Iranians largely pro-American

NJ ledger ^ | 9/22/06 | NJ ledger

[freedom44]

"After the Twin Towers fell, everyone in Iran was so sad," said Mansoor Roshtian, a taxi stand manager at Homa Hotel in Tehran, who's in his late 40s and studied in Dallas for four years before the 1979 Revolution transformed the country into a theocratic Islamic republic. "Those people, like us, had a right to live, too. They perished because of the poor choices their government made, and Iranians recognize that.

Iran, like much of the Middle East, is surrounded by Western influences. Teenagers wear Puma T-shirts and Nikes. Pepsi and Coca-Cola logos stream across hundreds of signs. And these days, even Western music like Madonna and Led Zeppelin can be heard in stores.

"I hope that one day, relations get good enough that we can go study there," said Mohammad Mehdi Haydare, a 21-year-old sitting among friends in one of Tehran's oldest and largest parks, Mellat Park. "Americans are ordinary people. It's their government we hate. The government has strength and they use it indiscriminately."

Karim Ghavoseh said he mingled often with Americans before Iran became an Islamic republic. He was the private driver for a young man who worked as an engineer for Westinghouse in Shiraz in the 1970s. He still remembers the man had a lovely wife named Jane and a daughter, Carol.

Ghavoseh, a serious-looking but friendly 60-year-old who speaks broken English with a tinge of regality, also worked as a cab driver for the Shiraz International Airport, so he drove American tourists to famous sites like Persepolis, the ancient ceremonial capital of the second Persian empire, and the tomb of the renowned poet Hafez.

[freedom44]

While I agree that the Iranian people are very pro-American, i think agreeing with US administration in Iran during phone interviews is a death wish, plus most those who have actually visited the country say they're pro-Bush as well.

[vbmoneyspender]

"said Mohammad Mehdi Haydare, a 21-year-old sitting among friends in one of Tehran's oldest and largest parks, Mellat Park. "Americans are ordinary people. It's their government we hate.

This is the Islamic version of "We support the troops, but we think the war they are fighting is despicable."

[LauraleeBraswell]

Iran has a pretty good reason to hate our Government. Jimmy Carter anyone? I wouldn't like us either.

[oprahstheantichrist]

"Those who knew pre-revolutionary Iran recall a pleasant time of exchange -- of people, ideas and goods -- between the two countries. Unlike today, American companies were stationed in Iran. They willingly sent students back and forth and issued visas for each other. "

Thanks, Mr. Carter

[TheCrusader]

"They perished because of the poor choices their government made, and Iranians recognize that."

This sounds very anti-American to me, it says we suffered because of our governments "poor decisions". What does that mean except that they believe our government is so evil that it harmed innocent muslims and, indirectly, innocent Americans.

[Moonman62]

"They perished because of the poor choices their government made, and Iranians recognize that."

Gee, I thought they perished because of crazy muslim terrorists.

[IrishCatholic]

Well, when you think of Democrats in power and how they pissed away American security every chance they got from Carter to Clinton to a socialist...excuse me Democrat majority Congress the man has a point.
A lot of poor decisions there. Look at the Cole, Kobar Towers, Somalia etc. Complete clusters.
But having said that. People are people and the Iranian government sponsors terrorism. They get people killed. Like you people but get rid of your government before we have to.

[ozzymandus]

I keep reading how Iranians are pro-US, but I haven't seen any proof yet.

[elhombrelibre]

Frankly, I don't care first and foremost if they like me or my fellow Americans. I care greatly if the insane people leading their country intend to kill me or, again, my fellow Americans. And like the question of does Saddam have WMD before we launched the war, I am not willing to chance it. I am a firm believer that we take no chances with allowing the world's most dangerous dictators acquiring the most dangerous weapons. The Iranian president's charm offensive did not charm me. He is a dangerous man, and the real power in Iran, the theocratic Mullahs, is even more dangerous. We are on a collision course with Iran. I prefer the people there like America. But if they don't, that's fine too. We'll protect ourselves and deal with the fallout regardless of being liked. If the Iranians liked themselves, they'd hate their president and push for a just society. In the meantime, we'll not risk our lives or our freedom to curry favor with them.

[KingofQue]

Sorry, they love Carter

[Luke Skyfreeper]

"Those people, like us, had a right to live, too. They perished because of the poor choices their government made, and Iranians recognize that."

Then Iranians are living in Fantasyland.

They perished because a bunch of Islamofascist bastards murdered them.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

"Those people, like us, had a right to live, too. They perished because of the poor choices their government made, and Iranians recognize that."

Then Iranians are living in Fantasyland.

They perished because a bunch of Islamofascist bastards murdered them.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Sorry, I misspoke. Make that a bunch of evil Islamofascist bastards.

[freedom44]

I think Iranians realize that, but what happens when Carter helped install the Mullahs and ex-President Khatami is allowed into the US? The writer has his own agenda, from many other standards Bush is huge in Iran as well.

'Islamofacism'?!? LOL! Thats exactly the government they hate. When you claim this hatred of people who love us you support radicals who want us dead, right?

[freedom44]

BTW- When I should substitute 'you' with 'those' sorry.

[CheyennePress]

Here is your proof of how pro-US they are. Here a few Iranian--as well as children from other nations--do the "Death to America thing":

Footage of Brainwashing of Muslim Children

I don't really believe they are pro-US at all. They may be pro-US money, but that seems to be about it. I work with a handful of Iranians in my lab. Two of them have said that the US deserves to get hit by terrorist strikes and another says that he sympathizes with suicide bombers. All of them hate Israel. Only one of them acknowleges President Bush as our President (and this is something that really angers me, to the point that I've called out little old ladies over it. You don't like the President, fine. You disown him? You're a sorry excuse for an American.)

[RoadTest]

Yeah. Being for the American people and against their government is a little like supporting the troops in Iraq but not the war.

[freedom44]

That's an odd way of looking at things. Just because some guy in your medical school class or two people do doesn't mean much of anything. 3/4th of the law school class were anti-American leftists and they were American, does that mean that Americans hate Americans? I don't think so. We're talking majority not what you or I have run into.