Rouhani and Obama: A Call of Hope

Yesterday's historic phone call between Presidents Obama and Rouhani marked the first time in 34 years that the leaders of the U.S. and Iran communicated with each other directly. There is great hope that this conversation is a sign of improved relations between the countries, and I am hopeful, too. As an Iranian-American, I am hopeful both for Iran and America. For Iran, I am hopeful that this marks a shift in their foreign relations, a change in the country's perception by the rest of the world, the end of Iran's international isolation, and that the result will be economic and social prosperity for Iran and the Iranian people.

For the U.S. I am also hopeful that this will mark a shift in their foreign relations policy and strategy. U.S. foreign policy tends to be a mixture of diplomacy and violence, with violence too often taking precedence. The common U.S. response to an international situation they do not like is to attack or threaten attack. Take a look at the situation with Syria for a recent example. The initial U.S. response to the chemical weapons attacks was something like "We do not like the way you are killing your own citizens, so in order to show you that this is not okay, we will kill more of your citizens." I know that the plan called for "targeted attacks," but the killing of innocent civilians in the process was inevitable. This strategy is similar to the father who beats his son to teach him that it was not okay for him to hit his sister. It is in essence hypocritical and ineffective. History has shown us time and time again that violence does not lead to resolutions, but only temporary solutions that result in ruptured relations and future violence

And unfortunately, the violence solution strategy trickles down to the culture and citizens of America, as well. People look to violence as a possible solution to a situation they do not like. When faced with a conflict with another person or group, violence and aggression are considered viable first-line options. The basic philosophy is that when you don't like something, use force to change it into what you want it to be. This contributes to the violence and killing we see in our own country. If the U.S. begins to use diplomacy and peaceful resolution as their first-line approach to foreign affairs, it is likely that the American people will be influenced by these strategies, as well.

I am hopeful that this phone call will be a harbinger of things to come for Iran, the United States and the rest of the world. Hopefully the international community will move away from war and violence to resolve our conflicts and instead usher in an era of communication, connection, compassion and collaboration.