I just read a chilling article by Ms. Tara Farhid regarding an apparently anti-Iranian so-called lecture on the occasion of Cyrus Cylinder Tour in the United States conducted by the trio, Amelie Khurt, Wouter Henkelman and Zainab Bahrani on Saturday April 27 at Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington DC. According to the article ,the lecture was a well orchestrated attack on Cyrus and anything and everything Persian and Iranian without anyone to present a countering point of view. You can read the article in full here.
Why would an Iraqi professor, Ms. Zainab Bahrani (pictured above) ,teaching history at Columbia University would want to malign Persians and their heritage? Who is behnid this revisionist history of Cyrus and the Persian contribution to world civilization?? Who is Wouter Henkelman? What motivates Amelie Khurt, a historian authroing a book about the Persian Empire to jump on a bandwagon of Islamist in Iran to mock and disparage Cyrus, the Great's legacy?
Should we contact Smithsonian and request an explanation of why they booked these three characters to demonize Persians and their Heritage while they are promoting the Cyrus Cylinder Tour?
While I respect free speech, you are absolutely correct that an opposing view should have been presented. But honestly Furedup jaan, there's an old Persian saying, "kasi keh be ma nar--deh bood, kalagh k--n dareedeh bood." The IR has made such a mockery of us and our culture that the entire world deems it quite appropriate to gang up on us. Persian Gulf is being changed to A- Gulf, Caspian Sea rights are taken away from us, all kinds of separatist movements are being sponsored by various outside influences...and now this. The IR has left us with no respect in this world.
For the last thirty odd years and specially in the recent years, the demonization of Iranians has not been any nothing new or limited to this event and IRI is certainly giving them plenty of ammunition to do their dirty work. What is especially disturbing in this event they have gone after the Persian heritage rather what has been the norm, the today’s Iran.
Mehrdad
The real enemey of Iranian culture and civilization is the regime in Iran. For every 30+ years they have been attacking Iranain culture and civilization on a 7/24 basis so what do you expect from others? the enemy is within my friends, you don't have to look far.
I really have to agree with MRX.
who are the bigger enemies of Iran? the crazed islamists who have been killing raping and ploundering our people, our country and it's resources for the past 34 years or a few women who say nasty things about Cyrus and his cylinder?
i have a feeling that Cyrus, the great, wise and good king that he was, would agree with MRX's comment too!
An appropriate and realistic question would be why the Smithsonian would stoop so low to allow such slander to take place? At the same time, how much money did it take for the regime to convince Smithsonian and these so called scholars to do this?
the eSSlamists would love nothing better than to erase everything pre-eSSlamic about Iran.....and these....are........................... Iranians!
Nice going....
Warning to the Arab woman on a Cyrus tour.
you better watch your mouth when I am at the tour because you might get hurt.