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Mr. Spielberg's display for our culture through the movie, "the peace maker"

 

Dear Madam/Sir:
I have recently made contact with your web page. Clearly the issue of
Mr. Spielberg's display for our culture through the movie, "the peace
maker", has risen many of our country men's eyebrows. The people of
Iran are very proud of their culture which I might add has contributed
to the world in a civilized manner through its ups and downs, like Mr.
Spielberg's own culture. Under the same context, I am sure that we as
Iranians, the people with a history of civilized culture, would not use
our talents and intelligence to give to the world community the wrong
message about Mr. Spielberg's culture. May I remind us that should
there be any extremist feelings involved, lets put them aside once and
for all, and let the world unite for better of the mankind. Iran and
the US are working on establishing relationships once again and in Iran
today the Armenians are left free to carry on with their Christian
customs in their churches. Perhapse all those who left Iran, would at
least pay a visit to fill in their hearts with the joy of seeing thier
homeland and close relatives. Perhapse many would be the Iranian Jews
who hold top posts in the holy land of Israel. Perhapse Mr. Spielberg
will see a great story worth considering among his great works in the
making. I suggest to the staff at Irantelaat to let the public know the
exact context of this contradictory issue first. I could not find or
trace the issue through the Irantelaat webpage. With best regards,
kian.

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Is Hollywood Ever Going to reconsider its Campaign

of Hate and Defamation of Iranians?

IADA ACTION ALERT: OCT 6, 1997
THE PEACEMAKER from Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Studio, which is being
screened nationally and internationally, contains hate provoking swear
words against Iran and against all Iranians by reason of ethnic origin.
Unfortunately, the use of this type of degrading terminology continues
to fuel the fire of misunderstanding, and hostility toward Iranian-Americans.
Evidently, in one scene, while tracking a truck with the stolen nuclear
bombs, the hero of the story says: "It's five miles from fucking Iran."
DreamWorks claim that "the script matches the character of a rough,
profanity spouting military man" is at best sophomoric and at worst a diversionary
tactic and very unconvincing. One may question why while confronting an
assorted so-called 'terrorist' nations and groups, the 'hero' of the movie reserves this
type of epithet for Iran and Iranians.
Furthermore, few moments later, referring to a captured Harvard-educated
Moslem scientist the 'hero' exclaims: "We educate half the world's terrorists."
By casting a very serious suspicion on the integrity and loyalty of
thousands if not tens of thousands of sorely needed foreign-born students,
scientists and technologists in America, is this movie advocating a form of
educational and professional Apartheid in our society? Dreamworks, should remember
that immigrant students have contributed greatly to American science,
technology and society.
If DreamWorks is attempting to express its anger or frustration with
respect to events of the international political arena, we ask them to note that
this form of expression leaves innocent bystanders as victims. Furthermore,
this type of production undermines the foundation of American society as the
great melting pot.
The concern of the Iranian-American community continues to be the
ill-aimed demonization of Iranians and Iranian culture. Unfortunately we, as
members of and contributors to American society, face the social consequences of
these dehumanizing and anger provoking products of the 'entertainment'
industry, everyday.
Just a couple of years ago, Mr. Spielberg held a 'sensitivity training
lecture' for some disadvantaged kids, when they chuckled inappropriately at a sad
part of one of his movies. We, simply, hope that he would extend the same
courtesy in reverse to the Iranian-Americans and show his readiness to listen to
them and learn about their deep concerns on his and other movie industry's
productions.
 
We ask Mr. Steven Spielberg and the director Mimi Leder to:
1. Revise the explicit & insulting lines of the Peacemakers' script for
video publication.
2. Consider the consequences of using fiction and film as the medium for
education and the forum for debate of real social issues. Does this
type of production promote understanding and critical thinking or does it
help foster paranoia and hatred among this country's citizens?
3. Publicly apologies to the Iranian Community.
4. Affirm their commitment to discuss their misperceptions and lack of
sensitivity with respect to people of Iranian Heritage, with
Iranian-American groups.
We demand they notify Iranian Anti-Defamation Alliance of this
commitment.
Iranian Anti-Defamation Alliance
iada@aol.com
P.O. Box 21607, Oakland, CA 94620-1607
 
We ask the Iranian-American Community at Large to please contact
Mr. Steven Spielberg and Ms. Mimi Leder, please be polite but firm:
 
DreamWorks Studio 100 Universal City Plaza Bldg. 477 Universal City, CA
91608
Phone: (818) 733-7000 C/O Mr. Mike Vollman (Field Marketing Director)
Phone: (818) 733-6892 Fax #: (818) 733-6995
Email: mvollman@dreamworks.com
Web page: http://www.pepsi.com/main/nav/master_fspeacemaker.html
 
Pepsi has sponsored this movie on its website: You can visit Pepsi at
http://www.pepsico.com/
Let Pepsi know that their sponsoring The Peacemaker, effects your
decision to be a Pepsi Consumer by emailing Pepsi at: webmaster@pepsi.com
Please help IADA, your all-volunteer non-partisan organization of
Iranian-Americans, to serve our community better by volunteering your skills and time
in our common cause.
 
Iranian Anti-Defamation Alliance
P.O. Box 21607, Oakland, CA 94620-1607
Email: iada@aol.com 
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INSULTING IRANIANS IN "PEACEMAKER"

Sunday, October 12, 1997 10:44 PM

This is a copy of a concerned Iranian to Mr. Steven Spielberg

protesting for insulting Iran Country in his latest movie "Peacemaker"!

 
TO: STEVEN SPIELBERG
RE. INSULTING IRANIANS IN PEACEMAKER
via fax# : (818) 733-7522
 
Dear Mr. Spielberg,
I'd like to take a minute of your time if I may Sir. Last night my
boss took us out to see the movie "Peacemaker" after a month of hard
work on a project. We were out to have an enjoyable night. I was
having a good time until the actor said f...Iran. Why? I ask you. Is
that fair? Just because the country is going through hard time with
an unfavorable government which has caused enough hardship for us. I'm
sure you know that Iran has more than 2500 years of civilization
with a lot of noble people. I do not have much time to discuss this with
you further.
I think you owe an apology to all Iranians specially to the ones
who live here and contribute to the economy and serve
people in many different fields.
I must say it was a good movie and I appreciate your hard work to
make it but I hope you'll be more considerate in your future movies.
Best Regards,
Mahnaz 
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Iranian Lawyers' Association response to KPIX

Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 15:22:43 -0400 (EDT)

From: INHOUSE95@aol.com
To: info@irantelaat.com
 
Dear Sir/madam:
On behalf of the Iranian Lawyers' Association of Northern California, I am
writing to express our concerns and convey our deepest regrets at the
publication of Ms. Ryder's hateful and degrading comments from you radio
station.
Our concern stems from the fact that Ryder's comments went further than
simply expressing her views regarding aid to Iran in the wake of the recent
earthquake. The comments made were degrading to Iranian people and Iranian
culture as a whole. Should people have less of an opportunity or right to
live because they live in mud houses? Maybe Ryder has found a new solution
to the homelessness problem right here in the Bay Area.
But this sort of behavior is expected from Ryder. Her reputation and long
list of shenanigans are well documented. What has not been expected is the
manner in which KPIX has handled the entire situation since and when the
comments were made. Did no one at KPIX know of her past or her reputation?
Did anyone check her resume, or does KPIX need the trash sensationalism that
people like Ryder provide?
It is incomprehensible that no one at KPIX attempted to stop Ryder from
continuing to make the comments she made. We cannot imagine that the
management of any business would sit idle while such comments were taking
place, let alone in a radio station during a radio broadcast!! Frankly, if
such comments were being made to an employee, and management stood by for the
period of time that KPIX did, that matter would have found its way to the
courts.
The other matter of serious concern is that KPIX's response to date has been
to republish Ryder's remarks and disclaim her comments as not that of KPIX.
This is not acceptable. If Ryder had made similar remarks regarding African
Americans, or Hispanics, KPIX would have already apologized a dozen times.
The Iranian community of the Bay Area demands equal treatment and a public
apology from KPIX management.
If such apology is not froth coming, KPIX radio and television can expect a
more organized response, not only from the Iranian community, but also from
other groups dedicated to protection of the civil rights of minorities.
Sincerely yours,
Ali Kamarei
President
Iranian Lawyers' Association of Northern California 
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KPIX Radio host Fired for potshot

Talkshow fill-in calls Iranians "barbarians" who are undeserving of earthquake relief

--San Francisco Examiner-Wednesday, May 14, 1997--

 
By Anastasia Hendrix (of the San Francisco Examiner Staff)
 
A temporary talk show host at KPIX radio was fired Tuesday after making inflammatory comments about Iranians in the wake of the devastating earthquake last week.
 
Turi Ryder was filling in for Dr. Nancy Snyderman on Monday morning when she reportedly said some Iranians were "barbarians" undeserving of the donations being raised to help the country recover from the quake's damage.
The comments outraged Iranians from the Bay Area to Southern California, as dozens of angry callers complained to station officials.
KPIX officials said Tuesday that they also found the remarks offensive and will no longer hire Ryder to substitutes for any programs, said Sharon Warren, the station's acting general manager.
" The station did feel (the remark) were inappropriate ... and she will not be returning," she said .
Ryder could not be reached Tuesday for comment.
A tape of the broadcast was not immediately available.
However, many of the statements were posted on the Web site of the Iranian, a non-political, nonreligious newsmagazine dedicated to the culture of Iran.
"if the whole country of Iran is destroyed by earthquake, I'd say these are the people who hate us," Ruder said, according to the transcript on the Web site. "I really don't care. If i had money, I would have dropped an atomic bomb in Tehran"
Of those living in Iran, she said, "All good people have either left the country or have died. Only bad people and barbarians now live there."
Mohammad Ali, an Iranian national and business professor at California State University, Los Angeles, said he thinks the comments warrant an on air public apology from the station.
"My hope is that this won"t be repeated, not just to us, but to other minorities as well ."
Jahanshah Javid, publisher of the Web site, said he hopes talk show hosts will think twice before trying to generate publicity for their programs with sensational and insensitive statement.
Indeed, Ryder has received plenty of publicity for her comments - on the air and off.
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote about the "Terror of Turi" and "Typhoon Turi" while she was on the air at KSTP-AM for such antic as hanging up on then St. Paul Mayor Jim Scheibel and ridiculing her co-workers.
Ryder was new to the KPIX airwaves, having filled in only a few times in the past month, Warren said. 
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"Turi Ryder" talk show host:

"I'm not sending money to barbarians"

From: Concerned Iranian & American
Tue, 13 May 97
On Monday there was a talk show in KPIX 95.7FM radio in the Bay Area/San
Francisco. The host, Turi Ryder, did not waste a chance to show her joy for
deaths of Iranians in the earthquake (see excerpts below). She seemed so
delighted about the event that she could not hide the fact that she hates
Iranians, all together.
 

Here are some excerpts from the show.

 

Turi Ryder:
-Their houses are made of cardboard because they spend their money on
weapons and don't have money for building good houses.
 
-The Iranians have clamoured for our death, so I am not going to send
money to them.
 
-All good people either have left the country or have died. Only bad
people and barbarians now live there.
 
-If there were an earthquake here in the Bay Area and scores had died, all
people over there would build temples to celebrate it.
 
-I would send money if it happened in Turkey, but to Iran, no way.
 
-If we are great satan how come you ask us for the cash?
 
-I really don't care. If I had money I would have dropped an atomic bomb
in Tehran.
 
-I just don't feel too bad about what has happened.
 
-I don't believe it that Switzerland has sent money to them! They should
have sent chocolates.
 
-If the whole country of Iran is destroyed by earthquake I'd say these are
the people who hate us. I don't send a dime to them and I don't feel bad.
 
-The majority of people have selected their government over there and they are happy to kill everyone who is not Persian.
 
-When bad thing happens to bad people I don't get that upset.
 
-The great satan has great architects, so don't screw with us and we will
make good buildings for you. I hope they are afraid of us now.
 

Please call or email the station and raise your concerns about prevailed

bigotry and inhumane feelings she expressed during her show.

tel: 1-800-957-4PIX

email: talk@kpix.com

homepage: http://kpix.com/radio/ 

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"Turi Ryder" talk show host "sent home"

San Francisco, May 13 (THE IRANIAN) -- Turi Ryder showed up for work at San Francisco's KPIX radio Tuesday morning but was told her talk show had been canceled because of insensitive comments about Iranians following Saturday's devastating earthquake.
 
"Turi came in to do the show but she was told she would not be doing it," said Roger Hamlin, a KPIX co-producer. "She was sent home."
Ryder described the entire population of Iran as: "barbarians" who hate Americans and therefore not worthy of any money to help the earthquake victims.
"If the whole country of Iran is destroyed by earthquake I'd say these are the people who hate us, " she said. "I really don't care. If I had money I would have dropped an atomic bomb in Tehran."
The office of KPIX General Manager Sharon Warren confirmed that Ryder's program had been canceled because of her comments about Iranians and a large number of complaints.
"We have received so many calls about this," Warren's secretary said, and added that she was too busy dealing with the situation to respond at this time.
Quotes from Ryder's show were widely distributed on the Internet, causing particular anger among Iranians, who have one of the largest minority communities in the Bay Area.
Iranians on the Internet were given the email address and phone number of the radio station and encouraged to make a complaint.
Ryder was a replacement for the main host of the popular "Dr. Nancy Snyderman Show" and was expected to go on the air Tuesday before the controversy. 
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This is not good enough !!!

Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 09:24:19 -0800
From: Concerned Iranian & American
To: weather@kpix.com, batisda@kpixnews.groupw.wec.com,
quan@kpixnews.groupw.wec.com, ramos@kpixnews.groupw.wec.com,
reid@kpix.groupw.wec.com, renalds@kpix.groupw.wec.com,
roach@kpix.groupw.wec.com, schaub@kpixnews.groupw.wec.com,
smith@kpix.groupw.wec.com, talk@kpix.com,
tantillo@kpixnews.groupw.wec.com, thibault@kpix.groupw.wec.com,
thurston@kpixnews.groupw.wec.com, timothy@kpix.groupw.wec.com,
warren@kpix.groupw.wec.com
 
To the management of KPIX Radio station, Sent her back home is not good enough for us!!
I would like to demand an explanation for the insensitive, inhumane,
racist, bigoted, and plain fascist comments made by your talk show
host Turi Ryder yesterday in regard to the Iranian people and thousands
of Iranian earthquake victims, hundreds of whom were elementary grade
school children.
A public apology, and termination of your contract with the host
will be the absolute least that would be expected. I am amazed that
none of your staff actually acted upon this while the live show
was going on - wouldn't you have interrupted her if she had begun
insulting blacks or Jews and wished for an atomic bomb over Tel Aviv
and mass murder of innocent people? Are we Iranians somehow sub-humans
whose deaths should be cause for celebration?
We understand that KPIX has cancelled further programs by
Ms. Ryder. However, the Iranian community still need some answers:
- How long Ms. Ryder was airing her hatred? Why wasn't she stopped quickly?
- Why was she put on the air in the first place? What
is her professional background that makes her qualified?
- Did KPIX react to the protests from the Iranian community
and cancel Ms. Ryder's talk show? What if there had been
no protests? What is KPIX policy on hate crimes?
- How is KPIX going to apologize to the Iranian community
and the loving people of Bay Area for these hateful acts?
Perhaps KPIX should consider donating $100,000 to the
quake victims? I think this is a good start! How about
allocating some air time to Iranian related issues
and inviting the "Barbarians" to tell their side? 
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This is a reply from KPIX to my email:

From: "Renalds, Julie" <Renalds@kpix.groupw.wec.com>
Subject: RE: This is not good enough!!!! ((Iran Quake)
Date: Wed, 14 May 1997 13:23 -0500
To: ellie..........
As an Account Executive with KPIX Radio sales, I was horrified when I heard
of Turi's diatribe on Monday. I have friends and co-workers who are Iranian
and I personally DO NOT share the feelings of Ms. Ryder.
I cannot say I understand the hurt and disappointment that you harbor
against our station, but I can say this. I have been discriminated in my
life and I of course resented it the way that you do now.
My personal apology for what you have experienced this week.
Respectfully,
Julie Renalds 
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Barbaric talk show

From: soheilal
To: talk@kpix.com
 
Date: Wednesday, May 14, 1997 8:51 AM
To Management of KPIX radio station,
 
> It was a major disappointment to hear such outrageous remarks on the air.
 
> I can not believe anybody could be so insensitive to human tragedy.
> The fact that this lady does not want to help Iranian people is her
choice
> but making fun of death of thousands of people and celebrating on the air
> is a inhuman and racist act and should be strongly condemned.
> The fact that this show continues and she does not get stopped in the
> middle of show after her first remarks shows that the Radio management is
> irresponsible and does not care what they broadcast. Iranian Community
> demands public apology for this irresponsible and inhuman act.
> Otherwise, we will make sure other communities boycott this radio aswell.
 
Soheila Taheri
President of Iranian Community Center in San Jose 
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Complaints to a talk show on radio KPIX

Date: 97-05-14 00:52:04 EDT
From: Sonia
 
To radio news KPIX:
My name is Sonia, I work for an Iranian Magazine in Los Angeles
called JAVANAN. Im a journalist and and have been writing for 25 years and I work
in Northern Callifornia for more that seven years as JAVANANS representative
from Northern California. I was outraged at the comments made by Ryder. My
people the persian community are not only outraged here in Norther
California, but also down south in Los Angeles, where this issue got alot of
heads turning in the big persian community of Beverly Hills, California. Our
people are one of the biggest Minorities representing Northern and Southern
California and other parts of the Unites States.
Americans have a big misconception when it comes to Iranians. Most of them
don't have a clue of who Iranians are, and they always bad mouth our people
not realizing what big contibutions we have made to the United States in the
past and today.Our people and the shah regim of the 1970's gave more support and
surplus to the United States than any other country in the world. For some low,
uneducated person to come and say a thing like "we should drop a A-bomb on the
Iranians" just shows lack of education and dignity on that persons behalf. We the
communitya and the IRANIAN PROFESSIONALS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
AND JAVANAN MAGAZINE REQUEST A formal apology on behalf of that lady
Ryder. we will go to the mayor and the city council, and demand that this be done
if no action is taken by KPIX, we are proud Iranians with a rich five thousand year
history and we dont accept garbage from people like Ryder. I want to thank
you for taking the opportunity for reading this letter, I hope that you take
into consideration our request for apology from your station...
cordially, Sonia, A.D.
  
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