I was born in England, U.K and I have grown up in the Western culture. My mother is English and my father Iranian. All my life I have admired the way of life in Iran. And I have been proud of the fact that my family is Iranian. But all my life I have watched and listened to the people of Iran fighting for this and fighting for that. I have listened to young Iranians who have come to England for political asylum. They tell me that they have no freedom in Iran; they tell me that they came to England for a better life.

I cry when they tell me this because I wish I was in Iran, I wish I was in Iran so I could tell the people what they are doing and why they must stop.

I know that the young people of Iran see the Western image of freedom, money, clothes, nightlife, sex, and freedom of speech. But I know that this freedom is not real freedom, and that it is wrong for Iranians. If Iranians come to England or America or anywhere in the West, they will then understand that the Western culture has lost any morals or values and the people are ignorant to any beliefs or religions.

If Iranians have to go to the West for education, then Iran should build the best universities. If Iranians have to go to the West for work, then Iran must build the best work force and economy.

If the government of Iran works together and looks after the Iranian people then in turn the people will look after and protect Iran.

There is a land, which is made of goodness and beauty and for thousands of years there have been those who have tried to taste this wonderful land.

There have been those who have tried to capture and corrupt this land. There have been those who have tried to destroy this land. But this land has always been strong. And as the world became wiser and richer and modern, this land became known as Iran.

And even today there are those who seek to destroy Iran and its culture. But they are unworthy of tasting this sweet land. Ayatollah Khomeini knew this and he knew that the West was seeking to take Iran for itself and to destroy the Iranian way of life. He knew that if he could unite the whole of the Iranian people then Iran would survive the wars that would follow.

Remember who fed the Iraqi leader with arms and money. Remember who gave the shah protection.

Remember who gave Salmon Rushdie protection. They say that Iranians are brainwashed. But it is the Western people who are brain washed. The Western people only know what they read in newspapers and what they watch on television.

America enjoyed it when the shah was in power.

America enjoyed it when Iraq attacked Iran.

America enjoyed it when Ayatollah Khomeini died.

America enjoyed it when the World Trade Center was attacked, because they had an excuse to get rid of all Muslims.

America will suffer when Iran is strong.

Everyone says that Iran must change. It is everyone who must change.

Yousef Mehdi Alikhasi 20 years of age