Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

I don't want an apology

J. C. Vaughan

I got involved with Iran after seeing photos of the Lynching of Ayaz Marhoni and Mahmoud Asgari (and reading the true facts about it, as opposed to the lies of the regime). I was even more upset when I read about Makwan M., Ali A. and Mokhtar N., Ebrahim H., Ateqeh R. and too many others in blogs and on youtube. At one point I wanted to kill myself I was so upset. And I was ashamed to think that US and Britain might have started all this by bad actions back in 1953 (forgive me for dragging up the past). I only want two thing: that my poor murdered babies are in heaven with Allah and that the killers should repent completely of all of their evil acts. And if Allah needs to send someone to hell then he can send me.

Iranians Are More Prejudiced Than Anyone

I've gotten crap from Iranians opposed to the IRI because of my beard.

... I've gotten crap from Iranians who support the IRI because of my feelings for America.

Maybe they should work on their own prejudices first.

کل اگر طبیب بودی، سر خود دوا نمودی. 

Iranians Organize Ke Chi Beshe?

So that they can defeat something no one paid attention to for 30 years?

Big deal.

Dear Oon Yaroo

I added my response to it. You may want to incorporate it into the text of the blog. I am sorry to see the two other comments on it are very unhelpful. One is mocking it. The other arguing why we should not bother to apologize. 

VPK, I put together some ghalat o gholot under featured blogs

my problem is that I am awful when it comes to writing. If you could expand on it I would be much obliged!

Here is the funny thing! I bet we won't get many people to come and sign it and share their sympathies with us and apologies to Americans. You see, Iranians are very proud and never wrong if you know what I mean!

I suggest we put a request to JJ to allow us to create some imaginary friends/Iranians (i.e., user IDs) so we can boost the # of signatories and leave comments under this blog! :-))))

We promise to JJ we will delete all those IDs next week when we reach # of 1000 apologies! :-))))

Oon Yaroo

Of Poster & American Hostages! 32 years ago yesterday, 4 Nov 79!

Fifty two (52) Americans were taken hostage in the US embassy in Tehran and stayed captive for 444 days. This was the begging of hell for Iranians in Iran and America, one of the the two seeds (along with Khomeini's desire to export his revolution) for the Iraq invasion of Iran and IRR's grip to power, its terrorism around the world and the rest is history...

Shouldn't Iranians send an apology to Americans?

VPK, how much do you think this ad would cost? $100k? $1M?...

BTW, if I were JJ, I would get pretty pissed off at the contributors! Why, because how come they show so much generosity there but don't help the site more!?:-)

I am not

a lawyer but to me it is best to spend money projecting a good image.

That is best done by taking out the ad. Yes we may fight this guy and win. But that is less effective than showing him wrong by action. Rconciliation beats war.

We get more good will by action. You will never sue people into loving you! On the other hand right kind of behaviour will go a lot further. Imagine an ad in NY Times with the message.

• Opposing human rights violations of IRI
• Condemning acts ot terror by IRI; their support of Hamas and Hizbollah.
• Recognizing the right of Israel to exist in peace.

We may sign it or admit some need to be anonymous to avoid IRI retaliation. But it will go a long way. Main stream media will respond well and put a damper on anti Iranian drivel.

Who is the resident constitutional/appellate lawyer? Anybody!

"...Laws prohibiting hate speech are unconstitutional in the United States, outside of obscenity, defamation, incitement to riot, and fighting words.[46][47][48] The United States federal government and state governments are broadly forbidden by the First Amendment of the Constitution from restricting speech...."

I am not one! 

VPK, that's not strictly true

The fact that many get away with criminal behaviour is that the courts cost money.

The fact that someone hasn't been properly prosecuted and successfully indicted, doesn't mean that hate speech in some forms,  isn't fundamentally illegal within US Constitutional law. It is imperative to look very carefully at the articles pertaining to incitement  (taken from what is known as English Common Law).

Afterall, many really do get away with murder.

Legality of HATE SPEECH / ACLU

Legality of Hate Speech: Hate Speech does become illegal in the United States if it "incites to riot" and is "obsene."

Hanging an Iranian, and standing by with rifles,  both incites violence and is obsene. 

ACLU: Instead of bickering over NIAC, PAAIA or other groups standing up to this, just pick up the phone and contact the ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union. I know I will. 

Hate Speech

is not illegal in USA. If it were then Rush Limbaugh; Glenn Beck and may other would be out. The best way to deal with this is to prove we are not what this guy says we are. To prove to the world that IRI does not represent Iranian people.

I already suggested a full page ad in NY Times condemning IRI actions. Making  it clear to all Americans that not all Iranians support IRI. That many of us actively oppose its policies. That we do not want it to represent us.  That will go a long way.

Dear AB

Thank you I deeply appreciate your kind words. I really understand where you; AO and others are coming from. I do apologize for going off and making a statement about AO about lynching. I removed it.

By the way I am not as positive on Iranian culture as it may sound. My response to Oon Yaroo said we have dictatorship in our culture. I will say it again that intolerance and dictatorship are a part of our way. It is too bad and I hope it is remedied.

You are right about which camp I am in. Honestly I am not a big NIAC supporter. Prefer if we have more organizations. It is too bad we only have very few of these. If we got more then we do not have to be stuck with NIAC! 

Hate Speech / ACLU

It's un-American not to stand up to "Hate Speech":

I'm tired of the NIAC fight -- I'm more interested in getting something done. If you believe in stopping Hate Speech, and don't like NIAC or PAAIA that have both posted statements on this issue -- then... contact the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Uniont) directly... because this is more about the "Hate Speech" itself, than which group is or isn't standing up to it. 

Why do we always have to complicate things? While we try to figure the "agenda" -- the crime gets committed... because we were too busy bickering? People should just go and contact ACLU directly. Not complicated. Replace "Iranian" in the Texas poster, with "Chinese, Jewish, Indian" and it would automatically qualify as Hate Speech, rightly so.

PS - VPK: If you were "flagged" and your comment wasn't abusive, then I'm sorry you went through that.  To "flag" because over disagreements, is not right. 

You are a good man :)

& I bet the loser who flags you is that hezbo-sneaky guy. You know!!  Gholam Goosht-talkh(the khikk with car avatar;)::))..maaaannnn ! this guy is such a bimazeh goosht-talkh.

& on a side note , need to say that folks like me & my bro AO may not share your blanket optimism,positiveness & approval of all aspects of Iranian lingual/social/cultural & historical aspects but we share a few fundamental points such as cherishing the Kiaani legacy which must put an end to you two constant bickerings over nothing.. I dont know about others & dont care ..hell with them but you two are much more insynce & similar in principles that could justify such bickering among kiaanophiles. So mend your differences & concentrate on Omaruzzz. Just because you are more positive on NIAC & he is more negative is not an excuse for this useless bickering since fundamentaly you are both in the same camp & differ only in style not content.

Watch that sneaky Gholam, bet he is behind it all ;):).

Cheers pal!!!

Your comments are okay.

Dear VPK; your comments are okay.  Thanks for your time and participation.

Dear Oon Yaroo

We have been raised to be afraid of debate and opinions. My father always told me to listen and obey. Never have any opinion specially about politics. And he was a secular modern "Westernized" man !

It is not just religion it is the whole way of thinking. The culture is based on dictatorship. The father at home; the boss at work and the PM/VF/King in the government. We got to get away from this mentality.

My hope is younger Iranians in the West have picked up some new ideas. Maybe with internet even those in Iran have open minds. That we get the strength to listen to others and maybe change our minds! What a concept :-) 

Dear VPK, people should stop this childish act of flagging...!

Flagging without any reason (i.e., profanity, abusing attacks, etc.) is an indication of one's lack of tolerance for the opposing views.

Let's face it VPK, we are a debate-less people. When we were growing up in Iran we were never exposed to or trained in the principles of or participated in any debates. There were no debate classes in the school curriculum, at least not in mine!

All we had to do was either listen to an akhoond telling nonsense or read some poem from an old poet died some several hundred years ago! That's not called debate! It's not called dialogue! It's called monologue!

We are a nation of monologues! And the rest have to listen, agree, applaud, and not state the opposing views!

So, please take it easy and don't let these folks get you upset!

Dear Souri

I would appreciate it if you did read my blog. 

Regarding "screaming" I want to draw attention to it. Because I want to prove some say "freedom of speech" then oppose it. If freedom is good in Texas why not right here.

Flagging doesn't mean anything!

VPK,

I didn't read your blog, yet. But I have been following all the comments in that tread since last night.

You made some very valid and solid points, in there.

Stop complaining about "flagging your comments". Flagging doesn't mean anything! It just shows that someone didn't like your comment. Which is normal, giving the facts that there are so many opposit views in the site.

Flagging doesn't mean "deletion" ! Not because your comment has been flagged, that it means it will be deleted by admin.

You always scream when your comments are flagged, which may create more douby about the validity of your post. Let it go.