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Ali’s Hope
A Longtime Iranian Immigrant Wonders about His Future Under the Coming Regime
© 2016 James LaFond
OCT/26/16
I do not vote. But I hope Trump wins. I know he says he wants to send foreigners back where they came from, But I have been here for over twenty-five-years and hope that he would let me stay. It is hopeless to think the U.S. President will be chosen based on international affairs. I have only met two Americas who know where my country is. The others, when I tell them, they think I’m Arab—speak Arabic. Then when I inform them that I am Iranian, they say, “Oh, you speak Iranian?”
I answer, “Do you speak, American?”
“No, you speak English, just like I speak Farsi.”
As a foreigner in your country I fear the hatred that comes. I am an Arуan like you. I think the hatred will be worse under the woman president and since Americans cannot tell a Berber from a Kurd, from an Arab, from a Sikh even—from a Hindu who worships a hundred gods—I fear the repercussions of inviting all of those ISIS men into the country. When Americans finally decide to fight back, who am I? An Arab they may well say.”
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PR     Oct 26, 2016

Why does he tell them he's Iranian instead of Persian? WHen you say, "Iranian," people think "Ayatollah Khomeini." Saying "Persian" hearkens back to a sophisticated, sensuous rich culture. Most Persians, despite Islam, seem like they come from such a culture. THeir version of Islam - Shi'ism - is totally different, also. No Shi'a has committed any terrorist attacks against us. Over time, the Shi'a countries ethnically cleansed all the Jews and Christians, but they held on far longer than in the Sunni countries save the Copts and Chaldeans. The latter were only wiped out due to Bush overthrowing Saddam and unleashing anarchy.

Persians fit right in if they want to. Tell him to fly the American or Confederate flag (they're both now seen as racist symbols of oppression) and he's welcome to join us if we ever decide to fight back.
Jeremy Bentham     Oct 27, 2016

Why not tell people you're "Persian"? LOL! Actually Ali should be thankful the people he meets don't know what an Iranian is or have any knowledge of what happened in Iran 37 years ago. Ali need not worry in any event. We Americans are suckers for a hard luck story, and every one of these immigrants has one that just tugs at your heart strings, don't they? We are still waiting for this horrible "backlash" against Muslims the news media habitually warns us about, and our President invariably scolds us about, following every Islamic terrorist attack. A backlash that never seems to happen. Heck, I know American servicemen who spent good money out of their own pockets to ship stray cats and dogs home from the Middle-East. Talk about kind-hearted softies! However, I presume Ali lives in a black majority area, If so, he has likely discovered that our African-American citizens tend to be noticeably less receptive to other people's hard luck stories than your typical "privileged' white American. Not as interested in the language and customs of foreigners either.
PR     Oct 29, 2016

Maybe I am being a sap about this guy. Most Persians are not "hard luck" cases at all, actually. Usually, their parents are so rich they don't work.
Jeremy Bentham     Oct 30, 2016

Don't feel bad PR. These Middle-Easterners from an educated and privileged background are good at pushing our psychological buttons and telling us just what we want to hear. Ralph Peters has observed that many of America's foreign policy blunders in the Middle-East came about because our leaders were taken in by smooth talkers who spoke good English and told our leaders just what they wanted most to believe. The hard luck story most of these upper class "Persians" have is that they lost the power, influence and much of the wealth they enjoyed in the old country before they were forced to flee to America. Now they have to start from scratch in a foreign culture where their credentials and family connections are not recognized. Some of them still have a lot of money in the bank, but a lot of them are experiencing cash flow difficulties and consequently are unable to enjoy the lifestyle they were accustomed to. Complete with obedient servants to attend to their every need and desire. Waaaahh! I mean listen to this ALi. He knows full well how to elicit sympathy from the average white American. He, like most of his fellow countryman, knows us well enough to understand that portraying himself as a poor, hardworking immigrant at the mercy of cruel fate will get him more sympathy than letting it be known he came from a privileged background in his country of origin. But really, what makes him think he will be treated any different from any other non-black in Harm City when the Purge commences anew? What difference will it make whether the dindus can tell an Iranian from a Kurd or a Sikh? What is also bothering a lot of these wealthy Middle-Eastern immigrants is that now America is importing the same savage imbeciles that drove them from their homeland in the first place. Ali has much more to fear from fanatical and vindictive fellow Muslims than he does from any redneck American "backlash'. Even white folks whose ancestors landed here over 300 years ago are strangers in a strange land now.
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