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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1978)
international opinion What are the concerns of UNL foreign students? This is the question we sought to answer in the last Fathom issue this semester. We set out to discover what is happen ing in their homelands and how it affects them in America. We wanted to know about their experiences on campus, what problems they encountered, how they handled cultural differences, why and what they came here for and simply, what they are like. Throughout the interviews we heard a recurring theme that UNL students don't take the time to get to know foreign stu dents or that they shut them off because of their differences. This cannot only cause hurt feelings and images of ugly Americans, but it also can waste an excellent opportunity to learn about foreign politics, cultures and lifestyles. Since we felt such an issue may warrant responses from other students, we decided to break our policy of printing Fathom every third Friday. May 5 is our last publication date, so in order to give indivi duals time to respond in the letters to the editor section of the Daily Nebnskan we published Fathom today. A special thanks goes to every reporter, photographer, editor, copy editor and production person who either put in un godly hours on their story, camped night and day in the Daily Nebraskan office while . waiting for sources to call back or gave up Friday night drinking time to put this magazine together. carla engstrom fathom editor iranians kept in spotlight by controversial ruler t, by joe stafita here are enough Iranian students in the United States to fill Lincoln's Memorial Stadium. About 160 of those students have made Lincoln their home while pursuing degrees in education, engineering, chem istry, physics, mathematics and architect ure. Like most foreign students attending American universities, Iranians hesitantly knock on the door of a new culture in halting English. Simple things most students take for granted become complex. Registering for classes, finding a place to live, shopping for a pair of jeans, a pound of hamburger or a Pabst Blue Ribbon are problems most UNL Iranian students face those first few weeks in Lincoln. Unlike most foreign students, however, Iranians are kept in the spotlight by a ruler branded by some as a fascist puppet dangl ing at the end of a U.S. imperialist string, and by others as a much-needed strongman able to return Persia to its ancient splendor. Anti-shah students often come under attack as being playboy Marxists - stu dents parading as revolutionaries, shouting "death to the shah" from behind the wheel of a flashy Mercedes. "Many Iranians are guilty of being play boy Marxists," said Hassan Hassan (not his real name). "There are many Iranians here and elsewhere who don't care about the atrocities the shah is committing in Iran." Hassan, 20, is a UNL junior majoring in civil engineering. He has been in Lincoln for three years and is a member of the Iranian Student Association, one of two Iranian student organizations on this campus. The difference between the ISA and the Organization of Iranian Students, he said, is political. "Our organization is for informing people about the situation in Iran," Hassan explained. "We try to keep everyone in formed on current events, on the political situation in Iran." Iran's political climate, he said, is one of fear, torture, repression and corruption. The shah, added Hassen, is able to stay in power by keeping 90 percent of Iran's population poor, uneducated and power less. Helping the shah stay in power, he said, is a U.S. imperialist government, mouthing human rights, while selling massive arms supplies to the ruler bent on staying in power by force. "Carter's human rights stand is shit," said Hassan. "If he really cared about human rights Iran would be an ideal place to start. "My country is wealthy, but the people of Iran have no food to eat. We need food, not money for weapons, and weapons and more weapons." The shah's weapons are used by SAVAK (secret agents of the shah) to keep Iranians in line when protests break out, he said. "About 500 people in Tabriz (a north ern Iranian city) were killed by the shah's agents a few months ago and another 200 in north Tehran (Iran's capital) for protest ing, for wanting a better life," he said. Hassan said revolution is the only answer. "The government and the shah must be destroyed. It is so bad it is better to die than live like 90 percent of my people are forced to." m, lost Americans are unaware of Iran's problems, he said, because the U.S. media slants political coverage, avoiding mention of the frequent riots and demonstrations. To counteract biased reporting, Iranian students must demonstrate to show people in the- United States how bad Iran's internal affairs are, he said. Additionally, Hassan said his education eventually will help Iran's people. He said he has the freedom here to improve his political education by reading books, see ing movies and talking with a variety of interesting people. "You are lucky to have this freedom here. When I came to the U.S. it was like a new life for me. I could read what I wanted to, see what I wanted to and talk to who I wanted to. In Iran there is no freedom to do these things. "I have learned more about Iran, politi cally, here than when I was living at home. Now, I want to take advantage of what I've found out and tell my people. They don't have the freedom to know." Hassan said he studied English grammar for five years but had never had a conversa tion in English before arriving in the United States. Friends told him to visit Lincoln three years ago, when he was scouting the country deciding on where to go to college. He said he has no regrets. As his English has improved so has his enjoyment of UNL, he said. Parviz Kamgar, 27, manages Jason's, 1346 P St. His English is excellent. In Iran he went to American schools and spent eight summers in London and Paris. The son of a wealthy Iranian English professor, Kamgar came to UNL after high school graduation and majored in chemical engin eering. He has worked at Jason's since 1972. Kamgar compares his job at Jason's with the political situation in his native Iran. Photo by Ted Kirk "When I first started here 1 had to work very hard to build the trust of my boss," explained Kamgar. "You start slowly and gradually build. Then, after a while, he will begin to accept your new ideas, new changes." Kamgar said people must do the same to change Iran. He said "the under 30" crowd must find a way to penetrate the shah's circle of advisers. Once they become trustworthy, he said, they can gradually introduce new ideas and concepts that will benefit Iranians. "But a revolution is just not realistic, blowing up buildings will do no good. All the people who died in Tabriz - that was stupid. - "You can't fight machine guns with clubs. You can't fight someone who is 10 times your size." To improve a bad government, to change a country that is backwards and needs help, Kamgar said, people should work with the shah, not against him. "He has run the country for 30 years," Kamgar said. "He will not give up that power. To change Iran, you must work with the shah at any cost." Social revolutionaries must realize this, Kamgar said, adding that substituting bloodshed for patience and hard work will lead nowhere. "In the U.S., 80 to 85 percent of the people are well-educated. But in Iran 70 to 75 percent are uneducated. The social revolutionaries don't consider this. "The people of Iran think about what they are going to eat that night, not which political system should be proposed. "It's bad logic on the part of the re volutionaries. You can't be 12,000 miles away and criticize. You have to be there and work there." Kamgar said he enjoys life here, but probably will not make the United States his home. riflajed (not his real name) has been in Lincoln two years. The 21 -year-old mathe matics ana civil engineering major belongs to the Organization of Iranian Students. The 60 to 70 members of the group, Majed said, meet several times each semest er and try to help Iranian students new to UNL. The organization concentrates on social and cultural programs, designed to make Iranians feel more at home. It's not easy to feel at home those first few weeks in Lincoln, Majed said. To smooth out initial problems, he said, advisers are needed to introduce students to Lincoln, to the campus and to help them find a place to live. "When I first came here, I needed some one to just talk to," he said. "I was lonely for home and didn't know what to do or where to go." But after a few weeks, he said, it's easier to get around, after two years, "I'm very comfortable now and will have noth ing but good memories for all the kind people I've met here in Nebraska." So much so, added Majed, "that when 1 was in Iran last summer I was more home sick for Lincoln than I was for Iran when I was here." That . homesickness applied to the people of America, he 'said, notifs govern ment. "I like the people here but I hate the system of government that is helping to destroy my country. It's an imperialist "government that has a big influence on our government. "There is no middle class in Iran. Only poor and rich. But 5 percent are rich and the rest poor. This government helps keep Iran poor by sending the shah arms. "Iran is becoming the 51st state of the U.S. We need money spent for hospitals, homes, schools. Not for arms." Majed said Iranians get news from the United States or Europe because there is no freedom of the press at home. He said it is easier to find out more about Iran here (in Lincoln) than in Iran. "In Iran, no one could call and ask me these questions. It would be very danger ous. No one there believes the papers be cause they're not allowed to print the truth." ' He said truth can save Iran but there will be no truth as long as the shah is in power. "I wish I could go back and do some thing to help," said Majed. "You must be honest to help the people, but the govern ment will hurt you if you're honest." The Iranian government can hurt you in the United States, also, he said, but sending agents to find those students opposed to the shah, then threatening their families. "I don't think any SAVAK agents are on this campus now," he said, ut they will be soon because there are a lot of Iranian students starting to come to UNL." After graduation, he said he plans to go to UCLA to graduate school "to see another part of the U.S. "I've really had a great time in Lincoln so far," he said, "and I really have only one regfet. "1 wish more people were interested in foreign cultures, foreign countries and their students. I wish the Foreign Student Office had more money so they could build an organization to help students get to know each other, and to help foreign students when they first get here. "But. all in all, the variety of things I've seen and people I've met in Lincoln has just been tremendous." page 2 fathom monday, may 1, 1978
