Saturday July 22, 2000
By Dariush Sajjadi
Democrat Congressman Brad Sherman has in recent months attacked Iran and Iranians. Direct quotes from his speeches have been posted onhttp://www.payvand.com, some of which are extracted from the congressional record http://thomas.loc.gov.
Sherman has called Iran and its government "the most evil nations or evil governments" (June 6, 2000) that gain satisfaction by killing the Jews! To prove this outrageous claim, he has alluded to the trial of 13 Jews in Shiraz who were accused of espionage and who confessed to their charges. Despite their heavy charges, nonetheless, the Iranian Judiciary handed them light imprisonment sentences.
To back up his false claim, Sherman has striven to picture the Iranian government and people as anti-Semitic. This is indicative of the congressman’s unawareness of Iran’s 3000 year-old recorded history which chronicles the Jews’ peaceful centuries-long coexistence with fellow Iranians, their shared joys and sorrows and mutual resolve to face all ups and downs.
Sherman’s attempt to call the Iranian government "violent" or "anti-Semitic" solely for having exercised its legitimate right to try 13 Iranian citizens on spying charge speaks of the congressman’s phony sympathy and concern. Wouldn’t any government – even the most so-called democratic – in the world try citizens charged with spying?
As such, the 13 Jews’ trial is a completely domestic issue which no Iranian – Jewish or other – would allow other countries or foreign personalities – especially Sherman – to meddle with.
The Iranian nation – be they Muslims, Jews, Christians, or Zoroastrians – is not a desperate nation to need the guardianship of frenzied American congressmen. The Iranians can and will settle all issues at home, as proven time and again.
Criticizing the US Administration’s decision to allow imports of Iranian caviar and carpets into the US, Sherman has said, "….There is blood in the caviar, bodies have been wrapped in the carpets, and it is time for America to say no until the 13 Jews of Shiraz are liberated and until the Iranian government takes other important actions as well." (March 14, 2000)
Sherman’s hysteric and hostile mud slinging against Iran’s noble and dignified people reflects his unawareness of the Iranians’ historical identity and personality.
All through Iran’s 3000-year history of civilization, the Iranians have abstained from trading their dignity and integrity for cheap gains.
The Iranians have not become so abject now to trade their historical credibility and dignity for the petty earnings that imports of several tons of Iranian caviar and some hand-woven carpets might bring them.
Even when badly in need and desperate, the Iranians abide by their principles. They would never bargain their historical dignity and prestige.
If Sherman thinks that imports of Iranian caviar and carpets to the US are favors for which the Iranians will have to wag their tails like dogs, he is terribly mistaken and is fully unaware of Iran’s civilization and identity.
Hussein ibn Ali is the greatest religious leader of the Iranians. 14 centuries ago he taught the Iranians that "neither death is so horrible nor life so sweet to prompt a person to trade his/her dignity for either of them."
Sherman should bear in mind that if "there is blood in the Iranian caviar", it comes from the pains taken by the Iranian fishermen to make a living for their families by providing caviar which is eaten with champagne by people such as Sherman during election campaigns.
Pitifully Sherman has fallen short of realizing that the jaws of Persian Gulf sharks, rather than the Iranian caviar, smell of blood, as these sharks ripped and gorged the bodies of innocent Iranian men, women, and children who were aboard the civilian plane that was downed by the USS Vincenness during the Iran-Iraq war.
Young rural Iranian girls weave Iranian carpets and often lose their sights to earn a living for their hard-working families. They spend their budding youth days weaving carpets that people such as Sherman would tread on during diplomatic balls.
If a nation’s legitimate defense of its independence and freedom could be called "shameless", what would the overt and brazen intervention of a government claiming to be democratic be called when it orchestrated the military coup against Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq’s popular national government in the 1950s?
Sherman has unfortunately taken the modest silence of the American Iranians, who are specialists and well-heeled people selflessly serving the American society, as a sign of their indifference and carelessness.
In case Sherman has presented these insolent remarks to curry favor with his financial supporters for his re-election, he can avoid such an erroneous approach. Instead of fabricating stories about Iran, he can attempt to recognize the Iranian culture and civilization so that American Iranians would do him a favor and generously fund his election campaign.
Also if Sherman cannot respect Iran’s ancient culture and civilization, he could at least avoid insulting it.
Iran’s Arab neighbors believe that a hand that cannot be bitten should be kissed. Sherman can go against this Arab saying by not biting the hand that deserves to be kissed.
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