I've tried to explain to people that the lives Jews lead in Iran aren't bad. They aren't persecuted. I've done what is humanly possible to educate people about Iran and the Jews that live there. And as a non-Jew I learned the hard way that there are things I am "not allowed" to say. Or, rather that there are things I cannot authoritatively discuss, even though I probably know more about the Jews living in Iran than most American Jews. How's that for democracy and freedom of speech?
But this? I'm really blown away the New York Times even had the balls to print this:
I’d visited the bright-eyed Sedighpoor, 61, the previous day at his dusty little shop. He’d sold me, with some reluctance, a bracelet of mother-of-pearl adorned with Persian miniatures. “The father buys, the son sells,” he muttered, before inviting me to the [synagogue] service.
Accepting, I inquired how he felt about the chants of “Death to Israel” — “Marg bar Esraeel” — that punctuate life in Iran.
“Let them say ‘Death to Israel,’ ” he said. “I’ve been in this store 43 years and never had a problem. I’ve visited my relatives in Israel, but when I see something like the attack on Gaza, I demonstrate, too, as an Iranian.”
Congratulations to Cohen for observing facts over mere words, indeed:
Still a mystery hovers over Iran’s Jews. It’s important to decide what’s more significant: the annihilationist anti-Israel ranting, the Holocaust denial and other Iranian provocations — or the fact of a Jewish community living, working and worshipping in relative tranquillity.
Perhaps I have a bias toward facts over words, but I say the reality of Iranian civility toward Jews tells us more about Iran — its sophistication and culture — than all the inflammatory rhetoric.
The bottom line is this: a non-Jew could never write something like this and get it published. And to think an American Jew had the courage to go to Iran and report on facts? Might my faith in the Times be resurrected?
Read the whole thing. It's that good.
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Comments: 31
Illusion
Even if this quote happens to be true (which I somehow doubt), it is taken out of context - and - there are people in the U.S. who hate America and kill Americans (e.g., the unibomber). If you spoke to one of them and used that as total truth, where would it lead you?
And since when has one person's comments been taken as the total truth for everyone concerned in any aspect of life? Did you ever hear of the scientific method and the requirement for a reasonable size sample before making a defnitive statement about any theory?
both were wonderful
Thank you for sharing
May the Lord Bless you & keep you and your family & there family close to his heart!!! In the name of Jesus!!! "
Good points sean, I travelled in Morocco in the 70s and found Jews and Arabs co-existing quite well, even when their religions/countries disagreed.
I enjoyed the thoughts you posted as well as the article you linked to. I must say too that I am quite impressed with the way you handled yourself in your replies.
""""Based on your standards, we'd not be reading or watching any news at all, as much of it pans out to be false, premature or ill-informed over time."""
This point in particular was quite well-done. I completely agree with this thought. The only thing one can do at this point in time is pursue news from several sources and then sieve through it to ferret out the morsels of truth that are hiding in the rhetoric.
article, and exactly what it is that you are claiming, other than there is an
article written by a Jewish person who lives in Iran as part of a Jewish
community.
The main gist of your article seems to be subliminal in that you present
a horse of a different color, and then sit back to see people's reactions,
... what for?
> It’s important to decide what’s more significant: the annihilationist
> anti-Israel ranting, the Holocaust denial and other Iranian provocations
> — or the fact of a Jewish community living, working and worshipping
> in relative tranquillity.
If I ask the question, what is the meaning of having the President of a
country engaging in talk about annihilating another country, its people,
denying the Holocaust, etc. Maybe just asking what does it mean to you.
If all alternatives were equal and you were free to sell your land, take
your wealth and move, would you personally remain
In the climate what else would you say about what is going on. I can
well believe all kinds of things were said in hope and fear in Germany
before the Holocaust.
One might argue that he has no idea and is more than a little bit irrational.
One can scarcely blame him. This may be a moments joke to you who
see an article in a newspaper and blurt out a reaction, but to this man,
and no telling how many others, the reality of being a "minority" in a
place like an Islamic Middle Eastern country is the reason you get many
unexpected behaviors or comments from people.
I'll go out on a limb here and say I resent the flippant vibe I get from this
article, and most of your articles Sean, unless I am misreading you.
I would simple ask you to be less clever for the slow-witted people like
me prefer their own myths and ignorance to reality. If you expect to
mediate reality for those of us that you hold in such contempt at
least take the time to simply and clearly make your point ... instead
of flashing an emotionally loaded scenario and waiting for people who
are offending to make some miniscule mistake that you then jump
on them for.
So, what are you concluding based on this man's article? You, yourself,
what does it say to you, and try to be clear.
... and by he way, the number of Jews in Iran did not just "dwindle"
as was describe in the article, many Jews were terrorized into leaving
Iran before WWII, just as the Palestinians claim they were put out of
Israel 20 or so years later when it became a country. You can read
about it in the book "Icon Of Evil" on page 42 where it talks about
the pro-Nazi Shah Reza Pahlavi, the guy who changed Iran's name from
Persia, to Iran ( Persian for Aryan ) in 1935 in sympathy with Hitler.
A book I read recently reflects what I have heard from the Jewish-Iranians now in the USA:
Growing up Jewish before and after the Iranian revolution is described in Roya Hakakian's book, "Journey From The Land Of No".
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/10/earlyshow/leisure/books/main679300.shtml
> My experience with members of the American Iranian community is
> that Jews were tolerate but not treated as equals under the Shah
> and life for them got much worse after the revolution.
Though not stated explicitly in the article, more implied, that is supposed to
be enough to welcome Iran in the community of peaceful nations even
given support for Hamas and Hezbollah, statements of intent to destroy
Israel, and the whole Western world if possible, and Holocaust denial.
Under a distorted mantle of cultural relativism we should apparently
let countries who treat minorities in their lands as sub-humans alone
to pursue their version of reality because it is there country. My opinion
is that there are certain beliefs and rights that all people should have
anywhere on the planet just because they are human, and bullying
other people is not one of them.
If that is what the author meant, I really would like to hear a plainer
statement to that effect or comment. Like most people who make
supportive statements about Iran all I hear is a disingenuous form of
talking around an issue designed to fool, instead of just coming out
and saying what they really support.
Friday November 21, 2008
Celebrated blogger Hossein Derakshan is literally the godfather of the Iranian blogsphere. Iran is one of those countries where speaking out requires courage, and where speech is anything but free. He has been living in Canada recently, but returned to Iran just a few weeks ago - and now has been arrested, rather ironically, on charges of spying for Israel:
Travelling on a Canadian passport, he made a highly publicised trip to Israel in 2006 on a mission to show his "20,000 daily Iranian readers what Israel really looks like and how people live there". He also wanted to "humanise" Iranians for Israelis.
--
Did you know that it is ILLEGAL for Iranians to visit Israel? It gets you arrested for spying for Israel. At any moment anyone who happens to pop up and come to the government's attention is liable for treatment like this.
It's nice to have a discussion of the posts, too, although I wish this one were a little more civil.