I think there are many Iranian Muslims and Jews who get along with each other. When I go into an Iranian market in my own neighborhood, I see all the Iranians, whether they are Muslims or Jews, peacefully shopping with each other. In fact, outside on the racks where you can pick up various newspapers, I noticed that along with the Farsi ones was a newspaper in Hebrew. I think in Los Angeles people from Middle East countries tend to get along with each other regardless of their religion. I can remember an Israeli (originally from Yemen) Jew, Sammy, being real estate partners with Omar, an Egyptian Muslim.
The Rare Place Where Israelis And Iranians Play Together
November 12, 2014 4:23 PM ET
SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON
Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.
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Courtesy of Sistanagila
Like many Iranians living abroad, Babak Shafian cringed whenever Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his country's former president, spewed hate-filled rhetoric about Israel. The 33-year-old computer scientist says the diatribes ignored thousands of years of shared history between Jews and Persians.
"The main thing which annoyed me really is that Ahmadinejad was presented in the Western media as the main voice of Iranian society," says Shafian, who moved to Germany 14 years ago.
He decided the best antidote would be a musical collaboration with the alleged enemy. The problem, however, is that he didn't know how to play a musical instrument. So three years ago, Shafian talked to friends and scoured the Internet to find Israelis and Iranians living in Berlin who did.
Continue reading at:
The Rare Place Where Israelis And Iranians Play Together Parallels NPR
The Rare Place Where Israelis And Iranians Play Together
November 12, 2014 4:23 PM ET
SORAYA SARHADDI NELSON
Audio for this story from All Things Considered will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. ET.
Courtesy of Sistanagila
Like many Iranians living abroad, Babak Shafian cringed whenever Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, his country's former president, spewed hate-filled rhetoric about Israel. The 33-year-old computer scientist says the diatribes ignored thousands of years of shared history between Jews and Persians.
"The main thing which annoyed me really is that Ahmadinejad was presented in the Western media as the main voice of Iranian society," says Shafian, who moved to Germany 14 years ago.
He decided the best antidote would be a musical collaboration with the alleged enemy. The problem, however, is that he didn't know how to play a musical instrument. So three years ago, Shafian talked to friends and scoured the Internet to find Israelis and Iranians living in Berlin who did.
Continue reading at:
The Rare Place Where Israelis And Iranians Play Together Parallels NPR
