Quotessence
Home / Authors / Mohammad Marandi Biography

Mohammad Marandi Biography

Author

Related Quotes

“It is difficult for Iranian scholars and universities to retain their independence and to be seen as doing so, when cultural warfare is being carried out by some of their American partners. Indeed, such irresponsible behavior basically serves to intensify suspicion and in reality decreases the opportunity for real and meaningful dialogue.”

RealRealityOpportunityDifficultBehaviorIndependenceUniversityPartnersMeaningfulDialogueScholarSuspicionWarfareIrresponsibleDecreaseIranian
Author:Mohammad Marandi
Create image

“Hence, when some members of the Iranian diaspora, especially women at the moment, use different tropes including the trope of the veil and the issue of gender to construct an image of oppression or to describe the 'silenced' Iranian woman, western intellectuals, policymakers, and publishing houses are all quick to introduce them as presenters of the authentic Iranian experience.”

DifferentMomentsUseHouseIssuesMembersWesternIncludingGenderOppressionIntroducingPublishingConstructsVeilsIranianDiasporaTropesPresenterPublishing House
Author:Mohammad Marandi
Create image

“In my opinion, the continued popularity of these gross distortions of Iran in the U.S. seems to reveal more about certain aspects of America than about Iran. It seems that the popularity of these memoirs is largely due to the fact that, while claiming to do the opposite, they regularly reinforce the dominant representations of Iran in America by constructing an exotic, backward, and barbaric Iran principally based on U.S. archives.”

FactsSeemsAmericaCertainOpinionAspectOppositesDuesMemoirIranPopularityRepresentationDominantGrossExoticDistortionArchivesBarbaric
Author:Mohammad Marandi
Create image

“There is no need for historical research. The war didn't take place a thousand years ago. Over a million Iranians served at one time or another in the war fronts and most of them are living ordinary lives today and are available for interviews. These stories are largely unknown in Iran and when I tell them to my friends or students they usually laugh.”

NeedsYearsWarStoriesTodayMillionsLaughingFrontsStudentsThousandResearchOrdinaryMy FriendsYears AgoHistoricalAvailableInterviewsIranOne TimeThousand YearsLive For TodayOrdinary LifeHistorical Research
Author:Mohammad Marandi
Create image

“If one were to claim that the U.S. occupation forces in Iraq have been provided with "keys to heaven" by the Pentagon, would that need historical research to be disproved or would you just say, "That's just propaganda"? Indeed, how can you disprove the claim that U.S. soldiers have such keys? Or why should you disprove such ridiculous claims? It is the accusers who must provide the evidence.”

IfsNeedsShouldHas BeensForceHeavenKeysResearchEvidenceClaimsHistoricalSoldierIraqRidiculousPropagandaOccupationPentagonAccusersHistorical Research
Author:Mohammad Marandi
Create image

“However, unlike some of my friends and students, I don't think it's a laughing matter. I think it is frightening to see what outrageous stories can be told in the United States and then are accepted by many educated people and academics as facts. Movies get awards, books become best sellers, heroes are made, and people become wealthy as a result of dishonest caricatures of Iranian people and society.”

PeopleThinkingMadeBookMatterStatesFactsStoriesUnitedResultsUnited StatesLaughingStudentsHeroMy FriendsAcceptedEducatedWealthyAwardsFrighteningOutrageousIranianCaricaturesSellersBest Sellers
Author:Mohammad Marandi
Create image

“As a child, I used to feel much more American than Iranian. Like everyone else at school, I pledged allegiance to the flag. However, after returning to Iran, sadly, I learned about a very different America, an America that most Americans have no idea exists. For the first couple of years this was hard to accept, and it was really painful in some ways.”

WayFeelsYearsFirstsChildrenIdeasDifferentHardSchoolAmericaUsedAcceptingCouplePainfulNo IdeaIranFlagsAllegianceIranianEver After
Author:Mohammad Marandi
Create image

“In general, Iranians believe that all Palestinians have the right to return home and that there is no chosen people on this earth, whether Jewish, Muslim, Christian. Iran had the same policy towards apartheid South Africa and at the time when it was supporting and funding the ANC [African National Congress] among other groups in South Africa, these groups were also considered to be terrorist organizations by many western governments.”

PeopleBelieveHomeGovernmentEarthChristianGroupsPolicyReturnOrganizationSouthWesternCongressTerroristChosenIranPalestinianSouth AfricaFundingApartheid
Author:Mohammad Marandi
Create image