.

well said Nazanin!

The McCain campaign makes me fear that Obama's life may be in serious danger. 

Peace!

Dear Zion, i am new here,

Dear Zion,
i am new here, are you iranian american or isareli?

More shameful Republican attacks

//www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2008-10/42750...

Amnesia?

Well, let's see... now where did all the stuff unrelated to Obama vs. McCain race in this thread come from? "Islamophobia" in the very title? old boyfriend's attitude to Islam? "Immoral" aspects of "Jewish religion" like "taking interest in medieval times" and "killing christ", reactions to an avatar with hijab and how unfair that was compared to an imaginary "yarmulke" (?!)... .

Delusions indeed... evidently with a good share of voluntary amnesia added.

Delusions

When a membership on iranian.com is programmed around an obsessive battle against "lefty Islamism" a person may see it even where it does not exist, even in a blog entry about the American election. That proves how effective the McCain whisper campaign has been.

This is an entry about Obama V. McCain. Making it about "lefty Islamism" isn't just a stretch, it's meant as a way to attack me. Been there, done that.

The definition of delusion is useful for such members:
an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational argument, typically a symptom of mental disorder

Thanks

Dear Azarin, Sam and Anonymous.. .

I am not arguing against Obama's supporters in this election, who are from all walks of life, or Obama himself here. Actually I have not said a single word about or against Obama in this thread. My concern has little to do with either Obama or McCain. You see, the legitimacy of diversity and the fight against cultural, ethnic and racial bias and prejudice has been one of the most important and precious aims of modern liberal society, and the success there has been great. I see however a systematic attempt, for some years now to manipulate this and to divert it in order to limit, weaken and eventually destroy the one and the greatest value which lies at the core of free society ie. the freedom of speech. Particularly when it speaks against totalitarian ideologies. I speak up as a matter of principle whenever I am confronted by such attempts and especially when it is mixed with clear lies that adds further insults to one's intelligence. The expected flood of further lies and well known hostile reactions that are hurled at me in response are just more evidence why it was necessary to speak in the first place.

Sam, don't get angry. No need to be an agent to be a sugarcoating Islamist with lefty tendencies.

Amir Taheri and Andy Martin

Both represent Republican hypocrisy. They are each discredited in their respective professions, and yet they are considered credible sources for voter education?! Wake me up with it's November 5.

I never imagined I would get this many responses. I'm only saying that basing a vote on a name, Hussein, is ridiculous. Amir Taheri is a good example. He too has a "funny name", but there is no doubting him, eh?

Hypocrisy

Funny how my name doesn't come to play when the quote is in their favor! Amir or Hossein: one is the quote-worthy one, and the other is not good enough to trust?!

Nazanin you and your "Peace sign on Fire" (or is it a pomegranate?) know what buttons to push to make us all write in the most passionate ways! and what else would help a "message of hate" if not the passion that we put in it?

If there was any doubt about the Obama smears before

Today Rush Stinkbomb quoted Amir Taheri's NY Post article about Jesse Jackson's speech at the World Policy Forum, in which he said that under Obama, Zionism would fall from the foreground of American foreign policy. Rush translated Zionism as a code word for Jews. Heads have since exploded on the right.

Of course, neither Taheri nor Stinkbomb bothered to explain that Jackson's speech had to do with the importance of broadening America's foreign policy in order to patch up the alienation of key allies that happened during the Bush presidency.

So now, the whisper campaign (that began with anti-Semite and discredited lawyer Andy Martin) has another piece, thanks to a discredited journalist, Taheri: Obama won't serve the alliance between Israel and the US. Get a whiff of that boloney. Jackson is a zero in the Obama campaign and the Republicans are really grasping ever since their party has erupted in turmoil. These are good distractions, but I have serious issues with any influence on the Jewish vote by way of Jackson/Wright/Farrahkhan.

I doubt that Rush Stinkbomb knows much about Amir Taheri, but would it matter? Neo-conservatism is always welcome with leaders in the Republican party. But it's also why the Republican party is suffocating right now.

Zion: Thank you for being

Zion: Thank you for being the only unbiased, intelligent, and non-bigoted voice on this thread.

Hurricane Omar is a terrorist!

Hurricane Omar is a terrorist!

//www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/weather/10/15/hurric...

How dare they name a Hurricane after an Arab?

American Wife - Thank you

And to others, if I've offended you somehow, I'm sorry. I tried to reason with you, really. To quote Gretchen Wilson, "I'm a product of my raisin'" and I've learned that you can't make everyone happy.

When someone as intelligent and kind spirited as Obama agitates you to this degree (considering your other option is MOOSE-A-LINI!), there's nothing left to say. Thank you all for reading/writing, even if we don't agree.

P.S. For the record, I'm not an agent of anyone except those birds I posted below.

Dear Zion,

Even if I am an obama fan and I don't intend to read all the 68 comments on this blog, but I really liked the passion in your last comment without being rude or illogical!

Well written...as usual!

Azarin 

You just deletd another comment

moderator 1234 with absolutly no reason. If you involve yourself with subjects and blogs and delete opposing views just because it fits you well. then don,t preach me on ethics since you know better that I never comment on other comments but subject at hands and only on views of the blogger and his ideological inclination. I only on rare occasions have responded back as in the case of KB who made demeaning personal attacks on me & you deletd my reponce while keeping his in place, since he is on ur camp. It,s good to know the level of this site's tolerance for opposing views. Isn,t it odd that that when I ignore the one who comes and follows me on every blog with demeaning comments & attacks & still do on another blog for making an innocent comment of a samuraii man will get to delete my comment when I finally respond and tell her to stop preaching. I wonder.

from one shallow lost soul to others supporting

this wonderful woman. Nazanin... you truly are the epitome of an Iranian khanoom.  You have proved that you are far far above the petty and pathetic harborers of hate and dissention that lurk on Iranian.com.  People who look for trouble generally find it... or rather, it finds them as their bias and bigotry are like a beacon to others of the same intolerance.

Good luck with your "baby"...:-)

Samsam1111

Your comments have been removed and will continue to be removed unless you adopt a tone and language that is not insulting, accusatory, and libelous towards other users and specially the site moderators.  All users, and particularly registered users, have a lot of freedom to express their opinions about whatever they wish, so long as they remain respectful to others.  When you label other registered users and site moderators as "agents" among other things, you have clearly overstepped every conceivable boundary of civil discourse and freedom of expression.  Please refrain from doing this again.

Novice

'What if I had been a dude with a yarmulke?'

Nazanin Ghasemian, Again you have managed to reveal the typical signature obsession with Jews. Why do you keep doing this? What's your problem? Why 'yarmulke' to compare with your islamic hijab? Why not a turban,, a mitre or a swasitika band for that matter?

As it so happens, the objections to your photo in official Islamic republic hijab is not completely baseless. There is a good point to it, and I commend those who have raised their voice for their vigilance. Unlike what you try to portray the issue of official hijab format of Islamists is not the same thing as traditional personal religious beliefs. Thsi kind of hijab is an emblem, a symbol of oppression of women in your country who have been forced to submit despite their will. It is also the symbol of an ideological Islamist tsunami bent on changing the world according to a revolutionary Islamist image, as more and more secular democratic states faced with this tsunami are realizing and reacting to. What made you choose an avatar that represents the oppression of your women? The only revealing aspect of this anecdote is that you did not change your photo with a similar one without hijab, but to an abstract burning symbol of peace(?). Was it not halal?
Once you place it beside other red herrings of yours, after those hateful words about which you tried to do damage control after being challenged by it, and after once again dragging Jews to a completely irrelevant topic, it is clear where you come from. I have to agree with Bystander's observation now. You have all the quirks of a novice and careless crypto-Islamist speaking lefty language. As I said, you have shown an obsession with Jews and their culture in a clearly negative light that is the typical signature of one particular type of people only. So is your effort to win points for the bogus term "Islamophobia" that is another signature sign of the same category of people. Not surprisingly, you manage to get some supportive comments by the few rather shallow lost souls who are all over this website. I however think you better get back to taking care of your eggs. It is a much nobler endeavor.

Thanks Nazanin

You are very kind my dear. Thanks for a very good blog that provoked thoughts and discussions.

Lavashak

As an unregistered user I don't think you have that option, but it does work. I just recently flagged a couple of comments and they were deleted.

It all depends on whether the moderator agrees with you and finds the comment to be offensive or nonsense or whatever the case might be. 

Are you always such a pessimist? ;-)

IRANdokht

It's OK! There are much worse things!

My rights on a blog or message forum are the least of my worries. I know what I'm risking when I come on this site and sign my name. Like you said, it's about personal responsibility. Again, thanks for your support and sense. You raised really good points.

Lavashak

Registering means you can post a blog or a video without having to wait for your turn on the first page. Some of the blogs also get featured on the front page.

So if you don't see the type of material that you prefer to see on this website, you can contribute them yourself.

I am saying if you wish not to contribute your own material then don't complain that the site is taken over by islamophobia!  is it clear now?

what else did you want to get done?    

IRANdokht

Oh and one more thing

When moderators don't read all comments as they say these days when it doesn't affect you it is a recession, when it affects you it is a depression.

Those "small" percentage of comments that fall through the cracks (excuse really) and good enough to turn away one reader is bad as it is, finding excuses such as what about the comments that get deleted, is worse.

Offensive flag doesn't work!

Irandokht, that offensive flag button is for show only! The moderators find a way to ignore it and keep the comment. Default is to keep the comment at all costs, most costs anyway!

Dear Nazanin

I don't think even the moderators read every comment. They probably scan for foul language mostly. If you see a comment that you find libelous, offensive and personal, you have the option of flagging it for the moderators. Then in the explanation box, you can say what part of the comment was not suitable for publishing.

We have to take responsibility too. Unfortunately it's not enough to just watch how we behave, but we also need to bring the violations up for moderation. It's like when you walk on the side walk in your neighborhood, if you see garbage, you have the option of cleaning it up or you can live with it. It's all about taking pride in a place where you live or where you express your opinion. 

I have noticed that sometimes even the nicest people are overwhelmed with their hate for anything resembling IRI that they can be a little quick to judge based on those strong emotions.  I am sorry you had such a bad experience...

IRANdokht

Irandokht, ideally, you're right

People who don't register won't make as much of an impact here, and they aren't taken as seriously.....except when I see a comment from someone who is not registered, writing to me that "anti-semitism is dripping from between your teeth," without citing any evidence of it being possible.

That comment is supposedly moderated, although I don't know what the standards of moderation are here when I see someone get away with a charge like that. I don't mind actually, because it proves how dumb that line of thinking is - I'd rather those nitwits expose themselves than keep quiet about it. It's just the anonymity that bugs me..... I'm here with my full name to my writing and I wish people who make charges that serious would consider registering.....

Last year, when I registered on this site

I uploaded my Iranian passport photo, which obviously, includes me with a veil. Many of my blog entries would get replies specifically targetting that picture instead of the content of the blog itself. It was as if some people couldn't even read a paragraph once they were confronted with a picture of a veiled girl!

It was meant as an experiment for me, and I decided to change it because it's blurry and bad looking. I even got attacked by men, who I doubt even understand what it is like to wear a veil, forced or not! I even stated after a bunch of outcry about it - "it's just a passport photo! Calm down!" So I knew when Obama came up in the primary that lots of Iranian-Americans, particularly in the "Shahollahi" segment would attack him.....forget about a possible "Iranian spy" writing on iranian.com haha!

Basically, Iranians on this site were judging me based on that picture without any knowledge about my personal beliefs. Others on this site have said it, but it's always worth repeating. Iranian politics has a LONG way to go if it wants to establish itself as fair and balanced! What if I had been a dude with a yarmulke? I don't know if it matters, but basically, people in the comments section make wild assumptions and accusations which make the site lose lots of credit as a community magnet.

Cutting throught the Bull: CNN

"" In rally a few days ago we heard this exchange.

Woman at rally: I don't trust Obama. I have read about him and he's an Arab.

Sen. John McCain: No ma'am, no ma'am. He's a decent family man, citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues. That's what this campaign is all about. He's not, thank you.
Many at Daily Kos, while granting that McCain was doing the right thing in speaking against the ignorance of the woman, were angered that in his answer McCain seemed to be equating Arab with not being 'decent' and not being a 'family man.' While all of the MSM ran with the story that McCain was trying to retake control of his supporters, we saw this as just another example of using 'Arab' or 'Muslim' as a attack and therefore not acceptable.

Well it seems Campbell Brown of CNN agrees with us.

So what if Obama was Arab or Muslim? So what if John McCain was Arab or Muslim? Would it matter?

When did that become a disqualifier for higher office in our country? When did Arab and Muslim become dirty words? The equivalent of dishonorable or radical?
and

I feel like I am stating the obvious here, but apparently it needs to be said: There is a difference between radical Muslims who support jihad against America and Muslims who want to practice their religion freely and have normal lives like anyone else. There are more than 1.2 million Arab-Americans and about 7 million Muslim-Americans, former Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, successful business people, normal average Americans from all walks of life.
And the media is culpable.

And the media is complicit here, too. We've all been too quick to accept the idea that calling someone Muslim is a slur.""

Thank you Campbell.

//www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/14/123351/67...

register?

Irandokht registering does NOT mean you can get anything done or do something positive. That is old news and childs play.

Yawn. As I said it doesn't matter. You call it complaining I call it as I see it. If I register and say the same thing it is still a "complain"!

I'm thinking of a song about complaining! can't get it out of my head!

Lavashak

if you want to see more of certain articles and blogs, join the site and contribute!

Sitting on the sidelines and criticizing this site when you don't even register to contribute an article, a video or a blog, doesn't matter! criticism should be constructive. 

If you see more of a certain mindset is because those members are more active and instead of playing the role of the victim, they are voicing their opinion.

That's what I meant when I said "fair", everybody who tries, can easily take the stage here and the ones who don't, complain.

best,

IRANdokht

Irandokht

This website is "supposed" to be about Iranians and what is a good and fair picture of Iran and Iranians. "Few" Islamophobics?! Really?! Just take a look around and count the anti-Islam articles, blogs, youtube videos, comments, etc. and get an average of how many are Islmophobics. Of course without parsing the word.

When people who don't know much about Iran or want to learn more and come here and read the articles and comments what does this website project? Same crap as other media outlets. Probably LESS of an advocate for Iran because here we claim to be Iranians.

The more documentaries we see from mainstream media, such as NBC, CBS and ABC news going to Iran and trying to ease fears and raise a good flag for Iran, we here in america.com bring that flag down and trash it without anything to say in return. You know whos love us.

In this day and age where fear of Iranians is at an all time high we should know how to walk. But you know what it doesn't matter. It shouldn't matter if Obama were to be a Muslim, but would it in fact matter? This is the same dilema. And when you say fair "who" are you comparing this website to?

"Which" Iranian website is unfair? Doesn't matter really.

lavashak paz

(ajab shoghleh khoobi dari YUMMY) 

Aside from the above comment, I have to ask you: Why are you blaming the website?  the islamophobic ones who come here are upset that so many members are going to vote for Obama or speak against military attack on Iran, and they mostly think it's the website that is too liberal or as they call it "leftist", they also blame the site for some anonymous contributors who are IRI supporters and here you are calling the website islamophobic!

This website is the fairest one out there. Everybody with any ideology and political view is free to join and post items as long as they do not insult anyone else. Of course a few push the envelope too, but most of the time the moderators and the webmaster do a good job in keeping the discussions civilized and clean. 

it's not fair to blame the site for a few extremists on either side.

That was a good article, she is right: "It shouldn't matter"

IRANdokht