In Defense of A Nation

Once upon a time there was a great emperor governing a great nation. There were poetry and art and hospitality and faith.

Now that nation is divided with several political borders. Perhaps the most central and largest border is called Iran today.

Today Iran is still thriving with heart filled poetries and soul touching movies and beautiful arts. Yet there are politics and greed and corruption and pollution too. Then there are other foreign politics who feed off of what's going not fully to their political tastes.

It aches my heart when the nominated Vice Presidebt at Democratic National Convention calls the harsh sanctions against Iran as a triumphant glory along with the constant mermer of several congress members who too, for whatever reason, take the harsh criricisms against the Iran Deal. It proves to me how much they don't know. How selfishly and narrow mindedly they think. How forgetful they are toward the history they built and we all built together.

From experience I must say: sanctions kill hope.

Sanctions destroy trust. 

Sanctions divide. 

Sanctions deepen the poverty and greed at the same time.

Sanctions, to me, are sucking out the blood from a nation and leaving them a weak prey for the vultures of global greed.

It doesn't change anything for good, if indeed that's their goal, which I highly doubt by now; because they too must have seen what I saw.

Iran has been destroyed time and time again. Romans. Greek. Arabs. Moguls. Americans. Iraqis.  I wished by now the maturity in humanity would have made a difference.

Alas.

I take my refuge in timeless Persian Poetry of Hafez-E Shirazi:

"Hafez! Since both the sorrow and the joy of this world are transitory

I better keep my spirit high!"

حافظا چون غم و شادى جهان در گذر است

بهتر آنست كه من خاطر خود خوش دارم

And the beautiful hopeful words of our beloved Molana which I try my best to translate from Persian:

"Verily! Don't be disappointed if the Beloved pushes you away

If He pushes you away today won't He call you tomorrow?

And would He shut the door at you, don't leave, wait there

Because of your pacience He will put you on high

And if He closes all the doors and passages for you

He will show you a different way which no one knows about"

هله نوميد نباشى كه تو را يار براند

اگر امروز براند نه كه فردات بخواند

در اگر بر تو ببندد مرو و صبر كن آنجا

ز پس صبر تو را او به سر صدر نشاند

و اگر بر تو ببندد همه ره ها و گذرها

ره ديگر بنمايد كه كس آن راه نداند

Peace! Love! Humanity!

The Language of Murder

Killing

Mass Shooting

Psychopathic Misbehavior

Hate Crime

Terrorist Attack

Suicide Bombing

Drone Targeting

Killing Robots

Massacre

Slaughter

Homicide

Self Defense

These are a few words added to my arsenal of English vocabulary thanks to the American news lately.  I am learning where one is used instead of another.  There are many considerations.  We first hear about a tragedy, then when the murdered identity, background, skin color, religion, origin, parents' beliefs, and a few other items are identified then the verdict is out.  I wonder, aren't these all horridly and simply "murder"?  Get simple please!  And factual too.  When an innocent life is taken away with no trial, no proven guilt, it is m-u-r-d-e-r.  Period.

Last week more lives were taken away by police.  A social activist said NPR radio on Friday afternoon: "it broke my heart when her daughter said 'I am right here with you'" and her voice cracked just a bit.  I read the fuller news today and my eyes welled with tears too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/falcon-heights-shooting_us_577dd795e4b0c590f7e8058f

I think to myself, I am living a good life.  Then I ask myself, am I?  I think to myself that I am living a secure life; then I dream (you read nightmare) of a mass shooting on the highway when I find myself sliding to the back of the car trying to hide my bulging tummy with a baby inside; I wake up all sweaty and shaken: What a wonderfully secure world we are living and growing our families in!

I read this other article about international travels this weekend: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sidonie-sawyer/how-i-travel-across-the-g_b_10912412.html 

As a 1K frequent flyer I am full of advice myself but I like reading others' experiences too.  This article nicely summarized many good points. It was almost funny though where Ms Sawyer, the journalist, noted that she was flying out of NYC and in the next paragraph she says: "Whenever possible, I avoid airports layovers in sensitive territories. I would never fly to a country just bombed by terrorist groups. I avoid countries at war, with whomever.”  I know what she means, thinking Turkey and Belgium perhaps.  And I think to myself, did you not, my dear lady, just pay a "September 11th Security Fee" for your flight out of NYC?  I feel a tinge of bias or ignorance and such remarks in travel news casting baffles me. Tell me where is safe to travel to and from and through anymore.

My mom is travelling internationally and she was researching for a safe route.  I told her remorsefully that I was so afraid that there was no place safe left on this planet.  Due to my growing English vocabulary of:

Killing

Mass Shooting

Psychopathic Misbehavior

Hate Crime

Terrorist Attack

Suicide Bombing

Drone Targeting

Killing Robots

Massacre

Slaughter

Homicide

Self Defense