Friday, May 2, 2008

Mid-Day: Walking at Alborz Mountain

Itinerary:

Morning: Visit to the Armenian Christian Cultural Center

Mid-Day: Walking at Alborz Mountain

Afternoon: Meeting at Sapir Charity Hospital with Morris Motamed (Current Jewish MP), Ciamak Morathegh (Incoming Jewish MP, Chairman Tehran Jewish Committee, and Chairman Sapir Charity Hospital) and Farhad Aframian

Evening: Service at Synagogue
Visit in North Tehran

Mid-Day: Walking at Alborz Mountain

(see below for photos from Alborz Mountain)

That afternoon, we visited Alborz Mountain. Tehran is surrounded to the north by the Alborz Mountain range. Friday was a smoggy day, but even with the decreased visibility, being at the mountain was still an amazing experience. As our bus arrived at the mountain, it became evident that people were watching us! For the first time, it was made obvious that we were identifiable as tourists. Our big, yellow, caterpillar bus didn't help our attempts to blend in! But throughout our trip--even as we were out alone at the market or in smaller groups, it was obvious to Iranians that we were from somewhere else! Many people guessed I was from Germany; others in the group, I'm sure, were assumed to be from different places. People were often surprised when we said we were from America, which makes sense considering there are only 300-500 US visitors to Iran each year (note: I'm having a hard time confirming that number right now, but this is what I remember being told or reading somewhere in preparation for the trip).

Anyway, within less than a minute after exiting the bus, we were approached by people saying hello and asking where we were from. One of the first people who approached us was a young man who asked where we were from and upon hearing "America" asked "What do you think of Iranians? Do you think we are all terrorists?" We rushed to say "Of course not," "We're having a wonderful time," "Iran is wonderful." But the point was well taken--Iranians know that they are misrepresented--especially to the American people. It was a saddening moment in some ways, but a great opportunity to explain that our purpose in Iran was to work to dispel the myths and misconceptions between the people of our two countries. A chance to explain, as we would hundreds of times, that "We want to go back to America and tell the truth about Iran to the people we talk with."

The hospitality and kindness of the Iranians we met that day on the mountain was overwhelming. I often talk about how it was our first experience to really interact with everyday Iranians on a one-on-one level. And our first glimpse of what would be 10 more days of incredible interactions with open, kind, welcoming Iranians. Though some were surprised when we said we were from America, they were always quick to welcome us and to ask what we thought, if we were having a nice time and were thrilled to learn that we are working for peace and understanding between the people of our two countries.

In stating a recognition of the difference between Americans and our government, they demonstrated wisdom and understanding, an absence of blame for the horrendous things Iran has gone through since the US was engaged in a covert CIA operation to overthrow their democratically elected government under the leadership of President Mosaddeq in 1953. In some ways (though the Iranian government's actions have had very little impact on the lives of Americans) I think they were asking the same of us. We, especially as Americans, should work to recognize the differences between Iranians and their leadership--elected or otherwise.

Now, this is obviously not an adequate forum for addressing the intricacies of the Iranian form of governance or the history of the relationship between our countries. My point here is this: We must work to recognize that the current conflict between our governments should not trump our human ability to care for each other and to see past the stereotypes and generalizations that we are too often presented with in the lead-up to war. Iranians--the hundreds of Iranians I connected with during my trip to Iran--recognize the human ability to connect and demonstrate an ability to understand and to love and to welcome even with complex histories and current political climate between our two governments. We would do well for ourselves and for humanity to work towards the same.

That day, along with the 21 of us, Alborz was host to hundreds--probably thousands--of other visitors. It was a Friday, the holy day, so people had taken the opportunity to visit the mountain with their friends and families. There were small children with their proud parents, groups of young adult men and women, wealthy people and poor people. It is truly a wonderful experience. As it was still early in the trip, I found myself timid about approaching people in an effort to strike up a conversation. The Iranians we met were completely opposite! Some of the conversations were very brief--just "Hello," "How are you." Others were longer--opportunities to explain what, exactly, 21 Americans were doing in Iran, to discuss our thoughts about peace, etc.

The mountain, I guess you could say, is a tourist destination, so in addition to a beautiful (though smoggy view) of Tehran, we also saw children on a carnival-like mini-bungee jump bouncy thing. And men competing in an archery competition. There was a ski lift that took people up the mountain. Places to stop for tea or snacks and an actual bungee jump!

Hearing kids complain to their parents about how they were tired of walking, watching a 4 year-old pout because his mother would not let him do the jumpy thing, and seeing a father pick out a snack with his children at the snack cart reminded me of my own childhood!

Interacting with two university women who were stylishly dressed (and one of whom had just had plastic surgery on her nose) reminded me of day trips I have taken with my own friends. Seeing a couple talk as they sat on rock overlooking the city; and teenagers holding hands as they walked back down the mountain; and married couples enjoying the day reminded me of similar scenes from many places in the United States. But most important, was the welcome we received that day. The overwhelming sense that Iranians do not let a stranger remain such for long.

As we were preparing to board the bus, I got the email addresses of the two university students I mentioned earlier. I have been in contact with both of them via email. They have invited me back to Iran, told me about their lives, and reminded me of the importance of continuing to demand peace and diplomacy of our government.

As those of you reading this probably know, there is legislation in Congress right now that is directly related to Iran. You can read House Congressional Resolution 362 and see if your Representative has signed on as a sponsor here. Please do. Be informed. And make sure you tell people what you think about it. In all of this please remember that we, the people have a responsibility as the employers of our Senators and Representatives to tell them what we expect of them. The number for the Capitol Switchboard, which I have memorized since returning from Iran is (202) 224-3121. Call your representatives!

As Scott Ritter so eloquently reminds, "The Constitution does not begin with 'I, the president' or 'We, the Senators' it begins with 'We, the people.'" Tell a friend how you feel about Iran--tell two or three or ten. Encourage them to read the resolution and do research. Encourage them to form their own opinions about Iran. Refer them to this blog if you think it's worthy of their time! Call me if you have questions. Invite me to speak and show my pictures. Ask me for a copy of my presentation. Send your ideas. It's time to get serious.

Until next time: Be informed, Be powerful.

Because I referenced Iranian governance and US-Iran history in this post, I've included a couple of helpful links below. I've used these pages as resources during preparations for my presentations and reference them often.

Government

Iran: Who Holds the Power?

This page from the BBC is very helpful. Explore it and become familiar with it, so that when this topic comes up in conversation you can speak knowledgeably about it. While there are some who are technically elected by the people, there is definitely a process of oversight by the religious leaders. I always remind people of several things before I talk about Iran's government:

1) Remember our role in overthrowing a democratically elected government in that country in 1953 and supporting a dictatorial Shah who was in power until 1979.

2) Never forget the rule of the mirror. Here in the United States, people are often disillusioned by our electoral process and feel misrepresented by our elected leaders. While the situation in Iran is certainly different from the situation in the United States, it is important to remember that neither is perfect. And it is always important to check ourselves before we judge the imperfections of others.

3) Separate the imperfections within Iran from the war drums. Bombing Iran--launching or supporting a military attack on Iran--will not make the situation any better. Our emotions, our ideals, and our regard for humanity are being manipulated and we must reclaim them with reason. The powers that be in the United States do not want to attack Iran because they are concerned about Iranian citizens. They don't even want to attack Iran because they're concerned about the the security of US Citizens--"If Iran were a true security threat," as Scott Ritter mentions, "we'd already be at war." They want to attack Iran because they want to control the Middle East.

US-Iran History

First of all, the history between our two countries is complicated. The page I've linked below is a good start, but I highly recommend "All The Shah's Men" by Stephen Kinzer. It is an incredibly well-written book that gives a detailed and comprehensive history of US-Iran relations, especially leading up to and after the coup of 1953. The website linked below seems to rely heavily on Kinzer's book and is a good summary of important points in US-Iranian history. Heads-up: The page has been flagged because the "neutrality and factual accuracy of the article have been disputed" read it for yourself, do some research and make your own decision. Wikipedia is not perfect, but I've found this page to be a helpful resource and I, therefore, am recommending it to you.

As far as the more recent history and the current conflict, I'll recommend Scott Ritter's "Target Iran," And Trita Parsi's "A Treacherous Alliance."

"United States-Iran Relations" - Wikipedia.org

Again, please, if you've read this and if you have questions or thoughts about how we can work together to organize in Columbia or nationally, let me know.

Don't forget about our annual Signature Ad, which anybody--ANYBODY--can sign. You don't have to be a registered voter, you don't have to live in Columbia, or in the United States! You just have to be a human being who is concerned about peace. The annual ad marks the anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This year's ad calls for three things:

1) Ending the Iraq War
2) Preventing a War with Iran
3) Working to Eliminate Nuclear Threats

Print if off, take it to your 4th of July parties, have your family sign it, take it to the office, etc. Then, send it in to us so your name will be included in the full-page ad to appear in the Tribune on Wednesday, August 6.




April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008