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I]The Ayatollah Begs to Differ [/I]
By Majd, Hooman
I heard Hooman Majd, author, interviewed on PRI this morning, maybe 6:30 to 6:45 AM.
Hooman explained some of the unique characteristics of Iranian culture, in his interview about his book.
Obama has advocated talking and negotiating with the Iranians. Obama acknowledged that negotiations would be challenging with Iran, but that sweeter carrots and bigger sticks can be used, to more successfully negotiate with Iran.
To Westerners, this may not seem to be insulting. Negotiations are oftend thought of as promising and cajoling.
To Iranians, suggesting that Iran can be controlled as a Donkey, disparages of proud tradition of being the oldest nation in the Middle East, and a history of being one of the earliest civilized people's of the world. The relationship of give and take, among caring peoples, is totally ignored by Obama's Remarks that Iranians are nothing more than simple minded donkeys.
Majd illustrates Western ignorance of Iranian culture by the fact that many Westerners are upset because Iran has suggested that there was never a Holocost, and have hosted a Holocaust Deniers convention. Why would Iran deny that there was a Holocaust, when there is ample evidence that the Holocaust occurred with some 6 Million Jewish people lost their lives, and many other Jewish people suffered hardship and indignity?
This is a failure of Westerners to understand a deeply rooted tradition in Iran. Almost always, when an Iranian brings up a new subject or story, the speaker will say something translated to the effect, "This may be true, or not true. This may be real or not real....." and continue with the story.
Westerners have been taught since early childhood to carefully distinguis between facts and fiction. Culturally, any Westerner who speaks about a generally accepted fact, as if it is false, is regarded as a madman, who must be locked up, or at least totally ignored. Westerners in the 1400's used to think the world was flat, and anyone suggesting the World was round, was in real trouble.
In Iranian culture, Facts and fantasy are not so carefully separated in conversation and public discourse. Man cannot go to the Moon. Man can go to the Moon. Individual judgement is relied upon, more than public agreement to currently established facts, like the World is Round.
Another difference in Iranian culture, is a common practice of taking an extreme position, and sticking to the extreme position of a polemic perspective, and carry on a conversation supporting all the ways that might support the extreme polemic position.
Westerners have a strong, almost universal drive to be reasonable, in their conversations. Iranians have a drive to be fairly reasonable in their actions, but enjoy absurdities in conversation, dialogue and discourse. Particlulary an extreme position can be used to carry on public dialogue for periods of time.
Iran has been criticized about their human rights record, over the years. For Instance, Homosexual men are publicly flogged, and with 4 witnesses, can be executed. Certainly Iran’s abuses pale in comparison with the Holocaust. It is now Europeans who are criticizing Iran for human rights abuses, but it was Europe, that carried out the Holocaust. So how can Europeans, perpetrators of the recent Holocaust, now start criticizing Iran?
How can Iran point out the absurdity of Europeans and Americans criticizing an ancient culture like Iran, for Human Right Violations, when Westerners are so Johnny come lately to civilization?
The Iranian way of answering critics of Iranian human Rights abuses, is to point out the European participation in the Holocaust, but not directly. An important way, in Iranian culture to disagree with others, is to find a pertinent fact, and then absurdly insist the fact does not exist, or is really some other reality.
So the Iranian cultural response to Western criticism of Iranian Human Rights abuses, is to point out Western Human Rights abuses, indirectly, by advocate that the Holocaust never really happened.
Similarly, Iranian officials have made statements that Israel should be wiped off the face of the map. Westerners are abhorred by these words, because Westerners carefully choose their words, and rarely, as a culture, make threats that are not to be seriously carried out. For the Iranian culture, ACTIONS are trusted to be reasonable, but words are meant to be absurd, but not to characterize actually contemplated Actions. Trust is intended to be understood to exist, in the Reasonableness of the actions, of Iranians.
..
By Majd, Hooman
I heard Hooman Majd, author, interviewed on PRI this morning, maybe 6:30 to 6:45 AM.
Hooman explained some of the unique characteristics of Iranian culture, in his interview about his book.
Obama has advocated talking and negotiating with the Iranians. Obama acknowledged that negotiations would be challenging with Iran, but that sweeter carrots and bigger sticks can be used, to more successfully negotiate with Iran.
To Westerners, this may not seem to be insulting. Negotiations are oftend thought of as promising and cajoling.
To Iranians, suggesting that Iran can be controlled as a Donkey, disparages of proud tradition of being the oldest nation in the Middle East, and a history of being one of the earliest civilized people's of the world. The relationship of give and take, among caring peoples, is totally ignored by Obama's Remarks that Iranians are nothing more than simple minded donkeys.
Majd illustrates Western ignorance of Iranian culture by the fact that many Westerners are upset because Iran has suggested that there was never a Holocost, and have hosted a Holocaust Deniers convention. Why would Iran deny that there was a Holocaust, when there is ample evidence that the Holocaust occurred with some 6 Million Jewish people lost their lives, and many other Jewish people suffered hardship and indignity?
This is a failure of Westerners to understand a deeply rooted tradition in Iran. Almost always, when an Iranian brings up a new subject or story, the speaker will say something translated to the effect, "This may be true, or not true. This may be real or not real....." and continue with the story.
Westerners have been taught since early childhood to carefully distinguis between facts and fiction. Culturally, any Westerner who speaks about a generally accepted fact, as if it is false, is regarded as a madman, who must be locked up, or at least totally ignored. Westerners in the 1400's used to think the world was flat, and anyone suggesting the World was round, was in real trouble.
In Iranian culture, Facts and fantasy are not so carefully separated in conversation and public discourse. Man cannot go to the Moon. Man can go to the Moon. Individual judgement is relied upon, more than public agreement to currently established facts, like the World is Round.
Another difference in Iranian culture, is a common practice of taking an extreme position, and sticking to the extreme position of a polemic perspective, and carry on a conversation supporting all the ways that might support the extreme polemic position.
Westerners have a strong, almost universal drive to be reasonable, in their conversations. Iranians have a drive to be fairly reasonable in their actions, but enjoy absurdities in conversation, dialogue and discourse. Particlulary an extreme position can be used to carry on public dialogue for periods of time.
Iran has been criticized about their human rights record, over the years. For Instance, Homosexual men are publicly flogged, and with 4 witnesses, can be executed. Certainly Iran’s abuses pale in comparison with the Holocaust. It is now Europeans who are criticizing Iran for human rights abuses, but it was Europe, that carried out the Holocaust. So how can Europeans, perpetrators of the recent Holocaust, now start criticizing Iran?
How can Iran point out the absurdity of Europeans and Americans criticizing an ancient culture like Iran, for Human Right Violations, when Westerners are so Johnny come lately to civilization?
The Iranian way of answering critics of Iranian human Rights abuses, is to point out the European participation in the Holocaust, but not directly. An important way, in Iranian culture to disagree with others, is to find a pertinent fact, and then absurdly insist the fact does not exist, or is really some other reality.
So the Iranian cultural response to Western criticism of Iranian Human Rights abuses, is to point out Western Human Rights abuses, indirectly, by advocate that the Holocaust never really happened.
Similarly, Iranian officials have made statements that Israel should be wiped off the face of the map. Westerners are abhorred by these words, because Westerners carefully choose their words, and rarely, as a culture, make threats that are not to be seriously carried out. For the Iranian culture, ACTIONS are trusted to be reasonable, but words are meant to be absurd, but not to characterize actually contemplated Actions. Trust is intended to be understood to exist, in the Reasonableness of the actions, of Iranians.
..
