Iranian of the Day

Why not be nice?

If I had a child and he/she wanted to go to war, any war, let alone this one, I would have whacked him/her on the head, thrown him/her in the basement, lock up, swallowed the key, and refuse to let child or the poor key free until the war was over. Which may be the reason that I and the Universe did not allow me the honor of Motherhood.
People! Calm down! You totally forgot the line "in spite of her own desires.." and jumped at her throat with no mercy and pocked at eye balls. Shame on all of you!
We, the mullahs and even G.W himself are all puppets in bigger hands!
Please, be nicer to one another. Even if it's on the Internet and you can say what ever you want to say.
Peace on Earth.

George Washington, Wonderful

George Washington, Wonderful president in deed! I guess telling the truth and having compassion does not mean anything anymore. It is good that we can see what type of Iranian we have to deal with. When we have someone full of SHAR and HATE who needs enemies. Real Sharrrrrrrrrrr. New found wealth or status sometimes does not agree with some people. They forget how to think and act. "Ta nashavi rusva hamrange jamaat shoo."
Do not forget no matter where we go we are still Iranian. I love USA but my heart is IRAN. Persian gulf will always be, what kind of pride our kids will have if Iran and persians are wipped out. My 70 year old neighbor who is the 3rd generation Italian has still the Italian flag flying on his porch. It is great fot proud of ones heritage.. I am proud of our persian history. I am proud of my Iranian brothers and sisters who represent us here everyday with their contributions.
However I am not proud of IRI. IRI is destroying our homeland, the us media is bringing destroys our moral everyday. Now we need to be strong to teach the next generation of Iranian American to be proud of their heritage. Now that I think about it, Islam was forced to us some thousand years ago and to this day Iranians are struggling with it. By hating, Bombing and killing nothing gets solve. Hate will bring hate. Some of us Iranins are so lost again and are still struggling with their new found so callled westernization. You can still be modern and civilized and have compassion. TAZEH BE DORAN RESIDH has a blind eye and can see only one side of the issue and that is called out of touch.

Love to all and
GOD Bless the young man, where ever he maybe

P.S no one said her mother was not right to be proud of his son after all this is a free country!

Stop hating yourself...

Shararehkhanoom, there is a substantial, very substantial list of examples that can be used to discredit your argument, including a 4 star US military general and a former national security advisor to the president of your United States of America not to mention returning Marines, who are questioning the morality of our actions and voice opposition to our administration’s war mongering for the natural resources of that region.

For the sake of time, let me get to the point and say that the frustration and hatred you are expressing toward your own race is simply a reflection of how human beings become a product of their environment. 30 years of negative coverage on Iran and human natures racial profiling has certainly reached the fabric of the community that your family and the Rafia family reside in, and you have all learned to cope and survive that harsh racist environment by channeling the negative energy toward your own race and country of origin.

You and Ms. Rafia are such good hearted people that you have even surrendered your own flesh and blood without knowing and questioning the real genesis of this war. With that said and taken into consideration, this still doesn’t make you any more American than Mitra who you’ve bashed so relentlessly in this forum. You have the god given talent to learn your history and learn what channels of information you should pursue to reach the unbiased truth, and measure weather your family's enormous sacrifice is legitimate or simply gamed.

Furthermore, even if you were to ignore the fact that your race has produced the highest percentage of advance degrees among any minority group that has ever set foot on this land, (including the English) you should invest some time in investigating the professional contributions of your race to our society, and the current positions held by your fellow country men, all of which are currently effecting your daily life including your ability to engage in this forum.

In conclusion you can tell a lot about a man by looking in his eyes and his face. Saba is a not a Viking. He will learn the truth if he hasn’t already, but as we all prey for his safe return, you guys owe it to yourself to seek the real truth behind this war, not what you get out of the general media or the Hollywood flicks like “Be free or Die Hard”. Two dozen Saudis attacking NY and Washington had nothing to do with the other countries in the middle east. For you to randomly follow orders without using your mind and judgement makes you a "blind patriot".

Be proud of yourself and your race, and protect it with great care. It’s all you will ever have and that matters to America. That's exactly why institutions like Notre Dame’s "Fighting Irish", and USC’s Spartans alike organized let alone survive and thrive.

Answer to Mitra from Khuzistan

After reading your comment, all I can say is that all you and your like mentality people know is how to live a double life here in US and while visiting Iran. You claim that I am a red neck from the woods, since you meant is as an insult, all I can tell you is that in my eyes and in the eyes of many true americans, you are just a foreigner with an american passport, even if you were born here, you were still a foreigner in the eyes of many. You are pathetic to me. Your sons would never blend into the american mainstream because you would brainwash them for all their lives. One day they would be either as screwed up as you or disown you forever. rest assured that day would be in near future. I don't even bother to answer to your illogical and cliche post about war, stability, etc. Go to college maybe you become more analytical. I actually have a better idea, go back to Iran and get rid of that american passport too, it won't save you.

At the end, I feel like I am wasting my time here. Even if I dialogue, I rather have it with someone at my educational and intellectual level. Ignorant people like you have deaf ears to hear anything, and they get so helpless sometimes that the only way out for them would be using that bad mouths of theirs. The immigration system is not flawless but it tries the hardest to keep the US clean of people like you, but some of you still slip off their hands. Then what you do is wait for couple of years to become a US citizen and then become louder and more noticable. However, we still have what is called deportation. Even as a US citizen, you can get deported for the treason to the fundamentals of the US constitution and republic. If you are brave and confident enough, post your name and place of residence on this web site and I would personally arrange for your deportation. Other than that, do not even bother to confront me again because I would not be discussing anything else on this web site. At the end, I would like to salute one more time Ms. Shari Rafia and her brave son, Saba Rafia, for being the true Iranian American of the day. God bless you both and May your son return safely home. I would pray for that day.

To Sharareh, You are very

To Sharareh, You are very out of touch with alot of issues facing us here in USA. I am an American-Iranian and just like millions of other Americans, I do not agree with this particular war. If middle East needs stablizing it should not be done by this US government with such bad intentions. Middle East is still struggles with extremest and religion. We can not force people to change their ways. People need to stand up and make a choice. Haven't we seen enough intefering of west. It messes them up even more. UN needs to come in. If USA needs to help UN then that is another story. Invading other countries is not right!
Now Afghanistan is different, but do not forget USA was one of the countries that recognised Taliban as an afficial goverment of Afghanestan.

Your answer to me sounded just like a RED NECK from deep in the woods who has never seen an outsider.

We need to be aware of the truth and not cought up with the idea if your are not pro war you can not be an American. There are other ways to serve your country other than killing and bombing and killing and more killing. People of Iraq were mentaly disturbed by Sadam now it will take 100 of years for them to recove! How is that for stability!!!!

Most of us live here in the west for the freedom the freedom that was lacking in our society. In my case I was a teenager but, I know Mullahs regime did not represent me and my family. Now that we are all American does not give us the right to kill and evaporation the less unfortunate. That goes to all the regimes. I hate the IRI but, I can not support a war against my motherland ,IRAN. Because innocent people are the ones always paying the price. Mullahs and their supporter know where to hide!

War is not answer to everything, war should be the very last chooice.

Love for all, Thanks MITRA

Answer to SepehrAgha

Ok, first of all , I would not want my dear loved one serving in the military in the way of harm just to save your Iran from the yoke of Mullahs. Second, oil is just a small part of the picture, the biggest part is the stability in the middle east and ultimately in the world. Hence, your Iranian government's threat of nuclear annihilation of Israel and ultimately the quote and quote big satan. Third, my family has very humble origins. There are many many Iranian Americans that have not come to this country with quote and quote $$$$ in their pocket from their beloved Iran. On the other hand, there are many Iranians from both the IRI supports side as well as the Pahlavi supporters side that have filled their bag with Iranian treasures before setting foot on the western land. I am not one of such people and neither are many many immigrant families of the Iranian origin. Some of us actually work for a living. Fourth, we immigrated to this land with honor and dignity. We were told "Welcome" when we arrived at the US port as legally admitted immigrants unlike apparently you and many of your like Iranian people who commit any immoral act just to get a freaking green card. These immoral acts are not a few to mention but I would mention just alittle. How many of you guys marry for green card? how many of you guys argue before the immigration officer that you would be in imminent persecution danger if you go back to iran, while in reality, you are not, and you can't wait just to get a freaking green card and then go to iran and have the best of both worlds? how many of you stay in this country as illegals for years and just simply refuse to leave? how many of you after getting your freaking green card, still go back to Iran and sell pride to your miserable cousins that are condemned to live in Iran, and when you come back here to the US, you do the same opposite thing and vigorously defend the Iranian regime which upholds the Iranian misery for many unfortunate youth in iran that didn't have the opportunity to come here to the free world.

Do you really care about people getting killed or you are just happy to vent out about the US military because they are a great powerful structure with great people in it and for a person like you, it is cool to put them down just to make yourself feel better. If you really really cared about people getting killed, you would have put armor on yourself and gone to iran and killed the Mullahs and other terrorists just like our ancestors such as Bobak Khoramdin and kaveh Ahangar did.

Serving my new country by killin my old country mens

well we have to live under the third world mentality for you guys to stick to your materialistic life. if we become like u guys whose gonna give the oil to daddy? huh? are you ready to walk from your home to work? no! u have to bomb your former third world messed up dirty country in order to fuel the pump! wow! and well green card!? well our fathers didn't run away like urs with bunch of $$$! we spent years in our beloved pile of crap and lived with it and didn't ask for free green card we paid a very big prize that u don't have guts nor bravery to give! and in the end my advise to u and ur redneck friends is to just sit on your chairs and watch your fake fox news and hope that this holy war your putting against your own lands will make u free! in the Iranian regime prison i feel more free than u! serving a country doent have to do anything with killin people in war, u can serve ur country by givin hugs!

In response to Mitra from Khuzistan

Why don't you go back to your country then if that's how you feel. People like you do any dishonorable thing just to get a green card, and then lick benefits from the American society like petty leaches, but when it comes to time of paying back your dues to this country, you crawl back to your hole of worms and critize any true and brave Iranian American who chooses to defend his/her country, the United States. If I had any legislative power, I would have personally deported people with your mentality from this country. I am looking forward to the day that your sons would stand up to your thirld world mentality and decide for their own.

Return Safely!

First of all, let us pray that this young man—and any young man and woman in Iraq, Afghanistan, and anywhere else the Pentagon has sent its troops—return home safely.

Next, to those who criticize him, they must know that as a human being he has every right to chose what he believes to be right, regardless of what others think.

Let us not forget that it is very easy to judge, but it is very difficult to be just. Instead of condemning this young man, let us hope for a world in which we do not need an soldier to settle our differences. For as long as a bullet is manufactured anywhere in the world, we are still too far from being "civilized," by millions of miles, indeed; and we are all responsible for that shortcoming.

I wonder if any American

I wonder if any American Jewish family have sent or support their son or brother to any of Arm forces? The are all lawyers, Doctors, Film makers, business men and accountents? As we are relativley new immigrants in USA lets follow their path maybe they Know something that we do not know. Lets talk to our kids about the prapaganda in the USA and in Iran. Although we have accomplished alot in academia and Finance however we need more improvement in public relation. I do not like to be judgmental and if I am plese please forgive me. I am very concern about anyone going to war. I would like to think of this young man as a good guy which are more neededthere not just the red necks. I wish him the best. My sons are in elementary schools and this article made me realize what hard work is ahead of me.

Wrong Decision

I hope he doesn't turn out like this Lebanese CIA agent who was torturing people to prove her loyalty.

//www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21796035/

Those who advocate military actions against Iran are not any better!
This guy looks like a nice guy. I wonder what went wrong?
He did what MEK has been doing for years.

A true person of the day

A true person of the day would refuse to serve in this illegal, immoral and genocidal war that only serves the rich in this United Corporations of America.

Shari and Saba are Iranian American

OF COURSE they are Iranians. They have Iranian heritage. In today's America, everybody has immigrated from one place or another. That's why we have Italian Americans, African Americans, Jewish Americans, etc. Geeez... enough of this nonesense, I have more important things to do.

Iranian of the day

When we started our immigration out of Iran en-mass we lost being a nation within Iran's borders and became Iranians all around.

This website is blocked in Iran so what is it to anyone if someone wants to call him/herself Iranian? Are we such a big deal that people are lined up to call themselves Iranian?!

Answer to Payam

When I read your last comment to SHA , I almost puked. Sorry. So you rather fight a marine than fight those Farsi-speaking Arab Mullahs and Akhoonds that have already occupied your beloved Iran? Maybe you think so because if Mullahs get their hands on their adversaries, they would flay their skins and cruelly torture them in order to create a sense of fear in the hearts of others so nobody would ever dare to rise against them. But if you stand to a US marine, you should at least get a fair trial and much much more humane treatment than you ever can imagine to get from your Farsi-Speaking current Arab rulers of Iran.

I am sorry, but you sound like a hypocrite to me.

Iranian (or American) of the Day?!?

I'm somewhat confused...please, one of the smart people who are defending this mother and son please enlighten me. If they've become US citizen, joined the US military (the son) and sit in front of the US flag, how is it that they are "Iranian of the Day"? Don't you have to be Iranian in soul and spirit to be an Iranian. What have they done for Iran throughout their life except nagging and complaining? How much time have they spent in Iran in the past 30 years? If you've given up every shred of Iranianness in you and sworn allegiance to some other country (in this case the US) are you still considered Iranian because you happen to be born in Iran or because you're coming from an Iranian family. I bet a lot of our fellow "Iranians" (oops, sorry, I meant "Persians" would be more than happy to have "Place of Birth: Iran" erased from their US passport.

This mother and son should be called "American of the Day" not Iranian of the Day.

In answer to SHA

US marine personel are an elite force and I mentioned it in my comment. But compared to their adversories ( don't nag on the spelling) they are well armed and the Iraqi insurgency is no match for uncle sam's puppets. So they are definnitly in advantage mostly because of their rockets and guns and not because of their braveries. So don't rush to tell the world or at least Iranians like me how proud you are of your brother and how cool he is. On your second point that invites me to join basij or what nut, basiji's are uncle Khamenei's puppets. I had and have no intention of joining them, though if coward Iranians like yourself or your brother decide to attack my Iran, be sure that I will stand side by side with anyone else who intends to defend Iran against your kind. In the mean time I advice you to no more visit Iranian.com since you feel American and not Iranian. With my first comment I was trying to portrait the irony of us Iranians living outside Iran. We hate the guts of the current Iranian government, but don't give up the hope on Iran. You and your kind have assimilated in your residential country to far to call yourself Iranian.

Blind patriotism?

Which part of this topic is "blind"?

What do you know about the motive behind this man's joining the marines?  Is it financial?  Is it to play with guns?  Is it being macho? is it patriotism? what? tell us.

If he joins the Marines and don't go to Iraq and get a desk job, is it patriotism and if he goes to Iraq it is the "blind" version? Why are you comparing yourself to him and saying you had the "brain" and the right "parents" and he doesn't?!

Did you also have the desire to join the marines? Are your children saints or nerds or are they on drugs or drunks? Or do you even have a child?

This is all about jumping to conclusions and shooting from our hips when we know nothing about this person and we just jump at the chance to sing abu atta (opera) as soon as we see the topic may be about an Iranian serving the marines in Iraq. Like sheep we follow.  No thoughts of our own.

What would you do if this was your son and was DRAFTED to go to war?  That especially may happen if US goes to war with Iran.  Then your sons will be sent to Iran and you have to deal with it.  So deal with it now. 

I salute this brave Marine

Well... this young Marine is not invading Iraq. What he is doing is protecting the United States Constitution and fighting against all of its enemies including domestic or foreign. That's what he is doing. If you guys ever had any education besides getting your titles of "Khanoom Doctor" and "Aghaye Mohandes" , you would have known that in a military, there is a chain of command. In the military, if you disobey your superior, you can jeopardize everything that you once swore to defend.

If in a democratic country such as the United States( by the way, for the purpose of clarification, USA has been a republican and a democratic nation for centuries and according to many unbiased and independent research entities), the president who is elected by the people of the republic and is also the commander in chief of the United States Armed forces, orders for a war, every single military personnel as well as every single citizen of the republic has to obey the orders of the president as long as the president has been democratically elected and not impeached. I salute this marine as well as my own love of life and husband for serving our country. God bless you and We support you.

I think that there are

I think that there are people here that are missing a simple point. Many, including myself, find the decision of this young man to go to war in Iraq ill-advised. Not because he has joined the US army rather than the Iranian army. It is because this young man has decided to partake in an immoral, and unlawful invasion of a poor nation. He is fighting for the cause of a group of business men, with investments in both the oil and weapon industries, who have waged a devastating war on an impoverished people -- for the sake of increased personal profits. He, as an Iranian, should have more sense than that. Americans may be ignorant of what is really happening in the Middle East; but we Iranians have seen too many invading armies, and corrupt, or dependent governments, to fall for lies of bringing liberty and democracy to Iraqis. I was born in Khorramshahr, and I have more reason than most people in the world to hate Saddam. However, I am deeply troubled to see the people of Iraq suffer so much at the hands of money hungry, and power hungry, invaders.

Blind Patriotism

Many of us took the oath to defend our adopted country against any attack and foreign intrusion, and will vigorously do so as long as there is blood flowing through our veins.

Many of us also became a citizenship long before this Marine was even born, but we either had proper parental direction or managed to exercise our god given brain and IQ on our own to gain a better sense of who is gaming our system here in the united states and what segment of our population is paying for it financially, and what segment is paying for it at a much greater cost.

When treason is the truth, blind patriotism is substantially more destructive for our United States of America. Your continuous polarization with misapplication of words like Democracy, Freedom, Terrorism and other qualifiers and cliché’s alike is good for playing into the emotions of the lower classes, but far from the reality of the herding that’s been taking place in our society.

Wake up America!

It is NOT a shame

He was born in US.  If draft becomes mandatory, not only him but tens of thousands of other second generations Iranians will have to register and go to war when asked.  This includes children of those who are commenting left and right about this young man.

His loyalties are to this country. There is no shame in why he has chosen to be a military man.  Is there a shame for those Iranians born in Iran who become a military man in "IRI"?

If there was no war would he be criticized for joining the military as a young man? I'm sure he and his mother have seen weird looks by Iranians and maybe they don't even like to mingle with Iranians anymore, who'd blame them?

But it looks like this mother and son are confident of their heritage and that is why they don't mind being an Iranian of the day.  Good luck and best wishes to this family. 

Boys will be boys

Wow he's a cutiepie, hope he comes back safe to you. Boy's are stubborn, what can you do but support them and stand by them. Best wishes to you both.-Mona

wow look at all these

wow look at all these comments, it's like iranian.com's been taken over by vezarat etelaat ;)

congratulations to Shari for bringing up such a loyal and brave son. if I could, I would've served in the British forces too

I am proud of you.

Thank you for your service to our country. Stay safe and come home soon. God Bless you and your family.

When I gave an oath to become a citizen here, there were no conditions on my part. It was a true oath to God and my new country. I am an American with Iranian heritage. I am not an American only when it benefits me.

Semper Fi. It means always faithful.

Pathetic!!!

The US has been responsible for more bloodshed than any other nation in human history. The history books in the US tend to demonize the likes of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, but fail to mention that the US is founded on the blood of the Indians and blacks and millions of other innocent people the US military machine has slaughtered in the name of freedom and liberty (from Japan to Iraq, to name but a few). Serving in this criminal country's armed forces is a crime against humanity, whatever the excuse. This woman and her son should be ashamed of themselves. I strongly object to whoever nominated them as "Iranian of the Day".

War Crime

Being a soldier involved in the US occupation is a war crime.

This is a disgace to all human beings whatever their nationality or origin

Remember - at Nuremberg the servant was as guilty as the master.

Iranian of the Day

Dear Faranak jon, and My other Darling Friends,

I am truely flattered by your kindness and caring to nominate me as the Iranian of the Day. As I said earlier to Faranak jon, I truely think those mothers with social limitations and financial adversities who raise great children are much more deserving this title than I am.

I am also glad to see the social growth in our community that allows us, Iranian who were brought up in an suppressing society, now freely express our opinions. I think everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect them all. The negative opinions are welcome as the positive ones. If Saba's decision could boil up such emotions among us; let it be. It's another venue for growth and for practicing our rights in this land of freedom. This, in my humble opinion is an intellectually active characteristic of such community.

I appreciate everyone's comments and keep the poem by Khalil Gibran to enjoy it. That said it all for a mother.

Happy Mother's Day

Dear unseen friend Shari

My prayers are with your son, Khodaa Ghovvat!

To poeple who mix Iranian of the day,with a page to show their political agenda:

WE HEAR YOU !!, please leave a relevent comment,donot show your political EXPERTISE here.We are all Iranian.Serving in military doesnot necessarily mean you like Bush or any other war thirsty president around the world!.

Let's Love, not War.

Let's all pray for the safe return of a human being, a son, an Iranian, hopefully a future father,dear Saba.

YOU ARE THE ZALIL A9999999999999999999999999

"..I rather we killed by a basiji kid than kill as a US marine."

you speak for yourself, who gave you permission to say WE!