The Raging Iranians: Iran Sends Forth its Hordes against 300

First 24. Then 300. It must be something about TV shows and movies with numbers in them that upsets Muslims. (They seem okay with 23 though)

Iran, proud member of the Religious of the Perpetually Enraged, is currently enraged over 300, a movie based on a graphic novel based on a famous historical event that portrays the Persian empire badly.

Now keep in mind that Iran is as much a Persian nationalist venture as it is a Muslim theocracy. Persians are a minority in Iran, oppressing the majority Azeris, but Persian language, culture and history dominates the Iranian population with the force of law and Persians have clear advantages when it comes to their careers, positions and social standing. Iran's ruling class therefore have as big a stake in Persian nationalism as they do in Islamic theocracy.

Considering the general lack of accomplishment by your average Middle-Eastern state, which would look more like Sub-Saharan Africa, if it wasn't for the oil and the dueling superpowers courting them for their support, they need to believe that they're the descendants and heirs of great civilizations.

Egypt postures as the descendants of the Empire of the Pharaohs, even though Arabs and Egyptians are separate peoples and the Arabs were simply mixed breed nomads who took over the region.

Lebanon, Jordan and Syria all appropriate the heritages of peoples who came before them and whom they uprooted and massacred and then massacred all over again during the rise of Islam. They appropriate the history of peoples they had nothing to do with. (This puts into perspective how Palestinian Arab spokeswoman Hannan Ashrawi could claim Jesus was a Palestinian.)

The Persians of Iran need to insist that they're the heirs of the Persian Empire and claim credit for its achievements, yet paradoxically modern day Islamic Iran ruthlessly persecutes the Zoroastrians and other remaining people who actually believe in the religions of the period of the Persian Empire.

This cognitive dissonance though does not interfere with Iran's outage over 300, claiming that it is made by Warner Brothers, "a studio owned by a rich Jew." (Iran has yet to enter the 20th and grasp the concept of a multinational corporation. For the record Time Warner\AOL's current CEO is Wayne Pace and as Adam Sandler puts it, Not Jewish.)


There's even an Iranian petition demanding an apology for Warner Brothers' "irresponsible, unethical and unscientific actions." The petition contends that, "its broadcast guarantees the violation of undeniable international legal rights."

"It is a proven scholarly fact that the Persian Empire in 480 B.C was the most magnificent and civilized empire," the petition goes on to say. Apparently its writer is unclear that magnificent and civilized are adjectives and scholars cannot prove that an empire was the most magnificent and civilized.

"While announcing our disgust at such a heresy, we demand an immediate historical review and quick apology from the responsible people." Or presumably beheadings will follow.

But it's the petition signatures that provide us with the delightful treasure trove of illiterate Muslim insanity prized by any true collector. Enjoy.

pedram - i hate 300 movie.

Mohamad - This is a lie through their teeth!

maherian - Iran hase old nation aroud the worldwith best people

habib amini - Right will not remain always bihind of the cloud.

molla - not true!!!!

mostafa{BAHRAM} - It is a big lie &canared .non of the in the world stupid dont belive to this lie of course maybe Warner brothers! It is a calumniation about IRANIAN culture.the people of the world shouldnt allow to U.S.A. diplomats to became them teh tool in their hands.We campain opposite of Warner brothers CO. DOWN WITH TO Frank Miler&jak snayder(director)&Warner brothers.

Holywood is a position and home for capons & gays & les. The U.S.A.& West unions are gay activitis but the lier say KHASHAYAR SHAH(king of IRAN) was a gay. It is shamed lie!!!!!.

KHASHAYAR SHAH&DARIOSH(his father)&KOROSH(his grand father) are holy king for IRANIAN because they are messanger of human lawying&kind&peace and a beauty life for human in the world. They damaged slavesing but in the past age (about 150-200 years ago) we have saw slaving in U.S.A.(even maybe today!). I please from the people of the world search about IRAN culture&history more and dont accept some lie about IRAN&.tanks. send your proposition.

masoud - WE HATE YOU LIERS

Nader - You proved how jealous americans are of the great civilization we have. Of course a person who was born a country with 400 years of history whose incestors were wild indians is not qualified to make a film. (Ralph?)

alireza - I expect immediate apology

Ali Doroudian - Don't forget in Iran there was no slaves till now, even in big Hakhamaneshi empire, Big king Sirous (KOUROSH) is the holly profit of yahoods and release many body from ductatories on that times.

saber - IRAN is country of compassion (and keeps proving it with all that killing)

Sanaz - Never Forgive You

mohammad farahani - 300 Versus 70 Million (Yeah Mohammed, that's exactly the idea. 300 win.)

Arya Nouri - Persia my land, origin of humanity, civilizations and culture. If the Islamic Arabs didn't burn all the Persian libraries we wouldn’t be here fighting for the fact that Persians were the most civilized people in the world not only since the Persian Empire but even before that. Don't blame WB. Thanks, you Muslim m______; hope you burn in the hell you've brought to our beautiful land.

PARSA - YOU ARE VERY TRAITOR

saman - PERSIAN WERE THE FIRST NATION PUBLISHED THE FIRST LAW HUMAN WHEN GREEK WAS IN ACT OF EATING THEMSELVES IN DARK AGE OF EUROPE (Saman is obviously a history major)

Dariush - If persian kings in past years were barbar so why my father named me with glory "Darioush" ,its better to think about it

Garry Bert - I'm a historian,don't Lie me please! (This a triple score for a Muslim pretending to be both a Westerner and an historian)

sani - down whit xahunism,israil (Whaaa?)

mahyar - we are not as like as you , we invite you to visiting our museums and studying about our brilliant histories.and then your shying is enough for us.

Bita from Washington DC - Art is not a tool to uneducate people! We're living in 21st century, It's time to stop being fool! (Time to stop being fool!)

Mohammad Sadegh Shafiee - THis is outrages and disgusting, but with this kind of movie you can not buy the dignity for bruthless and inhuman Roman Empire and their goddess that you try your best in US to replicate, still nothing has change you may have state of art technology and strip dancer all over your street but still the sun rise from east not pervert and imporal west. (So that would be Japan, right?)

Saeed - This Film is not SQUARE (No, it's GROOVY)

Abi - after Borat Nothing surprises me, It is sad.

Wolfgang Lindner - In Germany, as well as many other European countries, thousands of people walked out of the theatres in the opening of this movie to show our protest against American’s obvious attempt to look down on cultural values of a nation! We are with you Persians! American’s are doing to you what they have done to us, the French, the Italians and even the Greeks who are supposedly the winning party in 300! (Well with the French and Italians on your side, plus the Greeks, how can you lose? Cheer up Iran, the Germans are rising... after they already paid for their tickets.)

nooshin - big history liars!!!

Hamed Zeraat - Western binary oppositions will certainly fail ! (0100110001110001)

Amirhossein Pourmokhtar - This the country,where i was born and bread (And still rising)

arash - YOU SEE THAT IRANIANS ARE SO POLITE!!!WE NEVER USE BAD WORDS AGAINST OTHERS!!!BUT SOME OF YOU USE BAD WORDS AGAINST US!!!IT IS EXPECTED!!!BEACAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE CULTURE!!!!SO SORRY FOR YOU!!! JUST PERSIA!!!!!

mahsa - u can not distroy our old civilization....u (zionists )are savage every body knows that what u are doing with palestine people

rasoul ranjbar - dead with america

roya - death to all the zionist on the world (gotta go with what you know)

boohooiran - allah told me he is a scientologist. he told me he switched because the scientologist chicks are hotter. and he gets to hang out with tom cruise and katie holmes.

Hedyeh - It's not fair to picture persians like this, THe population of people in iran is now 70 million!!!! not years ago!!!!!!

hamed - Shame on you Hollywood!Once you will pay for this HARD!

ARMAN FOROUHARFAR - DONOT MIX DIRTY POLITITION WITH IREANIANS' NATIONALITY

mahnaz - please don't show this move

Apu Nahasapemapetalam - What an AWESOME MOVIE! I am so glad that I take every movie I see seriously and to be Historically accurate. Though they probably should have gotten that Harry Potter guy to help them fight, he's cool, wish I could meet him. But wow, I didn't know Iran is such a HORRIBLE place to be, that sucks for them though they should take better care of their magic rhinos though.

Afshin Taghechian - There must be an explanation and apology.

Tara - Warner Bros, how can you tell such a BIG LIE to the people of the world? where is your humanity & morality??!

rozita - we must show our history in movie too.we should show them their history too.they have shown the reality of themselves.the have found that iran has the best history & civilization but they want to hide it & change the thought of peaple all over the world (Coming soon to theaters, "Iran Greatest World Civilizationionings Ever: The Movie.")

behnam - i am very angry as i can not say any thing (a delightful paradox)

Prof. Ali M. Oskoorouchi - I am not sure if I can hide the truth about unprofessional practice of Warner Bros., when questioned by our students in class

Parsa - We are opponent about producting and showing the "300" film ,because this film unreal and affrontive for Iranian .

Mahyar - My fellow Persians this battle depicted in the 300 did take place at a ratio of over 3:1. But that's not to say that the movie had the right to completely disregard the reasons for the formation of the empire and the impact of this unification. We have only ourselves to blame for allowing the Muslims to burn down our libraries and render the interpretations far from the truth. The best thing you can do to preserve what remains of out history is to find a Quran and burn it; trust me there's nothing more satisfying. As a former muslim I grew up in and around mosques and was brainwashed by the best. I am thankful everyday for having the vision and the ability to see beyond mohammads arab, selfish, and brutal ideals and sales pitch. Be Persian, Always!!!

Mahdi - shame on zionist movie maker company

Fathemeh Bahremand - If you are in need of true historical stories i can offer you free of charge

shakoor - nothing only all thing for money!!!!

RAMIN JAFARY - you son of the beach

SHIVA - KHAK TOO SARETOON!

(luckily a Western liberal comes to apologize for us all)

TomTom - Ohh My God... I don't know what can i say... JUST, I'm so sorry...