like you in the world calling a very much over due attention to the atrocities (to the religion or otherwise) that have been (and continue to be) committed by one of the most intellectually or ideologically backward nations in the world. Thank you! Dastet dard nakoneh!

Nazanin: ARe you for real?

Nazanin: ARe you for real? Do you even have a degree? It seems you like writing more than reading. I have a feeling you're very young and naive by your tone. I hope you're not being used by the Niac or CASMII people or that Iraniantruth ilk.

You need to do a lot more research and studying before you make up your mind. Don't destroy your future in America by getting involved with these political hacks. I hope you're sincere in your opinions and not have any other agendas...

I also don't know which Iran you're talking about. I have seen Iran and hear from families and friends on a daily basis.

Iran has become one of the most dismally unequal societies in the ME. A small caste of very rich fat mullahs and their cronies (khodi including Basij and IRGC) are reducing most of the Iranian people to abject poverty in a country that is immensely wealthy. To cover up for all this greed and corruption, they use Islam as an effective tool of ideological domination. The more Iran sinks into inequality and social injustice, the more fiery the pseudo-revolutionary rhetoric of its theocratic ruling elite, and the more dogmatic and intolerant their version of Islam. Iranians were deceived by the Ayatollahs and the revolution was hijacked by a bunch of thugs.

Iran's current policy in Iraq has been shameful. Instead of helping Iraqis unite, and has callously played with old sectarian grievances in order to draw some benefit for their own shallow cause. What do the Iranian Ayatollahs really stand for? At this moment for nothing more than staying in power and continuing to line their bulging pockets with the money of the Iranian people. Social inequality and poverty rates in Iran are appalling. And if you visit the wealthy neighborhoods of Northern Teheran, you will see conspicuous signs of obscene wealth in the hands of the nouveaux rich that have emerged after the demise of the late Shah. And if you move to the huge slums in Southern Teheran, you will see abject poverty and destitution. Most Iranians have benefited very little from the new theocratic dictatorship. Just look at the poverty rate: 40%
Also compare the GDP and Income per capita with other non-oil based countries such as Peru, Turkey, and Mexico. They are doing much better.

Aside from the brutal repression against freedom, would anyone in their right mind would let the mullahs to run their business/corporation/McDonalds let alone a vast country plagued with many economic and social ? They would run the business to the ground in no time.

Vast Islamic Republic in the US

Islamic Republic's Lobby in the US:

//iranianlobby.com/

Kudos to the Israeli lobby

The Islamic Republic as an entity is diametrically separate from that of Iranian nation. What is good for Islamic Republic more often than not is not good for the Iranian nation. It is therefore disingenuous and misleading to use the two interchangeably. Nuke is good for IRI and not necessarily for earthquake prone, infrastructure poor and other energy resources rich Iranian Nation. As for the Israeli lobby which is the torn in IRI’s lobbyists’ eye, kudos to them for looking after their nation’s interest. We in Iran too need to have a Democracy which looks after our interests just as much as them.