Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Ampersand]

I hope that everyone looking at those videos takes care to notice how they are dressed. Not the crude stereotype of the middle east, the white smock and cap, but almost universally dressed in ways that would make them fit in perfectly well in Chicago, or New York, or LA, or Austin, or anywhere else in America. Some of the women aren't even wearing scarves over their hair.

I understand the "they aren't a bunch of stereotypes" part and agree with it, and that's great, but I don't really see why it's necessarily a great thing that they're apparently Americanized enough, despite lack of direct US intervention, to start disregarding their own culture and dress enough like Americans that they'd fit in in the US.

What I was attempting to illustrate is simply that it is much easier to relate to people when you realize how much like you they are.

[Neonivek]

What I was attempting to illustrate is simply that it is much easier to relate to people when you realize how much like you they are

Though this is true. The fact that it is often a requirement makes me sad.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

Heh.
If this happens, expect the *westernised* Arabian countries, like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, would be -at least more- hostile to the USA.

Why? There is no 'common enemy' of them and the American any more. No, after Iran (and it's spreadment of Shi'a) is down from the local geo politic, they will turn into Israil (or forge an alliance with China.) (perhaps the later is more likely than ever)

Note that the thing holding the fragile alliance of the Gulf and the West is, after all, the paranoia of the 'normal' Arab leaders of the heretical Aryans (I'm speaking as a Sunni here, of course) (one that's really FAR, FAR AWAY from the battlegrounds)

[Aqizzar]

Breaking News From Iran.  Headline - Ayatollah to Ayatollah: Drop Dead

When I read those protest sites about kicking out Supreme Leader Khamenei and replacing him with Ayatollah Montazeri, I thought it was the pie-est pie in the sky demand they could have made, and that Montazeri probably resented it for the trouble it would cause him.  Well, Ayatollah Montazeri has spoken out.  In summation-

-Those protests were wicked awesome guys.
-We founded this country precisely because we wanted real elections.
-I didn't have anything to do with the vote thing, and I too think that was totally whack.
-I swear on my most holy backside that I'm gonna do something about it.
-Ballot-stuffing is an affront against God, and any bureaucrat or cop who helped is going to Hell.

No cleric has publicly denounced Khamenei yet, but there's nowhere left to go after saying something like that.  Therefor, the Council of Experts, the cabinet of poobahs, honchos, bananas, and cheeses that selects or removes the Supreme Leader has conviened to decided whether Khamenei is worth hanging on to.  It's important to remember that Supreme Leader is a political position, not a religious one, and Montezari in particular is about the biggest big wig Shi'i allows a cleric to be, including bigger that Khamenei.

Also, Mousavi has called for a demonstration in Tehran and across the country, in defiance of the government's ban on demonstrations, which he will lead personally.  The purpose is to mourn those killed by the militia.  The day after that is the Islamic Sabbath day, when people are supposed to gather in the streets anyway.  Which means if anyone so much as swings a billyclub over the next two days, everyone in the government is going to look like titanic dicks.

The revolution is being televised alright.  There's no room or time left for compromise between the protesters and the establishment, and nearly a quarter of the country is about to be in the streets.

[Strife26]

Fuck yeah!

[Aqizzar]

Speaking of solidarity, I wanted to put a green headband on Ben for the occasion (bikers dig electoral transparency), but my attempts look like total crap.  Anyone willing to help me out?

[Strife26]

I couldn't even get a solid background on my shotgun, so no help from me.

[IndonesiaWarMinister]

Uh oh...
I should prepare for the worst. There is no telling what will happen once the balance of power in the Near East is broken...

[LegoLord]

I wish I could keep real-world names straight.  It doesn't matter what region the name is from, I just can't keep them straight.  But I get the general idea of what's going on; rigged election, protests against bans, paying respects to recent deaths.  It sounds a bit hectic over there.

Wish I could do more than put a green armband on something . . . that generally doesn't do much.  But maybe enough peoople doing it will inspire someone who can do something to do something.  So I'll do that anyway.  Back in a bit.

Edit:  Done.  Avatar edited.  Not an armband, but it doesn't exactly have arms.

[Ampersand]

Aqizzar; Make his beard green instead.

[Ampersand]

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/17/iran.elections.rallies/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

New news, kinda. What's interesting about these days of mourning in response to government violence is almost exactly the same sort of thing that was used in 1979 during the Islamic Revolution.

[Yanlin]

I'd love to put a green ribbon on my avatar, but one must not forget that Hammas use green as their color.

I'd be supporting both sides... Hammas is silly. I know none of you intended to support them.

[DJ]

My avatar already has a green band

But yeah, I hope that people of Iran succeed in their fight for democracy.

[Keiseth]

Hell yes! People fighting against the tyranny in their lives! Standing up against insanely powerful opposition because it's the right thing to do! Things like that draw my faith in humanity back upwards. Row, row, fight the powah!

[Onlyhestands]

Changed my avitar

Good luck to all those brave protesters in the street