Last year, the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, visited Columbia University in New York and had a Q&A session. When asked about homosexuals in Iran, he responded, "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country... I do not know who has told you we have it." SNL then responded with this:
Just a few days I decided to go, I read an article in USA Today about Iran. Apparently, according to a recent poll of public opinion, Americans now think of Iran as America's #1 enemy. We invaded Iraq so they belong to us now, and North Korea decided to dismantle its weapons program so now Iran was public enemy number one. And now I'd be visiting it. Coolness. I accidentally overslept but left my house before 7am and got to the airport, after my taxi driver manuevered his way around the crazy ridiculous Dubai traffic. Because Iran Air's website is completely incompetent and doesn't even work, I showed up at the airport that morning with no ticket and no hotel reservation. No problem. I booked myself onto the next flight for only 650 dirhams ($160) roundtrip. I would look around for a hotel once I got there.
The terminal even had a lot of flights going to Iraq (Basra/Baghdad) and Afganistan (Kabul). The flights to Afghanistan was mostly filled with Afghani-looking mountain dwellers. But all the Iraqi flights were completely different. All of the flights to Iraq were almost completely filled with US Defense Department Contractors/Private Military Contractors. It was completely obvious and most of them looked to be ex-military. They were't exactly being discreet about it either. They all had 3-day assault packs, desert combat boots, and that general aura of swagger that most in the US military have (and rightfully so). Most of them looked to be ex-soldiers, former Marines, or ex-Special Forces. Besides the tattoos that covered a lot of them, you could also just tell judging by their assault pack. The Army has its ACU/Ranger Green and the Marines have their MARPAT, coyote brown and their EGA (Marines pretty much emblazon the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor onto everything they own). Most were Americans, but there were some Brits, South Africans, and Germans with them too. They all even showed up at the same time and the line went out the door; everyone in it either white or black with maybe one or two Asians. Anyway, Arabs aren't exactly dumb. They know about PMCs, especially Blackwater after its infamous shooting spree incident last year (16 Iraqi civilians were killed). The Arabs in the terminal knew where they were going and why. They knew what was up and shot their hard stares and dirty looks back at the Westerners.
Out of the UAE
Into Iran, the Axis of Evil
Anyway, the people on my flight were either Iranian or Filipino. I didn't stick out at all. As soon as we landed, all the women on the plane were herded into a room at the airport to be given headscarves to cover their hair. I got through customs okay with no problems at all. No, Iranian secret police did not appear out of nowhere to arrest me for being an American. No, Iranian Army paratroopers didn't land around me and take me hostage. I thanked the passport official, in Farsi, and he smiled back.
Welcome to Iran
Supreme Leader of Iran and Grand Ayatollah, Ali Khamenei
Welcome to the Axis of Evil
I was in Iran now. They had Iranian flags and pictures of the Grand Ayatollah everywhere. I wandered around and eventually I found the cheapest hotel I could find. $75 a night. I arrived in Iran during afternoon prayers. It's kind of like a siesta. Everything closes at 2pm and doesn't open again until 6pm. Unlike Saudi Arabia, prayer isn't enforced by religious police who punish anyone not praying when they should. Iran disbanded its relgious police years ago. Iran is not a wasteland full of crazy, hostile Arabs... for one thing, they speak Farsi, not Arabic. And it's far more developed than many think. All of the malls looked just like American ones. They all had Polo, Lacoste, Timberland, etc.
US businesses are not allowed to open branches in Iran, due to the US embargo, so the Iranians make up their own version of many US franchises. They have a Cinnabon and it looks like a regular US Cinnabon, except the Iranian version is called Cinnabona in Farsi. They also have a KFC and it even looks like a KFC, but the Iranian version is called Kish Fried Chicken. The Iranian versions are like the evil twin of the US versions.
And the best part is that there's not one Starbucks in the entire country either. Every country I have ever been to has had a Starbucks. It kind of diminishes that adventurous feeling of being in a foreign country when you see a Starbucks or any other Western influences. But being an American company, Starbucks cannot open any branch in Iran due to the current US embargo regulations. Now I really felt I was in another world, untouched by the West. I had to go to Iran to finally visit a country without a Starbucks... definitely one of the highlights of the whole trip.
And Iranians aren't Arabs (they're Persian/Aryan) so they don't wear the traditional Arab white robes. They look more Caucasian than anything else. And they dress just like Westerners do (except shorts are illegal)and can be as cosmopolitan as Americans. They aren't crazy or hostile either. Not even to Americans. Everyone in the Middle East that I've met is smart enough to separate the American government with Americans citizens. Iranians were no exception. I felt completely comfortable my whole time in Iran. I actually enjoyed my time in the Axis of Evil.
I wanted to do some souvenir shopping but I came to Iran without any Iranian Rials. I exchanged my money and soon enough I was loaded with 1.37 million Iranian Rials. Actually, 1.37 million Iranian Rials is only worth 150 US Dollars. But everything in Iran is so cheap and tax-free. Gas is 10 cents a gallon. I kid you not. They practically give it away. Too bad the largest denomination is 20,000 Rials so I was carrying a wad of cash almost an inch thick. I took half of the bills out and I still couldn't get my wallet to close.
even the Axis of Evil can be artsy
Farsi
they have their flag everýwhere
artsy Iran
I had another problem. Iran isn't exactly a tourist destination. The US travel warning ensures that Iran isn't overwhelmed by large numbers of foreign tourists, making it relatively undiscovered by travellers and all the more worthwhile to visit. That's great and all, but it means that I literally went to 10 different malls looking for a souvenir shop. I found none and eventually gave up. It's okay though, I found one at the airport as I was leaving so I did get some souvenirs from Iran. The beach was absolutely beautiful. Palm trees, turqoise water, white sand, etc. The women still go to the beach fully covered. Unless they go to the ladies-only beach because they could wear whatever they want there (maybe I'll talk about what I think of women covering themselves in the Middle East for another post). And there was this sweet abandoned cargo ship of the coast. It ran aground a few decades ago and it was abandoned so all it is now is a huge rusting piece of metal. The ancient towns of Harireh and Khariz were pretty rad too. They date back to 3000 BC.
Iranian mall
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country... I do not know who has told you we have it."
Iranian Rials. 10,000 Rials is 1 US Dollar. And their largest denomination is 20,000 Rials...
this was the cheapest room I could find
I don't know what else there was to the trip. It was more of a cultural trip than a sightseeing one. I opened my mind and ignored all the stereotypes I had been told of Iran. I immersed myself in Iranian culture and came out a lot more informed and englightened. All the Iranians I met were nice people and a lot of them just smiled back. Even the ones who knew I was American. I spent my first night just watching Western movies, including Dumb and Dumber, in my hotel room. The malls close at night and alcohol is illegal in Iran so there isn't really any nightlife. CNN is even broadcasted in Iran. I don't really watch CNN so I watched Al Jazeera instead. I know it's worse than CNN, but it's pretty interesting to watch. The only way to learn is to open your mind up to every perspective, even the ones that you don't agree with.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
—Aristotle
Iran TV
CNN
Al Jazeera
abandoned ship off the coast
view from hotel
hotel
no US flag...it's okay I felt welcome anyway
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran and Grand Ayatollah
Ruhollah Khomeini, 1st Supreme Leader of Iran and leader of the 1979 Revolution
turqoise water, white sand..
women at the beach
Farsi
Iranian yacht
my hotel
burqas
Mahmoud!
abandoned ship off the coast
Persian mosque
Harireh, 3000 BC
Khariz, underground city
So what did I think of Iran? I loved it. I'd go back if I could. I still haven't seen Tehran or Persepolis yet.
"What, you're going to Iran..? Why???"
That was the response I got from most people when they heard I was going to visit Iran. Actually, the only people with that response were those back in the West and who were not very familiar at all with the Middle East or its cultures and politics. Everyone here that I told didn't think much of it at all: "You're going to Iran? Oh really, it's a very interesting country and culture to experience." Even the many Western expats I've met here in the Middle East thought Iran was a wonderful place to visit. It's no surprise that there was this sharp contrast in perceptions of Iran between those in the West and those in the Middle East. Thanks to the slanted perceptions of Iran by Western media and Western governments, many in the West see Iran as a dangerous, mysterious wasteland full of crazy, hostile Arabs. The misperceptions and misconceptions of Iran and its people are so misleading that many ignorantly see it as another Saddam-era Iraq. A blackhole of a country that once you come in, you can't come out. How wrong they are.
First of all, the people are not Arabs. They aren't even related to Arabs. They don't speak Arabic; they speak Farsi. They are Persians and descended from the Aryan race so they don't even look like Arabs. The vast majority of them have very Caucasian features. Second of all, Iran is not a wasteland. It's a lot more developed and a lot less dangerous than many in the West would like you to believe. Lastly, the people aren't crazy nor are they hostile. Not even to Americans. The passport official didn't even think much of my US passport. No, he didn't press a silent alarm button under his desk to alert the Iranian authorities. No, Iranian Army paratroopers didn't land around me and hold me at gunpoint. He just stamped it like he did for everyone else and I was on my way into the country. The hotel clerk didn't care much either. He just smiled and told me to enjoy Iran, in his perfect English.
"Is it safe?" is something a lot in the West ask and rarely are they ever enlightened to the truth. You can't blame them though. They're just misinformed. Most of their perceptions of the Middle East come from CNN. I remember some people I told I was going to Dubai, thought I would be in a lot of serious danger being in the Middle East. Imagine if Arabs based all of their perceptions on Americans from the US government, Hollywood, or Al Jazeera.
Iranians are not Nazis. Iranians aren't radicals. They are regular people just living a day to day life: working, praying, spending time with family, etc. The vast majority of Iranians are able to distinguish between the actions and policies of governments and the people under those governments. They're smart enough to realize that just because you are American or British doesn't make you responsible for the US or British government policies. It's a shame that many people in the West can't do the same and instead live under ignorant stereotypes of Iran and its people. To the contrary, Iranians consider you a guest in their country and they are eager to prove that they are kind, hospitable people. After my visit, I was certain of this. I felt completely comfortable during my entire visit. Here's a nice fact: I have a higher chance of being harassed on the streets of the inner-city of Chicago than in Iran. I even lived in the inner-city of Chicago for two months last summer. It's a funny thing really. Americans like to ignore or downplay the everyday violence of their inner-cities. But they sensationalize and exaggerate violence abroad, even random, inconsistent attacks that do not characterize daily life in other countries, especially in the Middle East. Iranians are religious people, much more than Americans. The teachings of Islam are more a part of Middle Eastern society than Christianity is in the US. It's no wonder that crime is virtually non-existent in Middle Eastern countries.
Here's another thing many in the US are ignorant of: Iran was an ally of the US. No, not just before the 1979 Revolution. Iran was a US ally as recently as 2001. For those that don't know, after 9/11 the Islamic Republic of Iran vowed to aid the US in its "War on Terror" because it was against the extremist version of Islam that the Taliban and Al-Qaeda promoted in its neighbor of Afghanistan. Iran is an Islamic theocracy, but it is not radical or extremist. It simply follows the teachings of Islam and does not separate religion from state. To call Iran extremist or radical is to insult Islam, which many in the West ignorantly do. Iran had forgiven the US for being Iraq's ally during the Iran-Iraq War. The US, content with the Iranian government becoming more open, collaborated together with Iran to rid Afghanistan of the Taliban. Since the 1979 Revolution, Iran has been becoming more and more open and less conservative. It disbanded its religious police and lifted many of the conservative Islamic social restrictions. Saudi Arabia is more strictly conservative than Iran is. Yet, some people wrongly think Iran is an much more dangerous country to visit. Wrong again. For the past few years, the reform movement in Iran has been gaining momentum and the government has been answering to the people's calls to liberalise the country. It's not an authoritarian government. People have access to the internet and Western TV channels. The US victory over the Taliban was due in part to Iran's help. But President Bush in his State of the Union address in January 2002, just a few months after Iran helped the US in Afghanistan, declared Iran part of his "Axis of Evil." Way to show your gratitude, Mr. President. To the Iranians, they were greatly insulted and felt betrayed by the US government. They are not evil people. They had just helped the US in its War on Terror and were enjoying the joint Iran-US victory in Afghanistan. They thought this was the beginning of a new relationship with the US and that they could together fight Islamic extremists in the region. Now the US government was stabbing them in the back.
People would probably refute my argument with their claim that Iran supports terrorism. I won't argue with that, Iran supports terrorism. But what many don't realize is that there are many causes for terrorism: religous, cultural, political. Iran supports Hamas, Hezbollah, and the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization)... all political terrorist organizations who just want to liberate Palestine from the Israelis. It's understandable, considering the Israelis "stole" land that had been settled by Palestinians for thousands of years and are seen as occupiers among the Palestinian population, who are seen as the rightful settlers of the land. The US did the same thing to the Native Americans. We even fought over it too. We killed innocent Native Americans and they killed innocent Americans. I'm not saying that I am sympathetic at all toward any of these terrorists. Deliberately killing innocent people does not legitimize any cause. That is why Iran doesn't support Al-Qaeda or any other extremist terrorist organization. Like I said before, the theocracy in Iran is against extremist forms of Islam that radicalize their beloved, benevolent religion. The day I left Iran, Sunni terrorists bombed a Shiite mosque in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz. Iran has its own problems with religious terrorism and is as much against it as the US. In Afghanistan, Iran and the US had worked side by side to fight the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Now Afghanistan is still struggling to get back on its feet and defeat the Taliban insurgents. Too bad, Iran isn't around to help this time.
So what if Iran is pursuing nuclear power, or weapons, depending on who you want to believe. Worst case scenario, let's just say Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. They would only be seeking nuclear weapons because of US policy in the region. It's our fault. We helped Israel gain nuclear weapons. Not to mention, 70% of all US foreign military aid goes to Israel. Oh, and now hundreds of thousands of US troops are on Iran's border in Iraq. It's a simple matter of security. Israel got nukes, then India got nukes, then Pakistan got nukes, then North Korea got nukes. No one flinched at all. The US and South Korea didn't go to war over North Korea's nuclear program, and now the North Koreans recently decided to dismantle in exhange for US aid. Nuclear war didn't break out. India and Pakistan have disputed Kashmir for decades and many thought nuclear war would break out. Nothing happened. The US and the Soviet Union were close to nuclear war for decades. Nothing happened. That's been the case with nuclear politics for decades. Nuclear weapons are solely a deterrent. You acquire them to buy you protection. You don't acquire them to use them because that's just simply suicide. You acquire them to deter other nations from aggression. The US and the Soviet Union never went to war because nuclear weapons deterred the other from aggression. Kashmir is not a war zone today because India and Pakistan won't go to war over it because it's not worth the risk of nuclear war. But no country on earth is insane or irrational enough to actually use a nuclear weapon in today's world because of the sociopolitical implications of such an act. The claim that some states are labeled "Terrorist Supporting State" does not float as those are rational states and not some suicidal "dooms day" radicals. It's a funny paradox. Nuclear weapons encourage peace and stability. It sounds contradictory, but history has shown it to be true. It's simply a matter of security. Every nation on earth has the right to preserve its own security and the safety of its people. If Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, it is because of the military dominance of Israel over every other country in the Middle East (every Arab country in the Middle East allied together in 1948, 1967, and 1973 to attack and destroy Israel...Israel completely slaughtered them all every time.) It's the famous Security Dilemma in action. Israel acquires nuclear weapons and vast amounts of military aid from the West, even if it is solely for benign defense purposes. Iran and the Arab countries of the Middle East feel threatened so they spend more and more on their militaries and defense. Iran wants to balance the playing field even more so it seeks to acquire nuclear weapons, not to use but to ensure its security in the region, which it has the right to as a nation. The more and more one nation incrases its defense, the more and more another country does to match it and keep it even, even just for the sake of its own security. And now its not just Israel that Iran has to worry about. Now the US is prying itself into the region even more (Iraq) and now there is a lot of talk in the US of invading Iran. The US is accusing Iran of just not playing by the rules but also breaking them. Last time I checked, Israel was never part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty either, but no one seemed to care when they became nuclear... the only nuclear power in the Middle East.
http://www.buchanan.org/blog/
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JD12Ak03.html
I'm not saying that I endorse or support any of Iran's nuclear ambitions. I mean, if Iran does go nuclear, I'll probably have to come back to Iran in a few years and not as a tourist but as a soldier. I'm just saying that they're not some crazy, suicidal nation. What they're doing makes sense, at least from their perspective. All the recent talk from the US about Iran is just election politics...whether we attack them first, or they attack Israel first and we obliterate them. Any regime change in Tehran is going to come from within Iran and from its people. The people are pushing for reforms and the government has been liberalizing itself for years. Besides, Israel can handle Iran on its own. Israel can handle the entire Middle East on its own, it already has in the past (1948,1967,1973,etc). It's just that the best way for Iran to ensure its regional security and to deter the US from aggression: nuclear weapons. Iran knows how time after time, nuclear weapons have deterred aggresion and promoted security. The arms race in the Middle East is due in large part to the West as long as it continues to support Israel. Matters got worse when the US decided to invade Iraq and it turned into a mess. Then again, perhaps if the US hadn't gone with Operation Ajax in 1953 we wouldn't have to be worrying about this scenario at all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_ajax
1 comment:
Hi Jon. I'd read your blog if I didn't have a test tomorrow. Look's like you're having a blast! I like the artsy fartsy picture btw.
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