© the eyeranian

Hi. Thanks for all you're putting into this cause. It's devastating.

listen, its very nice of you to endorse MercyCorps and promote the cause, but dont make it sound like your readers actually mobalized and raised thousands of dollars. Or that you made a personal pledge to MercyCorps.

Dozens of other sites have that link and thousand others know about MercyCorp. Its just wrong to take credit other peoples donations. I mean its great that your are trying but to take advantage of this tragedy to promote yourself as some sort of an evangelist... cmon.

awww. Somebody is pitiful enough to actually be jealous. I haven't seen anywhere Pedram claiming all the credit for anything, although I spoke to Mercy Corps and according to them, he was the original Iranian organizer with them and even made the connection between them and NIAC. I certainly heard about them from him and made my donation based on that. Maybe he should have a weblog like yours and be more concerned with his last night's drug induced hallucination than earthquake victims. Get over it and let's focus on collecting donations for Bam, regardless of who gets credit for what.

I can't believe in the middle of the efforts to deliver badly needed supplies to dying people, somebody is worried about who gets CREDIT for it. I don't know who webgard is, but looking at his page and his disgust at Pedram's email about ways to send help, speaks volumes about where his mind is at. I agree with Roya on "let's focus on collecting donations for Bam". That is all.

"my personal goal of collecting $250,000" !!!! while pedram is helping to raise awareness of this devastation among his readers for which he should be commended, let that not stop us from also knowing better the man behind the words. as iranians we owe it to ourselves and the next generation to be open-minded, fair, and VIGILANT. and YES I can think about the earthquakes victims and QUESTION other things at the same time. let's not let charity and sympathy blind us to being always vigilant. we've been 'had' far too many times!!

Even if pedram tried to take credit for this, which I don't think that wsa the case, I would still appreciate his efforts in found raising, after all, the final result is great: More help for the victims of the quake.

Webgard, I read your blog too, And I could not believe what I was reading. Your accusation, especially at this critical time, is destructive and although I am sure you are shocked just like all of us from the quake Bam, the most couragous way is to apologize to pedram so we can all get over this and continue doing our responsibility together.

To "amoo" - I miss the point of your comment. Pedram is not collecting funds into his wallet, he is advocating donating money to an established charity that is over 25 years old. Do I need to know "better the man behind the words" to contribute to an organization that is sending blankets to my countrymen in need? What should I be "VIGILANT" about? and what "other things" should I need to Question??? You either have something to say but dont say it for whatever reason, are paranoid to the point of questioning helping other Iranians in need, trying to justify your own inaction, or are just malicious in trying to scare others from doing what they need to do most. Get real!

well thats how I preceived it. tragedy or not, I had a problem with pedram and I expressed it... its not a big deal, I'll go back to my shrooms.

PS, I know alot of people in NIAC, they've never heard of Pedram Moallemian. They have their own MercyCorp contact... FYI.

FYI ... Now I believe the earlier comments about this guy being too high on something with these comments. As a volunteer with NIAC, let me assure you Trita Parsi (President of the National Iranian American Council) was indeed put in touch with Mercy Corps through Pedram Moallemian and that is how I heard of him too. If you want to confirm it, just ask Trita directly at: info@niacouncil.org

Not that it matters who is first or second and as others have indicated earlier, the only point of importance is how we can help in collecting as much donations as possible, but since it was brought up, I felt it was necessary to set the record straight.

Chill with that [Poor choice of language deleted by Pedram]. I'm a volunteer too. I asked. but whatever. I know Pedram Moalemian is a big shot. He got NIAC in touch with MercyCorps cause NIAC is too stupid to and shy to do it itself. yeah ok. And next time you want to mess around you better leave an email address, Mr. Irooooni.

I dont know about the rest of you guys, but i don't like the language webgard is using. Pedram, would you be nice and erase it?

Naser: i suppose my motivation for writing was a bit of all-of-the-above and you are very perceptive. but my main point is that we should be always VIGILANT and open to question things ... as (i am glad) you have done with me. i defend webgard's RIGHT to question pedram's method or motivation anytime and anywhere against those who believe just because a tragedy occurred we should stop questioning things. isn't that just what happened in the months following 9/11? and isn't it also our (iranian's) major historical faux pas that we keep repeating!?! i will defend anyone's right to QUESTION anytime, anywhere!! it's those who don't question or critique that i fear! i am being real, bud, too real in fact!

Hey ... to webgard's credit, when I read this post of Pedram I also had this funny image of him doing a telethon on TV with lots of "famous" people and the whole pie. I just let it go because I assumed (as it turned out correctly) that he and his connections is what he meant by "we".

I am happy that the extent of his involvement became clear through this obvious defence of his true fans. It only makes me respect him more.

On the other hand, I am also with this mister amoo here that we should let webgard say his thing. Who cares what language he is using? he is talking, isn't he? dialogue is always good. he is even brave enough to come back again and yet again to sort of defend himself ... :)

Its too easy to ignore someone because we feel they are not as intelligent as us, or have the same general opinions as us or bloody hell, god forbid they might not be pro-eyeranian enough. Let the shroom-head talk. Pedram can stand strong against any questions he might ask but let the man ask. Reform does not always have to be in the form of revolutions or blood shed. Its sometimes the little stuff, accepting our differences and actually not being offended or scared by them.

There's questioning and then there's paranoia. amoo's suggestions that promoting a known charity for donations is way beyond asking a mere question and borders on hysteria.

As for webgard, he made some accusations and suggested others. When he is proven wrong, he only curses at people who provided the information to show him being wrong. When I'm wrong, I usually admit it and apologize to the person I may have hurt by my comments. Obviously he/she isn't big enough to do either.

Please correct that first line to:

amoo's suggestions that promoting a known charity for donations should be questioned is way beyond asking a mere question and borders on hysteria.

Thanks!

nasser jon: there is reading something carefully and then there is reading into something haphazardly, and i'm afraid you have done the latter with my comments. i never questioned "promoting a known charity" (neither did webgard, for that matter - he questioned pedram's appearing to take credit for it). what i objected to was how others (notabley roya and hooshang) suggested that this is no time for raising such an issue because an earthquake has occured and people have died, and i merely suggested that at least i (and i'm sure many others) can do two things at once!!!!! and went on to assert (in my next comment) that questioning should be defended anytime and anywhere, and in this (my 3rd comment) i would even go further and say questioning should be everyone's moral and civic DUTY -- yes DUTY!!

it may appear as this is what you are doing with me - and i don't mind it. but i'm afraid our exchange is more of a mis-reading and mis-communication than a genuine substantive dialogue. if that's what it takes to communicate clearly, so be it. doesn't mean we have to agree... just understanding each other's side would be a very good beginning.

as for my "knowing better the man behind the words" comment, i suppose you can read into it (which activity has its own perils, not the least of which is exposing one's own biases and prejudices), but wouldn't you agree with the substance of that comment as applied to anyone, esp. anyone in the public eye.

sorry for long comment.