January 9, 2009
Freedoms and constraints in Iranian university life
U.S. news coverage of Iran tends to focus on the country’s combative relationship with the U.S. and its support of militant organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
But on public television stations this month, Rick Steves travels to the country to get another glimpse of life. In this excerpt from the new program “Rick Steves’ Iran,” he visits a university campus in Tehran where he speaks candidly with a group of students about their social environment.
6 comments
It is nice to see everyone friendly at Tehran University. Please bear in mind however that Baha’is have been excluded from all Iranian Universities for the last 30 years - so there is a dark side to all the sunshine and smiles.
why can’t there be more Rick Steves in the world? He seems so normal and friendly and yet I meet so many people (and I live near Rick Steves) who are closed minded about the middle east.
Beautiful! Rick Steve’s Iran was not only a clear and concise historical review, but it put a face and personality to a country that seems in contrast, to have been demonized by other TV pieces. This film is the truth for which “we the people” are really hungering. Perhaps President Obama can take the time to sit down with Michele, kids, a few good friends & some good Middle Eastern food and watch it!
I would like American people to imagine how cruel it would be to send troops into this lovely country and commit the same crime they did to Iraqies.
What a lovely and refreshing find on a chilly afternoon in January in Florida. It filled me with optimism on the days leading up to the inauguration of Barack Obama (a pending McCain inaugural, or looking, back a second or even first one for Bush would not inspire the same feelings). I had heard it said that the Iranian people did not hate us as is the popular perception, but to see the openness, the smiling faces, and the cell phones give much credence to that claim. Rick’s peek behind the Iranian curtain reminds me of the wonderful images captured in the book based on James Michener’s trip to Cuba a number of years: the smiling faces, in particular on the children, despite the obvious wants. What really gives me hope is that Obama gives every indication that he is willing to engage those in the world we disagree with (to wit the evening dinner with George Will and other members of the conservative establishment). I am not so naive as to think that talk will bring quick results, or is the final answer, but dealing with Iran without talk is no solution.
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05/24/2009 :: 05:53:40 PM
Denise Dube Says:
I lived in ShirazIran in the 70’s as a teenager. Being an American I found Iranian people to be friendlier and embrace me more than any other country. If we would all view each other people to people rather then government to government, what a different view of life we allo would have. We Americans have so much to learn from the Iranian culture.