Below are some pictures from my recent trip to Iran.


All over Iran you can see the scowling visage of Ayatollah Khomeini. His image is seen in hotels, restaurants, businesses and on the side of buildings. In this mural he is pictured in front of the al-Aksa mosque in Jerusalem. The leadership of Iran portray themselves as the true protectors of the Palestinians and Islam.

Here is Khomeini and his successor Khamenei on the side of a hotel in Esfahan. Khamenei is usually the smiling counterpoint in a half-baked attempt to make him the “friendly” ruler.


A man in Esfahan’s Imam Mosque has just finished his ablutions before prayer.

Above is a Dervish in Yazd. Although predominantly Shia, Iran has members of several faiths. They are allowed to practice their religions, though they must publicly adhere to Islamic rules. Some are persecuted; most notably the
Bahai.

.

The guard at the Zoroastrian Towers of Silence.

Many of the women I met flouted the headscarf law to the extent they could, pushing the hijab as far back on the head as possible. Consequently, there are a lot of high hairdos–just like in Texas.

Here is a young beggar in Esfahan. Two-thirds of the country is under the age of thirty-five. Unemployment is at 23%. What will his future be?

The guard at the beautiful Imam Mosque in Esfahan.

Iran has a rich cultural tradition. Here is an example of Gajar period tile work.

The tomb of Darius II. He was buried here in 404 BC.

A Jeter fan? All he wants is a better way of life, but maybe being a Yankee fan will only prove frustrating.

If you’d like a more detailed analysis of what is going on in Iran, just email me and I’ll send you a policy paper to which I contributed for Network 2020. It will provide you with a detailed look at U.S.-Iran relations and recommends how we might move towards a more peaceful future.

Best,

George

and don’t forget to visit….www.planetbillard.com

related links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dervish

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahai

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ablution

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroaster

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_the_Great

www.network2020.org