Earning Democracy in Iran

A year after our Iran TV special aired, I still get feedback from Iranians in America thankful for our public television work. Now, as the protests in Iran persist, our government is encouraged to get more involved. Who knows the best action for the Iranian people? But my strong hunch is that Iranians need to earn their freedom (as France, the USA, and South Africa all did), and support in spirit from the USA is the most we should give. I believe (given the power of modern government propaganda) that concrete action in their support from the USA would actually hurt the students on the street. They would then be discredited as puppets of the USA, and a groundswell of politically naive and frightened Iranians would crush them.

 The following letter, which I just received (and appears here with all its charming typos intact), gives a touching insight into the spirit I felt while in Iran. It is the spirit of a grassroots movement hungry for freedom.

Hi Rick,

My name is amir. I born in Isfahan on 1974 and I came to US. on 2001. It was too hard to get immigration visa and come to your beautiful and toppest country in the world. We went to Dubai and then Abu dhabi to get visa and I was so excited to see an American flag hangs on the building. I was excited to see inside the Embassy also. I got black stamp in my passport and crying that I couldn’t get it. it was for 2000. on 2001 we went to istanbul and then Ankara and I saw American big flag that moving with breeze and hang on the building and we can not see american flag that hangs in Iran. I came to us and we landed in seattle first and i was so excited. we are walking in u.s. land finally. on the first trip on 2004 i saw American embassy again in Tehran and I saw those ad on the walls again. we are tired to violence to America and American Flag. Say new dialog. it is not only just my opinion not. it is many Iranian voice. We can not change many things but we are try.

For this christmas I got your dvd iran and I didnt belive that one of my American friend give it to me as a gift. I watched it 3 time and I cry…

I will go back to Isfahan on march Also I will buy your dvd and give it to my American friends.

we Love Americans sorry if sometimes in iran say something or violence to American flag. On 4th july I saw that howmuch Americans love their flag and in Iran they burn American flag.

sorry -we get shy to see that

amir 35 years -california

Comments

14 Replies to “Earning Democracy in Iran”

  1. Rick you were there, you would know more than most. As an Irish man I do feel for Iran. When I was in Syria I could not believe they are part of the “Evil Empire” what friendly nice people I met there, also meeting many Iranians in Syria on a holy journey who came over to talk to me just because I was “white: they thought I was American and treated me kindly with warmth and sincere friendship. I was at your talk in NYC 2009 and felt moved by your speech which sets you aside from so many conventional writers. Your a real friend to America and Iran. Maybe they should elect you when they over come their current regime, sorry Rick you know me and my jokes. Best of luck Sean T

  2. I agree that we should not intervene militarily in Iran or use covert forces to cause disruption. We have a history of doing that and having it come back to haunt us – as it is doing now in Afghanistan (and Iran after we placed the Shah in power). And we must ensure Israel does not go off half-cocked and pre-emptively attack Iran because of its nuclear work at Q’ur near Tehran. One bit of progress that would pour some oil on troubled waters in the region would be for Israel to finally grant the Palestinians statehood. That dispute has festered and caused people around the world to hate us because they see us supporting Israel at all costs even when Israel is guilty of atrocities. It’s true there are atrocities on both sides of that issue but insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. It doesn’t help that extreme right wing elements in Israel refuse to compromise just as Hamas/Hisbollah does. When will it ever end? Probably when moderates in the U.S., Israel, Palestine, Iran pressure leaders. Travel and commerce might help grease the skids. They say travel broadens. Hope so.

  3. It was interesting for me to hear how he finally got a Visa to come to America. I really had no idea how people from all these other countries that don’t seem to allow their people to come here, finally get here. It would be interesting to find out what happened in Turkey that the US Embassy there gave him a Visa?

  4. I do not understand why this letter is considered so charming yet the letter from Boston Man was considered so heinous with regard to typos. I don’t know, I just don’t get an authentic feel from this and not buying into this…it just feels like a plant. Anyway I agree with everyone we should not get involved in proping up the people and their cause, it has not worked out well when we do that. And to be honest with the mess our country is in financially right now I would be really angry if money was diverted there instead of back into our system

  5. Carla- I imagine that Amir’s English is far better than Boston Man’s Farsi, and the spelling’s better, regardless of grammar.

  6. Judy, it is not the country itself that does not allow their people to visit, (other than places like N.Korea, etc) it is the US itself. One has to have an interview at the American consulate or Embassy to get a visa and if the American official does not think you should have a visa to visit, you do not get one. I too, found the email to be a bit off, perhaps translated with babbelfish or something. Something about it doesn’t ring true. Have met tons of Iranians living here in Germany, and they just don’t talk like that. It just sounds faked.

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