This is a post where I want to tread carefully. I won't be including links in it because anyone who wishes to fact check this can easily do so with a quick Google search. I'm commenting on the three American "hikers" who have been detained in Iran since last August.
The three are all graduates of UC Beserkly (which offers some background about them) who were living in Damascus. Their ages, at the time of their arrest, are 27, 31, and 27. These are not kids. Or, at least, are of an age and claimed experience level to know what they were doing. They made a trek across Syria (through Turkey?) into northern Iraq (Kurdistan) and, depending on what point of the chronology you examine, were either doing humanitarian work in Kurdistan and "accidently" strayed near the border of Iran ...OR... were intentionally hiking a trail along the "unmarked" border of Iraq and Iran. Either way, one doesn't stray clsoe to the border of Iran without knowing you're near a country who is a bit touchy about intruders and, especially, Americans. Perhaps being educated in Beserkly, they were not aware of the tenuous and bitter history between the governements of the US and Iran.
As anyone who may converse with me for any period of time might figure out, Iran is a country/culture near and dear to me. I am somewhat well-versed in both the history of Persia as well as the 20th Century political timeline of Iran. Almost lived them as a kid when my dad was offered a position over there with a contractor. But being endeared to their culture doesn not make me unmindful of the state of current politics. And being a avid and experienced hiker, I would not go wandering near the border of Iran without deliberately doing so or, at least, knowing I was near such a unmarked space. I walk all edges, but, as the person who named me as doing so said, I'm always just this side of right. I love peeking into that abyss, but the entire point of doing so is to come back from the edge to tell the tale of what I saw. (lapse into a Southern accent:) It don't matter that I seen what I saw
If these three were intelligent and experienced, they didn't either. If they accidentally crossed that border I ask, why didn't they have a compass and a map? With a small guess, being they were Beserklites living in Damascus, perhaps they could have afforded an iPhone with a GPS application? If I had the money and was intending on wandering such realms, I would consider it.
I guess my opinion of the situation is that of... Morons. I'm a shade sorry that you're being detained in a foreign land, but then again, you were asking for trouble. In my opinion, you knew what you were doing and wanted the thrill of bordering (or even entering) Iran's territory. And you got caught. Sucks now, don't it?
I tell myself this on the eve of my own travels to a non un-volatile land where, in Kosovo, there are small warnings about how to legally and safely cross the border (Serbia doesn't acknowledge Kosovo's independence so the borders of the region are not considered by Serbia to be international borders. There's a geographical process to passing through Kosovo, and I have done my research on it and will do so as planned. However, I fully acknowledge the local government's right to turn me back upon my attempting exit. At no time do I expect to accidentally cross a border without knowing I'm doing so...nor will I put myself in a position to do so unwittingly).
Again, it's sad to be imprisioned, sadder still for the parents of those kids. But put yourself in a position where you become pawns of a government that doesn't like the country of your residence, and that's what happens when you put yourself in such a position through arrogence or ignorance.
Their being there indicates that one or the other (or some variation thereof) was in play with them last August when they were detained by the Iranian government.
Also... who goes recreational hiking in the deserts of Iraq in August?
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Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iran. Show all posts
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Fun and Laughing in an Iranian Prison
Jon Stewart saved the day on this one. I had a couple of sketches I'd written as responses to other articles but didn't care for either one. Then I watched the Daily Show and saw this piece.
The response is always easy to write when I find the source of the article exasperating.
~•~
ENG 290
December 1, 2009
Portfolio 5: Fun and Laughing in an Iranian Prison
Maziar Bahari was arrested following the 2009 Iranian elections and jailed for 118 days. While in prison, Bahari was repeatedly beaten and tortured. One of the principle pieces of evidence for the prosecution was an interview Bahari gave to the Daily Show as part of a comedy news story. The Iranian government didn't seem to comprehend sarcasm.
In mid-June, in the aftermath of the Iranian Elections, Bahari met Jason Jones of the Daily Show at a café in Tehran. In the comedy piece as aired, Jones interviews three people who had been detained in the few days since they had filmed. One of them, as Jones tells it, is "Iranian-born Newsweek contributer Maziar Bahari," who shares with Jones "his message of radical reasonableness" (sic).
On the morning of June 21, Bahari was arrested without charge and held in the Evin Prison until October 20. The story of his detention is detailed in several "mainstream" news outlets, a segment on CBS's 60 Minutes and an article in Newsweek. But Bahari also paid a visit to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Opening the interview, Stewart says, "You were imprisoned in Iran—" and Bahari interrupts, "—because of you."
Bahari speaks of seeing the absurdity in his situation—being under arrest primarily for a seemingly innocuous interview with a comedy report—even as he was being interrogated about the election protests and questioned about accused dissidents. This situation, a clash of staunch theocratic minds of official Iranian government and sarcastic satire of an American comedy show interview, speaks loudly in microcosmic tones about the larger situation.
Terrorism no longer is seen in association with blown up city pubs or civilian bodies in a bread market, but is thrown in among political protests, public gatherings, and, it seems, comedy skits.
Satire and sarcasm have long be held forth as primary evidences of guaranteed freedom in the United States—the Western World. Which makes the clash of culture and understanding that much more sorrowful—more tragic—when it becomes the reason for someone's imprisonment and torture.
But in such a misunderstanding, it seems as well that there is something poetically ironic that humor has such power. For, in facing great tragedy, being able to laugh afterwards is one sure sign that compassion and humanity have survived.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
"Maziar Bahari." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
· • ·
The response is always easy to write when I find the source of the article exasperating.
~•~
ENG 290
December 1, 2009
Portfolio 5: Fun and Laughing in an Iranian Prison
Maziar Bahari was arrested following the 2009 Iranian elections and jailed for 118 days. While in prison, Bahari was repeatedly beaten and tortured. One of the principle pieces of evidence for the prosecution was an interview Bahari gave to the Daily Show as part of a comedy news story. The Iranian government didn't seem to comprehend sarcasm.
In mid-June, in the aftermath of the Iranian Elections, Bahari met Jason Jones of the Daily Show at a café in Tehran. In the comedy piece as aired, Jones interviews three people who had been detained in the few days since they had filmed. One of them, as Jones tells it, is "Iranian-born Newsweek contributer Maziar Bahari," who shares with Jones "his message of radical reasonableness" (sic).
On the morning of June 21, Bahari was arrested without charge and held in the Evin Prison until October 20. The story of his detention is detailed in several "mainstream" news outlets, a segment on CBS's 60 Minutes and an article in Newsweek. But Bahari also paid a visit to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
Opening the interview, Stewart says, "You were imprisoned in Iran—" and Bahari interrupts, "—because of you."
Bahari speaks of seeing the absurdity in his situation—being under arrest primarily for a seemingly innocuous interview with a comedy report—even as he was being interrogated about the election protests and questioned about accused dissidents. This situation, a clash of staunch theocratic minds of official Iranian government and sarcastic satire of an American comedy show interview, speaks loudly in microcosmic tones about the larger situation.
Terrorism no longer is seen in association with blown up city pubs or civilian bodies in a bread market, but is thrown in among political protests, public gatherings, and, it seems, comedy skits.
Satire and sarcasm have long be held forth as primary evidences of guaranteed freedom in the United States—the Western World. Which makes the clash of culture and understanding that much more sorrowful—more tragic—when it becomes the reason for someone's imprisonment and torture.
But in such a misunderstanding, it seems as well that there is something poetically ironic that humor has such power. For, in facing great tragedy, being able to laugh afterwards is one sure sign that compassion and humanity have survived.
Works Cited
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
"Jason Jones: Behind the Veil - Persians of Interest."
22 Jun. 2009. Online video clip.
Thedailyshow.com. Accessed on 1 Dec. 2009.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.22 Jun. 2009. Online video clip.
Thedailyshow.com. Accessed on 1 Dec. 2009.
"Maziar Bahari." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
1 Dec 2009, 05:47 UTC. 1 Dec 2009.
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