Thank you. I know many average Americans need to see this and realize that a few radicals do not speak for the majority. Again, thank you for speaking up.
As you can see from reading my posts on FR, I am a strong Christian and very pro-Serbian, and have some very hard things to say about islamists/islamofascists. However, I also have quite a few muslim colleagues who are anything but fascist, whom I like very much. They are trying to be both traditionally muslim and citizens of the 21st century, which is hard to do, as you probably know better than I do.
You are right that the Iranian culture (as exemplified by Cyrus) is a great historic culture. I hope that it can go forward into the future without the domination of the theocratic extremists.
As an American [applied for citizenship here from Iran since 1999], and a Muslim i would like to strongly condemn the brutal beheading of a fellow American in the hands of Barbarians.
["I condemn the actions of barbarians, but not, of course, the barbarians themselves who, being muslims, are infinitely better than you filthy infidel dogs (ptooey, ptooey!)."]
I also, condemn Islamic terrorism across the world and join millions of others in Iran and i'm sure other places across the middle east in condemning these horrible acts.
[Repeat, for emphasis, condemnation of the acts but not the actors]
I moved here in 2000, i was a part of the student uprisings in 1999 in Iran. The very thing that the US is fighting right now in the middle east, are what students in Iran are fighting.
[Students in Iran are fighting to protect American lives? Please, tell me more. The last time I saw any action by Iranian "students" was when they invaded U.S. territory and held American citizens hostage.]
There is no difference between their fight and ours, nor the fight across the middle east between the modernized - moderate form of islam and the radical form.
[Just so you know, Americans are not fighting for or against any form of islam. We are fighting to protect our homes and families from people who would destroy them. Islam has absolutely nothing to do with it.]
Unfortunately, moderates have been unwilling to take arms or act aggressively against radical islam and when we have we've been condemned for human rights abuses.
[Okay, no argument there. Plenty of cowardice to go around, everywhere in the world, including here.]
That's all.. after reading some of the posts on here i just wanted to say i'm Muslim and i condemn these acts.
[Again, condemning the acts, as if his head just accidently fell off by mistake, instead of condemning the people who did it. I have not heard a single muslim, influential or not, who has disowned these people. I'm not holding my breath.]
Sorry to be so blunt, but I hope you can correct any errors I've made here.
Very great comment, Cyrus.
Comments from the urbane and wise Persians convince me that Persia is a great nation just waiting to shake of shackles of some bad history. I sometimes make me wish that ancient Persian empire and Byzantium too wasnt crushed by cultural inferiors like the Arab Saracens and the Mongols.
(take comment with grain of :-) )
Cyrus Jaan,
Awfaraan basyeh ehn condemnation. [Great Job in the condemnation]
I'm glad you stepped up to the plate to condemn these acts of radical Islamic terrorism, because people need to hear these things more from "Muslims", not from Iranian-American Christians.
I really respect you and admire you for all you've done.
nuconvert thanks for ping and
pinging for iran ping list.
A belated "Welcome!"