Linking Tehran and Tel Aviv

[cali]

Last Updated: Friday, 28 April 2006, 11:32 GMT 12:32 UK

Hossein Derakhshan is a 31-year-old Iranian internet activist, based in Canada, who writes the bilingual weblog Editor: Myself. Here he writes about his first visit to Israel, which he undertook to challenge the stereotypes both Iran and Israel.

Hossein Derakhshan wants to break down stereotypes on both sides

For me, an Iranian raised in post-revolutionary Iran, Israel has always had three great qualities: unknown, forbidden and therefore extremely intriguing. That's why I finally decided to visit Israel.

But unlike all Iranians who have visited Israel, I decided to publicise my visit to the 20,000 daily readers of my blog - even though I knew I would not be able to go back to Iran again.

<snip>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4947354.stm


Just kind of interesting.

[pelsar]

1. the iranian sterotype?

i've never heard of such a thing in israel....many here are from iran, there was many years ago a relationship with iranians....the problem israel faces with iran is not some stereotype that they are "evil"..we just have a problem with a theocractic facsist regime that wants to wipe us out, but we actually dont hate the iranians, nor have a stereotype of them...probably related to many in our govt being iranian (pres, def minister)

[cali]

2. read the entire article, pelsar

he talks about everything you bring up, that the largest community of Iranians outside Iran live in Israel, about the past relationship and Israelis of Iranian background in the gov't.

[pelsar]

3. i did....

and found it interesting....and was glad to see that the stereotype doesnt exist on the israeli side....and that the iranians probably cant wait to rid themselves of their present govt. (they're considered a bright, engergetic secular "people")