یکی از اعضای انگلیسی‌ی پارلمان اروپا به نام Chris Heaton-Harris در تلاش برای منع ورود ایران به جام جهانی‌ی فوتبال است. البته به نظر نمی‌رسد که او بتواند در این زمینه موفق شود، اما نفس عمل‌اش قابل نکوهش است. به همین دلیل من نامه‌ای به او نوشتم که متن‌اش را در زیر می‌بینید:

Dear Chris,
Please do not alloy sport with politics. Iranians, like many other nations, like to see their national team in the soccer World Cup. If you become successful and have Iran kicked out from that competition, you will just punish people and not I.R. Iran government. You must be aware that the government does not become sad with that unfortunate event. They just use it as a new apology to oppose all other nations.
I think you need to be wise on this issue.
Regards,
SoloGen

برخلاف انتظار او خیلی سریع به من پاسخ گفت. البته بعید نیست نامه‌اش کپی‌-پیست باشد (یا حداقل پاراگراف‌هایی از آن Ú©Ù¾ÛŒ-پیست شده باشد) اما کماکان “نفس عمل”اش قابل تقدیر است! (: پاسخ او را نیز بخوانید:

Dear SoloGen,
Thank you for your recent email about Iran’s participation in this
year’s football World Cup. I have received a lot of emails on this
issue, and I would like to thank you for the thoughtful and articulate
manner in which you wrote to me. While I disagree with you on this
issue, I fully respect your opinions, and, as a football fan myself, I
understand why this issue generates such passion.
I would like to clarify a few things: I know many people who have
visited Iran and all of them have been hugely impressed with how
forward-looking Iranian society is, and how it does not resemble the
backward, fundamentalist image we often see unfairly portrayed in the
Western media.
I also realise that President Ahmadinejad does not represent the views
of all Iranians, and that in fact many Iranians are shocked at his
actions and his attitude towards the international community. These
people realise that President Ahmadinejad’s stance is harming his
country’s progress towards a freer, more prosperous future for all
Iranians – and I agree with them entirely.
I believe that the international community is not doing enough to help
the people of Iran – we have been too tolerant of Ahmadinejad, and have
allowed him to harm the image of all of Iran through his unacceptable
words and actions. Because of this, I feel that strong action is needed.
I realise that this proposed boycott of the Iranian football team will
be painful for ordinary Iranians in the short-term, but I believe that
in the long-term it will be beneficial. Policies like this will help
Iran move faster towards freedom and prosperity by marginalising those,
like President Ahmadinejad, whose actions are harming the Iranian
people.
This idea proved a force for change in South Africa, where the people
were unfortunately affected by a sporting boycott in the short-term, but
in the long-term the boycott tactic applied necessary pressure to the
government, and led to a freer, more open, and optimistic society for
the South African people. Because of these policies, including the
sporting boycott, in 4 years time South Africa will not only be
participating in the World Cup, they will be hosting the tournament. I
wish the same will happen in Iran.
I realise that the boycott is unlikely ever to take place – and if it
does not, I genuinely hope the Iranian team perform well, and that
President Ahmadinejad does not spoil their World Cup. I am glad,
however, that my comments have started a debate in politics, the media,
and sport about Mr Ahmadinejad. My comments have highlighted the fact
that many Iranians do not support his policies, and that the
international community must stand up to him. I am glad my intervention
has allowed these facts to be reported in the media.
Finally, I assure you I love the game of football as much as you do, and
I wish politics was not involved. But it is – Mr Ahmadinejad was
politicising the World Cup, and if we do not respond, we simply allow
him to use the tournament as his own propaganda tool. As a football fan,
I am determined not to allow this to happen.
I hope you understand my reasoning, and even if you do not share my
views, you can see that my intentions are genuine.
Chris Heaton-Harris MEP
ASP 14E 157
European Parliament
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047
Brussels
Tel: +3222847523
Fax: +3222849523
www.heatonharris.com

خلاصه‌اش این‌که روباه جوان نیز ما را دوست دارد و فقط می‌خواهد ما هر چه زودتر از دست الفنون راحت شویم.

البته من هم واقف‌ام که اعتراض کلامی هیچ‌وقت جای مشت و لگد را نمی‌گیرد. در ضمن آگاه‌ام که این اعتراض مجازی‌ام باعث شده است که تا یک روز احساس میهن‌دوست‌بودگی‌ -لابد کاذب- داشته باشم و قول می‌دهم تا فردا هیچ فعالیت بشردوستانه/نیمه بشردوستانه‌ای نداشته باشم (راست‌اش را بگویم، الان می‌خواهم بروم کتاب‌ای بی‌احساس راجع به classification بخوانم و بعد هم بروم ببینم می‌توانم حال یکی را بگیرم یا نه!). خب!‌ ولی هدف من که فرستادن پست‌ای بود و پینگ‌کردن‌اش و افزایش خواننده‌ای (و چه بسا لینک‌ای جدید!) برآورد شد.

پ.ن: پاراگراف پیشین شوخی بود! به نظرم آه و ناله‌ای دو چندان مناسب می‌آمد. امیدوارم روزبه و رامین و پارسا و دیگران ناراحت نشوند.

-خبر از Persian Students in the UK – weblog
-خبر از EU member wants Iran out of World Cup – Soccer – MSNBC.com