By Jake Johnson | Common Dreams
Ordinary Iranians on Saturday responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's monstrous threat to strike sites “important to Iran and the Iranian culture” with an outpouring of photos highlighting their favorite mosques, museums, monuments, and other stunning architecture.
“Iranian cultural sites aren't only aesthetically awe-inspiring or visually pleasing, these sites are home to thought, dialogue, and life.”
—Neda Monem
“Fastest way to unify all political factions in Iran against you is to assassinate the general who led Iran's fight against ISIS,” tweeted Independent correspondent Negar Mortazavi. “Fastest way to unify Iranians of all walks of life against you is to threaten to destroy their cultural heritage. Trump did both this week.”
Using the hashtag #IranianCulturalSites, Iranians flooded Twitter with hundreds of photos of locations and structures imbued with personal and historical significance:
#IranianCulturalSites Let’s tweet storm our favourite Iranian cultural sites:
Here’s my paternal hometown Kashan.. I loved the impromptu mini-concert taking advantage of the great acoustical elements courtesy of our incomparable architecture: pic.twitter.com/OOiAhwmw3J— AtiehS (@AtiehS) January 5, 2020
https://twitter.com/thekarami/status/1213616687913684992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1213616687913684992&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2020%2F01%2F05%2Firanians-flood-twitter-photos-favorite-cultural-sites-trump-threatens-them
https://twitter.com/KimiaMirzaeii/status/1213765175704055810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1213765175704055810&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2020%2F01%2F05%2Firanians-flood-twitter-photos-favorite-cultural-sites-trump-threatens-them
https://twitter.com/MahsaRouhi/status/1213651185787383808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1213651185787383808&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.commondreams.org%2Fnews%2F2020%2F01%2F05%2Firanians-flood-twitter-photos-favorite-cultural-sites-trump-threatens-them
My husband took this photo last year of people enjoying one of their #IranianCulturalSites in Isfahan, in his beloved, precious Iran. pic.twitter.com/EOTlJkix1j
— Kylie Mirmohamadi (@vic_reader) January 5, 2020
One of my favorite #IranianCulturalSites is Nasir-ol-molk Mosque, located in my paternal hometown Shiraz! #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/yeYFgbNcdn
— Harmony (@RogerianFreud) January 5, 2020
One of my favorite #IranianCulturalSites is Nasīr al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz mostly known as the “Pink Mosque”.
Look at this beautiful architecture and the dance of light and colours.Stop this moron from destroying years of history, art and culture!!! #NoWarOnIran pic.twitter.com/lg6BfvdZdR
— Hajar Moradi (@hajar_moradi) January 5, 2020
One of my favorite #Iranianculturalsites
the breathtaking Persepolis pic.twitter.com/Ru9uDEATTu— Bita Moghaddam بيتا مقدم (@bita137) January 5, 2020
My family’s home in Shushtar, #iran that has now been turned into a museum. #iranianculturalsites pic.twitter.com/Ssix0RG7mY
— L M (@leilam1356) January 5, 2020
As a teenager visiting these two sites in #Iran truly moved me. I remember standing in the middle of both staring at the ceilings and being truly mesmerized by the intricate decorations. Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashhad & Isfahan’s Vank Cathedral. #IranianCulturalSites pic.twitter.com/FN5RGfLvLh
— Reza H. Akbari (@rezahakbari) January 5, 2020
“Iranian cultural sites aren't only aesthetically awe-inspiring or visually pleasing, these sites are home to thought, dialogue, and life,” said writer Neda Monem. “Precisely why a strike on a cultural site goes far beyond and does not merely translate into, the demolition of a man-made structure.”
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