Rant Time: American Hikers In Iran

Call me cruel, but I have absolutely no pity for the American hikers who strayed across the border of Iran and are now captive. Why where they in Iraqi Kurdistan to begin with?

From freethehikers.org

Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal have been detained in Iran since July 31, 2009, when news reports say they accidentally crossed an unmarked border while hiking in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan near the Ahmed Awa waterfall, a local beauty spot. They were in a peaceful region of northern Iraq that is increasingly popular with Western tourists attracted by its natural beauty, traditional culture and long history. The three hikers, all graduates of UC Berkeley, entered northern Iraq with visas from Turkey on July 28 and had planned to spend five days visiting the area.

Apparently UC Berkeley doesn’t teach history, and apparently didn’t advise these graduates that Iran and Iraq are warzones and have been since the crusades. Apparently they completely missed the whole incidents involving the Ayatollah Khomeni, the Iran Iraq War, and the taking of American hostages in 1979-1980. One would have think that these students would have at least heard of the war the US had with Iraq and the execution of Sadam Hussein.

No, they were liberals and believed the whole world to be as free and as expressive as the United States. Apparently they wouldn’t be satisfied with some of the safe sights to see in the world: The Grand Canyon, The Eiffel Tower, Sidney Opera House, Angel Falls, Black Forest, or Iguazu Falls.

No, they had to go see the Ahmed Awa waterfall. And they traveled in the war torn Middle East to see this local beauty spot. Looking at the pictures, Niagara Falls is far more majestic in comparison.

After spending almost a year in detainment, I am sure they learned a harsh lesson that the world is not a free place. There are places where Americans are free to travel, and there are places that pretty much hate our guts.

Turkey is a fantastic majestic country with long history and fantastic cuisine. They are members of NATO and share a really good relationship with the United States. I might want to see Istanbul on the far Western side of Turkey, however you wouldn’t catch me ever going anywhere near the Eastern side of Turkey. It shares borders with Syria, Iran, and Iraq on the Eastern side.

Iran was protecting their sovereign borders by apprehending these hikers who had no right to be in their country. As I mentioned, Iran is not a friend to the West. If they really thought the hikers were spies, they would be executed by now. No, they aren’t spies, just trespassers. Now Iran is in a good position to continue to drive the point home that Iran hates the West as much as we hate Iran. They can keep the hikers imprisoned pretty much indefinitely, with only giving visits to parents and releasing tapes to keep the story alive.

I can only hope that others learn from the stupidity of these hikers. If you have money and want to travel abroad: Do some homework. Look up the country on the Internet and understand where it is, and its attitude towards citizens of the United States. Read the maps and comprehend how close where you will be will take you to nations that are enemies of the United States. Stay out of war zones!

Most importantly, learn as you travel, that not every nation is like the United States. Not every nation has the same attitudes towards freedom and justice. There are some nations still where slavery and torture are still permitted by law. Even so called “Western nations” will have differences in the way they approach freedom and justice.

Realize there are a lot of places United States citizens can travel with relative freedom. There are a lot of nations that have good relations with the United States government and welcome your dollars as a tourist.

Lastly, there are so many sights to see right here in the United States of America and you don’t need a passport or a visa to see them. Take it from someone who has visited 49 states, they are all beautiful with rich history and cuisine. Most are even easily accessible by automobile.