From: akbar@fnalo.fnal.gov (MOKHTARANI, AKBAR)
Subject: Re: Jokes, Ramin S.
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Reply-To: akbar@fnalo.fnal.gov
Organization: FNAL
Distribution:  world
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 20:20:46 GMT

In article <67576@hydra.gatech.EDU>, me12@prism.gatech.EDU (Reza Ebrahimpour 32199) writes...
>This is the revised version of a letter that I recently sent to Ramin S.
>I don't wish to start flames, nor I have anything against Ramin.
>I usually enjoy reading his articles. The letter only represents my 
>feelings about the jokes we make about OTHER cultures and people.
>The opinions represented here are only mine, and since I have no
>skills in convincing people, they may remain only mine.
> 
>I appreciate if the other readers post their feelings and opinions regarding
>this subject, without getting too persoanl and emotional.
>After all we have had enough share of cursing and all forms of language abuse
>during the past few months.
> 
> 
>WARNING: This letter is somehow long. If you don't care about the way
>we treat other cultures, you may ignore it.
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Salam rAmin jAn,
> 
>I just read your jokes (involving arabs and  rashties).
> 
 [ some stuff deleted]
> 
>2) I am from Mashad. Here, I have a friend from Tehran, who once in the
>middle of a discussion said IRAN would be much better off if Mashad and
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>Azerbaijan were separated from Iran. I asked for a reason and the response
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>was that these people have always brought trouble for Iran.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
[some more stuff deleted]
> 
>I remind you that my friend is not ignorant. He is a PhD. student,
                                ^^^^^^^^^^^^  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
>a very bright and knowledgable person who is one of the best in his field.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>The only problem is that his source of social information is the kind of jokes 
>that you and I like to tell, and hear.

I am sorry to say that your friend is a sad case. He might not be ignorant 
in his field, but when it comes to social issues he must come accross like 
a child. He has lived here for a number of years (he is a PhD. student, right?) 
and has not heard of nor been subjected to racial slurs (towards foreigners)? 
One thing we foriegners learn from living abroad is the fallacy of 
stereotyping, which should in turn open our eyes to our own prejudices.
This is not to say that I condone racial jokes. Although, I must admit 
that some are funny and humorous and nothing more.  
> 
>Isn't it the time to stop strerotyping people?
> 
>I am sure your jokes will be as funny, if you change all your references
>from "An Arab" and " A Rashti" to just "A Guy".
                                         ^^^^^
I bet your friend would hate all the "Guys":-).
> 
>I promise that I will laugh as much, without any second thought
>about insulting a fellow human being.
> 
>Thanks.
> 
>Reza Ebrahimpour.
> 
 Akbar Mokhtarani