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Lament for a Lost Iran

I really wonder why human beings are not grateful of what they have. There is always something to be worried about, and it seems to get worse continually. I am specifically talking about my people in Iran. There was a time that our country was ruled by a king, people were free to do anything they liked. Some were truly religious and some others followed their own ways. The country was rich and had a very remarkable international reputation among other nations. There was no war, no sanctions and little heard of hardliners.

I have never been interested in politics and I will never be. I just do not have any idea what happened those days that people thought they should kick the king out and let a spiritual leader govern the country. Well, of course, they had their own reasons. For instance, the deep gap between the rich and poor, country dependence to other nations, corruption, and more that I don't know well. Anyhow, we had pretty tough time during the years before and after the revolution of 1978. Following events and also the war with Iraq that lasted for eight years sucked our people's blood. Millions of students and young men and women were killed in the war and some others in prisons. Millions lost their family and home during war and many more are still suffering from the effects of the war mentally and physically.

Time passed by till people gained the strength to stand on their feet. There was some development in industry and the country became independent in some aspects.

But it didn't last long. Corruption happened in the line of power, as it was before, but this time under the name of God.

As a result the gap between the rich and poor became deeper and deeper. Each year more and more educated young people, who could make a better future for Iran, are immigrating to other countries. They prefer to face all possible difficulties rather than stay and waste their life in their homeland. They prefer not to witness the wrong way country is being ruled. As one of those immigrants, I prefer not to hear the cry when I can't stop it.

Having said that we should be grateful of what we have, I thank God, for what I have always, but I am not sure if all Iranians do the same.