Since I’m currently living in the Arabian/Persian gulf, I’m finding the current debate about whether the "gulf" is Arabian or Persian rather fascinating. For me, personally, it makes more sense to refer to it as the Arabian Gulf, although history reveals otherwise, as it has been called the Persian Gulf for thousands of years.
Apparently Iranians are irked by National Geographic‘s decision to include the term Arabian Gulf in their latest Atlas decision. I understand their sense of identity, but I think their reaction is a bit over-exaggerated! This Iranian blogger is encouraging what he calls “Google Bombing” to make sure the “Persian Gulf” tops the list of Google search results! Wow, what dedication.
Another blogger suggests Iran should team up with Israel in order to eliminate what he terms "the Arab dominance of the Middle East." That’s a novel point of view that I think will never happen in our lifetime.
A journalist working in Dubai told me that following the Iraq/Iran war, the term “Persian Gulf" was banned indefinitely across the UAE. This applies to textbooks, publications and newspapers among others. I’m not sure about the remaining Gulf countries, such as Qatar and Bahrain. Any insights?
Why don’t you deliver proof of your claim. I read an article on that between 6 months to 10 months ago. But I do know what I read and don’t just remember part of that.
About the soword thing, here you go pal “Islam was brought in by sword and will only go out by sword” copied from your own statements. Let me ask you sth. if you don’t mind. Are you a Royalist by any chance?
Coercion? I reject that. Seperation of mosque and state would be enough. People will bannish it from their hearts in time (most of them have already done it).It should be natural process not imposed. I reject any sort of compulsion. But if you mean by Islam, The Mullahs then no discussion on that. However, we both know that Islam will no leave with Mullahs… educating the mass is the sole solution.
Immigration is a good place to see how much our people have come to hate Islam. Naturally many of them fake it too but not all of them obviously.
And about converting from Islam to Mormonism, talk about progress! از چاله در اومد افتاد تو چاه! I should note that working in immigration is probably the worst place to get info on Iran. You might as well subscribe to Mujahedin Khalgh Weekly! In other words, you’d receive disproportionably high negative (or +ve, depending on the side you’re on) observations. After all, these are the people that have experienced (or pretend to have) such hardship that they left the country.
Sirus, do you care to give us a few sources for your claims? This polling thing happened not long ago, there has to be a grand number of articles about such a controversial claim.
About Islam, I never said it “should be” forced out by sword. Good thing my comment is right there above yours! It was an observation, that Islam is rooted in such a way that only coercion can erase it from the popular culture.
You haven’t gotten the Toyota comment either. I said Toyota as a multinational corporation isn’t a good example of opportunities for Japanese investments. It wasn’t about the strength of Toyota or the quality of their cars.
You have also distorted my war comment. My point is that the burden of compensations prior to the Second World War had such an effect that gave rise to the Nazi party. Germany wasn’t asked to pay up after the war. In fact they got a whole bag of money through the Marshall Plan.
Yeah man whatever stick to your misinformation.
I am not gonna discuss with someone with limited info on Iran. Iran has changed a lot ever since you left the country. The new generation is very open-minded and tired of Islam. A sentence one often hears in Iran nowadays is: “if this is Islam, then count me out”.
Try working for the immigration, you may learn more about your countrymen. Some of us do
Conversion among Iranians is taking epidemic proportions even we in EU are aware of high nrs. of Iranians converting to Christianity in Cal.
Now the epidemy has spread to EU I even know Iranian Mormons. (showing how weary of Islam they are), also proving that if they are given the freedom of choice they will easily leave Islam, whereas I don’t see such high numbers among Arabs.
So, please keep that sword of yours and your patronizing attutude to yourself. Our people are smart and if given the opportunity will make right choices they are now mature enough after having made enough mistakes.
I guess you think most Iranians live in rural areas and are old people. You probably didn’t know that the majority of Iranian population is urbanized.The youth form the majority and they are pushing the society. Like it or not.
you say “Islam should be forced out by sword”. I guess people like you never learn huh? Resorting to violence and letting emotions rule them. Our people were forced once by another pig-headed dictator Reza khan (gholdor)to forget Islam and this is what we got the opposite (Khomeiny). Thinking that by force something can be taught to a people is itself a “backward mindset” since people usually do the opposite.
Imposed westernisation didn’t work nor did imposed Islmisation work.
What we need is a pluralistic society and Islam must be left to intellectuals to expose it and Gov. only needs to offer its people good education. since educated people are not easily fooled (and don’t see Khomeiny’s face on the Moon e.g.).
By the way, you are making funny statments by claiming that speaking Japanese is not a plus point when applying for a Japanese company.I guess Arabic does right? lol Are you sure you have applied before?
Funny, you first call my reference to Toyota “a bad example” and then go on contradicting yourself by repeating what I earlier posted that it is big and so on.
One more thing. Read this again: “BTW, Germany wasn’t forced to pay compensation after the Second World War. That was the reason for rise of the Nazi party in the first place”. According to this statement Nazi party rose after the WWII give me a break.
I am very well informed when it comes to Iran (and cars), thank you very much. That poll was conducted by Abbas Abdi and had nothing remotely near what you claim, that people “don’t want to be associated with Islam”. That is total nonsense. Iranians are to a very disgusting degree a traditional people, Islam was brought in by sword and will only go out by sword. They may not pray or go to mosques, but the same people are so culturally ass backward that it’s not even funny. Haven’t you seen how they endear Ali and just repeat like a computer program the mindless “but this isn’t true Islam” excuses?
Your comments about car making were irrelevant in a rather funny way, and mostly wrong. Toyota is way bigger than Honda in North America. I do agree they sell lousy designs there though, so does Honda. And Opel is essentially re-branded Chevrolets. We owned one when there was a brief period of open market in the mid 90s.
BTW, Germany wasn’t forced to pay compensation after the Second World War. That was the reason for rise of the Nazi party in the first place.
However, we are drifting away from the subject. I must say.
I pesonally have no problem with Arabs. But then again I had to teach myself that hatred is dangerous since in Iran it is permitted at least as long as it aimed at Arabs, which wasn’t an easy job to be honest. Still, I don’t deny that hatred towards Arabs is almost genetically passed from father to Son in Iran.
If I were to choose personally, I would rather have them as allies in stead of wasting time on squabbling. ( If French and Germans can do it why can’t we?)
However, we Iranians need to swallow our hate and stop looking down on Arabs and show that we don’t want to control them and Arabs on the other hand need to compensate us for the 8 year war. They still owe us 90 billion dollars, not all Arabs ofcourse. For instance Syria was and is an ally. I am talking about Iraq itself, Kuwait, Saudis. In short those who helped the invader… for the sake of fairness.
Germans also suffered a lot under Hitler as Iraqis did under Saddam yet they had to pay half the globe for decades as war redemption. Iraq needs to do that too.
Arash,
You better inform yourself. Relations with US was one of the topics of that poll. Islam was another.
You can keep denying but you’re not gonna convince me that speaking Japanese is not a plus point when applying for Toyota (speaking out of personal experience)
Another thing: Toyota is the biggest car manufacurer in the world (no longer GM). I guess you didn’t know that either. However, I do know that Toyota is not very commercialized in North America and the models I saw there are ridiculous. In EU Toyota makes the best Japanese cars and is the most expensive. Honda is not known here while it enjoys a solid reputation in North America.
Then again it isn’t difficult competing with those American pieces of junks, while Toyota has to compete with brand such as VW, BMW, OPEL,Mercedez and so many other European brands.
Toyota is actually a very bad example. So are the likes of ING. These are very well developed multinational corporations. Their regional offices very much function on their own. Unless you are applying for a very high ranked managerial position, I doubt it if you ever need Japanese or Dutch. And even then you’re probably there because you were promoted or are of good reputation, not because you spoke the language.
As for the poll, that is pure fabrication. What are you talking about? The only pollster that got jailed was the guy who conducted a poll on relations with the US (and 70+ wanted it).
Arash another correction: Japan invests in your county not you in Japan. Imagine putting Japanese on your CV while applying for Toyota in EU or US. get it?
Hubby answering your question, well, Iran is right now becoming like a time bomb the youth are frustriated and I honestly don’t think there is a solution within the framework of Islamic Republic since it is totalitarian in nature.
To me the only solution is: first of all Iran should go nuclear I am sure you agree when I say: we want democracy but not at the price Iraq is paying. Besides, what US will impose on Iraqis will not be democracy it would probably be an American corny version of democracy (America itslef needs a crash course on democracy let alone bringing democracy to other regions).
Going nuclear is the sole way of protecting ourselves against American or Israeli raids or invasion. However, it will isolate the country and that is a good thing. If Iran goes nuclear EU will be forced (under US pressure ) to pull out of Iran and stop supporting the Mullahs and that is when Mullahs will break. Frustration among the youth will bring them down since isolation will bring about less foreign ivestment meaning fewer jobs, higher unemployment rates resulting to more outrage, economic stagnation and more repression.