“Hajji Firuz (Persian: حاجی فیروز‎) or Hajji Piruz (حاجی پیروز), is a fictional character in Iranian folklore who appears in the streets by the beginning of Nowruz, the Iranian New Year. His face is covered in soot, and he is clad in bright red clothes and a felt hat. He dances through the streets while singing and playing a tambourine. It was originally known as Khwaja Piruz”

Saeed shanbehzadeh, the renowned Iranian folk dancer and musician has released a video in Persian decrying the blackened face mascot of Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

Describing himself as “an Iranian Negro” descendent of slaves, Shanbehzadeh says the blackened faced Nowruz mascot is an affront to the twenty to thirty thousand Persian Negroes.

Not going into discussion of the uncertain history of Haji Firuz, Shanbehzadeh raises a legitimate dilemma.

Are cultural practices sacrosanct and immune from revision, particularly when they’re hurtful to a segment of society?

 Airtight sanctions - which includes oil - a la against the despicable South Africa apartheid, works. U.S. lawmakers get to it.