Kamangir (Archer)

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Islamic Republic Shows the Finger

Kamangir | February 5, 2007 | Category Iran

This is yesterday’s front page of Kayhan, the state-run newspaper. The text reads “authorities to the journalists who visited the nuclear facilities, as you see, Iran is not implementing the resolution”. Remembering that showing the thumb in Persian is the equivalent to the finger gesture, the picture has a very explicit meaning, which terrifies me.

Reader's Comments

brando | February 5th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
Holy smokes, Kamangir. Every time I read your website I get freaked out.
kamangir | February 5th, 2007 at 4:04 pm
Brando,
I am sorry, it’s not me doing all this.
ella | February 5th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Archer

I am really afraid for people of Iran. It seems that Ahmadinejad and Co., care nothing for the consequences of their politics on the people they profess to represent, the iranians.
kamangir | February 5th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Ella,
That’s exactly what I think.
ella | February 5th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Uh, and archer in other news.
The hizbullah put their flags all along the border with Israel. Not Lebanese flags, but hizbullah.!!!
Ali | February 5th, 2007 at 4:43 pm
Go Iran! If Bush can have the weapons, Ahmadinejad sure can. How many countries has IRI invaded again? Like a reader on BBC said, it’s best to talk about facts [America and Israel, declared enemies of the IRI both have nuclear weapons] rather than hypothetical situations [IF Iran got weapons... they might nuke another country (Yahudistan)] so I guess the question here is:

Why are all you anti-Iran? Hah
kamangir | February 5th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Ali jan,
Neither America not Israel have a president (prime minister) whose announced policy is to annihilate another country. I am not anti Iran, if I am anti anything that is Islamism and Islamic Republic.
Loopy | February 5th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
i dont know if i agree with yoru last comment there kamangir. actions speak louder than words. Of course i do not agree with ahmadinejad’s words, even if they WERE taken out of context. yet if we are to take these types of slogans seriously, then Iran should have been treated like this, since the beginning of the revolution. What then of every single wall in Tehran which has either Death to America or Death to Israel sprayed on it? Are we to take these seriously?
The difference is that ideology or belief does not necessarily mean action. So which do we fear more? someone or a government which is known for saying such thing, and yet has not instigated a ware in over a hundred years, or a a country (or countries) which may not spew the same rhetoric, but whose actions are are for worse? Which is more dangerous? a resistance group who kidnaps two SOLDIERS in order to barter for the release of thousands of civilians and politicians, or the country that instigates a war that destroys the entire infrastructure of an entire nation and drops a million cluster bombs over the two days AFTER ceasefire is agreed upon?
Lest we forget, actions speak louder than words.
kamangir | February 5th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Loopy,
I understand your point. Both America and Israel have done horrible things. However, the fact is, Iran is the one making all the noise right now. We can start listing others’ faults. That might help us feel very good about ourselves, but, to my understanding while we have an Iranian leader like Ahmadinejad that’s, with all respect, just hypocrisy.
Tom | February 5th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
I don’t hesitate to think for a moment that if Iran had the ability for its actions to speak louder than its words that there would be war raging as we speak.
kamangir | February 5th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Tom,
Unfortunately, I agree with you.
Loopy,
Any though about Tom’s remark?
Shaghaiegh | February 5th, 2007 at 6:02 pm
Just a note Kamangir, You are right about the meaning of showing the thumb in regular iraninan culture, but in the profesional and scientific groups its meaning is similar to the western expression.
kamangir | February 5th, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Shaghaiegh,
Whom do you think Kayhan targets, the Iranian intellectuals or the “masses”?
tsedek | February 5th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Well, very enlightening :S
Nobody, in his right state of mind, can believe the ‘chaos-imam-is-coming” stuff in the west because it sounds soooo far out. But, it looks like that’s exactly where this president is leading towards….
ZM | February 5th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
The first thing that came to my mind by seeing this picture was that maybe the guy who is showing the finger means to show it to foreiners that means “excellent” while inside the Iran, it means what every body knows. I actually thought the guy has had a sense of humor by doing so!
bucket | February 5th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Growing up in the US in the 1980s it was often said we were living under a nuclear threat with USSR. I remember the movies, the books and the rocks songs. One sting song was one of my favorites when I was like 11 yrs old…it is called Russians and basically sings that nuclear war is unlikely if the Russians love their children too. It was just a simple variation on the nuclear deterrent MAD. But with Iran I read stories about the Iran/Iraq war where Khomeini sent Iranian children to clear the mine fields with their own lives…well that hope I once had that the love for our children is something we all share really isn’t all that comforting anymore.
kamangir | February 6th, 2007 at 12:46 am
Tsedek,
Yes, I think he is entirely in that mood, but I am not sure if the “Imam” is in the mood for coming.
kamangir | February 6th, 2007 at 12:46 am
ZM,
I am sure the guys doesn’t mean anything bad. But about Kayhan, I am not so sure…
brando | February 6th, 2007 at 1:59 am
Bucket, that song was great.

Mr. Krushchev said we will bury you

I don’t subscribe to this point of view

It would be such an ignorant thing to do

If the Russian love their children too
kamangir | February 6th, 2007 at 2:27 am
Brando,
Nice song.
brando | February 6th, 2007 at 4:43 am
The music of it was really good too. (I just listened to it) It was sort of slow and sad. It had a sort of Russian feel to it. The tone conveyed the emotion of forboding and caution, and stressed what was at stake.
bucket | February 6th, 2007 at 8:05 am
It is a good song brando and you are right it does have a Russian feel to it, certainly not an Islamic Republic of Iran feel.
Tim | February 6th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
There never was a cease fire in Lebanon and it is folly to base any argument upon the deluision that there was.

As for Iran, if they get nukes they will control the Straits of Hormuz and THAT will give them the power to force the world to lie prostrate as they have their proverbial way with us. It would be immeasurably reckless for us to allow that to happen.

Lastly, if Iran “has not instigated a war in over a hundred years”, well it’s not for lack of trying. By threatening the United States with destruction, they HAVE committed an act of war.

The sole question that remains is: Do we have the backbone to accept their invitation?
chris | February 6th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
from wikipedia

“‘Thumbs up’ traditionally translates as the foulest of Middle-Eastern gesticular insults â€” the most straightforward interpretation is ‘Up yours, pal!’ The sign has a similarly pejorative meaning in parts of West Africa, South America, Russia, Iran, Greece, and Sardinia”
kamangir | February 7th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Brando and Bucket,
I just listened to it. It is very nice.
kamangir | February 7th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Chris,
You’ve got it right.
Trips Around the Blog World « Samaritans Scalawags Scoundrels & Fleecing the Sheep | February 7th, 2007 at 1:42 am
[...] Islamic Republic Shows the Finger [...]
mach1bugs | February 7th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
It’s interesting that the gesture is made with the right hand. In Arab culture, the left hand is considered the “dirty” hand for reasons I will not go into. If he really intended an insult, he would be using the other hand. It is an insult nonetheless, just would have been stronger with the other hand. Of course the ultimate visual insult would be to point (gesture) at the sole of your shoe with the left thumb while making the “OK” sign with the other hand…
kamangir | February 7th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Mach1bugs,
Thanks indeed for the info. I remind you that I do not think at all that the guy in the picture has meant to insult anyone. It is the newspaper which, to my understanding, has used the picture to convoy a message.
smileme | February 8th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Besides, in Iran we don’t have that concept for left/right hands!
Sirous | February 9th, 2007 at 12:07 am
I think that’s Khatami .