I'm Not Terrorist

In Phnom Pen airport, Cambodia, My friend and I are waiting to get permission, although as said by Cambodian regulation, there is no visa requirement to enter the country.

We are here to participate in the first ever Asian South Eastern conference on clinical legal education. In our invitation letters are written professors although we are not professors but even these invitation letters from conference organizers can not be helpful since officers are coming and looking at us like criminals.

"Lada" is a young student with kind face who is here to pick up us from the airport. I am asking him to tell us why emigrant's officers are not allowing us to enter the country with regard to this fact that one of the best Cambodian universities has guaranteed us. He is smiling at me: You know Sahar, there are saying that no one can guarantee Iranians because … He is not comfortable to tell me what he is hearing from them. I am requesting him to continue. "They are saying no one can guarantee you as Iranians because you are terrorists."

I am feeling annoyed for whole day. I am thinking about more than 60 millions Iranians who wish for connecting the world and other nations in peace and friendship. Who cares really about radicals with hostile intentions against some countries seeing as they are a weak minority in my country?

I am feeling angry because of the fear that Western mass media are producing against Muslim countries. I am feeling angry of Bush administration to establish Islam phobia, Middle- East phobia, Afghanistan phobia, Iraq phobia, Iran phobia …I am feeling angry of terrorists who are using religion to legitimize their action against humanity......and simply I am feeling angry because I am not terrorist.