Interview with an Iranian Blogger (Part IV of IV)
May 16, 2008
This is Part IV of IV of my conversation with fellow blogger, writer and journalist from Iran – Kourosh Ziabari. If you haven’t yet read the previous three posts you can start here. Comments and feed back are welcome. – RHM
RHM: Again, you mentioned that you are awaiting trial and punishment of the Danish cartoonists. Let me ask you again: What crime should they be charged with and what do you think would be an appropriate punishment?
Kourosh: You know, the media crimes are too ambiguous and complicated to be distinguished clearly and those who want to find a titled guilt to punish the cartoonists are sophisticating in fact. Maybe you are right and there is not written anywhere that an offensive cartoonist must be punished. But isn’t it an internationally evident crime to insult the beliefs of 1.5 billion people and humiliate their personality, religion and values?
What happens if everybody attempts to hike in the streets and affront to anyone who desires, citizens, passer-bys etc? I think it is a modern type of hooliganism being reflected in media but newspapers, TV and radio are not places to spread unliterary, hooliganism and tumult. For example, according to UN cs/ser.A/29/add.2 amendment on 18 august 1994, it is forbidden to use the term “Gulf” or fabricated “Arabian Gulf” as the real name “Persian Gulf” but many American media do so, because they are being backed financially by Arabs to promote the forged term therefore they compensate the Arabian dollars this way. Nobody could adjudge CNN or BBC because of counterfeiting the historical names because it is not declared anywhere that treachery to history is a crime, but everybody knows that they are behaving illegally, while there is not any codified pact about that. I believe that Iran can lodge a complaint about these law-breakings and such actions will not resist.
RHM: You’re not giving me much of a straight answer so I’ll be direct.
I understand that there are no specific laws regarding religious insults. However, would you think it just if the cartoonist was charged with blasphemy and sentenced to prison or put to death for mocking the Prophet Mohammed? Or, if you prefer, what would the punishment be if the cartoonist was charged and tried in an Iranian court?
Kourosh: I didn’t give you a direct answer as I am not really in the role of a decision-maker or a court judge. However, since you insist on having my answer, I would rather to express my personal viewpoint that is depriving such a Person from working and forbid him to continue drawing for papers. That is the best type of punishment so he will understand the borders, values and conditions better.
Maybe it will be more conceivable for you if far from it, a Muslim cartoonist draws an insulting caricature of holy prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him). The Persian Gulf renaming issue is the same and fabricators must be punished by being deprived of working in media and any other tribune which they use for spreading lie and untruth.
RHM: That’s the thing. People criticize Christianity and Jesus all the time. Christians certainly get offended, but the most they will do is write letters demanding an apology or maybe hold a protest. Punishing the cartoonist legally would never happen. Then again, no two democracies are the same.
There are many who believe that as a sovereign nation-state Iran has the right to pursue nuclear technology. However, President Ahmadinejad’s repeated comments about “wiping Israel off the face of the map” do not help Iran’s cause. Do you think most Persians agree with his positions on Israel?
Kourosh: According to many sources like this one and this one, Israel and U.S. are the main holders of Nuclear weapons and warheads, not forgetting the Chernobyl, Trinity and Nevada tests! Supposing that Iran is pursuing for non-peaceful nuclear facilities like Russia, Israel and US. Where is the difference and why there is not such an International pressure on these states to demolish their nuclear bombs? Aren’t they treating the world security directly?
I am not guaranteeing the peaceful nature of Iran nuclear activities while it is clearly evident and doesn’t need any proof. Eventually about the president statements on Israel; anyhow the legitimacy and history of this regime establishment is disputed and anybody will confirm that Israel has been establish by occupying the Palestinian lands. But that speech does not mean any action for wiping Israel off the map. It is a natural process and will occur automatically without needing any interference.
Special thanks to Kourosh for having this conversation with me. Obviously, he and I disagree on some major issues. Regardless, I think it’s always useful to have a dialogue. That is the only way that different cultures can ever hope to understand each other or, at the very least, co-exist.
Kourosh’s blog can be found here in English and here in Persian.
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3 Responses to “Interview with an Iranian Blogger (Part IV of IV)”
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my answer to your question in my blog:
this is hard to say but actually the truth is that it will dramatically decrease.
I believe that most of the tension in middle east comes from an illegal Zionist regime which is extremely supported by western countries and most of the international organizations.
anyway I have already read all parts of this interview. I know kurosh, we are from the same city.
(Edited by RHM to include: This post is in response to a question I left on another blog. The question was…”Are you implying that without Israel the Middle east would be complete peaceful? Sunnis and Shia and Kurds and Turks and Arabs and Persians would suddenly all get along?” Thanks to Ghadeer for answering it here.)
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.
hi me again
i don’t understand what he says and why cartoonist should be punished or banned from drawing . i my self believe that any religion must be judged and anyone can do that of course not insulting but with any tools they like (for example cartoons).
but it’s so bad that people like him say every thing in religion is right and there shouldn’t be any judgment on it . if you give them right to judge on cartoonist the kindest sentence would be execution .
these people are exactly the same as priests sentence Galileo into death.
in case of nuclear issue he said “I am not guaranteeing the peaceful nature of Iran nuclear activities” but he said it is !
how he knows that ?
every time any one ask Iran about this issue, they say look US ,look Israel , look …. and lab lab la
they never give real answer not just to the world but also not to us (Iranians).so we have the right to be suspicious about them.
Ahmadinejad always talk about OUR NUCLEAR RIGHT but he never mention we have other rights like freedom of speech freedom in choosing our own cloth the right of not being stooped in streets because of our hair style the right of ………….. .
what Kourosh said is not true same as the other cases which i commented and tried to show you the facts .
at the end i want to say :this government is not popular in Iran like the Bush’s administration for you .
the only thing i repeat the only thing i and every other Iranian are agree in, is in the issue of PERSIAN GULF.