My knowledge of Iran is very limited. Tonight I went in search of videos

[LuckyCharms]

that might help me understand the Iranian people and culture. I came across this one video that I thought was pretty good. It is almost an hour long, but it opened up my eyes to a few things.

The video was posted in 2014, so the perception of Americans by the Iranian people (not the Government) may have changed, even substantially, but I'm not going to address that here.

What struck me in general was the beauty of the Iranian people, their friendliness, and their perpetual smiles.

I'd rather not make any political comments in this post, but if you want to get an idea what the Iranian people are like, this is a good video to watch.

And if you are pissed off now about Trump threatening to destroy their cultural sites, you're going to be really pissed after you watch this. You will feel Trump's stupidity in your bones, rather than just hearing it or reading about it.

[BigmanPigman]

1. Tony Bourdain went there and it was one of his best trips.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x59kay7

Everyone raved about his visit and this Parts Unknown episode. Even the citizens in and from Iran all praised it. For some reason this video is a mirror image but that doesn't matter when you view it. I definately rec. it! I like Rick Steves' travel shows too.

[LuckyCharms]

2. Thanks for this! Watching now. n/t

[cwydro]

3. Yeah, I remember that one.

Durn, I miss him.

[BigmanPigman]

4. I do too!

[Tipperary]

5. K and r.

Thanks for posting this.

[leftieNanner]

6. We have very good friends who are Persian

And they couldn't be better people. Their daughters played basketball with my daughters. One is now a Harvard law grad and the other just finished medical school. Valuable Americans, ALL!

[tulipsandroses]

7. We have a significant Persian/Iranian community in Atlanta

I relocated from GA to FL for a new job a few months ago so I am not in ATL anymore. I have 2 good friends that I used to work with in ATL. One is Christian and one is Muslim.

[handmade34]

8. thanks!

there are a number of excellent commercial movies filmed in Iran as well...

I already "feel Trump's stupidity in (my) bones"


https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-from-iran/reference

[Sonny Mirviss]

9. From the BBC: Iranian women - before and after the Islamic Revolution

Really all you need to know.





https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-47032829

[Crunchy Frog]

13. It's not as black and white as that.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_education_in_Iran

[Skidmore]

16. You may be surprised

to find doctors, mathematicians, engineers, scientists, scholars beneath some of those chadors. You know how we fight against assumptions of women's characters based on dress here? Don't make assumptions about those who are bound by other cultures. Iranian women were fighting to lose the chador. Trump has just set them back and has made certain that the power of the mullahs has again been solidified.

[magicarpet]

10. Nice,... Very Nice,... Every American should see this.

Hate slams doors,... we are better than that, or could be.

[Caliman73]

11. Most people in most places are decent people trying to survive.

Iran has an interesting and tragic history, especially since WWI and unfortunately the United States has been involved in much of the tragedy.

I know that your post was explicitly meant to be non-political, but we have to address the issues as well. Tehran, prior to the Islamic Revolution, was known as the Paris of the Middle East.

We overthrew (along with the British) a democratically elected leader because he wanted to nationalize resources that rightfully belonged to Iran. We installed a dictator who ruled with brutality to the point where enough people wanted change that they backed an equally repressive theocratic revolution.

2014 was a time when US-Iran relations could have gone a positive way. President Obama helped negotiate in good faith with Iranian officials, something that idiots like Trump and Bolton were opposed to and call "weak". Now, we are at the brink of another disastrous war in the Middle East.

[waveiscoming]

12. Women's rights

Can’t even shake a women’s hands. Women have their own buses. Sit on different sides of campus cafes and classrooms. Can’t show any public affection. Have to wear veils. Hopefully generations from now it will be different.

[Kali]

14. thank you

my Father's parents and especially my Grandfather spent quite a bit of time in Iran. Probably part of our imperialism, but he had much fondness for the country and the people. We always joked he was covert CIA, but probably he was just a construction manager...

[littlemissmartypants]

15. Thank you. ❤ nt

[smirkymonkey]

17. Thank you for this!

I love Rick Steves! He really is very respectful of other people's cultures. I got through the first 15 minutes but have to get ready for work. Kicking for later viewing. It's fascinating so far!

[eppur_se_muova]

18. As soon as I started reading your post, I thought ... Rick Steves did two or three shows from there.

And then I see the video is from ... Rick Steves !

Maybe Joe Biden can make him a roving ambassador, or something.

[smirkymonkey]

19. Just finished watching in its entirety. That was fantastic!

What a fascinating country and what warm, wonderful people! I have to admit I knew very little about modern Iran and had many prejudices which were almost completely erased after watching this video. True, the separation between men and women seems a bit odd to me, but those women seemed anything but downtrodden. They seemed happy, educated and vibrant.

If only people traveled more and could learn more about each other as human beings instead of being influenced by the fear-mongering of politicians with an evil agenda, the world would be a much happier, more peaceful place. When I think of the fact that Trump wants to destroy their cultural treasures, I am filled with rage. How dare he even think of wiping out their heritage and the history that they are so proud of. He is such a philistine!

[smirkymonkey]

20. I really wish there was some way we could communicate directly with the Iranian people

to let them know that we don't support this aggression. Are there any websites or platforms that would allow us to do this? I hate the fact that they might think that a majority of us back our sick president and his insane actions. I want to let them know that we are against war and have no interest in harming them or their culture.

I just feel so sick by what Trump has done and what he is threatening to do. I am sure they are terrified and I wish there was some way we could let them know that there are those of us who are doing whatever we can do to stop him and stop his desire to declare war on them.

[bdamomma]

21. Sign This

https://www.change.org/p/stop-war-with-iran

[Demonaut]

22. Thanks!, I watched the entire video and came away with dread

what our oranged faced moron in-stokes in our populace

[BigmanPigman]

23. I just watched the Rick Steves show on TV.

Afterwards I felt sad, then I became angry. I kept thinking, "not any more..." since everything has just changed and for no good reason. I hate the fucking moron!!!