THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 31, 1995 TAG: 9503310008
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 36 lines
Regarding your coverage of a model United Nations meeting at the Omni (Feb. 11), I was pleased to read that a couple of local high-school students had the guts to represent Iran and push for its cause. But one of the students said that although Iran is an ``outcast'' and a ``pariah,'' she felt sorry for Iran and its people since they are ``desperately poor and backward. They've got no money, no nuclear arms - nothing.'' That's an insult.
Obviously, the students didn't do their ``homework'' or their sources were too old and/or biased. Or could this gross stereotyping be the result of how some in the West always define a progressive civilization - in terms of money, technology and nuclear arms as opposed to humanity and culture?
Yes, Iran does have economic problems, but let's not forget that its economic hardship was brought about mainly by the eight-year war with Iraq, which the superpowers instigated so they could sell billions of dollars' worth of weapons. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were killed and many more maimed.
The damage to the country and its infrastructure was horrendous. The objective of the superpowers was to have both countries beaten and weak. Let's keep everybody weak; that's how we define ``balance of power.''
And, finally, how can one call the Persian civilization, with 3,000 years of history and major contributions to the arts, literature and science, ``backward''?
E. SHAYGAN
Chesapeake, March 23, 1995 by CNB