Jahanshah Javid
به زبان فارسی
PICTORY
LATEST MUSIC
SEARCH
As an Iranian
20-Jul-2011
In response to comments about my photo essay "Cowboys and Iranians":
If I was born and raised in America, this would have been a much different photo essay. It would have been from the perspective of a citizen who is deeply deeply concerned about America's foreign policy and military aggression. It's actions, especially since GW Bush, shows an alarming willingness to resort to military means. It is resorting to world wars to deal with a bunch of terrorists who could be easily contained with local security measures rather than wholesale invasions, destroying countries and killing hundreds of thousands, mostly civilians (do we even feel the enormity of the calamity? HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS dead! GONE!).
As an American citizen I'm scared to death of the amount being spent on the military and nuclear and conventional weapons. It does not make me feel secure. Who needs this much defense? Seriously? THIS many nuclear bombs and missiles? So many warships and bombers and this and that... who are you fighting? Why are you fighting? Why is there a need for so many foreign bases in parts of the world where there's no imminent threat? I'm just asking :)
End the addiction to weapons and wars and the national debt will magically melt away. The educations system will suddenly regain it's place on top of the industrialized world rather than the bottom, along with the health care system. And maybe we could focus on cleaning up the environment, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, space exploration...
But I don't think as an American.
I was born and raised in Iran and my concerns are what happens there. I can't help it! As an Iranian I fully appreciate, no LOVE, the freedoms that exist in this country, the tolerance for races and religions and views of all kind. And I see no reason why Iranians in Iran should not enjoy the same.
We are no different than the rest of humanity. The whole world has embraced secular forms of government, except us. The whole world has either embraced or is moving towards more democratic and representative governments. Ours is going the opposite direction. Which country in the world humiliates and enslaves its women like we do? Which country in the world practices and defends stoning? Should I go on?
I cannot ignore what's happening in the name of religion over there. I just can't. I cannot stop thinking about those who are in prison, those tortured, raped and killed. What the FUCKKKKK is going on over there? You want me to ignore that?
From my Iranian perspective, the fact that Crazy Horse is so honored in the land conquered by his enemies is fascinating. It shows me a level of tolerance that exists in this society TODAY, not when it was massacring natives, not when it practiced slavery, not when women did not have the right to vote, not when gays were in the closet. The election of an African-American inspires me. I'm no fan of religion or its temples, but building a mosque near Ground Zero says a lot about tolerance.
The freedom to think and act and express yourself is a magnificent thing. I know it because I'm Iranian.
| Recently by Jahanshah Javid | Comments | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Hooman Samani: The Kissinger | 4 | Aug 31, 2012 |
| Eric Bakhtiari: San Francisco 49er | 6 | Aug 26, 2012 |
| You can help | 16 | Aug 23, 2012 |
RECENT COMMENTS
IRANIANS OF THE DAY
| Person | About | Day |
|---|---|---|
| نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
| Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
| Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
| احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
| Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
| گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
| Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
| محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
| Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
If a tree falls in the forest &u dont hear does it make a sound?
by Esfand Aashena on Thu Jul 21, 2011 05:38 AM PDTJJJ you're just reacting instead of just apologizing for the statements you made. All those people who left you messages in response to your wrong statements were wrong and you want to dig in your heels more?! that's ok.
What you described in your blog here is why Small Business Administration in USA does NOT recognize Iranians as a minority, because if they do they have to show that Iranians have been prejudiced against and thus worthy of given minority status for Federal contracts and so on.
You say because you have NOT been prejudiced against that predudice does not exist or you can't see it. Basically same reason why those during Shah felt happy and didn't see the rest and what was going on.
I fully support and share your view that America is a by and large a very tolerant society where factions who kill each other in their homeland (like Shiites and Sunnis, or Catholic and Protestants, etc.) live side by side in peace.
However, the criticism in your photo essay was about you comparing Crazy Horse to Chengis Khan or Saddam! Being lassie faire about the words you were using. About when someone says Indians are not treated well in the Dakotas you just don't respond. Have you been to Dakota? Have you seen how an Indian is treated there? I haven't been but I can imagine. So all we wanted was acknowledgement of some wrong statements you made as being insensitive.
Everything is sacred
As an Iranian...
by پندارنیک on Thu Jul 21, 2011 03:05 AM PDT...One should write in Farsi, something, sometimes...........and it doesn't have to be a masterpiece.........No one will judge............Have you ever seen a judgmental Iranian? :)
The non-Perrrrrrrrrrrrzhen title deserves a huge kudos.
JJ what you are likely not aware of and
by amirparvizforsecularmonarchy on Wed Jul 20, 2011 08:59 PM PDTIf you are aware of it then you are clearly angry about it, but i didn't get that from your writing.
We used to have secular govt in Iran, we were even moving towards greater democracy, but then the west changed their policies for iran, the middle east and north africa.
It was the west, led by the usa, not the iranian people that decided they love islam in government for Iran. It is they that talk on the one hand about spreading freedom and democracy and excite people of the region towards the idea, fund ngo's organize masses, use the power of the media to keep people enrolled in their own desires, but in a cold and calculated way, using the teachings of machiavelli in reality do not want democracy or freedom for the middle east or north africa,they want tyranny and despotism.
They are the ones behind the creation of tyranny and war in the middle east.
Iran was so prosperous, peaceful and free during the time of the shah. Yet they maaged to convince Iranians he was a tyranical, despotic, megalomaniac, a dictator. And in doing so turned iran back manyyears from enjoying greater democracy and freedom.
You must know that human rights in foreign policy are no better exercised by the usa, than the british during the empire or even hitler during his rise.
It is the true foreign policy that is so dispicable and must be changed for freedom and democracy to thrive in the world, instead of being used as a ploy to dominate governments of the poor people of the 3rd world to which iran belongs.
Great essay. I feel exactly
by vildemose on Wed Jul 20, 2011 08:33 PM PDTGreat essay. I feel exactly the same.
Specialist Misha Pemble-Belkin, one of the people Junger talked to for the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Restrepo." In his piece, Sebastian Junger argues we need to construct a monument in Washington to honor the civilian dead of Iraq and Afghanistan, that they, too, are victims of 9/11.
//www.npr.org/2011/07/20/138548989/junger-we-must-understand-many-troops-miss-war