Frustrating Apathy and Selfishness of Some Fellow Iranians

It has been more than once, that when I am speaking to fellow Iranians that have moved out of Iran and have recently settled in their new homeland, that they claim Iran is not as bad as in the news. But the question is, if its not so bad, why are they living here and not there? I actually asked that question from an Iranian that made such a claim. He responded: "Oh well I wanted something better for my kids. Besides happiness is all relative. The Iranians in the Iranian villages define happiness by getting more camels. The Iranians in the city don't know any better and they define happiness with owning a car." What he really is thinking is that he is better than other Iranians, so he should live in the nice free country. He actually said:" Besides I have my citizenship, I'm covered, I don't care." I responded with: "Well I do care and the world has changed. Iranians in Iran have access to satellite television, internet and the radio, they know what's out there, and they have every right to want to have their piece of the pie too.". He responded:"Iranians deserve the conditions in Iran, if everyone would take to the streets, they could bring down the regime. But they don't". I replied:"Who are "they"? Wouldn't "they" be you and me??!!"

This is very frustrating that some Iranians don't care about the ones suffering in Iran. I wouldn't want to live in currant Iran because I would have no freedom, I would have a very difficult time finding employment, I believe Health Care is not as good as it should be and I would not have the chance to shape my future and destiny because I would not have a voice. If what is in Iran is not good enough for me, I believe that it is not good enough for other Iranians as well. Additionally, it is not the responsibility of a hero to save Iran from the dicatators. It is all of our responsibility to try to do our part.

Let me tell these "fresh of the boat" Iranians one more thing. The shame of having an ethnicity affiliated with a country whose government is facist will be with them forever. I would know, I've been out of the country for 10 plus years, and not a day goes by where I am not feeling guilty of the gifts that I have and my fellow Iranians do not, as well as always having the "terrorist savage Iranian" label on me not being a source of shame. When people in the new homeland see me, they should look down on me. Because they realize that instead of fixing the problems of my country, I have taken the easy way out and moved to another country. (Granted I was in my early teens when my family imigrated, so I have at least a half baked excuse.)

I understand not wanting to live there and I am not suggesting that all Iranians living abroad should pick up and go back. But claiming that living in Iran is fine and dandy is something I disagree with. I have always heard of requests from a friend of a friend to see if I can help an Iranian move out of Iran, I have never had the reverse where a foreigner is asking a friend of a friend of mine to have me help them imigrate to Iran.

We should all be working together so that Iranians in Iran have access to the same freedoms, economic, health and social advantages as we have in the desirable free democratic countries that Iranians chose to imigrate to.