Israeli Hasbara to Say it in Persian

JPOST: While American and Israeli leaders vow that all options remain on the table in dealing with Iran's race to acquire nuclear weapons, it seems that all options are being kept open on the desktop as well. The Foreign Ministry unveiled a Persian-language version of its Web site on Monday that it hopes will speak "above the heads" of the regime in Tehran, directly to Iran's younger generation. The site is part of diplomatic efforts to educate the Iranian people about the Jewish state, "who have been purposely distanced from information about Israel, and fed lies and hatred by the Iranian regime." The site, called Hamdami ("clarity" in Persian), can be found at https://hamdami.com/.

Message to the Iranian people from Tzipi Livni – Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

خارجه اسرائیلبا گشایش تارنمای وزارت امور خارجه به زبان فارسی 9 ژوئیه 2007 وزارت امور خارجه اسرائیل امروز ر
معاون نخست وزیر و وزیر خارجه
پیام شادباش معاون نخست وزیر و وزیر اه تازه ای را برای گفت و گو با ملت ایران می گشاید. ما همیشه حساب ملت صلح دوست و آرامش طلب ایران را از حساب رژیمی که با گفتارها و کردارهای خویش موجب انزوای ایران می گردد و آن را به عامل تهدید کننده صلح جهانی مبدل می سازد جدا دانسته ایم.مناسبات بین ملت ایران- دارنده یکی از باستانی ترین فرهنگهای جهان، با ملت اسرائیل که یکتاپرستی و کتاب کتابها (تورات) را به جهانیان عرضه کرد، از 2700 سال پیش و هنگامی آغاز شد که نخستین گروه از یهودیان در فلات قاره ایران مستقر گردیدند و امروز یکی از باستانی ترین بخش از ساکنان ایران را تشکیل می دهند.ملت اسرائیل همیشه یاد کورش بزرگ را گرامی می دارد که نه تنها یهودیان را از اسارت بابل رهائی بخشید، که به آنان امکان داد به زادگاه و میهن خویش بازگردند و به آنان یاری مادی رساند تا بیت المقدس یهود را از نو بنا کنند- همان مکانی که کانون معنویت یهود و نماد کشور نوپای اسرائیل است.برپائی سامانه فارسی وزارت امور خارجه اسرائیل نشان از اهمیتی دارد که اسرائیل برای تحکیم تفاهم و تقویت دوستی با ملت ایران قائل است- تا دو ملت یکدیگر را بیشتر بشناسند و به امید روزی باشند که روابط صلح و دوستی و همکاری بین دو ملت دوباره برقرار شود.

تیسپی لیونیمعاون نخست وزیر و وزیر خارجه اسرائیل

We have launched this website for a dialogue with the Iranian nation. We have always made a distinction between the account of the peace loving people of Iran and the account of the its regime, which by it's rhetoric and actions has caused Iran's isolation and it has transformed Iran into a threat to world peace. The relationship between Iran and Israel started 2700 years ago whereby the first group of Jewish people established themselves in Iran and today they comprise one of its most historical residence of Iran.

The nation of Israel had always revered, Cyrus the Great, whom not only freed the Jewish people from Babylonian slavery but it made it possible for them to return to their birthplace and homeland and gave them financial support to build Jerusalem again--the place where it is a center of Jewish spirituality and the new country of Israel. The launch of this website by Israel's foreign ministry illustrates the importance that Israel places on creating understanding and reinforcing friendship with the Iranian nation--so that the two countries get to know each other and in hopes of a day where peace, friendship, and cooperation between the two countries is re-established.

Tzipi Livni – Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

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Cyrus Kar: 'In Search of Cyrus The Great' , A Doucmentary

Spenta Productions - Work in Progress

In a time of mounting hostility between East and West, few figures of history offer the unifying effect Cyrus The Great does. A factual film about this eastern conqueror, who founded the Persian Empire, will give the West a better understanding of Middle-Eastern history.

Long before the advent of Christianity and Islam, the rift between West and East was first shaped in opposition to the Persian Empire, by Herodotus, the 5th-century BCE Greek author who lived in Persian-occupied Halicarnassus. Despite the apparent conflict of interest, he is still considered the "Father of history."

But Cyrus The Great may be just the figure to dislodge this age-old wedge dividing East and West. Admiration for Cyrus is virtually uncontested. The Hebrew Bible hails him as a "Messiah," Greek Hellenes knew him as the "Law Giver," and the Babylonians welcomed him as Marduk's elect.

The empire he founded ruled the world for over 200 years and the people he conquered enjoyed more freedom and prosperity under Persian supremacy than they ever had under their own, native leadership. In his book, 'History Of The World,' John Roberts writes:

“Large areas knew longer periods of peace under the Persian Empire than for centuries and it was in many ways a beautiful and gentle civilization.”

For many Westerners, this may come as something of a revelation. The Persian Empire has long been vilified by Hollywood in films like Oliver Stone's 'Alexander' and the soon-to-be-released '300' - yet another movie based on Herodotus' "Battle of Thermopylae." But casting ancient Persia as a ruthless villain is a relatively new phenomenon.

Until the mid 19th century, the West knew ancient Persia as the paragon of "benevolent power," not just through the Old Testament but also through the 'Cyropaedia,' written by another Greek author, Xenophon. 'Cyropaedia' literally means, "The Teaching of Cyrus" and was as much a part of the political library as Machiavelli's 'The Prince.' In fact, it was the only alternative to Machiavelli's theory that "It is Better To Be Feared Than Loved."

Praised by the Bible, the Cyropaedia, and John Locke - their three most influential sources - America's founding Fathers broke with tradition and adopted Cyrus's model of 'benevolent government' for their new nation. This is one of Thomas Jefferson's two personal copies of Xenophon's 'Cyropaedia.'





But Cyrus's benevolent rule did not stem from the goodness of his heart but from the values of his culture. Piecing together Cyrus's culture was by far the most difficult part of our research. What emerged was eye-opening. We know Cyrus was a Persian and that the Persians were one of several Iranian tribes, which inhabited the region known today as Iran. Though little is known about Iran's pre-Islamic culture, scholars have revealed a striking resemblance to the pagan culture of pre-Christian Europe. After all, pre-Christian Europe and pre-Islamic Iran both trace their cultural roots back to the same tribe that once roamed the Caspian steppes. Gender equality, religious freedom, and equal justice, considered "Western values" today, were protected mainstays of Persian culture. Today, many in the Middle East consider such values meddlesome tools of Western neo-imperialism. But in an age of unspeakable human misery, it was a Middle-Easterner who, for the first time in recorded history, applied such rights to all the people within his vast dominion. The writing on this baked, clay cylinder gives us a rare snapshot of Cyrus bestowing these very rights on the people of Babylonia after conquering it in October, 539 BCE.



Today this cylinder is considered the world's first universal declaration of human rights and is considered by many as the precursor to the Magna Carta and the U.S. Bill of Rights.

The purpose of this film is two fold. First, it will show the West that Middle Easterners once shared many of the same values we consider "western values" today. Second it will show Middle Easterners that gender equality, religious freedom, and due process are not trappings of western neo-imperialism, but were once celebrated by their own ancestors.

For a preview of, 'In Search Of Cyrus The Great,' please click here.

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Who did the Spartan Defeat?

The Persians ruled over the Greeks over 150 years…the Greeks were inspired and influenced in every aspects of their lives by the Persian..from politics , architecture and even democracy.

Some of you may know that Zoroastrianism, the first monotheistic world religion, was the official religion & philosophy of Iran prior to first Arab-Isam invasion of Iran in the 7th Century, with the second Islamic invasion occurring during 1979 ill-conceived revolution. Zoroastrianism was once the dominant religion of much of the Greater Iran but as of 2007 practiced only by fewer than 200,000 worldwide,[3] with its largest centers in India and Iran.

Zoroaster – the philosopher & teacher – more than 3000 years ago, advocated the concept of duality being Good vs. Evil (Ahura Mazda & Ahriman). The main motto for Zoroastrians is Good Thoughts, Good Words, & Good Deeds. It was under the influence of Zoroastrianism that Cyrus the Great set out his policies and carried out his noble acts (freeing the Jews from slavery and giving them permission to build their temple). When Cyrus the Great mentions (Ahura) Mazda, in the first declaration of human rights, he is referring to the Zoroaster’s God (Goodness).

“The charter of Cyrus the Great, a baked-clay Aryan language (Old Persian) cuneiform cylinder, was discovered in 1878 in excavation of the site of Babylon. In it, Cyrus the Great described his humane treatment of the inhabitants of Babylonia after its conquest by the Iranians.

The document has been hailed as the first charter of human rights, and in 1971 the United Nations published translation of it in all the official U.N. languages. “May Ahura Mazda protect this land, this nation, from rancor, from foes, from falsehood, and from drought”. Selected from the book “The Eternal Land”.”




The following is a translation of the cuneiform script written on the original cylinder. Although sections of the cylinder have been destroyed through time, the principal message of Cyrus’ Declaration is readily apparent. The cylinder is currently housed in the British Museum & a replica of the cylinder is kept at United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

First Declaration of Human Rights by Cyrus the Great, inscribed in cuneiform on a clay cylinder discovered in 1879, now on display in the British Museum.Cyrus the Great (585-529 BC), the Iranian emperor, defined the First Declaration of Human Rights on this cylinder. Cyrus is admired more as liberator than a conqueror of his vast empire because of his respect for human rights and the humane treatment of those he ruled. He is "anointed" in the Bible (Is. 45:4) as a liberator of God's people (Is.45:15) and the chosen one (Is. 48:15-15). Professor Richard Frye of Harvard University said; "Surely the concept of One World, the fusion of Peoples and Cultures into oneness was one of his important legacies".The following from this ancient cylinder are a rendition of the spirit of his message in modern English:

The Declaration:

I am Kourosh (Cyrus), King of the world, great king, mighty king, king of Babylon, king of the land of Sumer and Akkad, king of the four quarters, son of Camboujiyah (Cambyases), great king, king of Anshân, grandson of Kourosh (Cyrus), great king, king of Anshân, descendant of Chaish-Pesh (Teispes), great king, king of Anshân, progeny of an unending royal line, whose rule Bel and Nabu cherish, whose kingship they desire for their hearts pleasure. When I well-disposed, entered Babylon, I set up a seat of domination in the royal palace amidst jubilation and rejoicing. Marduk the great god, caused the big-hearted inhabitations of Babylon to …. me, I sought daily to worship him...

1. I declare that I will respect the tradition, customs and religion of the nations of my empire and never let any of my governors to look down or insult the inhabitants of my nations.

2. I hereby abolish slavery; my governors are ordered to prohibit exchanging men and women as slaves within their ruling domains. Such a tradition should be exterminated the world over.

3. If anyone opresses others, should it happen, I will take his/her right back and penalize the oppressors.

4. Today I declare Freedom of Religion. All are free to choose any religion, live in all regions and take up any job provided that they never violate other's rights.These proclamations ring true today in our times as they did in 583 BC. House Of Iran.

You're probably asking yourself right about now how did Iran get from Cyrus the Great to Ahmadinejad? The answer in a nutshell:

1. The Islamo/Arabo Conquest of Iran.
2. Too much focus on multi-culturlism.
3. Too much decadence and arrogance

That's how the Persian Civilization and Empire was lost. We should take a page from history and avoid the same fate right here in our country. Persia was undone by their decadence and lack of resolve as much as anything. If America is to take a lesson, it should be taken from the Persians. With a weak will to protect our ideals and democracy, the enemy already feels triumphant.

Update1: Video Clips on the Persian

The following clips were aired on Canada's History Television:
Engineering an Empire - The Persians (Part 1)
Engineering an Empire - The Persians (Part 2)
Engineering an Empire - The Persians (Part 3)
Engineering an Empire - The Persians (Part 4)
Engineering an Empire - The Persians (Part 5)

h/t to Winston

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Spenta Productions | In Search of Cyrus the Great

Spenta Productions was founded by Cyrus Kar with one simple mission: to shed light on history's most pivotal moments, which, for whatever reason, have gone untold or mistold. We believe that an accurate account of history will lead to a better understanding of the present.

To do this, he has traveled to remote corners of the world and take our audience on a journey back in time. We bring history back to life not just by filming the actual remnants of the past, but by recreating buildings, cities and battle scenes using 3-D computer generated imaging.

Unfortunately history's most pivotal, yet untold stories took place in some of today's most dangerous regions. Our staff has endured floggings, survived bombs, dodged bullets and served harsh prison time in our ongoing effort to set the historical record straight.


By filming on location, he was able to capture the atmosphere and cultural essence of each individual country as it is today, including war-torn Iraq. Documentary films also benefit from the priceless folklore passed down over generations by native populations. Their tales often bear nuggets of truth that can tie together disparate scientific data. But we leave their plausibility to the discretion of our viewers.

His current project is about Cyrus The Great, founder of the Persian Empire. 500 years before Christ, Persia was the first empire to rule the world, from Greece and Egypt in the west to India and China in the east.

For the first time in film history, Spenta will lift the Persian Empire from historical obscurity, by bringing you the factual story of its forgotten founder. We hope you enjoy our sneak preview of, 'In Search Of Cyrus The Great," by clicking here.

An accurate rendering of history is more important today than ever before. Our goal is to set the historical record straight through the power of film. At Spenta Productions we are committed to reporting history, based on the latest scientific data, devoid of political or demographic bias.

Virtually all the raw footage has been filmed. But he need s to raise another $430,000 to finish post-production of this historic film. You can donate by clicking here.

Wake up call to all Iranians: If you don't rise and stand on your well-healed Iranian toes and band together a little more pro-actively to support one another in their valiant efforts to rescue our own culture and image then what right do we have to get mad when others don't respect it?

IF every Iranian who will sign this petition, had donated $20 to Cyrus Kar's movie about Cyrus the Great SpentaProductions.com ,the darn thing would have been made by now, and we'd have a heck of an easier time convincing the rank and file that yes, there are two sides to every story. The contemporary politics embedded in the movie "300" is not a coincidence.

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