
When Nazanin Afshin-Jam won Miss World Canada, I read about it in a Persian language weekly. Of course, I was proud. The success of any Iranian makes me proud, but I didn’t glean on it too much at the time. In the back of my mind, I probably thought to myself, here is another pretty Iranian girl whose cosmetics bag is probably more precious to her than the destiny of her country. Perhaps, I thought to myself, here is another pretty Iranian girl who has been landed with a unique opportunity to voice the plight of her people to the world, but will probably refuse to get involved in Iran related issues. At best, I thought, she may take up some more fashionable cause, which has nothing to do with Iran. I remember a friend of mine, whose son, has a talent for song writing and playing the guitar. He played a recording of his son to me once. It was about the troubles of Bosnian refugees. All very good, I told my friend but do you encourage him to record a song for the Iranian people too? “Oh, he doesn’t want to have much to do with Iran!” was my friend’s strange blasé reply!
May be, I am a cynic, but when I watch the likes of tennis player, Andrea Agassi, publicly resent their Iranian roots or read about the likes of successful entrepreneurs, Sahar Haschemi ((Skinny Candy!) – who say they consider themselves Persian not Iranian! and don’t really want to talk about Iran, then I have some right to be cynical, no?
I can name tons more names that fall in this category both famous and those not so famous that I have personally come across. You know the type I mean, turning up their surgically manipulated noses, and cautious about the tons of make up they use not cracking up, saying something like “ooh, I don’t want to get involved in Iran stuff!”.
But boy, was I wrong about Nazanin Afshin-Jam? I was so wrong, I should eat my hat – if I had one that is!
Nazanin Afshin-Jam is in fact, beautiful, brainy and passionate about Iran and her people. She is what I call a woman of substance. Unlike most other Iranian girls in her shoes, she is not afraid to use her position for the good of her people. Most noteworthy she has taken up the cause of another Nazanin, a less fortunate 18 year old compatriot who has been sentenced to death in Iran for killing a man in self-defense when she and her niece were being assaulted (the men were trying to rape them). Nazanin has since adopted the cause of her namesake in Iran.
She has also recorded a song of hope for the young Iranian generation. “Some Day” speaks to the young Iranians who are suffering from the “regressive revolution” of their previous generation. It speaks about staying strong, rising above hardships and driving forward to free our country from the curse of the totalitarian theocratic regime in Iran.
Read the lyrics to Some Day
Nazanin, is also very approachable and down to earth. She was kind enough to answer some of my questions.
I questioned her about the apathy of a large section of Iranian ex-pats, but rather than mirroring my emotional resentment, she was more analytical about some of the underlying reasons. She told me :
“I don't know if most Iranian ex-pats have "forgotten" their roots. I think they are just lost as to what they can do or should do. I think that many who were witness to the atrocities during and since the Revolution are still fearful to speak out. Even living in free corners of the world like Canada, US and Europe, they still feel they are being "watched". Others want to visit their family members in Iran but do not want to be put on a "black list". As for "pretending they have nothing to do with Iran anymore", I think this is also divided. There are those who are very proud and outspoken about their Iranian roots and there are others who do not want to be associated with how Iran is being represented in current times. With Islamic fundamentalists ruling the state, and with a President claiming that Israel should be wiped off the map, I don't blame people for wanting to be removed of such extreme rhetoric. By doing just that, however, they are denying the world the opportunity to learn about the true, rich, ancient culture of Iran and the strength of Iranian people. We Iranians have the oldest culture on Earth, we have persevered through many battles and we remain strong and determined people. Iranians are recognized at the top of their ranks in all fields around the world. We should not be ashamed of our true being and we should be proud and work towards bringing our "compatriots" forward so that they will have better opportunities.”
She co-wrote the lyrics of “Some Day” with her talented brother-in-law.
“When I heard about young Nazanin I wanted to dedicate my song "Someday" to her and the other oppressed youth of Iran, so I added it on my site and hopefully I will get to send - or better yet hand deliver- the song to her.” Nazanin told me.
As our conversation was shortly after the Nowrooz festivities, I asked her how she celebrated it. “I was blessed to be able to celebrate Nowrooz with my beloved family. We had a simple "haft seen" set up, the sweet smell of "sombol" and the muffled sound of a Persian television program counting down the last seconds. My mother was well aware NOT to have goldfish in a bowl from years of complaints from my sister and me claiming "cruelty to animals. Of course we brought in the New Year with lots of hugs and kisses. What made it particularly special was having my amazing 89-year-old grandmother with me.”
Finally, I asked Nazanin, some day will we meet up in Iran?
Her reply was full of optimism and hope.
“Yes, dear Potkin, "someday" we and the rest of Iranian youth will meet up in a free, democratic Iran walking the path that Cyrus the Great had paved. I can't get over the irony that the very country that brought forth "Human Rights" is now among the countries furthest from such beauty."