Not without my Daughter!

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Kamangir
by Kamangir
30-Nov-2007
 

That's an outrage! They are denigrating us on purpose! Have you watched it? they are showing 'sheeps' in Tehran! They are portraiting Iranians as fanatics, backward people, shame on them...shame on all those Iranian actors who participated in it...

Yes, these were and are some of the sentences I heard from Iranians, regarding the famous film 'Not without my daughter' Years ago, early in the morning my Iranian roomate woke me up by screaming: Wake up, Wake up, hurry up, you've got to see what they're showing again on TV, I was half asleep and ran to TV to realize that one of the channels was broadcasting that famous film. My roomate was outraged, I simply told him what I still firmly believe: The film is showing things as they are. It goes without saying that we had a long argument style conversation without any agreement on the issue. Many years have gonne by and now, more than ever I believe that most Iranians do live in a state of denial. It's part of our culture to 'hide' everything we consider shameful, by keeping it secret! The film was about a real story, a very realistic approach to what has been taking place in Iran in the last 28 years. I would like to know some of the things that were considered 'lies' and 'exagerations' of the film, by many Iranians, specially the ones living in the West. The film showed a reality, the reality many of us left behind, because we simply couldn't live with it. It's true that the film focused on a specific type of subjects and families in Iran, the 'Hezbollahis', and didn't really show other ways of life and cultures of Iran. Nonetheless, the film was still very accurate, it showed how the 'Hezbollahis' (arabo-muslims) and backward religious families of Iran actually live and think. Was there any lie in that? Every single minute of the film was accurate and real and yet many Iranians got offended by it. Why? If we're not sure we're from Switzerland or Habashe, that's our own problem, we shouldn't accuse others (directors, actors and writers) of giving a bad 'image' of us. They usually say it the way it is and the truth hurts.

The film could have been much harsher, if other 'realities' of Iran had been shown, such as, hanging people in public from cranes, stonning women to death, raping and killing female 'prisoners' with total impunity, torturing and killing students and activists, the legal prostitution called 'sighe', drugs, corruption, etc.... The film didn't really mention any of these issues and yet we are outraged by it. The good news is, that at this point in time, with Ahmadinejad and his bunch in power, with his presence and trips abroad, the 'state of denial' does NOT work anymore. The mediocre cultural attitude of 'denying' it won't solve anything. This Iranian attitude of screwing things up and blaming it on others, won't work anymore. The message people around the world receive is: The Iranians don't really know whay they have done with they own country and the worse thing is that they don't even know how to fix it, because they don't know what the problem is. They wish for the 'big miracle' to take place, for others to fix they country. It has been said that the first step in order to solve a problem is to recognize and accept and understand that you actually have a problem. However, we the Iranians haven't been able to do this, our main obstacle is and has been the state of denial, denial of our own lack of maturity as a nation. One would think that living in the West would change this attitude of denial, but no, no way, Ahmadinejad, doesn't really exist, the IRI is there for the sake of it and we don't even remember how or why.

Our lack of identity, our confusion as a nation, our superficial approaches and the blame attitude are now being witnessed by the world and there're more 'without my daughters' coming, so get used to it!

Ghaye mooshak bazi, dige tamoom shod!

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The film 'Not without my

by Whitey (not verified) on

The film 'Not without my half white daughter' is right on the money. This is the way these Muslim Negros are. If you let them live the way they want to they will only become uncivilized. The problem started when they got rid of the Shaw. This was a man of moderation and modernization and now that the Shaw is gone, they are free to beat good white woman.
The movie was filmed in Israel, where as we all know, you will never find human rights abuses. And ya know worst of all these towel heads have the nerve to sit on our oil. Thanks Sally Fields for taking your lesbian frustration with men out on those abrasive sand Negros.


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propoganda war from west side

by Farhad2008 (not verified) on

In sweden and germany was this book most sold. Someone i know who was working in Ericsson in sweden that time told that the firm gave the book free to all who was intrested to read as a christmas gift. thax to israel. It was a start for war with irans culture, history and values from west side. But Alexander and 300 movie, specially 300 movie was much worse when you evaluate its meaning for iranian-nation. In compare ,without my dayghter, was based in some facts.


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Unique comments!

by Kamangir on

I'm not after attention as suggested. I'm not against my own country or culture. I simply think we the Iranians , or most of us are very ilogical with our analysis of ouw own contry, we're very emotional about it. the film also depicted other Iranians that helped the lady in leaving Iran.  Please wake up!  We and only we are the real reason of all our problems in Iran and again as seen here by most comments, we're really good at blaming others. The day the raghead of khomeini and his bunch touched Iranian soil, the day your 'students' took American hostages at gun point, the day your Ahmadinejad started saying the nonesenses he says, is when the world started seeing us as a backward nation. A film is just a film. We have a very hard time understanding the Western and American honest way of disscusing harsh issues. We're embarrased and we don't want anyone reminding us how backward we can become.


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Please!

by KL (not verified) on

Kamangir jaan, agha, let this one go! Please!
Give it a rest!
Movafagh bashi.


Troneg

Propaganda

by Troneg on

This film as Midnight Express are CIA propaganda movies. I agree to open our eyes about what is going wrong in Iran. You can do it by a smart way as Marjan Satrapi do it with Perspolis and avoid people push back.

May be you want them to push back you ?

 


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Kamangir just wants attention

by R.N (not verified) on

What do you think would motivates someone like this "Kamangir" guy to bring up an old issue from the 1980s to "confirm" its accuracy in these dire times for our country?

It's either pure treason, or simply a desperate cry from the SOB to provoke people and get some attention.

This movie was made in Israel (just google it), sponsored by many anti-iranian people and organizations, and broadcast all over Europe and the U.S as part of an anti-iranian campaign during the peak of Tehran's tension with the West. They managed to turn a simple custody battle into civilizational war to vilify Iran and Iranians and they were fairly successful.

The lies and inaccuracies of this movie were all exposed at that time and even a documantary called "Without my daughter" responded to all its falses allegations and misrepresentations. Every American who has visited Iran eversince (from NYtimes journailsts to private visitors) has had nothing but praise for Iranians' hospitality and warmth.I personally know many of them and they're the most active people in the anti-war campaign in DC and elsewhere.

It's so sad to see how low and pathetic some people like this Kamangir guy can sink to get some attention.


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Kouroush Sassanian = subhuman scum

by Iranian patriot (not verified) on

Many animals like Kouroush Sassanian have been cleansed from the Iranian homeland. Unfortunately, these cancerous enemies of Iranian have metastasized to Europe and America where they lick the assholes of the lowest form of White Trash Scum. Iranian patriots have to find these traitorous vermin and end them quickly, just like they ended the Saddam-supporting Mojahedin. We will find you, you filthy animal.


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I believe the author

by American wife of Iranian (not verified) on

I read her book and watched interviews on television back then. I believe this to be her true story.

Many Iranians and Arabs have taken their children to their homelands knowing the laws will give them the children There are warnings on the US State Dept on their web site telling Americans that these problems happen and the US government can't help women and children when they are out of US jurisdiction.

Americans have seen many biographical books and we know that every Iranian male isn't a Neaderthal as that husband was. However, watch documentaries on Iran and see the hopelessness of some of the poor women or educated women in marriages that are unhappy.

Just look at Iranian custody laws, if you don't believe that woman.

Also, lots of Iranian men helped her and were kind to her. The guy who helped her escape and the men who smuggled her over the mountains. That speak well for Iranian men.

Being married to an a man from another culutre is difficult in the best of times and men change when they get married. That is the truth everywhere.


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That movie conveyed an

by r (not verified) on

That movie conveyed an unfavorable image of the Iranian culture (specially men), by selectively presenting negative attributes seen in some of the people, and this by itself, is an inaccurate representation of the Iranian people & culture. By portraying a negative character( Mahmoudi), they should have portrayed positive characters to balance the view, not because it is what I liked to see, but for the reason that it would be more represetative.
.
The mere fact that they are making movies that portray us negatively shows an agenda. If they made movies about negatives attributes of different nationalities and cultures, who knows, Iran may not look so bad after all.
.
One may argue that this is just a movie, and not a documentary, and as such they have artistic license to portray and exaggerate as they please, and indeed they did just that. However, I don't have to take their warped, skewed views as face value. Sure they are many charaters like that and even worse, but that movie is not the place that I look for answers.
.


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exaggeration sure because it

by Anonymousasjofteh (not verified) on

exaggeration sure because it depicted a typical iranian -american family so many american girls thought wow my god marrying an iranian, no way.
to be fair the movie should have included another family made from iran man and american woman to show they are happy and the man no=t so religious.
it was stereotyping all iranian men so the movie was a piece of garbage


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Tell me

by Kamangir on

Why inaccurate? What aspects were exagerations? Please let me know.


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duh

by r (not verified) on

It's part of our culture to 'hide' everything we consider shameful, by keeping it secret!
.

Big duh. This attribute can be said about virtually all individuals within any society, and the societies themsleves. And I mean any society. Remember the movie Borat and Kasakstan's reaction? Have you ever seen how carefully the Chinese monitor what kind of video footage foreigners can see? What about Turkey's reaction towards US with the Armenian genocide resolution? And on an indivudual level, what about a woman putting on make up? Is she hiding something there? Get real baba, every one wants to portray themselves better, and hide shit.
.
The movie was very biased, just like the movie 300. The people behind it, have their agenda of undermining the Iranian culture and people. The producers send subliminal messages via their movies for their greater cause, and some bucks.
.
Regarding the movie not without my doughter, sure, there are plenty of problems in our society , specially where women's rights are concerned, which both men & women are to blame for. (payeh zolm ra mazloom mirizad, by being quiet, women contribute to the problem also). But that portrayal was very inaccurate, and so cheesy Hollywoody.


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It is cloudy again but these

by DavoodK (not verified) on

It is cloudy again
but these clouds are special
it is extremely cold
and I smell the snow
although I can’t see it
the first snow of the year
I tell others but they
have no ears
I try to go to bed early
just wanting to be ready the next day
to clear the snow off the roof,
but now I look at the ceiling and wonder
the wooden beams are bent
in the center they seem much closer
to my head
I worry if our roof will collapse again,
now I close my eyes just hoping
that I will be alive by the morning
to go up and clear the snow off the roof
but which snow?
The snow that I know will come down
but others don't believe
by morning my dream has come true
I am alive and
I am the first to climb the ladder to get there
I clear the snow off our roof
but I remember our neighbor, Jasem's family
He is a kid only six
and his father is sick,
I go and clear the snow off their roof
But when I am coming down
I see an old man
the old man is Jasem's grandfather
he has reached the roof
but standing
on an old half broken ladder
He sees no snow so he says:
Oh what a miracle
I say loudly
no sir it was not a miracle
I am the one who did it
He smiles and thanks
and goes down the ladder
I go and rush to my school without breakfast
as I walk I see the little Jasem
waving hands from their window
I had no idea
what was awaiting his family
It has been a long time
and I live so far away
I only heard
that Jasem was blown up
by Saddam's soldiers
using the German chemicals
what a sad story
I also heard his family perished
a French made Mirage reached
their home
with Exocet missiles
and destroyed it in a few seconds
Now I see
the Germans and the French
standing on higher moral grounds
their Citroens and Audies
waiting to fill their tanks
in the United Nations
and everywhere else
why did they help Saddam
I had always asked
but now no need to ask
just no need to ask

by: The author of Life as it happens


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You don't need to go far. . . .

by Kouroush Sassanian (not verified) on

Here in Europe the Iranians depicted in that movie are alive and well. You can take the muslim hayvoun out of the akhour, but you cannot take the akhour out of the muslim hayvoun.

You find these hayvouns in many muslim nations. I am telling you the only cure is a massive Jones Town.