Kamangir (Archer)

If you have been visiting this blog for some time, I guess you do know that I am a relaxed person and that I do not take offense easily (see: Do not Panic! You are not a Cockroach! for example). But, seriously, what is this? “Iranians eat evidence“? So what? That Iranians are hungry creatures strolling in the streets looking for prey? (and that reminds me of “28 Days Later” by the way) Is this Reuters, or is this a spoof item from The Onion? I guess this is yet another clue how much more relevant a blog-like point of view can be.

This is the English translation of a “Personal Note” written by Ferevertish Rezvanieh, published in Pendar about the mentioned sandwich.

Why We should be Proud of the One-and-a-Half-kilometer Sandwich

In the midst of the rising negative views at Iran in the world media, why should we really be proud of our 1500-meter sandwich?

How is our cinema presented in the world? A student who has lost his school book, a kid with a worn off shoe, a boy who so wants a yellow balloon. We definitely should be happy that we have won the Golden Palm and the Golden Lion and all the other prizes, and that couple of Iranian directors are known around the world. Nevertheless, we have to also be aware of how Iran is portrayed in these movies.

Hollywood has long been selling the US as the “lost paradise” which accepts everyone, from whatever race and nationality they are and whatever their color of skin is. But, is that actually what is happening in the US? People think they have gotten more familiar with a society, its culture and the dynamics in there, after they watch a movie from that region. Similarly, when they watch an Iranian movie, of the kind described in the above, they will think, “So, this is Iran!” They will find Iran a country of deserts where kids run after shoes.

Does the presence of Golshifteh Farahani and Mitra Hajjar lead to a more realistic presentation of Iran in the world? Do you go and watch an Afghan singer and then imagine her as an artist who has fled her land of misery using her talents? Does her fabulous voice help you forget the Taliban and the devastated Buda statues for a second? Or to picture prosperous Afghan cities full of colors?

Some Iranian sources have reported that groups of Iranians complained against the making of the sandwich. Is it really useless to have the name of Iran registered as the host for the longest sandwich in Iran when we own the record for death in our roads? It is correct that the money spent on that sandwich could have been put to use in making a lot of sandwiches for the poor. But, still, is it pointless to not fight against the anti-Iran coverage?

The longest sandwich was prepared on Friday morning in Mellat Park, Tehran, and received a lot of attention in the international media. Just look for “Iran+Sandwich” in google to see some of the reactions.

700 kilos of ostrich, 700 kilos of chicken, 100 kilos of green peppers, 120 kilos of onions, 500 kilos of Mayonnaise, 700 kilos of mushrooms, 700 kilos of mustard sauce, 500 kilos of vegetable oil, 1 kilos of Saffron, and 2 kilos of caraway seeds were put into a sandwich. That was how the people of Tehran were brought together in Mellat Park for the world to see that Iranians do own shoes, and Handy cams, and parks. That they eat sandwiches and ride Hummers. That they do not look for a shoe in the sewage.