Firouz Naderi Sets the Record Straight

On February 26, NASA scientist Firouz Naderi and engineer Anousheh Ansari accepted Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s award for best foreign-language film at the 89th Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, California. Farhadi boycotted the awards in response to President Trump's executive order banning people from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the US. 

Naderi, who has worked on the search for Earth-like planets and led the Mars Exploration Program for NASA, moved to the United States in 1964, but has always expressed his love for both Iran and America. Although not overtly political, Naderi has occasionally been critical of the Iranian government, as in the case of Iranian physicist Omid Kokabee, who spent five years in an Iranian prison. 

Following on from the Oscars, Naderi received numerous comments on his Facebook page suggesting he should have spoken out about human rights in Iran, or accusing him of being pro-American, anti-Iranian, or pro-monarchy. Naderi responded on Facebook with the following comments. 

 

By Firouz Naderi

 

Since Oscar night an avalanche of trash by professional mudslingers has hit my public Facebook page. The complaint is why didn’t I usurp my time on the stage to broadcast to a billion worldwide audience a litany of Islamic Republic of Iran criminal activities and human rights violations. As a result of all the innuendos, some are now confused as to who I really am. This write-up — a stream of consciousness — is not for those who know me well, or for the people who have an agenda and whose mind will not change. It is for those good people who have read some of the trash being written, are confused and expect me to clarify. So, here you have it. This is who I am. If you like it fine, if you don’t too bad – I am not here to impress you.

20 points as it came to my mind and not in any special order:

 

1. I detest the absurd jingoistic slogans such as “Honar nazdeh Iranian hast va bast” or, “America — my country right or wrong”. 

2. I am not a member of the NIAC [National Iranian American Council] organization – not because I think there is anything wrong with them. I am just not a member or active in their organization. 

3. Did I support Obama’s nuclear deal agreement with Iran? Yes I did. Good for both countries.

4. Do I support bombing Iran? Hell no. If my family was taken hostage in my own home, I would not burn down the building to get rid of the hostage takers. There are those who support such action but I think they have forfeited their right to be called Iranians.

5. Am I a royalist? No. I am not. But, I have an enormous respect for Shahbanou Farah, and have met Reza Pahlavi and I think like his father he is a patriot. 

6. Have I been silent on the subject of human rights in Iran? If you have followed me since 2009 you would know that I have spoken out often.

7. Why do I talk politics on social media when I have not studied political science? I think those who ask this question are people who have not lived in a democracy. It is a responsibility of each citizen to engage in political affairs of the country – in my case America.

8. Did I support Donald Trump? No. I am a liberal democrat. I voted in the primaries for Bernie Sanders.

9. Do I support Trump’s travel ban? No I do not. It is not good for America.

10. After living in America for nearly 50 years do I see myself more American or Iranian? Being Persian is part of my history, and being an American is part of my identity and the two are irretrievably intermixed — like an egg that once scrambled, you cannot separate the yolk from the white. America is my country, and Iran is my homeland. And how blessed I am to be rooted in an ancient civilization with a rich culture, and at the same time a proud American living in this young nation that has lifted me on her shoulders, allowing me to reach for the stars.

11. My views on the political system in Iran is that the people living in Iran should decide what is the best system of government for them. But, I favor a democratically-elected, secular government, observing full civil liberties and human rights with separation of “church” and state. 

12. Am I Muslim, Jewish, Baha’i, or Christian? I have no religious affiliation, although I consider myself a spiritual person, believing in “something” beyond himself. My religion is do good, and do well by others.

13. Why did I accept to represent Mr. Farhadi at the Oscars? I saw the movie. I thought it was brilliant. It won several awards at the Cannes film festival long before Trump was president, and It was nominated for an Oscar long before Trump’s executive order. So, it was not a political statement by the Oscars.

14. Why did I not stand on the Oscar stage and denounce the Iranian regime? 1- this was not my moment, it was Mr. Farhadi’s moment and it was his statement, 2- the allotted time by the Academy was 45 seconds. 

15. Am I an agent of the IRI? The question is so stupid that I will not dignify it with an answer. 

16. Why don’t I go back and help in my own country? America is my country, and I am where I am because of the opportunities that America has provided me. What about Iran? I was there and they asked people like me to leave in 1979. So we did. And so I did.

17. Why don’t I go to Iran for a visit? Given the risks would you?

18. Did I write the recent letter that was circulated in the Iranian media about my response to Trump? No, totally fabricated story by sources which I do not know. I put out an announcement that it was fake and some media picked it up.

19. I think the confused souls who want me to both denounce human right violations in Iran and, at the same time telling me “Syasat” is not my field and so I should not talk about “Syasat” – are just that confused. 

20. I am who I am and not obligated to please the professional mudslingers who cowardly hide behind false identities and write trash on social media, or the yellow journalists who smear people to earn a few bucks.

 

So, now you know.............

 

Firouz Naderi, Los Angeles, 3/2/2017