Roxana Saberi Opens Up to NPR

[roma25ish]

Iran government has been run by stupid, worms, and obnoxious Mullahs.

[trevorm1]

what an amazing woman.

[zoetropez]

Roxana is sooooooooooooooooooooo gorgeous. Iran does not get a fair shake in the international media, but they do have a lot of problems. A Persian-language proverb goes like this: "It is the tree that hosts the worm," more or less meaning rape is caused by women and their suggestive behavior. Women are found guilty of adultery (punishable by death) if they are proven to be wearing "suggestive" clothing.

Now, go sell your damn book, you sexy, sexy reporterette.

[Tmak95]

Have you ever noticed that everyone on NPR tries to make their voices sound as relaxing and as perfect as possible. It annoys the hell out of me acrually.

[democrat10]

There's nothing wrong with having a relaxing voice speaking well-enunciated words. It's just that some reporters sound like they're making a speech and it comes across as a little too formal.

[thunderFence]

moral of the story... don't buy wine in iran

[shadowfox1383]

She didn't buy wine. The interergators forced her to lie about her buying wine.

[10CtimBierman]

slant slut did

[pearstt]

How can Islamic government based on religion in Iran promote lies nothing but lies. How can they force their prisoners of conscience to tell lies? Can any Muslim friends explain?

[heydrich10]

I had a carton of cigarette in the way back from vacation, the 800 pound bureaucrat US customs made me pay taxes on it. (I need your support too). You schmucks you have to respect the laws of other nations as well as your own.

[1Aseco]

really? what iranian law did she break? oh yeah now i remember, being a Baha'i is against the law.

look at some of the other vidios of persecution for being a bahai, people innocently percecuted, being expelled from universities, and then executed for teaching the young.

well i must then be breaking the law myself for being a bahai.

any humanitarian would know this is absolutely wrong!

[heydrich10]

Any foreign journalist in Iran must accompany by an Iranian security escort, I would believe their story over that liberal whore, let her go to Russia and report on the mafia there and see what happen.

[heydrich10]

In Germany they prosecute the Scientology, Russia Jehovah witness. For God sake leave Iran alone, my taxes cannot support three wars for some whores like her.

[fctchk]

03:11 An assumption about an action taken (abandonment) by an entity Saberi believes exists -the god that SHE believes in (not to be mistaken for other gods) makes way for a realization (to conceive vividly as true) that this god ( known to be a "he") was always with her. She also knows how he (her god) felt at the time: "not pleased".

Assumptions based on beliefs, knowledge of the state of mind of a (her) supernatural being presented as fact. Is this a journalist? Is this NPR or FOX"news"?

[TheNader123]

it would be very interesting if interviewer would be arranging an interview with Guantanamo prisoners as well . is good to hear their stories too ,,,,, I wonder what their ansewers would be to her questions regarding ,,interigations ,phisical abuses ,injections, waterboarding ,etc,etc . .

[solysoly89]

EricJaffa wrote:

American civil right activist Glenn Greenwald, has pointed to the hypocrisy of American reporters who rallied to Saberi's defense but have been silent about the plight of journalists like Sami Al-Haj, an Al Jazeera cameraman who was held for six years in Guantanamo by the U.S. government. Al-Hajs imprisonment received nearly no news coverage. Associated Press photographer, Bilal Hussein, was imprisoned in Iraq for close to two years with no charges.

-------------

[rosskolnikov]

@solysoly89

Not an apt comparison. Al-Haj was not arrested "in country" as a legal resident. If Miss Saberi had been arrested in the US, she would have gotten due process. She was a legal resident of Iran.

[solysoly89]

The interview was good till she said "i'm proud to be american, iranian, and japanese". nationality shouldn't be a source of proudness. One can be proud of somethig that one has created not of something that was given. I wish you well Roxana, but please don't say that you are now back "in the land of free". I'm sure american authority would waterboard an iranian suspect.

[fctchk]

The precious Roxana nicely goes off the deep end at 03:11 "The god that I believe who I thought had abandoned me, I realized was always with me, and I realized he wasn't pleased with what I'd done so I recanted..."

Not only does the fragrant Roxana have an imaginary friend; she "realizes" when he is with her, when he is "displeased" with her and what she needs to do to get back on his good side!

What part of "Don't Make Stuff Up" of the journalism code of ethics does she not understand?

[skaw12345]

To many people around the world, God is NOT an imaginary friend but a deep spiritual connection.

[fctchk]

To millions of children around the world Santa Claus is real too. Nonetheless the evidence for the existence of Saberi's god is as good as the evidence for the existence of santa, the hindu gods, the muslim god, the greek gods, the jewish god and any other god invented by man.

In journalism, whenever you make a factual claim, you are obliged to back it up with verifiable evidence. Saberi blatantly fails to do so in front of the international media by presenting her beliefs as fact.

[democrat10]

Well, wait a second! I'm not religious either, but I don't bash other people who happen to have other persuasions. She's talking about her personal faith.

[fctchk]

"She's talking about her personal faith." Please clarify. This god about whom she claims 03:11 to know his gender, his ability to abandon her or always be with her, his frame of mind e.g. displeasure, does that mean that this god exists solely in her mind? Or is this god real and if so for who -just for her? And if not then for who else?

[democrat10]

But Roxana Saberi's thoughts about her god - in her own perspective - don't affect her ability to be a journalist. She's not declaring her faith superior to all other religious persuasions, nor is she insisting that her faith be accepted as fact. The reason she mentioned it in the interview was because she was talking about what sustained her during a period of duress.

[fctchk]

Quite telling that you entirely ignore my questions by not answering even a single one choosing instead to counter claims that I never made:

I never said she declares her faith superior, though it must be superior to her otherwise she wouldn't have chosen it. Nor is she insisting that her faith be accepted as fact. The question is does SHE accept it as fact?

It's a yes or no answer and requires a bit more intellectual honesty than shown so far let's see if you can muster it this time.

[democrat10]

You've got quite the ego assuming that your questions even have a sound basis. You basically repeated two questions multiple times, which boils down to this: 1) Does she truly believe in a particular god and 2) does she expect others to? The answer to #2 is no; if the answer was yes, then that would be considered claiming one's religion superior to another.

[democrat10]

You're clearly asking rhetorical questions, so I don't think you're being intellectually honest by innocently suggesting that I answer them, because you obviously want them answered a certain way. And when you ask whether she expects others to accept her faith, you are at least entertaining the possibility that she does; and if she does, then that would indicate that she considers her faith superior.

[democrat10]

Now, the question of whether "SHE accept[s] it as fact" is really none of your business, and none of mine. What's it to you? It's like asking someone, "Are you a virgin?" I don't think it's a relevant question. How would it affect your judgment of her?

[democrat10]

The fact of the matter is that you don't like it when other people say they believe in some sort of god. (I also happen to think that there is no god because there's no tangible evidence of the existence of any.) But if that's what you believe, then say so, and don't hide your true feelings behind a set of disingenuous questions.

[foot160]

what a ridiculous post. Her personal beliefs have nothing to do with your self centered attitude and hate.

[democrat10]

A modest pride in one's heritage isn't exactly the same thing as being fiercely nationalistic, though.

[vi867]

Wow. This is insane. You are in my thoughts.

[QuasiEvilScott]

Fargo's is anxiously awaiting your return home.

Concordia bristled at your incarciration and everyone watched with bated breath until your thankful release.

Many have hoped and prayed for you - and I know what it must mean to lose the privilage of working in a country you adore, to be a part of a culture that has now outcast you.

For that, there is no recompense, but know that you are always welcome back.

Lonely and windy though it may be.

Assalamu alaikum, Peace be upon you,

-Qes

[QuasiEvilScott]

It bugged me I couldnt find the Farsi, so I found this - I hope it's not butchered.

SalAm bar zamin,

-Qes

[fctchk]

03:11 The God that I believe in who I thought abandoned me was still with me, but I realized he wasn't pleased with me so I recanted my confession."

Translation: My imaginary friend is on my side but is displeased because I lied to a pack of taliban type liars in order to gain my freedom. So I must now recant my confession and risk an 8 year jail term in order to please my imaginary friend.

Tragic how religion has left the mind of captive Saberi as muddled as the minds of her mullah captors.

[QuasiEvilScott]

Born from ignorance and lack of compassion, this opinion of yours so espouced, lacks both any persuasiveness, and critical context.

So while you've the right forever more to espouce it, do not think it somehow revelatory to anyone, and do not consider its inflamations anything more than a mere nusaince.

-Qes