Michelle May

.

A Holiday in Iran

Above is a link to an interview International Press Service (IPS) journalist Omid Memarian did with me in NY after I returned from Iran this August.  The piece is Q & A style and may answer some important questions which i was too busy to cover here before.  http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2005/10/26/iran11923.htm

.

above: although deceptively written in Farsi, the above manual is actually used to train staff at JFK immigration & customs in NY, USA.

I am back in the US.  Not without a bit of a to-do at both Iranian and US customs on exit & arrival, but i think that my stories of both will illustrate some of the differences in our customs of hospitality.  Leaving Imam Khomeini airport, the female immigration officer noticed that my place of birth was in the US so she sent me over to a separate department for further approval.  Due to insane lines at the airport, there was only about 20 minutes left till my plane was scheduled to leave so i had to hussle.  Like several countries in that part of the world, many times, even when people do not know what you are looking for they will try to be helpful, and send you somewhere.  So i was directed from one end of the airport to the next looking for the 2nd immigration office while the clock was ticking,  Unable to find it i had to return back, a bit bothered & annoyed that this woman was making me do this at 4AM, and for what really?  It has been a long time since i worried about Iranian immigration not letting me in or out of Iran so i felt confident making a bit of a stink to expediate the process.  Which it was easily.  The immigration department wrote down my visa number on an old receipt and i was off.  

Normally i do not write about things like this, but I was able to ride in Air Emirates new Airbus Superjumbo jet A380 between Dubai and JFK.  I was told it is the largest plane in the world, and it was only it’s 6th flight to NY since it began running on August 4, 2008.  It is a double decker plane seating up to 600.  Downstairs is for the coach folk, while upstairs is business andfirst class fit out with individual 26 inch plasma screen TVs, a shopping ceter, lie-flat beds, showers, spas, a wet bar, and lounges.  I was not allowed to go up stairs to check it our but the entrance alone looked like an entrance to a fancy spa.  Really nice warm hardwood floors, flowers, aromatherapy burning, & an reception area full of smiling gracious Air Emirate personnel, who also graciously serve us downstairs in coach.  I am not sure if any airport is really set up to handle such a large plane- at JFK we had to wait a while while they figured out how to connect the “airgates” double decker style.  Once getting off the plans there was a major people traffic jam in the air gate- we were only inching along- there were simply too many people.  Luggage had to be dispensed from 2 luggage carousels; one for 1st class & business the other for us in coach.  It took a while- there were just too many bags.

I was happy to finally get out of the airport after such a long journey from Dubai, however my usual good luck quick pass through customs did not happen this time.  Although i have been through US customs over 100 times, never ever being stopped or searched, this time they made quite a not so nice fuss about me and the fact that i had written down that i was in Iran.  This fact (which i did not even need to tell them really, since i travelled to Iran on my Irish passport) seemed to change the customs folks’ demeanor from aloofly efficient to angry and seemingly personaly insulted.  It was strange.  The first man i spoke with irritably asked me if the US had given me “permission” to go to Iran.  Silly man, I know enough to know that that is not necessary, and that he was trying to intimidate me, which did not work.  He then sent me over to a 2nd area where every inch of my bags were searched, including searching the luggage for holes, and whatever was inside such holes (smuggled 10 cent gasoline?).  A woman officer asked me all about my career, who i met with in Iran, again why I was there (they do not seem to get that there is tourism in Iran), how i could possibly travel alone in such a country, what sort of money was spent, etc-.  She then found a bunch of books i was bringing over for a friend- written in Farsi.  She questioned what these books said and did not seem fully convinced when i said that i cannot read Farsi.  AFter having such a great time in Iran being treated like a member of the family by everyone i met i had to ask them:  Why is it so wrong that i went to Iran?  What are you looking for?  and, why don’t you like Iran?  I guess b/c i know my friends back in Iran cannot speak so freely i was really pumping my free speech muscles by asking her so many questions in gest.  I know this irritated these people, but i just could not help myself.  THey had no answers for me except a quick “Hey, were the ones who attacked us.”  I cringed with embrassment for this lady- for myself, as an American that there truly are people here (& this is NY!) who are still so ignorant and misled about the 9/11 terrorist attacks & who pertpetrated them.  I quirped back correcting her that most hijackers were from Saudi- who the US does much business with– but she did not seem at all interested.  By the end they acted as if i was invisible, ignoring my questions, not making eye contact- and leaving my bags a mess, so that i had to repack everything. 

I guess you really cannot change people.  They have to experience things first hand.  Still, it is really disheartening- that people here can be so rude and suspicious while a supposed “den of terrorists” is so welcoming, friendly and sweet.  You really cannot believe anything you see on the propaganda machine.  Believe you me, Iranians see their fair share of propagana yet the people there still appear to be more independant-minded and further along the path of enlightenment than America is.     

.

After 8 weeks I just left Iran- sadly.. i miss it so already! especially the great friends i have made there… my travel bug has hardly been tamed or satiated by this trip- i can hardly believe it.  Now all i think about is what is next?  back to Iran?  Sumatra?  Afghanistan?  Borneo?  Mongolia?  Pakistan?  Senegal? when when can i go!!!?  Tomorrow?!!! I hope so!!

ANyways, i want to say a few things that i did not feel comfortable writing or speaking about from Iran.  THough i do ****love**** Iran…. As anyone there will tell you there are serious issues surrounding free speech.  The governmment (who i respect enough for letting me be there, and welcoming me so..) does not tolerate people speaking their mind or saying what they want- so in several of my stories I have changed names, not included photos of some people, and have been purposely vague about stories.  If the government wants it can make trouble for people & i certainly do not want that for any of the people I met who opened up to me and shared their stories.

Most everyone i met is *not* happy with the current regime in Iran- very religious people included.  I know a major misconception in the west is that we are waging a war with Islam and that Islam in itself oppresses women & calls for things like martyrdom.  However i want to say clearly that it is NOT the religion– the issue is how various different governments (& fundamental groups) interpret Islam & the Koran.  Islam is actually a religion of love & peace in it’s true form (in my humble opinion).  This very same thing goes on in America with the Bible.  What do you think?  I can speak mainly about Christianity since that is what i have had the most background in.  Growing up (some of you probably do not know this, or will be able to believe it) i had a very religious fundamental Christian mom.  Even when i was young- not for 1 second did i buy any of it.  I remember resisting going to church and questioning who wrote this book & if Jesus was a man of love then why would he make up rules that are are so strict, scary, and judgemental- moreless so hateful of abortion doctors and gays… and why on earth would just “born again” Christains be the “chosen ones” who reach heaven??!  So we have been blessed by geography if nothing else?? it is really absurd if you think about it like a rational human being.  I thank God (a universally powerful positive loving force) that I had that much sense even as such a young child.  Having survived a mom who thinks this way (God bless her) even as an adult, i still run into fundamental Christians who would spew the same scary stories and the same canned responses to my questions-. Like many, i think that most world religions who have been touched by and interpretted by man are instead used by governments or people in power to CONTROL People.   Of course this goes on today & it also went on back in the day- Bible & Koran writing time included.  People are people.  we are not perfect there always was & there always will be good and bad people in this world.   So to me, it seems absurb to read everything said in the Bible or Koran and interpret it so literally & factually. 

In Iran, I had identical conversations to what i used to have with my mom with a few Muslims who were trying to convert me to Islam.  It is the same exact thing i grew up around- canned responses, insistance that THEIR way is the ONLY way to god, blind faith in a written book written by men, with no serious critique of WHO wrote this book and what their motivation at the time was.  I do believe that Mohammed was a a fantastic man and phrophet- i just do not believe ALL of what is written in the Koran & how it is intepretted or stressed by some fundamentalists (same with the Bible).  Like Jesus I am sure Mohammed is rolling over in his grave when some of his followers are brain-washed into believeing in Jihad, and other such things such as killing others, martyrdom & all these silly virgins holding wine goblets up in heaven.

It was wonderful questioning people in Iran about their beliefs (respectfully, of course), and getting the hard-core ones to think a bit more about what they may have been told by their leaders in their Mosque- not that i met many a jihadist (really only 1).  One thing is for certain though, as much as i love Iran, there is no freedom or encouragement to question what you are told in mosque or by your government- it simply is not tolerated & does not go on with happen with strangers or in public.  It is the thing that I savor most about the culture i live in- that i can question things.  But that would never make me go as far to say that a place like America is the “greatest place on earth” as some right-wingers claim (how ridiculous is that!? i am sure they have never left the country- if only to Cancun), nor would i say that our leaders are really trying to spread “democracy” or fight for “freedom” in places like Iraq.  That is bull shit- as you know already- it ain’t about democracy or freedom.  I am happy that i can freely say that or whatever i want at home– for that i am very very thankful- my friends in Iran clearly do not have this luxury.   

.

above: the wonders of photo shop in Mashhad

above: Fabulous Sunni Muslim fashion

above: Phallic burial stone near Turkmenistan border

hey there… all has been hectic- have been covering way too much ground way too quickly since i wrote last but just wanted to let you know all is great here but i have just been too busy to write or share much lately- i promise to make up for that in the coming days when i have suspiciously fast net speed, not to mention net access.

I had a wonderful time in the city of Mashhad- the holiest city in Iran so there was much religious fanfare and zeal but nothing i cannot handle. I was hosted there by my friend Omid and his family- really great people & a nice relaxing place to take refuge from the heat & crowds of pilgrims. His family is very modern and his friends and he all long for a bit more than Iran has to offer. We had many an interesting conversation about life in the US dictated on TV versus reality, how hard is to get a US visa (not to mention green card), and how they feel about the droves of pilgrims who are constantly “trashing” their city. In Mashhad I also spent some very enlightening time with my new friend Hamed who i met on the excruciatingly long bus-trip from Zahedan to Mashhad– we were stopped nearly 15 times to be checked by the police- just b/c it is still in the major drug smuggling area along the Afghan border. Still, i find something rivetting about that part of the country- quite possibly b/c it fills my admitted “danger element” which always means travel is more interesting & fun in my book (so long as it does not involve tonnes of metal crashing, and/or bloodshed).

Anyhoo, Hamed is a 25 year old die-hard Sunni Muslim & the ONLY person i have met in this country who finds the current regime in Iran to be absolutely fantastic (i am paraphrasing!). No matter, he is an absolute love and dear and despite his die hard religious ways, his family is not so religious and his mom is even a yoga teacher. i got to visit her studio and he translated for us as we had some fantastic talks about yoga & ashram life. It was great to see such different lifestyles co-existing under one roof, really.

After Mashhad i went to the TUrkemen area near the Turkmenistan border. A completely different culture yet again. 1st off the people look Asian- Mongolian like; 2nd off they keep to themselves and live off the land in a brown desolate almost monotoned landscape. I hired an interpreter there- she & I had some good times in Turkemen villages with the people (many ladies around, which is sort of rare- usually i am used to just seeing men in more traditional areas). We hung out with a few camels, dogs, and Caspian horses- quite a delight as you know how i love my 4 legged friends!!! We also went to a very random site where a Christian is buried. Somehow it has now turned into yet another pilgrimage site, but this time for Muslims (hey , they do love JC- Jesus Christ). Odder still there is an ancient pagan burial ground there with tones of phallic symbols- penises coming out of the ground- it means that a man is burried there. While a more butterfly looking shape means that women are buried below. Another interesting part of it was that the longer the phallus, the more important the person buried below- where have i heard that one before???!!! STill, this is Iran so it is a bit shocking….

More soon, people. I promise.

.