Interview with an Iranian (Part II of IV)
May 14, 2008
This is Part II of IV of my conversation with fellow blogger, writer and journalist from Iran – Kourosh Ziabari. Comments and feed back are welcome. - RHM
Tell me about the two books you wrote and which magazines/blogs you write for? As an Iranian citizen do you feel that you have full freedom to write about whatever you wish or are there subjects that you are perhaps reluctant to write about. In other words, do you have absolute free speech in your country?
I started my writing job when I was 8 since my parents were both experienced journalists for about 20 years. They taught me English, Arabic and Italian language before going to school and made me acquainted with Journalism and its branches.
I published my first book in 11, an English to Persian translation from Elizabeth Laird’s “A house on the hill” and 3 years later, I published a collection of my interviews with 7 predominant contemporary writers of Iran named “7+1″. I have also published more than 2000 articles in Persian newspapers and websites, Jame Jam daily, Iran newspaper, Hamshahri newspaper and Daneshmand scientific magazine among them.
In year 2004, I have been given the title of “Iran’s youngest professional journalist” by ministry of culture since I’ve started my activities from 8.
I am also currently working on a project named “Hello Yahoo mail”. After the immoral and unprofessional Yahoo removal of Iran’s name from its country list, I designed a collaborative blog at helloyahoomail.net that is come into account as an informative source about Iran, Persian culture and Iranian people. It gives information about various aspects of Persian life and glory of Persian civilization to prove the Yahoo headquarters it was much improvident to altercate with the great Iranian nation. It gains currently more than 30,000 visits per day and Americans are its major readers.
About your 2nd question, to be honest with you and if not exaggerating, personally I feel much free to criticize the governmental policies, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his decisions. I have also written an open criticizing letter to him and received his warm thanksgivings few weeks later.
Many say it is forbidden for Iranian citizens to participate in foreign media, but I had personally 3 or 4 interviews hold with BBC world radio and sent many articles for American websites without having any limitation. Eventually, let’s express you honestly that Iran is not what the world media shows to you. Iran is a country of peace, love and faith… maybe you will touch this reality if accept my invitation and come to Iran for just a few days.
A few days ago, I had a French guest in my home. He could not help being surprised and highly excited of seeing Rasht (Capital city of Guilan province where I do live). He told me: “I can not believe that you have universities, libraries and computer here!!)
So you can simply imagine that what a tumbling and black picture the west is indicating about Iran.
The global controversy over the Mohammed cartoons originally published in Denmark is still going. What is your opinion on the issue? Should papers be free to print such cartoons? Or should they be prohibited from doing so?
It was so unfortunate to see that insulting cartoons which have been created for the prophet of Islam. Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be upon Him) is known as the messenger of love, peace, equality and justice. I cannot understand the reasons for this type of shameful activities.
Have you ever seen an insulting cartoon for Jesus the Christ (Blessing of Allah be upon him) created by a Muslim cartoonist or published by Islamic media? Imagine that what would happen if a Muslim cartoonist draws some offensive cartoons and sacrilege the beliefs of Christians?
The holy prophet encourages Muslims over the world to respect the beliefs and sanctities of all religion believers including Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians so you can not find any case during the history of Islamic media that the Christ has been affronted by jokes, cartoons, etc.
Unfortunately the recent “Fitna” or “Sedition” the movie was a painful gun-shoot toward morality and sincerity, showing the west having no respect for human values and ethics.
Anyhow, it seems that these insults are based on political deals and financial benefits rather than reality and truth, a series of organized efforts in order to weaken the latest divine religion which conveys the message of freedom, happiness and salvation for mankind.
In my view, nobody appreciates the ridiculing of moral values and breaking the religious borders so I seriously condemn any type of insult to prophets, religions and their followers. While the western governments such as Denmark or Netherlands are treating with their law-breakers with indulgence and neglect, but all of the Muslims around the world and the conscious people from any religion and nationality are waiting for punishment and trial to such cartoonists and filmmakers.
I asked Kourosh to explain exactly what crime he thinks the cartoonists should be charged with and what an appropriate punishment would be. We’ll get into that in Part III.
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12 Responses to “Interview with an Iranian (Part II of IV)”
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Dear Randall, accept my warmest thanksgivings about cooperative discuss. I learnt many new things about Iran, its people and its culture and I guess Kourosh’s interview would be an outstanding one among all of your conversations and interviews. I also do beleive that Iran is not what the CNN and Fox are showing us. for example, about the issue of Hijab, simply take a look at what Kourosh personally published on that and the pictures in this post at http://helloyahoomail.net/en/?p=35 and http://helloyahoomail.net/en/?p=21
Without any national bias, we have to say that Kourosh Ziabari proved how much could an Iranian be peaceful, cultural and impressive. I count on him as a national honor for Iran who is a successful and bright-minded journalist and it was a very talent choice to interview him.
Also I strongly beleive that Iran is an empire of honor, with any president and leader, it will not lose its monarchy inside the Persian Gulf region.
Thanks for the interview and please bring up the next parts soon!
I gonna ask you to continue your holding with Kourosh and let him write more for the candidacy. thanks RHM!
[...] Ziabari. Here??s part II of IV of our conversation about Iranian and U.S. politics and culture.http://thecandidacy.com/2008/05/14/280/Iranian Cultural & Information CenterIranian Cultural & Information Center was the first [...]
If european countries issue an apology for the cartoons printed, will the masses of offended people who attacked european embassies apologize back? I do agree with Kourosh’s opinion on movies like Fitna though. The popularity of these movies is a side effect of their audacity.
hi
same untrue thing i see in second part ,
he said journalist are free but he has forgotten an kord Iranian journalist is awaiting to be hanged.
and he has forgotten so many Iranian university student are in Evin prison for their peaceful protest in their universities and other people like Kianosh Sanjary
(http://iranppa.blogspot.com - http://ks61.blogspot.com)
or Ahmad Batebi and lots of other iranian who are steal in prison or peoples like Ebrahim Lotfollahi that never saw freedom agin and where murderd under heavy torture (just search their names in search engines)
Kianosh sanjary has enough evidence of Iranian political prisoners.
(proof for what i said) (go to his blog to see them .)
and let me remind you that Iran governments criticized the act of one of Iranian (who was running for congress) that he spoke whit foreign media.
and let me say Ahmadinejad is a nightmare for humanity and freedom.
(i hope you ( candidacy ) would have an interview with Kianosh sanjary soon .)
thanks
WHAT HE SAYS IS NOT TRUE
SPECIALLY ABOUT PEACE FULL ASPECT OF ISLAM
WHEN ON OF MY FRIENDS WAS KILLED IN TERRORISTIC ATTACK IN UK, I RESEARCHED ABOUT ISLAM AND WHEN I READ THE ENGLISH VERSION I FOUND AS MUCH AS YOU WANT WORDS LIKE KILLING , MURDERING OF COURSE IN GOD’S WAY , AND THEY ARE ALLOWED TO KILL ANY PERSON WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE IN GOD , SO I DONT KNOW HOW HE CALLS IT RELIGION OF PEACE!
HE SHOULD UNDRESTAND THAT ITS NOT IN OUR CULTURE TO BE MARRIED TO 4 OR 5 WOMEN AT ONCE AND CALL IT EQUALITY! WE ARE NOT ROOSTER , TO WALK ON THE FRONT AND OUR WIFES WALK AFTER US ! LIKE WHAT WE SEE IN SAUDI ARABIA .
FITNA IS NOT AN INSULT ITS JUST SHOWING AND GATHERING MOVIES PRODUCED BY ISLAMIST MILITANT . THEY DO IT THEMSELVES AND WHEN WE SHOW WHAT THEY HAVE DONE THEY CRITICIZE US! WHY THEY DON’T CRITICIZE MILITANTS ??
let me tell you that (Persian gulf man & jason)
should be fake ID the writing style is very the same as the author himself
Hi all.
No matter I am Kourosh, Jason, Persian Gulf man, Pouya or anyone. the matter is that I am Iranian and I am very shameful of having such a compatriot (Pouya). I am sure that he is being paid by the US stat for his spy job and spreading such malicious lies.
Such people are really the cause of disgrace and infamy for our country, but we will continue our way toward peace, equality and improvement regardless to their corruptions…
hi
Mr DUSTIN
accept my Condolence for your friends death
i accept there are radical groups but don’t you have any of this groups in Christianity
or jews
let me remind you should not judge on people and what they do you should have your research on islam it self there are 1 billion of them living on the same earth with no problem .
Islam also talk about science culture why you just see those bad things?
i haven’t seen the movie Fetne (IT IS NOT ALLOWD HERE) so i have no idea about it
but you better think when as many Muslims we have in the world (including me)
you better not pollute the atmosphere .
just this.
and in addition i am not being payed by any country
mohammad is the most peaceful name in the history and u shoudn’t compare it with some dolls that choose islam just for earning money and their purpose. mohammad is the prophet of friendly , peace, love, freedom and in one word he is the greatest guy during the human history… .
some cheap people like hassan nasr o lah or bin laden and so on are exit from our religion in more than 1000 years ago by Ali and that names are KHAVAREJ or enemies of peace and islam… .
i hope world knows islam better… .
[...] Persian Gulf renaming project, Iranian president and his foreign policy etc. While parts I and II are available to read and comment, I invite you to read this short selection from the 3rd part with [...]
Kourosh Ziabari is a vary infamous and disreputable person in ‘Persian blogger comunity’ because of his fanatical and fogy thoughts. He is relative to Hizbollah and Islamic Republic of Iran. His dogmatic tenets are NOT represent the public viewpoint in Iran.
The hizbollah and Ahmadinejad arent popular in Iran and fanatic peoples like Kourosh Ziabari that supports the goverment are vary minority here in Iran.
Please dont take this vulture kid too serious. He just looking for renown and political sovereignty.