Iran ℒoves America ║ My Escape from the Iranian Revolution
My name is Yekta Aarabi. I remember being very young in 1985, even too young to remember, when we left Iran. The whole shitty Iranian Revolution was going on, and it was too dangerous. My mom decided after my father had passed away from cancer, that we were to leave Iran for America. I did not know it then, but it would be the last time I saw my country ever again.
The years that followed I learned about how Iran’s government hated America and had shut down all kinds of communication with the West. To the Iranian government, America was the devil. To Americans, Iran was a psychotic house full of demons; similar to some Freddie Krugger shit.
I never knew what Iran was like growing up. Just what the media portrayed and the role Sally Field played in the 1991 movie, Not Without My Daughter. Man, Iranians were crazy! All kinds of crazy! That is how I knew my country to be, which was what the media portrayed to people – and what they wanted you to see.
Fast forward lots of years, maybe even 20 or so, on TV, Iran seems to be friendly. Iranians love America? What the heck? Rick Steves went to Iran and they loved him and welcomed him with open arms? Anthony Bourdain too? What? Why? Iran is a not safe! Or so I thought.
In reality, Iranians love America. They think we are fascinating, and they are learning our language and speaking it way better than we can. They are educated, they want to work in America, go to school in America, and even value the American culture. How do I know this? I hear the truth from family as we speak on Skype and Viber, I see their love for wanting to come to America, the Disneyland of their dreams.
What about me? What about me wanting to go back to Iran to see where I grew up, where I lived as a child, where my dad’s grave is, and to see all my family? What … about … me? I can’t go to Iran. My mom and I escaped. I can’t go back, it’s not safe for me, right? There’s a chance it isn’t and there’s a chance that it is, I can’t take that “chance” though, because my life depends on it. If there were an American embassy in Iran then I’d be okay traveling with an American passport, but as of now I don’t think I can travel to Iran.
I have some hope though, a few days ago, President Obama, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the new Iranian President Hassan Rouhani broke a few decades worth of silence! Halleluiah! What does that mean exactly? It means that Iran and America are now testing out their new relationship. Here’s how I can explain it and you can understand it, the former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad didn’t want to have anything to do with America or talks about Iran’s nuclear programs, but when he was out of the picture, the thought of talking to America was an option. Why? Because Rouhani seems to want to open that can of flowers, not worms.
It’s like having a friend that doesn’t talk to any of your other friends and telling you that you can’t talk to them, so your friend, in this case, America, is frustrated because they want some sort of friendship. Some sort of peace. What that peace looks like, differentiates in each eye.
This could mean beautiful things for both America and Iran. People who left Iran many years ago because of the war and the hostage crisis could actually go back and visit their hometowns, to regain the loss they felt when they left and step foot back on Iranian soil. This is such a dream to many Iranians living in America.
“The celebrations in the street over the initial nuclear agreements have truly blown me away. Its a beautiful optimistic feeling here, from young to old. At the end of the day, we are all human, in search of a moment of happiness, safety and peace.” by Iman Khalili
These talks that Obama, Khamenei and Rouhani had has made such an impact on the future of nuclear programs, open trade and even, just even a new found friendship.
After all the hell that Ahmadinejad put his country through, with the fixed election, the killing of innocent people and shutting down any and all talks with America and calling them a powerhouse of idiots, he is now sitting in his own vomit as he watches on TV and sees that there is open communication with the West!
In the end, and after a nasty and bitter hatred, similar to a bad divorce, both parties are coming together and setting an example that each powerhouse needs to portray a positive example to its people.
https://instagram.com/p/5Kkw3etkmn/?tagged=irantalks
I have hope that in a few years from now I’ll be visiting Iran, without fear. I’ll be walking down the street and taking it all in, admiring what the country has come to, and seeing the faces of Iranians gladly accepting me back too, with open arms.
And I hope you’ll want to go too.
