by Elizabeth Mosolovich
In the fierce debate regarding the United States’ nuclear deal with Iran, discussions focused on how much Iran hates America and how dangerous it is to allow the Iranians to develop any nuclear power at all. The most prominent anti-nuclear deal propaganda that I have seen are commercials that condemn negotiating with a country "where chants of 'Death to America' are common." However, as many sources point out, the phrase “Death to America” is not as clear as it seems, and regardless of whatever Iranians may believe about the actions of the United States government, many of them actually feel very positively about America and Americans.
The phrase "Death to America" can be traced back to the 1979 Iranian Revolution, where the pro-Western, American-backed but dictatorial shah Mohammed Reza Pahlav was overthrown. The revolutionaries rallied around slogans like "The Shah Must Go" and "Death to the Shah". These became “embedded in...the popular mind" and "mutated" into calling for the death of America, the country that many Iranians were angry with for aiding in the overthrow of their democratically elected leader, and later replacing him with the shah (Taylor). In the years since the revolution, November 4, the day protestors took over the American embassy, has become a day of celebration, at least in Tehran; of note, however, is the fact that that day is not considered "Death to America Day," as some, such as Republican Senator Ted Cruz, have claimed. It is in fact considered the "Day of fighting arrogance" and the "National Day against Global Arrogance." (Selby).
These names for the November 4 celebrations offer a clearer understanding of what the slogan is really about: anger at the United States government for its, arrogant attitude towards Iran. Foad Izadi, an assistant professor of world studies at the University of Tehran, says that Iranians are actually very friendly to Americans in their country, and that "everyone wants to take care of you" when they see that you are an America. The slogan calls for the death of American "foreign policy," and expresses problems many Iranians have with America's government, not the country’s people (Erlich). In fact, in the aftermath of 9/11, Iranian clerics temporarily suspended the use of the chant, as the country offered condolences and prayers for the American people.
When "on the ground" in Iran and talking with an average Iranian, many Americans are surprised by the warm welcome they receive, including Carol Giacomo, editorial writer for the New York Times, and Christopher Thornton, who has written for The Atlantic and teaches writing at Zayed University in Dubai. The Iranians they've encountered like to gush about how great America and our president are (Thornton) and remark that "America is very very good" and "Americans help people a lot" (Giacomo).
So, as shocking as the words "Death to America" may sound, it's not how many Iranians feel. They might actually really like us.
Elizabeth Dandrow Mosolovich is a freshman at Rowan University, studying Writing Arts and International Studies.
Erlich, GlobalPost Reese. "In Iran, 'death to America' Doesn't Mean What You Think." USA Today. Gannett, 18 Aug. 2015. Web. 14 Oct. 2016.
Giacomo, Carol. "How Young Iranians View America." Takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com. The New York Times Company, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.
Selby, W. Gardner. "Ted Cruz Says Iran Annually Has Death to America Holiday." @politifact. Politifact, 13 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
Taylor, Adam. "The History of ?Death to America?." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2015. Web. 15 Oct. 2016.
Thornton, Christopher. "The Iran We Don't See: A Tour of the Country Where People Love Americans." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 6 June 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.
