Yeah Islamic Republic arrests a hiking american in the mountains as an "spy" and you as an american director came to shoot a legal "documentary"? There's no such a thing as a legal documentary in Iran, as long as it's legal it's not a documentary. Sorry for the fools who believe such fraud.
@armiat "hiking American"? Are you really that naive? was Yellowstone closed that weekend and they just suddenly decided to go and hike at the borderline of Iran and Iraq?!
This reminds me of what the USA was like when it was primarily a White Christian nation. Though founded on religious freedom, the culture was solidly Christian. Also, the white people at the time was part of a White People movement. Non-whites and non-Christians could be brought in for labor purposes, but they were supposed to be kept seperate. Like today's Iran, it did have its pro's and con's. Certainly some love/loved it.
Personally, i find early USA and today's Iran to be too constricting.
I wish Americans were as concerned about their poor people as the Iranians are. If we'd stop fighting all these insane bogus wars for Israel, there would not be so many poor people in America.
Interesting speech. Took some balls to go there. However, out of my many Iranian friends, only one doesn't despise the Islamic Republic. Young Iranians, and there are many of them since they had a baby boom, hate Ahmadinejad, are pro-freedom, and question many Muslim values as well as religion in general.
thank you Rick. You did a great job. But as an Iranian I have to say that in some cases you didnt get the real trouth a bout Iran, 12 days is not enough. There are around 10% of Iranians that are very religious. And the reason that people go to Khomeinis grave is that they give free food. And there are a lot of poor people in Iran. Lots of Iranians hate this regime and Islam and they want to remove them from Iran.
The people of Iran are, I'm sure, as decent as people anywhere. But you should not promote travel to a country with a regime that grabs US citizens and puts them on trial as spies. Just today an American citizen who had permission to be in Iran to visit his grandmother was SENTENCED TO DEATH. Before that, three hikers where grabbed near the boarder and spent years in jail. This is the same regime that held our embassy employees hostage for years. Kidnapping is part of their mindset.
Thank you Rick for really expressing yourself in an excellent way. I am a Canadian and am married to an Iranian for 18 years now and have been to Iran twice. I was very unsure the first time that I went to meet his family. It was such a blessing to find a country with such rich history and his family and friends greeted me with open arms. Thank you for speaking up and for telling the truth ~ God is good!
Excellent lecture, we receive so little information about what happens in Iran - but the people sound so friendly and genuine. It is important to remember that people in other nations are humans just like us, as our governments can be so quick to demonise them to drum up support for war (or, as in Syria at present, we dehumanise our political opponents as a justification for incredible cruelty).
Very well presented, but he paints a picture that is way too rosy. "Michael Moore" style.
He didn't cover female circumcision which is still widespread in parts of Iran. It's a process where a young girl's cl*****s is removed so that they don't enjoy sex.
He skipped the public stoning of women for adultery, the mass gunning down of protestors. The kidnappings of young boys under Humeini and drafting them to the army on the spot.
But I'm sure there's a "humane" side for these too.
I sometimes cry when see you AMERICANS are such idiots and are set to invade the lovely people and land of Iran with no and NO information about my country. PLEASE be advised that Iranians are more of just some lovely people that you take photos with them. Why you didn't hang out with students in the university of Tehran or why you didn't reflect their ideas in your lecture????
PLEASE READ THIS COMMENT IF YOU ARE STEVE: I am an Iranian living in Australia, and I am wondering which aspect of IRAN and IRANIANS this lecture is showing?????? The way you described IRAN is just you explain your visit of a small city in USA. It is shameful and I think you are mainly influenced and biased by the words of your guides and YOU IN FACT KNOW nothing about Iran.
So Ron Paul was right.. My heart pours out for these people and my anger goes towards our government. I'm amazed at how they don't totally hate us after all we have put them through. He didn't even mention the Iranian airliner we shot down or how we funded and supported Saddam during the Iran Iraq war. We need to ask ourselves of we are any different from the British Empire that we overthrew not so long ago.
So I guess my criticism wasn't fit to print in the comments section. So what exactly are your standards of approval? Am I only allowed to agree with you? I suppose you wont be entertaining naysayers.
Great work...Thank you...If only the world can accept peace, and we could all be able to travel freely to explore these beautiful countries. The United States is NOT as free as we would believe, the difference is, here, you do not know when the government is spying on you..
I find funny how USA progressives are more "understanding" to Muslims than to American Christians. The reason is they, like all socialist-progressives, love from the distance. They do not want to live in a ghetto, but as soon as their own child becomes gay, they start adoring bath houses.
@ForLiberty888 Progressives may be so, but as an evangelical Christian, I can hardly blame them. Many of my good friends, also Christian, don't even tremble at the idea of incinerating half a million of these people but somehow claim they follow Christ in doing so. After studying our own American government more closely, I see no difference between the amount of liberty under assault by the government; only the kind of liberties being repressed are different.
"They're motivated by fear and love." They're motivated by a hatred of secular non Islamic values they consider deprived. "They don't want they little girls to grow up like Brittany Spears." They subject women to dress codes requiring them (by threat of imprisonment or even public beating) to dress from head to toe in garments and are banned from going out in public without being on the arm of a man. "They distrust western values," They reject individualism, in favor of tyranny.
@liltimy1850 I think he spoke about you in the video. The uneducated, brainwashed American. Did you actually watch it or are you just espousing your preconceived ideas? He said you're all welcome there. Why don't you go there yourself and find out the reality and then come back and tell people about it.
That was an amazing video. I am glad that you made this so people actually see that people in those parts of the world are pretty much like us. Yes, they live different, but they are humans, they are people, they have families, friends, goals, dream, eat, pee, and poop. I think the cure to all world problems is pure human respect. I doesn't matter your religion, race, culture, you are still human. We need more human respect for one another.
As an iranian, i must say that was a GREAT video, i wish more Americans would watch this. but i would correct/add that you can follow a religion OTHER THAN Shia Islam and be in government. there are jews that hold seats in the government, the more jews, the more people represent them in the government.
That part after the religious ceremony, when all the people hang out and find out the local news etc, I suspect that that is religions real function. People go along with the ceremony and sermons just because they think that its necessary in order to have the social part. Maybe it is?
I always watch your show and sometimes I didn't know why as I'm not that interested in travel, but now I see you are truly a bad ass dude and I appreciate you showing the real people of Iran in a country where we are constantly told they are evil. I don't think so.
@FreeAmericaRP2012 I agree; in the part where he mentioned their view of our president he was talking of Bush. But Obama is the same or even more warlike. Thanks to citizen-journalists the people can communicate the truth.
Thank you Rick for being such a human being and trying to understand Iranian human behavior. There is always a reason why someone does what they do? As a person of Persian origin, I am grateful that you have had a good time in Iran and were treated well despite the religious fervor that the system imposes on the people. Thank you again.
We've been so brainwashed that the U.S. is the best country in the world that we automatically look down on other societies and cultures instead of learning about them. Add some heavy demonization from the press and government and some people here want to nuke them and turn Iran into a parking lot. I hope some of those people will see this.
@duster011 Is it really brainwashing when such a good case can be made, though? It's not an excuse to look down on others, but failing to value what is worth valuing is just as bad as devaluing what isn't worth devaluing.
I think it should be mentioned that there are a number of "reciprocal" countries meaning that when you enter and are from the US, you will be subjected to whatever entry requirements that the US imposes to people that visit the US from *their* country.
Greetings from Iran. I believe you have visited a few beautiful places of Iran.What about west of Iran?What about North of Iran?
Thank you for your honesty in commenting about Iran.
There are alot of reasons for hatred of Iranian from American. For instance i would refer you to what the Bush have done in mideast. the border areas of our country is not safe.the American politicians made all our borders and neighbours in this terrible situation. ans so on......
Americans please read this: I am from Iran. In Persian language, "marg bar Amrica" means "down with America" and not "death to America". the word "marg" alone means "death" but when placed in that phrase, it no longer means "death". for example you guys say "look what the cat dragged in" but you don't actually mean the cat dragged in something, do you?
I am not Iranian. I'm Malaysian who is relieved by your earnest desire to emphatise with the Iranian people and your discovery of "the fundamental humaness" in the country. I am also relieved that you are not a war-monger!
this lecture was terrible,American mentally doesn't change, does it?really? deatth to traffic? we never use this expresion, its not a swear word in Farsi! fear and love?Iranians are frightened? of what?of loosing Islamic values?
this mentaly sucks people of America, just change it if you really want to see abetter world.
His guide gave him the wrong info, if your jewish or christian you can still be in the military and government. Irans government has a christian and jewish minority. There were also several other wrong points made, abit politicised, but all in all good lecture.
They took the Americans in hostage because America took the Shah in exile, instead of allowing the Iranians to sue him. Their demand was: 1) give the Shah back to the people (instead the Americans only threw him out of America, and he ended up in Egypt); 2)apology from the American government for interfering in the country for so long; 3) a promise not to interfer in the country in the future. You can guess what the American government did.
We're all one, despite the talibans that display their ways on both hemispheres of this glorious planet. Even they are our brothers. One soul, having different individual experiences. The show is all over. Time to move HOME. Time to rejoyce. From the bottom of my heart I love you all…
Rick gives a BALANCED, honest view on everything he reports on. That kind of truth is so refreshing.
I wish more people were like this, but most seem so caught up in their views that I wonder if fairness will ever become the norm. Truth before agenda, should be the motto of politics on all sides.
Rick Steves says stuff I wish our leaders would say. His interest in the culture of our supposed enemies helps bring American and Iranians closer, unlike what some in Washington do. Great presentation, Mr. Steves.
Being a woman I would never want to visit any muslim country where women are treated like 2nd class citizens and cant even go out in public unless your head is completely covered
This video is pretty much what I already thought Iran was like. Not that I'm comparing them but I bet the average North Korean also treats their guests well and enjoys a picnic on a sunny days. People are people regardless of the quality of their government, Its sad that so many need to have it explained to them.
Thank you, Rick Steves, for helping to share with the whole world how wonderful the Iranian people are. This has done so much good for the world, for changing perceptions of faraway cultures for the better. This is a huge help to establishing a Bridge of Hearts between nations.
Nice presentation. There's so much more to explore but this is a nice primer. For any non-Iranians, the pronunciation of Shiraz by Rick is slightly off. It's not pronounced "Sheh-rez", but rather like "She-raas". Just wanted to point that out.
Iran and Iraq will not be allies anytime soon. Iraq has a power vacuum now, and if the US leaves soon then they will soon be taken over by someone...possibly Iran. Im not saying its good or bad, just that its how it is.
Nice work! I've never seen that side of Iran. I am determined to visit Esfehan one day! Here's to the revival of relations with Iran and the end of lies by right wing Israeli backed politicians and media. Peace!
Thanks Rick Steves for your comment about Iran, I am Iranian , I live in USA almost for 11 years, but I would love to go back to my country, but because of regime I am not able to. As you said" we are not Arab and we do not speak Arabic". We are Iranian "Persian" and want to live the same as other people in world in freedom.
@AKhajavi Stop repeating old monarchial propaganda. Iranians are not persian, persian people (if there are any) are highly mixed and do not even constitute half of the diverse backgrounds in Iran. Aside from that, most Iranians in the West go back and forth, obviously you have a past that you conveniently don't mention.
@AKhajavi What is ironic, is that today's Iran is not the real Persians. Iranian language is 80%+ Arabic words. Recent DNA testing shown that most of the Iranian claiming to be Persians are of Arabic ancestry. As Shahnamah outlines the boundaries of what it calls Iran, falls right into the Khorasan, of what they forcibly changed to Afghanistan today!
Great understanding of Iran's culture but remember that not all Iranians are persians. I assume he wasn't allow to go to the Kurdish parts of Iran as they have their own culture and are more liberal.
i just think this man is incredible. it makes me so happy that people like him have discovered the true iran and not the iran shown in the media.
i just wish iranians could break free from the humiliation of the iranian government. lets hope the young people who are risking their lives in the protests can make a change.
Now just imagine for a moment, the removal of usury from our western economies, the removal of national debt that is conjured by the international banking cartels.
No heartlees corproations that will come & take your house if your can't meet the interest payments.
Imagine........what could we do with all that energy?
Wow! This was terrific! I think that "GLOBALIZATION" should take on a NEW MEANING! All the people of the world UNITE against governments and religions that spew hatred and war. UNITE in FREEDOM FOR ALL!
That was a terrific lecture. I'll remember the "Death to traffic!" anecdote for a long time. It's refreshing to see someone do a piece on Iran and NOT looking for the worst. I hope a few minds will be opened by this well-balanced, sincere effort to increase understanding.
Having said that, I remain concerned for the safety of Baha'is in Iran. I have Baha'i friends who were forced to flee Iran or lose their lives. I'm glad that Rick didn't entirely ignore that issue.
i strongly believe our politicians should give us that kind of historical feedback of our relationship with other countries we have issues with. We are in need to understand the world better.. and i mean we the people of the United States. We have detached and for that same reason lied about the rest of the world such as Iraq.
Hmm very shallow at times and tones of usual American denial and a sense of not learning anything new but worth viewing non the less.
StoneBoneAndFire 4 days ago
Yeah Islamic Republic arrests a hiking american in the mountains as an "spy" and you as an american director came to shoot a legal "documentary"? There's no such a thing as a legal documentary in Iran, as long as it's legal it's not a documentary. Sorry for the fools who believe such fraud.
armiat 1 week ago
@armiat "hiking American"? Are you really that naive? was Yellowstone closed that weekend and they just suddenly decided to go and hike at the borderline of Iran and Iraq?!
they better be more careful next time!
amir4barca 1 week ago
Awesome!!! many thanks.
09122806396 1 week ago
This reminds me of what the USA was like when it was primarily a White Christian nation. Though founded on religious freedom, the culture was solidly Christian. Also, the white people at the time was part of a White People movement. Non-whites and non-Christians could be brought in for labor purposes, but they were supposed to be kept seperate. Like today's Iran, it did have its pro's and con's. Certainly some love/loved it.
Personally, i find early USA and today's Iran to be too constricting.
TheGoalSetter 2 weeks ago
I wish Americans were as concerned about their poor people as the Iranians are. If we'd stop fighting all these insane bogus wars for Israel, there would not be so many poor people in America.
Prancer1231 2 weeks ago
Great video, finally the truth besides the propaganda from the us govt.
drakebenelli2 3 weeks ago 4
I wonder how many Americans will come across this video.
Roseshirazie 3 weeks ago
I, for one, am going to do my best to get it to as many as I possibly can.
flutefun999 3 weeks ago
awesome.
Thank you Rick :)
OoIRANoO 1 month ago
Wonderful!
abinashi1 1 month ago
Interesting speech. Took some balls to go there. However, out of my many Iranian friends, only one doesn't despise the Islamic Republic. Young Iranians, and there are many of them since they had a baby boom, hate Ahmadinejad, are pro-freedom, and question many Muslim values as well as religion in general.
RanderMinn 1 month ago
@RanderMinn but Ahmadinejad is there because US made them extreme by starting a CIA COUP in 1953.
workingclasssociety 1 month ago
thank you Rick. You did a great job. But as an Iranian I have to say that in some cases you didnt get the real trouth a bout Iran, 12 days is not enough. There are around 10% of Iranians that are very religious. And the reason that people go to Khomeinis grave is that they give free food. And there are a lot of poor people in Iran. Lots of Iranians hate this regime and Islam and they want to remove them from Iran.
Aria100001 1 month ago
The people of Iran are, I'm sure, as decent as people anywhere. But you should not promote travel to a country with a regime that grabs US citizens and puts them on trial as spies. Just today an American citizen who had permission to be in Iran to visit his grandmother was SENTENCED TO DEATH. Before that, three hikers where grabbed near the boarder and spent years in jail. This is the same regime that held our embassy employees hostage for years. Kidnapping is part of their mindset.
karlmahlmann 1 month ago
Thank you Rick for really expressing yourself in an excellent way. I am a Canadian and am married to an Iranian for 18 years now and have been to Iran twice. I was very unsure the first time that I went to meet his family. It was such a blessing to find a country with such rich history and his family and friends greeted me with open arms. Thank you for speaking up and for telling the truth ~ God is good!
yvonne73fab 2 months ago
Iran is and has always been a beautiful country! This was an incredible lecture and a great documentary...Thank you!
NedaChi2 2 months ago
Iran seems like a beautiful place
polarbearanne 2 months ago 2
Iran, The Heavenly Land
TheShingami 2 months ago
Excellent lecture, we receive so little information about what happens in Iran - but the people sound so friendly and genuine. It is important to remember that people in other nations are humans just like us, as our governments can be so quick to demonise them to drum up support for war (or, as in Syria at present, we dehumanise our political opponents as a justification for incredible cruelty).
EmergentPhenomenom 2 months ago
@AKhajavi racism alert!
choghazanbeel 2 months ago
Having listened to your well-rounded talk on my country, I'm gonna watch your travel videos on other countries to understand them as well.
choghazanbeel 2 months ago in playlist Season 1
Very well presented, but he paints a picture that is way too rosy. "Michael Moore" style.
He didn't cover female circumcision which is still widespread in parts of Iran. It's a process where a young girl's cl*****s is removed so that they don't enjoy sex.
He skipped the public stoning of women for adultery, the mass gunning down of protestors. The kidnappings of young boys under Humeini and drafting them to the army on the spot.
But I'm sure there's a "humane" side for these too.
Very poor.
LibertyDownUnder 2 months ago
I sometimes cry when see you AMERICANS are such idiots and are set to invade the lovely people and land of Iran with no and NO information about my country. PLEASE be advised that Iranians are more of just some lovely people that you take photos with them. Why you didn't hang out with students in the university of Tehran or why you didn't reflect their ideas in your lecture????
TheSingerHamid 2 months ago
PLEASE READ THIS COMMENT IF YOU ARE STEVE: I am an Iranian living in Australia, and I am wondering which aspect of IRAN and IRANIANS this lecture is showing?????? The way you described IRAN is just you explain your visit of a small city in USA. It is shameful and I think you are mainly influenced and biased by the words of your guides and YOU IN FACT KNOW nothing about Iran.
TheSingerHamid 2 months ago
So Ron Paul was right.. My heart pours out for these people and my anger goes towards our government. I'm amazed at how they don't totally hate us after all we have put them through. He didn't even mention the Iranian airliner we shot down or how we funded and supported Saddam during the Iran Iraq war. We need to ask ourselves of we are any different from the British Empire that we overthrew not so long ago.
TheMadCrumpet 2 months ago
So I guess my criticism wasn't fit to print in the comments section. So what exactly are your standards of approval? Am I only allowed to agree with you? I suppose you wont be entertaining naysayers.
liltimy1850 2 months ago
Great work...Thank you...If only the world can accept peace, and we could all be able to travel freely to explore these beautiful countries. The United States is NOT as free as we would believe, the difference is, here, you do not know when the government is spying on you..
thecandidbull 2 months ago 6
Very enlightening, I would like to visit Iran myself. Nice job Rick Steves thanks.
Haaraack 2 months ago 5
I find funny how USA progressives are more "understanding" to Muslims than to American Christians. The reason is they, like all socialist-progressives, love from the distance. They do not want to live in a ghetto, but as soon as their own child becomes gay, they start adoring bath houses.
ForLiberty888 2 months ago
@ForLiberty888 Progressives may be so, but as an evangelical Christian, I can hardly blame them. Many of my good friends, also Christian, don't even tremble at the idea of incinerating half a million of these people but somehow claim they follow Christ in doing so. After studying our own American government more closely, I see no difference between the amount of liberty under assault by the government; only the kind of liberties being repressed are different.
woodscraps1 1 month ago
"They're motivated by fear and love." They're motivated by a hatred of secular non Islamic values they consider deprived. "They don't want they little girls to grow up like Brittany Spears." They subject women to dress codes requiring them (by threat of imprisonment or even public beating) to dress from head to toe in garments and are banned from going out in public without being on the arm of a man. "They distrust western values," They reject individualism, in favor of tyranny.
liltimy1850 2 months ago
@liltimy1850 I think he spoke about you in the video. The uneducated, brainwashed American. Did you actually watch it or are you just espousing your preconceived ideas? He said you're all welcome there. Why don't you go there yourself and find out the reality and then come back and tell people about it.
grover786 2 months ago
I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture. Thank you so much for your insights!
imcocoachristy 2 months ago
this is a really good lecture, also I really like the part were he brings up love and fear because I found that rather interesting.
TheSolitaryTraveller 2 months ago
That was an amazing video. I am glad that you made this so people actually see that people in those parts of the world are pretty much like us. Yes, they live different, but they are humans, they are people, they have families, friends, goals, dream, eat, pee, and poop. I think the cure to all world problems is pure human respect. I doesn't matter your religion, race, culture, you are still human. We need more human respect for one another.
stbartels12 2 months ago 5
Mind-blowing. Terrific. Great job. Makes me want to visit Iran.
dellitoso 2 months ago 4
Finally a voice of reason and peace.
I am completely 100% sick of all this war mongering and the hypocrisy by the Americans/Israelis.
carter102 2 months ago
wow! I knew it! Thank you for this video :)
akaulanav 2 months ago
As an iranian, i must say that was a GREAT video, i wish more Americans would watch this. but i would correct/add that you can follow a religion OTHER THAN Shia Islam and be in government. there are jews that hold seats in the government, the more jews, the more people represent them in the government.
elahi2006 2 months ago
Wow! :) Great
YesterdayTuday4ever 2 months ago
Rick...the Shaw was put in by the CIA...it's not propaganda
mike6459 2 months ago
GREAT TALK!
no2foreclosures 2 months ago
It really sucks how the US treats Iran.
ReviewsByErik 2 months ago
Fascinating.
That part after the religious ceremony, when all the people hang out and find out the local news etc, I suspect that that is religions real function. People go along with the ceremony and sermons just because they think that its necessary in order to have the social part. Maybe it is?
sidvidkid 3 months ago
I always watch your show and sometimes I didn't know why as I'm not that interested in travel, but now I see you are truly a bad ass dude and I appreciate you showing the real people of Iran in a country where we are constantly told they are evil. I don't think so.
FreeAmericaRP2012 3 months ago
@FreeAmericaRP2012 I agree; in the part where he mentioned their view of our president he was talking of Bush. But Obama is the same or even more warlike. Thanks to citizen-journalists the people can communicate the truth.
leafwatch 2 months ago
good lecture steve , good job :) your a good guy
TubeBillionaire 3 months ago
My Sweetheart lives in Tehran...she complains about the bad air-pollution..."Death to Air-pollution".
KoolTunes4Daze 4 months ago
I loved listening to this. However, towards the end, you kept saying "Sharez" when it's supposed to be pronounced "Shiraaz" :)
terrorist96 4 months ago
Thank you Rick for being such a human being and trying to understand Iranian human behavior. There is always a reason why someone does what they do? As a person of Persian origin, I am grateful that you have had a good time in Iran and were treated well despite the religious fervor that the system imposes on the people. Thank you again.
lovesallweneed 4 months ago 3
We've been so brainwashed that the U.S. is the best country in the world that we automatically look down on other societies and cultures instead of learning about them. Add some heavy demonization from the press and government and some people here want to nuke them and turn Iran into a parking lot. I hope some of those people will see this.
duster011 4 months ago 4
@duster011 Is it really brainwashing when such a good case can be made, though? It's not an excuse to look down on others, but failing to value what is worth valuing is just as bad as devaluing what isn't worth devaluing.
Sablestone 2 months ago
24:06 so true about people that have never ever been out of the US yet they *know* so much about other cultures. I'd love a womens only train car
lambchopxoxo 4 months ago in playlist Season 1 4
I think it should be mentioned that there are a number of "reciprocal" countries meaning that when you enter and are from the US, you will be subjected to whatever entry requirements that the US imposes to people that visit the US from *their* country.
lambchopxoxo 4 months ago in playlist Season 1
2:22 YES. I completely agree with that! We have something in common with people from every country and culture: our "humanness"
lambchopxoxo 4 months ago in playlist Season 1
thx! this was a great documentary! Its good that people actually take effort to make good changes.
tnima 7 months ago
Iran is beautiful!
TheShingami 8 months ago
Nice. What television channel are you on?
IrishAimbot 9 months ago
This was an incredibly wonderful talk. I think Iran is one of those places in the world that interest me the most.
TheDubJake 9 months ago
Greetings from Iran. I believe you have visited a few beautiful places of Iran.What about west of Iran?What about North of Iran?
Thank you for your honesty in commenting about Iran.
There are alot of reasons for hatred of Iranian from American. For instance i would refer you to what the Bush have done in mideast. the border areas of our country is not safe.the American politicians made all our borders and neighbours in this terrible situation. ans so on......
ARASHME11 9 months ago
thank you Rick, I would recommend you to go some other places like, north of iran.
you will be amazed, how the peoples are friendly and kind.
Iran never attacked to any country since 700 yrs ago
Hope for a day that humans remove all borders
trezcal 10 months ago 3
thank you Rick, I would recommend you to go some other places like, north of iran.
you will be amazed, how the peoples are friendly and kind.
Iran never attacked to any country since 700 yrs ago
Hope for a day that humans remove all borders
trezcal 10 months ago
Americans please read this: I am from Iran. In Persian language, "marg bar Amrica" means "down with America" and not "death to America". the word "marg" alone means "death" but when placed in that phrase, it no longer means "death". for example you guys say "look what the cat dragged in" but you don't actually mean the cat dragged in something, do you?
gorgealaki 11 months ago 22
I am not Iranian. I'm Malaysian who is relieved by your earnest desire to emphatise with the Iranian people and your discovery of "the fundamental humaness" in the country. I am also relieved that you are not a war-monger!
matahati1 11 months ago
this lecture was terrible,American mentally doesn't change, does it?really? deatth to traffic? we never use this expresion, its not a swear word in Farsi! fear and love?Iranians are frightened? of what?of loosing Islamic values?
this mentaly sucks people of America, just change it if you really want to see abetter world.
From Iran, with Love
setare1369 11 months ago
His guide gave him the wrong info, if your jewish or christian you can still be in the military and government. Irans government has a christian and jewish minority. There were also several other wrong points made, abit politicised, but all in all good lecture.
Dadashhhh 11 months ago
Thank you, Rick Steves. Your are just amazing...enlightening.
xMidnightWingsx 1 year ago
They took the Americans in hostage because America took the Shah in exile, instead of allowing the Iranians to sue him. Their demand was: 1) give the Shah back to the people (instead the Americans only threw him out of America, and he ended up in Egypt); 2)apology from the American government for interfering in the country for so long; 3) a promise not to interfer in the country in the future. You can guess what the American government did.
yasmeena645 1 year ago 5
We're all one, despite the talibans that display their ways on both hemispheres of this glorious planet. Even they are our brothers. One soul, having different individual experiences. The show is all over. Time to move HOME. Time to rejoyce. From the bottom of my heart I love you all…
Lasseolin 1 year ago
Rick gives a BALANCED, honest view on everything he reports on. That kind of truth is so refreshing.
I wish more people were like this, but most seem so caught up in their views that I wonder if fairness will ever become the norm. Truth before agenda, should be the motto of politics on all sides.
hawaiidispenser 1 year ago
Rick Steves says stuff I wish our leaders would say. His interest in the culture of our supposed enemies helps bring American and Iranians closer, unlike what some in Washington do. Great presentation, Mr. Steves.
caeseroct0 1 year ago
Excellent content. But no "CC". Please include the closed caption on every clip. There many viewers ( million) who can't follow your English.
Closed captions, please!
Bangkok Johnny
Royaume de Thailand
carsanookdotcom 1 year ago
Being a woman I would never want to visit any muslim country where women are treated like 2nd class citizens and cant even go out in public unless your head is completely covered
tanrat7 1 year ago
@tanrat7 Didn't you watch the lecture .. .."2nd class citizens is exactly what they are NOT ...
DabAndrew 1 year ago
Powerful stuff. Wonderful!
Sidenote: Japan also has women only coaches :)
abraxasnl 1 year ago
This video is pretty much what I already thought Iran was like. Not that I'm comparing them but I bet the average North Korean also treats their guests well and enjoys a picnic on a sunny days. People are people regardless of the quality of their government, Its sad that so many need to have it explained to them.
@abraxasnl
Japan also fingerprints everyone at the airport.
And the "Women and children only" coach rule is only during the rush hours. Most of the time guys can hop in :)
BubbleGumNipples 1 year ago
Thank you, Rick Steves, for helping to share with the whole world how wonderful the Iranian people are. This has done so much good for the world, for changing perceptions of faraway cultures for the better. This is a huge help to establishing a Bridge of Hearts between nations.
TheGandhiGuy 1 year ago 3
Very powerful video. It's amazing to see the similarity between US and them :D
emilykbisignano 1 year ago 2
Nice presentation. There's so much more to explore but this is a nice primer. For any non-Iranians, the pronunciation of Shiraz by Rick is slightly off. It's not pronounced "Sheh-rez", but rather like "She-raas". Just wanted to point that out.
dayati 1 year ago
Thank you Rick for this powerful presentation.
kelvinwliu 1 year ago
I love my motherland; Iran.
Mustafa Baloch.
Obama90 1 year ago 3
Super lecture. Thank you for the insight and exposure to this ancient and highly misunderstood culture.
ClearMindedOne 1 year ago 6
Best hour I've spent on YouTube in a long time. Great video!
nameofthepen 1 year ago 5
mumbai also has "women only" coaches in trains..
bit2spam 1 year ago
Is it possible to view the unedited version of this perhaps on the RS website?
kieranmullen 1 year ago
Simply excellent.
dave28lax 1 year ago
Nice to see someone that see and says the truet and not just showing the worst things...
nonbarbari 1 year ago
Iran and Iraq will not be allies anytime soon. Iraq has a power vacuum now, and if the US leaves soon then they will soon be taken over by someone...possibly Iran. Im not saying its good or bad, just that its how it is.
whatitischief 1 year ago
Nice work! I've never seen that side of Iran. I am determined to visit Esfehan one day! Here's to the revival of relations with Iran and the end of lies by right wing Israeli backed politicians and media. Peace!
frwi0619 1 year ago 6
awesome, awesome lecture. Smart and insightful.
malka011 2 years ago 28
awesome.
maxrashadaty 2 years ago 5
Thank you very much Rick Steves, it was awesome lecture,
I am from Iran, and I've lived in Canada for 14 years, and I really enjoyed watching your show.
maxrashadaty 2 years ago 8
Thanks Rick Steves for your comment about Iran, I am Iranian , I live in USA almost for 11 years, but I would love to go back to my country, but because of regime I am not able to. As you said" we are not Arab and we do not speak Arabic". We are Iranian "Persian" and want to live the same as other people in world in freedom.
AKhajavi 2 years ago 63
@AKhajavi Stop repeating old monarchial propaganda. Iranians are not persian, persian people (if there are any) are highly mixed and do not even constitute half of the diverse backgrounds in Iran. Aside from that, most Iranians in the West go back and forth, obviously you have a past that you conveniently don't mention.
7amadloo 2 months ago
@AKhajavi What is ironic, is that today's Iran is not the real Persians. Iranian language is 80%+ Arabic words. Recent DNA testing shown that most of the Iranian claiming to be Persians are of Arabic ancestry. As Shahnamah outlines the boundaries of what it calls Iran, falls right into the Khorasan, of what they forcibly changed to Afghanistan today!
davodtdoto 2 months ago
@AKhajavi And we relatively have it . not perfect but it works for now and it's getting better day by day
00299999 1 month ago
What i really like about Rick Steves travels, e.p. Europe, is that whenever he comes in contact with a hot chic, he always maintains his cool!!;)
cylinder4ify 2 years ago 3
Great understanding of Iran's culture but remember that not all Iranians are persians. I assume he wasn't allow to go to the Kurdish parts of Iran as they have their own culture and are more liberal.
koyar1 2 years ago 4
@koyar1
Kurds are Iranian
TheKourosh1990 1 year ago 2
I will never visit Iran unless they make homosexuality legal.
novemberboy4life 2 years ago
Very nice country to visit
walikawara 2 years ago 5
i just think this man is incredible. it makes me so happy that people like him have discovered the true iran and not the iran shown in the media.
i just wish iranians could break free from the humiliation of the iranian government. lets hope the young people who are risking their lives in the protests can make a change.
goodsoundgirl 2 years ago 2
I learned to love travel from Rick Steves! Go Rick!
Teammarcopolo 2 years ago 5
DElightfully presented, thank you Rick
pondman27 2 years ago 4
27:25
Now just imagine for a moment, the removal of usury from our western economies, the removal of national debt that is conjured by the international banking cartels.
No heartlees corproations that will come & take your house if your can't meet the interest payments.
Imagine........what could we do with all that energy?
pondman27 2 years ago 2
Wow! This was terrific! I think that "GLOBALIZATION" should take on a NEW MEANING! All the people of the world UNITE against governments and religions that spew hatred and war. UNITE in FREEDOM FOR ALL!
JanColdwater 2 years ago 2
That was a terrific lecture. I'll remember the "Death to traffic!" anecdote for a long time. It's refreshing to see someone do a piece on Iran and NOT looking for the worst. I hope a few minds will be opened by this well-balanced, sincere effort to increase understanding.
Having said that, I remain concerned for the safety of Baha'is in Iran. I have Baha'i friends who were forced to flee Iran or lose their lives. I'm glad that Rick didn't entirely ignore that issue.
GerryMATW 2 years ago 69
I am iranian and I do not act like that
TheBokaie 2 years ago
Thank you for introducing me to the Iranian people.
Hello from all of here in the US.
Salom aleco
Hodahafez
(i know I didn't spell that right
Lori
realloreal 2 years ago 8
Excellent Lecture. I'm travelling there in April 2009 with a group. American group to be specific.
My question is: Are regular tourists allowed to use camcorder during travels?
Thanks.
Nonymous77 2 years ago 3
i strongly believe our politicians should give us that kind of historical feedback of our relationship with other countries we have issues with. We are in need to understand the world better.. and i mean we the people of the United States. We have detached and for that same reason lied about the rest of the world such as Iraq.
juan1974mendez 2 years ago 5
Very inspiring!
huachiman7 2 years ago 4