POLITICS

Iranian Americans

I am not sure heritage really counts if you have no moral backbone. There are lots of Iranians in this country but what does that really mean?

For me it means nothing. What counts is this simple fact.

1- Do they support the Empire in its quest for domination and plunder?

2- Do they support zionism in its expansion and murderous policies against Palestinians and by extension the Muslims and the developing nations?

If the answer to both questions is yes then does it matter if they are black, white, Iranian, Russian, Japanese or Nigerian, Muslim, Christian, Jew, Liberal, Communist, Socialist or .......?

Judge these monkies on principles not heritage or names or country of origin. After all the former shah, and the likes of mubarak, fahd, saddam, king hussein, general pinochet, marcus of philipine, batista, and etc........ were all fierce propagandists advocating nationalism but in reality served the empire and helped plunder their people.

How many of you recall when saddam atatcked Iran in 1980 he managed to fool a lot of Iranians residing here in sunny california and all over europe? They were all praying and hoping that saddam the savior would be victorious. Remember Dr. Bakhtiar, general oveisi, ashraf pahlavi, rajavi's, and ......... who shamelessly cooperated with saddam, israel and others to overthrow the revolution?

Please dont be surprised anymore. No reason. There is a long and painful history of betrayal for all to study and learn from.

A lot of our fellow Iranians are sheeps in wolfs clothing serving their foreign masters.

But then again Israel has every right to defend herself against

the barbaric terrorists. Maybe it's time for you terrorists lovers get the idea that true Iranians like the rest of the civilized people in the world condemn the terrorists.

God Bless Ameri

It's not your fault...

first off, I am very sorry for your loss. Your loss of faith in a fellow Iranian. I too was disillusioned by Ameri. But a long time ago. Actually as far back as her ill fated attempt to win a seat from Portland. I simply could not see how she could take the positions she took then. And I am not a democrat.

Let's face it, at this stage of our evolution, we are not too well suited for politics. If we were, we would strive to fix our own homeland, rather than "contribute" to someone else's.

Ameri is merely the most visible form of Iranian opportunist. Nothing more. nothing less. we see them all the  time. The swindling mortgage broker or real estate agent, the smarmy carpet salesman, the gutless satellite TV host, to the doctor and dentist who won't treat Iranians, the insider trading technology entrepreneur, and on and on.

Keep being honest, and keep hoping for change. Also keep exposing truths when you find them.

Great Piece.

Anahid Abbasi

I am no fan of the Bush administration nor any of their lapdog appointees no matter what their color or ethnic background. None of that means anything to me--only the policies pursued. So, although I understand why you would initially be proud to have a fellow Iranian appointed to a high-level position, it is always wise to reserve expressing such pride until finding out exactly what the individual's positions are.

As Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court justice said when he announced his retirement and was asked if he hoped then President George Bush Sr. would appoint another black to replace him, "A black snake bites just as hard as a white snake." Lo and behold, Bush found his black snake in Clarence "Uncle Tom" Thomas.

Party politics aside, the U.S. will always side with Israel as long as Muslims in the Middle East continue their anti-American propaganda. The United States wants a strong foothold in the Middle East and Isreal provides it. Iran never would, nor Syria, Lybia, Egypt. (And who knows what'll happen in Iraq after the last U.S. troops leave?)

Despite this policy, please understand: The U.S. government, even under that idiot George W. Bush, would never point a finger at the innocent Muslims living in Gaza and blame them for the violence. They live just as much in fear of Hamas as Israelis, if not more because fellow Muslims like you expect them to always side against Israel no matter what, yet you do not walk in their shoes so you should not be so quick to dictate who sides with whom.

Hamas is a terrorist organization made up of brutal murderers who have viciously and mercilessly sliced the throats of all fellow Muslims in Gaza who have dared speak out against them. Their immediate goal is anarchy, which they proved when they finally had real legal power in their grasp and then squandered it away. Their long-term and unrealistic goal, like Hitler's, is to destroy all Jews.

It may surprise you to learn that this is not what the Iranian government wants, however, despite the anti-Semitic rhetoric spewing forth from Tehran: No Jews, no bogeymen. It's as simple as that.

Akhmadinejad needs Israel to point a finger at when he wants to rile the youths of Iran into a hate-filled fervor. No bad guy, no fervor. No fervor, no means of distracting a suffering population away from taking a closer look at his own corrupt government.

It's not by mistake that the U.S. never captured Osama bin Laden, you know--George W. Bush badly needed his own bogeyman.

msina

Dear Ari Siletz

Dear Ari,

I understand PAAIA responded to a similar question on Iranian.com last summer, which I included below:

“PAAIA has never extended an invitation to Ambassador Bolton for a speaking engagement; Ambassador Bolton addressed a group of Iranian-Americans in New York City in November, 2006, nine months before PAAIA even came into existence. Regardless, supposing that PAAIA invites Ambassador John Bolton tomorrow, that fact would not establish that PAAIA agrees with Ambassador Bolton’s positions. To believe otherwise would be akin to concluding that, because Columbia University extended an invitation to President Ahmadinejad, the university somehow endorses the views espoused by Iran’s president. If PAAIA is to properly implement its mission, it will frequently come into contact with individuals with whose positions it disagrees. A central tenet of participating in an informed and educated democracy is the ability and willingness to listen to others with whose ideas you might disagree.”

I hope this helps.

HI Why is this thing about

HI
Why is this thing about Iranian-American so big? As far as I have seen here only money talks. She is after her own life. Why are Iranian try to connect everyone in the world to themselves?
Just look at the news that comes out of Iran. Stoning, Public execution, terrorism etc. Many of these So called Iranian-American are regular traveler to Iran. Do they dare to denounce anything?

What does Iranian heritage say about Israel-palestine conflict? Just because two poets have said something when they were high on drugs, does not say that there is heritage. Which part of Iranian history has shown justice?

Yes, Cyrus wrote down human rights!!! At the same time the Iranian society was based on clear and distinct classes, racism, apartheid !!! So much of heritage!!!
When Iranian army invaded other countries they did not offer roses to the people of the country. Do we have evidence!!

She is for or against israel? has sold her sould or not? Who cares? Why should she bring shame for Iranian at all. As if people in the world do not have anything to do except for watching what iranian do.

Get Life.

question

I don't agree with her positions, but I was wondering why does being Iranian have to determine your views? If she sincerely supported Israel, Bush's policies etc.(by this I mean she wasn't just playing politics) why shouldn't she? Just because she's Iranian? I assume by what was said at the beginning of your article that you would still be upset.
It's basically the same as African Americans supporting Obama because he's black.
She should be able to make her own decisions, and you should oppose her because you disagree with her without saying she should feel how Iranians feel.

For Babak Hoghooghi

I write to correct certain

I write to correct certain factual inaccuracies in Ms. Abbasi’s article about the formation and leadership of PAAIA.  PAAIA was  founded not by one person but by a group of diverse Iranian Americans as a non-partisan organization intended to bring ALL Iranian Americans together, regardless of their political views (please click here for a brief account of how PAAIA was born).  PAAIA is governed not by one individual but by a nineteen member Board of Directors (please click here for a list of board members and their bios), which was elected in December by PAAIA’s membership (the election results were certified by an independent accounting firm, for a copy of which please click here).  Since its inception, Messrs. Biglari and Naderi have served as the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of PAAIA, respectively, and I, Babak Hoghooghi, have served as the organization’s Executive Director.

We are extremely proud of our collective accomplishments at PAAIA.  Never have Iranian Americans of such diversity and achievement come together to work towards advancing the interests of our community.  Moreover, PAAIA’s non-partisanship is ensured by its political diversity, as evidenced by the fact that its board members and active supporters include persons who prominently supported the presidential campaigns of President Obama, Senator Clinton, Governor Romney, Senator McCain, and Mayor Giuliani.

We invite and welcome all in our community—including the author and others who have commented on these pages—to become better informed about PAAIA, its mission of Community Building, Image Building and Influence Building and its accomplishments to date.  We also invite you to join us in our collective quest to ensure that our community realizes its full potential for the benefit of all of us, particularly our children.

Babak Hoghooghi

Executive Director

PAAIA

Clarification

In Abarmard's and his ilk's dictionary Liberal minded Iranian MEANS sympathizers and supporters of the IRI.

If liberalism means supporting and sympathizing with a criminal repressive totalitarian establishment such as IRI, I say those liberal Iranians are the REAL sell-outs! Shame on them!

I WARNED YOU GUYS......

Three years ago I wrote an article on this same site and exposed this terrorist and her family, but my warnings including that to FBI has gone un-noticed.  Visit www.ghaffaris.com and find out more about her fraudulent character.  Most dangerous is that more like her and, and her family have penetrated deep amongst us. Just look no further than the boardroom of Southern California Edison to see how dangerously close we have come to have our entire system be infiltrated by terrorists.

Bash ta sobhe dolatat

Bash ta sobhe dolatat bedamad!

I can't believe it!

YOU iranians are so full of yourselves! she isn't there to represent you, ok? She has her own life , her own ideas and .........
FOr once, in your life , think that the whole world doesn't revolve around you.
Why should she prove herself to you? you people who, not only sold your souls to devil( akhoondha) but you gave away your country and the so called heritage that you are so damn proud of. Enough is enough!

Benyamin

Goli Ameri???

I read a few comments and then went to the gym and reflected on this matter. You should note that I live in Canada and I have no idea as how Ms. Goli Ameri has gotten where ahe is now. But, regardless of her agenda and her thoughts and her political afiliation or beliefs, she is an Iranian! what is my point? We Iranians tend to accept something RELIGIOUSLY ot reject it OUTRIGHT, there is no middle ground. All we know is that she has said some stuff in support of Israel! we don`t know what was the context or what kind of evidence was provided to her? also we don`t know if she really believes in them or she is just simply being a DIPLOMAT!
Whatever it is, she shouldnot be shunned or rejected only based on one or two mistakes. We are all humans and we do mistake as Obama said "we are not perfect".

I think even if she believes in what she said, she shouldnot be shunned and rejected simply because it is in our nature to seek truth, I invite everyone here to be more understanding and forgiving and less AUTOCRATIC!

I have to remine everyone that the government that is in power in Iran is a clear reflection of how WE as Iranians behave in our private lives! I know this is an outrage, but it is true that Iranian parents are somewhat autocratic, it is true that we mean what we say and we say what we mean. which makes the hole idea of democracy in a contradicting position in our society.
We were the first nation in MiddleEast to come up and understand the concept of democracy and yet after 100 years we found ourselves a regeme that is nothing short of a second century style of governing!!!

How have we got here? arguably having done the third full fledge revolution in the world for democracy after France and the USA?

I amnot a fan of what Israel did to the Palestinians, and I amnot supporting her in what she said, but what I would like to see is developing a language that is not DISMISSAL of each other and it is a language that can provide us with transparency and yet not crulty or outright rejection!.
A language that our worldwide known poets worked on it, to be more polite and TOLERANT of eachother views. Lets agree to disagree, not agree to be disagreeing!
That is my dream....lol

What else is new from liberal minded people

It is amazing that how short sighted liberal minded people are. Once the individual is not in line with their philosophy and political point of view, the person immediately labeled as a traitor, ruthless, shameful, et al. Disagreeing with Bush policy and presidency should not automatically translate itself to degrading an individual who has a great and impressive education, background, and career.

Goli Ameri is and should be stand out among Iranian America as a symbol of independent and fair minded individual. Shame is not on her, but on those liberals who can not see the reality of world politics and the fairness doctrine.

Well…be happy; she is out of the Sate Department, and you have your messiah in the Whitehouse for the next four years, along with Pelosi in the House who both will save the world for all of you liberals.

And last but certainly not the least – Yes, Hamas is a terrorist organization and the puppet of Iranian mullah.

Anahid Abbasi

I am with you on that

Agree with you. I also felt happy that she is an Iranian American, but being an Iranian American means nothing. Hope to see some Liberal minded Iranian succeed in this field.

Good post, thanks.

You have a good heart

Thanks for exposing this fraud, but she is not alone.

There are many like her amongst the Iranian Communities in this Country. Like other selfish and power hungery people anywhere, of course.

Maybe you are expecting all Iranians outside of Iran to be real human. Remember, a lot of these people are the ones who stole lots of money from the poor in Iran during the Shah's regime and when the Mullahs took over, or just before that, left the Country, with all their wealth.

These are people who have no human feelings, just selfishness and greed. There are a ton of them in the Mullahs as well, who are terrorizing the innocent people in Iran right now.

I think you just need to be smart about supporting people who are in politics in general. This is not a line of business that a lot of humanitarians get into, in most cases.

We have all seen a good example of them during the last 8 years here and the last 30 years in Iran.

Fair to PAAIA??

Fair to PAAIA? Hold on there for a minute! Goli Ameri's husband is the CHAIRMAN of PAAIA! Together with Goli they co-founded PAAIA. Unless PAAIA issues a statement clarifying the difference between them and the Ameris that run and co-founded PAAIA, then being fair means to call a spade a spade.

I am all in favor of a having a voice in DC - I just don't want Goli Ameri or her husband or their organization PAAIA to be that voice!

Thank you!

Very well said!
by shiva (not verified) on Mon Feb 02, 2009 07:02 PM PST

Thank you for exposing monsters such as this shameless woman. Unfortunately, the Iranian-American community is not in short of such low characters who easily sell their heritage, pride, and identity for power or just being accepted in this society. I'm sure you will experience a few of them here on this site who will try to trash you and your blog in a few minutes.
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Shiva jan, you said it very well too! Thank you. Although, I hold my breath regarding Obama ... He also has the Democratic Congress to contend with which is full of AIPAC push-overs. Still with all the dangers still present, it is far better than the likes of Ameri and her Mongol foot soldiers infesting this website.

Thank you . . .

Thank you.  Good points.

Yes, if one considers Iran as a mother.... this mother produced many harom-zadeh and moftkhor(s).

Thanks for caring and not forgetting who you are or where you came from.

Well Said Except about PAAIA

Well said.. except the part about PAAIA. To my knowledge, they are not Republican or involved in any foreign policy issues. They have Board members who were Kerry fundraisers, and others who were pro-Bush. We need to be fair to groups like PAAIA who're trying to create a voice for Iranians in DC. A voice in DC means Money, power and influence, so you can't rely on Mother Theresa or Ahmadinejad to do that for you. Sorry. It's a dirty game with dirty rules, until the game owners (people in this country) pay attention and clean it up, which is not gonna happen soon.

You are naieve! Many R traitors 2 iran! It is about them not us!

Just because they live outside of iran doesn't make them any better. They are traitors in iran and outside! BTW this is not limited to iranians! They all are! I hope and pray Obama turns out to be good! After all, the whole world is watching him! If he fails especially blacks would feel betrayed! Let's enjoy the honey moon!

Very well said!

Thank you for exposing monsters such as this shameless woman. Unfortunately, the Iranian-American community is not in short of such low characters who easily sell their heritage, pride, and identity for power or just being accepted in this society. I'm sure you will experience a few of them here on this site who will try to trash you and your blog in a few minutes.