To the editor,
I am writing this letter in response to the [editorial] which was printed in Monday's edition of The Spectrum, titled ‘Tehran's absurdity.'
I am an Iranian American attending UB and I couldn't help but cringe when I saw the title. Of course, Iran's nuclear program remains to be controversial and I wish there were a way for this issue to be solved in a peaceful, rational manner. But having lived in Iran for many years and developed some of my best friendships and memories in Tehran, I believe this [editorial] could have been titled in a different way. ‘The absurdity of Iran's nuclear ambitions' would have described the situation without causing pain and embarrassment to a person of Iranian background.
It is also mentioned in the article that ‘the United States and its allies must be conscious of the fact that the Iranian people are extremely prideful and independent.' This is very true, and it comes from the fact that the Iranian culture and civilization is one of the world's oldest and most revered. Are you aware that the concept of human rights and democracy all started in Iran, over 3,000 years ago under Cyrus the Great? Did you know that it was the Iranians who discovered wine, invented algebra, founded Zoroastrianism (the first monotheistic religion) and established the first taxation system? The list goes on, but I'm sure you get the picture.
The fact is that not only are we proud of our heritage and strive to be independent, but we also have a very firm belief in living in peace with each other and with other nations. After the 9/11 attacks, Iranians were the only population in the Middle East to hold candlelight vigils for the victims. To violate the concept of peace and harmony would mean to violate our own culture and identity.
The reality is that an authoritarian government such as Iran's cannot be considered the embodiment and symbol of a rich, ancient civilization and its people. The protests and demonstrations which followed the presidential elections of last year were a manifestation of the Iranian people's struggle for freedom and democracy, which America as a nation also had to fight for in its own past. Regardless of the government's ambitions concerning its nuclear program, the people of Iran are in need of solidarity from the global community.
Negar Jamali
njamali@buffalo.edu
[edited for length]
