Travel Reference
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marked bodies of unidentified heroes. Mothers whose sons were never found came here
to mourn.
I left the cemetery sorting through a jumble of thoughts:
How oceans of blood were shed by both sides in the Iran-Iraq War—a war of aggres-
sion waged by Saddam Hussein and Iraq (with American support) against Iran.
How invasion is nothing new for this mighty and historic nation. (When I visited the
surprisingly humble National Museum of Archaeology in Tehran, the curator apologized,
explaining that the art treasures of his country were scattered in museums throughout
Europe and the West.)
How an elderly, aristocratic Iranian woman had crossed the street to look me in the
eye and tell me, “We are proud, we are united, and we are strong. When you go home,
please tell your people the truth.”
How, with a reckless military action, this society could be set ablaze and radicalized.
The uniquely Persian mix of delightful shops, university students with lofty career aspir-
ations, gorgeous young adults with groomed eyebrows and perfect nose jobs, hope, pro-
gress, hard work, and the gentle people I encountered here in Iran could so easily and
quickly be turned into a fiery hell of dysfunctional cities, torn-apart families, wailing
mothers, newly empowered clerics, and radicalized people.
My visit to the cemetery drove home a feeling that had been percolating throughout
my trip. There are many things that Americans justifiably find outrageous about the Irani-
an government—from supporting Hezbollah and making threats against Israel; to oppress-
ing women and gay people; to asserting their right to join the world's nuclear club. And
yet, no matter how strongly we want to see our demands met by Iran, we must pursue that
aim carefully. What if our saber-rattling doesn't coerce this country into compliance? In
the past, other powerful nations have underestimated Iran's willingness to be pulverized
in a war to defend its ideals…and both Iran and their enemies have paid the price.
