Film Irani Texas 3
Jamie Swearengin
I was nine and we were watching a movie on then-banned VHS. It was a harrowing tale of a woman and her daughter's escape from a savage country. I remember asking my father, "Where is this?" "'Iran,'" he said. I couldn't believe it; the Iran I had grown up in was nothing like that movie, Not Without My Daughter, which painted such a demonized picture of Iran that I couldn't even recognize it.
In later years, while living in London, I found myself explaining my culture to people all the time. Some didn't even have the slightest idea where Iran was. My conversations at the local pub usually went like this, "No, not Iraq -- Iran," or, "No, we don't speak Arabic; we speak Farsi," or even worse, "No, we don't live in a tent!" For some, Iran was summarized in jokes and myths about the "Ayatollahs." It really disturbed me when it occurred to me that the general perception of Iran was not that different from that of Not Without My Daughter.
Ever since the revolution and especially after the hostage crisis, the western media, unconsciously perhaps, pictured Iran as a hostile, threatening country with uncivilized people. The western media were not alone in this; they had an accomplice in the Iranian government, who embraced this villain-ized picture of Iran. To them, the more alienated the world was from the true Iran, the less they cared about what goes on in the country. In fact, it was not until its secret nuclear facilities were discovered that western governments took a real interest in Iran.
I remember September 11, 2001. I remember watching TV all day worried and sad. I remember holding candlelight vigils with my friends for the victims. Then George W. Bush went on to declare us as one of the "Axis of Evil." I remember asking myself, "Why?" Not a single one of the terrorists was Iranian, and I wondered why he didn't bother to make a distinction between the government and the people. In fact, in all of the Middle East I don't think there is a more pro-American nation than Iran, but no one made such a distinction. Consequently, the Iranian people were viewed with an aura of suspicion in every airport and embassy around the world for the rest of the Bush administration.
But all of that unfounded negative stereotyping came to an end when, in the aftermath of the elections, the nation stood up to the manipulative authorities and separated its account from that of the government. We shattered the stereotype with the amateur photos and videos taken with our own mobile phones. We captured the true picture of the Iranian nation and relayed it to the world, a picture of a young and highly educated nation yearning to be free.
Now I must tell the people of the world: Thank you! To the western media: Thank you for believing in us and in our cause. To the drinkers in the pubs of London: Thank you for supporting us and for lending us your voice.
oh my goodness this is beautifully written. I will certainly pass it on! I'm not sure what the near future holds for you people yearning for freedom and a corruption free government, but I'm positive that in the coming years, Iran will be a beautiful place, given the incredible spirit I feel from the young people of Iran. All my best wishes and hopes your way, from Western Canada.
Thank you for this insight! I'm sure the people of Iran can see that the misrepresentation goes both ways: just the same way that George Bush didn't distinguish citizens from their government, the people of the west are not like George Bush.
Thank you for your remarks! I'm glad that my fellow countrymen in America are overcoming their simple stereotypes of the Iranian people. Indeed, many Americans are participating in our initiative to set up a wiki translation service for the Iranian protest movement. There is a great deal of respect among our contributors for the Iranian people and their bravery in confronting a thuggish regime. Good luck!
I have always had a completely biased perception of Iranian people. Every Iranian I have ever met here in the US has always impressed me with their intelligence, hard work, sense of humor, and explicitly stated respect and admiration for American-style liberty. I know very well that those who immigrate to the US are generally self-selected for these qualities (well, perhaps except for the humor - LOL), and I have met these Iranians at university or at work (selectivity also applies to these sites). Nevertheless, I thought I should share with you an American perspective, even though this sample has an N of 1. With love, 1in7billion.
Right now all people of good hearts ARE Iranian. People everywhere have the right to have the government THEY chose no matter what that government may be. You have been denied that right brutally, criminally, and we wish we could help.
Often people confuse the citizens with the government and then get only a hand picked view of that. Until we "know" each other we do not see the hearts. You have shown the world your hearts and souls and now we "know" you better. You are a people with a rich, beautiful, and ancient history that the past 30 years have blinded much of the west. That is OUR loss.
The first thing this New Mexico citizen does on waking is check on sources for news from your country, for news from some tweeters I have followed (and worry for those who have disappeared). You are prayed for often during the day. Know that you are not alone and the world does care.
Yes it is very unfair to portray a people the way you have been and nothing is more dispiriting and negative and unfair...but we have also seen a lack of basic human rights, hanging of gays, stoning of women, the story of the young rape victim Nazanin, people burning US flags, hijacking British sailors...and while none of that outweighs the happy success of modern culture on young people and your pro Western feelings, and some of it is down to your dictators approach to world affairs, it has also made us acutely aware of two parallels running side by side in your lives. We always wondered what you thought and wanted for your country.
The film was wrong perhaps but the stories since have often been just as frightening. We have sometimes seen, thru blogs etc, the courage and hope in women's rights activists and others shining a light and fighting hard all these years. The media failed them totally. Sometimes we got a glimpse of your modern lives too. The media failed you there too. But nothing has given the world so much hope as what is going on now: with your collective spirit and courage across all Iranians. This is about you and all your courage.
We all want for nothing than to interact with a wonderful country with a wonderful history and people. With a government which guarantees it's people's success and choices through equal rights. It would be great to hear what it is you want for the future of your country?
Maybe President Bush did not make it clear that it was the government of Iran that was evil, but we Americans know that the Iranian people are good and kind people. Why do you think we never considered attacking Iran? Because we believed that the Iranian people should be the ones to bring change, not American forces. Perhaps that was lost in translation to people. We did attack two other countries, and that is another debate for another day. I believe in the Iranian people and their right to determine their own destiny. God Bless you all. I pray for you all.
Thank you to all Iran people for showing us in America how much our freedom here really means and how to stand up and keep it. I honor your people for the bravery, faced with adversities beyond our imagination. NO we are not all Bush here in America, and we are also not all Obama either. maybe someday we can all stop being so selfish and look at each other as friends.
This is such a good little eassay. I was 20 when the ayatollaha came to power. I feel like Iran was hidden from the world by their government. You mention a "banned" VHS, which pretty much says it all. May the isolation come to an end and may your light shine!
By the way, US movies always portray everyone else as evil and them as great to greater or lesser degrees of the film you mention. It's what they do best. The power of film to 'speak' and influence, when you consider it, is amazing.
I am buoyed by your passion to promote human rights even at this high price. It is because you are an educated people that your protest won't be put down. Even now there is a leader among you who (if Mousavi cannot) will step up to organize and focus the masses in a direction that will ultimately achieve democracy or whatever form of government the people choose. Know that many millions in the US are behind you, sending our best energy and will do whatever else we can.
I would like to say that I was and still am ashamed that my former government painted the Iranian people in such broad strokes. Luckily for us here in America we have the option to change that government when it no longer serves our interests as people. All around the world you will find the same people, regardless of religious belief, ethnicity, or nationality. In all nations there are the ignorant and the afraid, those poor souls who know only a small world and have either not had the opportunity or the will to learn about the larger world. For every one of those people though there are many more who do not see ideological differences as polarizing agents and who do not fear that which they do not understand. This is true both in the US and in Iran. As a US citizen I hope one day that I will be able to travel to Iran and learn more about the culture and the people, but I have never feared the people of Iran and I have never feared the Iranian government despite their hatred of my government. The US government has a long way to go in proving it's good will to the Iranian people, especially after decades of interference in your sovereign affairs. We are all citizens of this planet and if nothing else I want the Iranian people to know that I weep for the violence leveled against you by your own government and I cheer with the same voice when I see the footage of the brave people who are willing to stand up and protest and to those who are willing to shelter these so called "dissidents". If anyone from Iran is reading this, and I hope and pray that you are able, I want you to know that I love you as my brothers and sisters. I love you as one of the People of the Book and that this is your fight but that the entire world stands behind you in spirit even if we dare not intervene on your behalf.
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