For a change of pace I thought that inserting an article about an American Jewish journalist's impressions of life for some of Iran's Jews might show that reality is more nuanced than today's headlines would suggest. I'll leave it to others to find some meaning in this article. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1159193352678&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
A very interesting article and really falls in line with a previous thread about how Iranians view the rest of the world as opposed to their Govt. I would say that their attitude towards Israel is based on Govt. agenda just as the average view towards Iran is in the US. I think this also shows that the best thing that could happen to Iran would be for the mullahs and the rest of their corrupt Govt. went away.
It's good to see this kind of news, and it is very promising that thigs will change, however, it is also very troublesome that Jews aand Zionists and Israel are treated as very different. Israel is looked as a vilain nation that contains vilain people or vilain Jews, when they are the same Jews that live in Iran, but only live in Israel. I am comcerned that Ahamdinejad for now only focuses on Israel, but when the time comes, it will be the Jews, not just Zionists and Israel. When did Zionist became such an ugly term, when it's any person who believes that Jews deserve a homeland in the land of Israel?
As far as I'm concerned the word Zionist is an obsolete word. The Zionist movement sought to establish a Jewish homeland in Israel, and in 1948 after a U.N. vote and a war with the neighboring Arab states the modern state of Israel was officially established. Thus, the MOVEMENT to establish Israel was no longer needed, since it had become a viable nation, and so one would have thought that the word Zionism (or Zionist) would have become self-extinguishing the moment Israel was officially declared a nation. But of course many people have all sorts of reasons to continue to bandy the word about. And like many words it has taken on many different meanings, depending on the user and the context in which it is used. At present, most Jews believe that Zionist simply means a person who believes that the modern state of Israel should exist, as it is presently constituted, as a predominantly Jewish state. Within that broad context there are many different viewpoints and interpretations dealing both with the identity of the modern Jewish State of Israel as well as its relations with both its non-Jewish citizens as well as its relations with its external neighbors (Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptians, Syrians, Lebanese, etc.). For those who view Zionists (and Zionism) in a different light, usually negatively, it's hard for me to even fathom what they think the word means. If individuals are peeved at some of the Israeli government's policies their proper course of action is to criticize those policies, as they would with any other sovereign nation. In this context, the word "Zionism" is a distraction from having a meaningful discussion.
Thanks for the article. It offers a glimpse into the Iran I know and not the Iran which is almost entirely a fictional portrait painted by propagandists. However, I disagree with you about Zionism and its relevance today. The project to establish a "Jewish homeland" in Palestine is ongoing, as the legitimacy of this Jewish state is very much in question still. It is in question with the people of the region, including those who have suffered greatly and had to make room for this Jewish state to be formed, and as long as that legitimacy is not won by finding the factors that win such legitimacy (and force alone is not going to work), debates about Zionism will persist. And legitimacy of Israel will always be a question mark. But I don't to throw this topic into one about Israel and Zionism. It is possible to be tolerant and accepting of someone who is Jewish (including even of Jews who hold Zionist sympathies), and yet find political Zionism the root cause of much of the problems in the Middle East. And to view it as a political ideology that needs to be "erased from the pages of history". The latter, incidentally, is the correct translation of Ahmadinejad's quote, which has been popularly translated as "wiping Israel off the map".(1) Let me end by saying that there are a lot of Iranians (Jews, Moslems, agnostics, Christians, etc) whose political ideology and perspective might be wrong. Who might favor political agendas that are the source of a lot of the problems in the modern world. While someone who might oppose their political agenda might wish to be vigorous in doing so, they should always remember that their foe is the wrong ideology and not the person beholden to it. Unless that person has acted in a criminal way in furtherance of that wrong ideology. As it relates to Zionism, while my own experience tells me that a slight majority of Iranian Jews are sympathetic towards Israel and its creation, there is a large minority who is emphatically against Zionism and all the it entails. ---- (1) Ayatollah Khomeini has another quote as well, about "communism" one day being relegated to the "dustbin of history". That is what he wrote to Michael Gorbachev when he was chosen as the president of Soviet Union. NO one interpreted those words as meaning that he was advocating a "Russian Holocaust"! Even if he said that the "communist entity" needed to be removed and replaced.
Ahh, Mr. Goebels is back to tell us the real truth... If not for Ayranian propaganda machine, all of the Iranian Jews would entirely be sympathetic to Israel and to Zionism as one is related to another. Without Zionism, the state of Israel would not have come to be so soon. Unfortunately for you and your hateful like, Israel is a legitimate as Iran or as any other nation in this world and there is nothing you can do about it except complain here and cry in your bed about it.
The hottest singer in Iran right now is an Iranian Jewish artist named Benyamin, his CDs are government-approved and openly distributed throughout Iran. He also gives concerts in Tehran and Kish regularly. (Sample of Benyamin's music) Official website: http://www.benyaminmusic.com/
Unlike Israel, these people are Iranian first and then Jewish , their religion is not a important factor , what matters is that they are Persians.
WTF does that even mean? In Israel, the Arabs are Israeli first, then Arabs. IMO, their religion IS an important factor - that's what the article is about.
If you take poll asking Israelis Arabs if they are Israelis first or Arabs first , I am sure the majority would say Arabs . Jews in Iran consider their religion a important factor but they consider being Iranian the most important factor while Israeli Jews consider their religion the one and only important factor. Iranians are the most nationalistic people on the plant , they are proud of their history and culture and that’s why they will always consider their nationality and their homeland the most important factor .
He said it himself in an interview with BBC Persian's Roze Haftom. I'll see if I can find the link and post it here.
It seems your fingers not only did your typing, but did your thinking too, so I'll rephrase Valanjak's post with an example: When someone asks my nationality, I don't answer '' I'm muslim '', I say '' I'm Iranian ''. Now, go ahead and ask an Israeli whats his nationality. You'll find the answer to your question.
What's your point exactly? Iranian Jews have fought and died for Iran. Love of motherland always prevails.
Well, if Ahmadinejad continues with his idiocy, all the Jews will leave sooner or later from Iran. What makes you think that Iranians are more nationalistic than Israelis or Americans or Russians or Greeks or Italians or Nigerians or Brazilians?
And you'll find that you are ignorant of the truth. Each Israeli has his/her own opinion. To label all Israelis as having the same opinion is racist. Do you consider yourself racist? Now, you will find a great number of Jews that consider themselves Jewish first. That's because because Judaism is unlike other religions. When you are Jewish, you are a member of a people, a nation, and a religion. I believe many of those Jews in Iran also consider themselves Jewish first. And some believe they are Iranian first.