Comment by steve19 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by steve19 | Hacker News Reader

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> I recommend going and making your own mind up, and yes, the music was amazing.

Not if you are Israeli, have visited Israel or have any connection to Israel because you will be banned from entering or even transiting the country. Especially not if you are gay couple because homosexuality is illegal, or if you are a non-operative transsexual person. If you are a married gay person you would have to lie on your visa application. If you are an American businessman it would also be inadvisable, the regime is currently holding five hostage. Also avoid if you are a sailor, the regime often grabs a passing ship when they need some hostages and collateral.

So a wonderful country to visit if you are not a minority or useful as a hostage /s

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Iran#Israel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Iran

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign_nationals_deta...

https://www.dw.com/en/iran-seizes-south-korean-flagged-oil-t...

It seems like you're hijacking this thread to make a your own political point. The people of Iran are also caught up in the mess, and this especially includes musicians and artists, who are often activist, but don't have a huge global voice, or global concern. The country and it's people are beautiful, but, yes, it's not just sanctions affecting the country, but also oppression from the theocratic government downwards. Interesting to note, that the most recent study of religious affiliation in Iran shows that roughly only a third identify as Shia muslim:

https://theconversation.com/irans-secular-shift-new-survey-r...

For people who want a deeper dive into the geo-political issues and growing secularism movement across the Middle East, I'd highly recommend the provocatively titled 'Secular Jihadists' podcast. The hosts are both ex-pat apostate Muslims, one from Iran, one from Saudi Arabia, and they have interesting insights into West Asia, and secularism in general.

> It seems like you're hijacking this thread to make a your own political point

No I am not. I was making a salient legal point. The OP recommended visiting and making up your own mind. I pointed out that for many people that would be dangerous and illegal.

I have sympathy for the Iranian people who have a wonderful culture but are held captive by a repressive fanatical regime.

It's not the content of the message I take issue with, but the delivery. You seem to be posing this salient point in plaintive opposition. I think you could have raised the issues without the negativity, as I don't think the OP had the intention to paper over the very real issues of the country but provide an honest perspective.

You do realize the government pays for sex reassignment surgery there...

TIL. From the wiki:

> Since 2017, the government has provided transgender persons financial assistance in the form of grants of up to 5 million tomans ($400~ USD).[2][failed verification] However, Iran is not a country tolerant of nonbinary genders or non-heterosexuality[citation needed]. They sanction funds for sex reassignment surgery in order to fit all of their citizens into the category of either male or female. Those who get these surgeries performed are subject to social stigma from their families and communities

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_rights_in_Iran

Yet the regime that regardless of sexual orientation prevents free travel without checkpoints suspecting terrorism of all...

As I said, I recommend going and making your own mind up. That includes about going.

Everything you mention can be worked around, should you chose to go down that path. I met folks from each of your classifications in Iran. True, not easy for them, but, you know, wasn't easy in the US or Europe that long ago either. Tolerance isn't equally distributed, as we all know.

It's our planet, dammit, and we should be able to go where we want based on our own risk profile. None of those problems you mention are unique to Iran.

Nothing of what you said takes anything away from the people of Iran. Flawed leadership and policy - yes, again, something we're all probably familiar with no matter where we're born or where we live.

My sympathies to the Israelis who would like to travel to Iran. My greater sympathies to the Palestinians who would like to travel within their own neighborhoods.

In the West bank, there are Israeli checkpoints everywhere and whenever non-compliance happens, collective punishment is applied (which is against the Geneva conventions).

It's amazing what inventions people create about Israel while excusing an outright theocracy which executes violators of its religious laws (ok, some women who'd like to not wear a head cover just get 20 years in prison). Is the welfare of Iranians entirely secondary to yet another hopeless campaign against Israel?

You understand it is all on YouTube right? What is your next claim, that it is a cinematic production of some sort?

You can see the IDF soldiers harassing people in the checkpoints, catcalling the women and giving nicknames to people.

The objective seems to be to put as many obstructions to normal life as possible, so people just give up and move somewhere else.

Harass people until they protest, and once they protest just shoot them all. Starting by the paramedics.

Harass people in every form possible. Harass the fishermen with artillery shots, make people spend 4 hours every day in checkpoints, kill the olive trees, sabotage the water towers so they have a putrid smell, demolish the schools, send people to some kangaroo court and seize their property, burn children with white phosphorous, etc.

Why does Israel have so many armored bulldozers? (D9) What are they for? We all know what they are for.

I respect the Jewish people and the Jewish faith, I am part Jew myself although not religious. But what Israel is either doing or allowing to happen is not the way.

> non-operative transsexual person

I have no idea what this means. We're making up identities so quickly it's hard to even keep up with the jargon.

It is simple descriptive term that means a trans person who has not had gender reassignment surgery. It is legal to be a post-operative transsexual person, but not a non-operative transsexual in Iran.

Thought sex change operations are performed in Iran. And your remark about the intolerance to gays: yes the govt is officially making a tough stance, but I found most modern barbershops staffed with gays discussing their situation openly with me.

Have you been to Iran, or are you Iranian?

You seem so positive about Israel, and interestingly enough I view that country as modern apartheid state, with racist laws an policies.

Your comment is sad but true; that said Iran wasn’t always like this and I’m sure it won’t be. As an Iranian in diaspora I hope my people win their painful struggle for having a free and just society for everyone.

The current Iranian political religious hardline situation has pretty much been the result of the US/UK meddling with their politics and having the democratic/progressive guy killed at some point.

It's disgusting.

When you visit Israel your passport is not stamped so they have no way of knowing you have visited Israel.

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