.@ItCedes
I was only 3 when the Iranian revolution happened. Millions of people rioted & destroyed my country of birth. I remember cocktail Molotavs exploding, fire, shootings, similar to or worse than here, but it happened in every square inch of the country. No safe spaces.
I was only 3 when the Iranian revolution happened. Millions of people rioted & destroyed my country of birth. I remember cocktail Molotavs exploding, fire, shootings, similar to or worse than here, but it happened in every square inch of the country. No safe spaces.
I vividly remember that when I was 3, during 1 of the biggest riots to force women to cover, my 20 y/o mom was running 4 her life frantically while holding me. She was attacked 4 improper hijab as she was holding me. Fighting off rioters as to avoid getting raped & beaten.
Imagine being discriminated against & verbally abuses because your family worked in the previous administration but you were a child and had no idea why a bunch of terrorist want to in prison and torture you extended family. Because they hated them & disagreed politically.
Your family assets confiscated, your voice oppressed by association, discriminated for your religious beliefs. Not being hired or getting fired on one side of the family because now, they as Kurds were considered minority.
Imagine you family not being able to attend certain colleges, have gatherings of large groups for practices against Islamists, young men being forced to serve in military but at the lowest levels (minority again), and never being able to work as a govt official in higher offices.
Imagine having an entire city being trashed, destroyed by RPGs & tanks because they were the minority and had to learn their lesson to never get out of line.
Imagine being abused in elementary school for your family beliefs and differences of opinion & background in religion. Being forced to learn and practice the religion they deemed acceptable, everyday, 6 days a week.
These thing I’ve personally experienced. Not one person in my family looted & rioterd & they had none of the rights you have in America. Imagine if the POTUS was truly a dictator. Trust me he is not b/c I’ve seen dictatorship. I’ve seen Martial Law imposed when people spoke up.
Several months after the regime change, the 8 yr Iran-Iraq war started. I remember the day my dad grabbed me in the middle of the night throwing me in a car, leaving everything behind, he drove away w no known safe destination, no available line to communicate w family.
For 8 yrs we witnessed bombers & rockets coming several time a day. At least a few times during preschool/school hours. Think of the most vivid war movie you’ve seen. Multiply the horror by 100s. Imagine sitting in class or sleeping in your bed only 2 hear the country wide sirens
The bombers were coming & we had run for our lives underground, stay for hrs as you hear them drop & explode. If we were away we’d hope that our parents were still alive. Again, think every minute of the day anticipating to die. Not an easy feeling for parents or kids.
The worst incident was when a building near our house blew up. I remember the smell of blood, destruction & remains of explosives, the sounds (still get nauseous during war movies), the body parts on the ground, people w shattered glasses in their faces or dismembered &much more.
Fast forward to when the war was over, I was 13 when I was sexually assaulted by a 34 yr old. In an Islamic country & a family considered minority, I couldn’t tell anyone except mom & my best friend. Had I complained I’d be the 1 punished my family would be shamed & destroyed.
At the same time imagine being arrested by the violent morality police for dress code several times. Knowing if they take me & book me I’d be raped & sodomized & perhaps never found. I remember screaming & begging, only by God’s grace my dad found a friend in the system to help.
Fast forward to finally when I was able to leave & eventually land in Canada. I was discriminated against for being from Iran & not knowing English at 16. I was 19 & was sexually assaulted but couldn’t do much.
My little sister was also sexually assaulted & more. (Not my story to tell but brutal). Several of my family members went through same. My cousin was just sentenced for 100 lashes a few years ago.
As an immigrants from Iran during the worst time 4 Middle Easterners, I was discriminated against. Then 9/11 happened. Imagine being from the ME during that time, the worst terrorist attack on this nation. interestingly enough I was always discriminated against by liberals.
My father too experiences racism, most recently by a black man & a Chinese woman actually & b/c of his accent, same w one of my brothers in law. Only 3 yrs ago on twitter I was told by Nazis that I should be burned & thrown out of a Helicopter but I didn’t call everyone a Nazi.
Now as a convert & a Christian I get death threats from Muslim outside the country. I’m called names & a considered a racist by many blacks & many liberals who don’t even know me. Phone calls that I would have my head cut off.
All this is a FRACTION of what I’ve experienced personally. But will I ever let those keep me down & or make me bitter? Or have I felt like a victim? Do I accuse random Americans like yourself names b/c of their beliefs or b/c a black man almost bet my 73 yr old dad up? No.
It’s never a good idea to assume that those who disagree w you haven’t had hardship. Many have had a it a million times worse. Always give the benefit of the doubt. I know of at least 20 people who’ve had much worse experiences than those you’ve listed w racism & discrimination.
Dewelling in a painful past, whether it your experience or your ancestors centuries ago should never be a reason to live in resentment. It’s your right 2 feel how you do but It helps to know that you’re not the only 1. All races go through paint. Even whites & now more than ever.
My husband is white, a devout Christian, doesn’t get into politics or arguments, doesn’t meddle in people’s lives nor does he hurt a fly. He’s very conservative w guns, Bible, Trump, constitution, the whole 9 yrd, as white as they come, family dating back to the Mayflower, but
He’s regularly discriminated against for being white even though I know without a shred of doubt that he’d be the first in line to save a black (or any other race) person in need before anyone else I know in my life, including black people I know. Same with LEOs in his family.
The reality is that the majority of people in America are good. The majority don’t want people to get hurt, they hate chaos, riots, destruction and hate. The only major issue Americans have is that they don’t communicate effectively or are fooled by & trust career politicians.
Let me be clear that I did not write any of this gain sympathy or recognition. But in a climate where so many are tired of everyone playing victim and constantly complain, I think it’s a good idea for those who have had similar or worse experiences to speak up.
Also in truly oppressive countries, like Iran, minorities are sentenced to death or prison 4 different views or speaking up. A few months ago, 1500 Peaceful protestors including children were shot in broad daylight. So to all Americans stop whining & crying. You’re not oppressed!
* beat my dad
* imprison
