By Mohammad
Ala
The recent quotation
from the president of Iran
has again put Iranians all over the world under pressure and will cause hardship
to them. I have not read Mr.
Ahmadinejad's speech; I just hope his words were not taken out of context which
is routinely done by sensational journalists and the news media.
Not so long ago, the
previous president, Mr. Khatami, advocated dialogue among civilizations, arguing
for peaceful solutions so that nations can work on their differences, rather
than use arms or inflammatory rhetoric to attack each other.
Many countries have
an interest in Iran's oil and natural resources.
These countries will benefit by turmoil in Iran
and in the neighboring region. It
is essential that the Iranian leadership and the Iranian people not play into
the hands of these countries.
Iranians have been
peaceful people and want to remain peaceful. It is not our desire to initiate a fight
with another individual or another country. We do not wish destruction for any
person or any country.
Negative comments
from the Iranian leadership place other Iranians at risk in a myriad of
ways. For example, they become
isolated and are questioned in matters which have nothing to do with them (for
example, in airports and in their job applications).
Although Iran
has supported many countries in times of crisis and need, very few have
reciprocated. An excellent example
is Syria which has received a
great deal of oil and financial
help from Iran, but it always
has sided with Arab countries against Iran.
It seems that
Iran cares for Palestinians' rights
more than for its own citizens.
There are over twenty Arab countries which have done very little for the
Palestinians. Why are we not
concerned about our own nationals being at risk of being attacked, deported, and
fired from their jobs? Iranian
nationals have been mistreated in many countries; why has no Arab country or
Palestinian authority said anything in support of Iranians?
There are over
several hundred thousand Iranians who live in Israel. Although their well being is our main
concern, we do care about all nationalities.
It appears that the
world is waiting to receive negative comments about Iran to
justify harming us and to continue to ignore our contributions to world
civilization. Many of our deceased
scientists, artists, and poets are now being claimed as nationals of other
countries; this is an usurpation of our culture and our historical heritage,
such as renaming the Persian Gulf, betraying
its Iranian origin.
We Iranians are the
children of great leaders and ancestors who promoted peace and cultivated
civilization through out the world.
We value other nationalities, regardless of their religious beliefs,
culture, or customs.
Iran
should seek to promote positive relations with the international community,
while protecting its national interest and resources. Our organizations are ready to offer a
helping hand in this trying time.
Dr. Mohammad Ala, Professor of Management teaches in Iran, China, and the USA. He
is the founder and board member of http://www.iran-heritage.org, http://www.iranalliance.org, and http://www.persiangulfonline.org
