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The Ayatollah Adopts American Students
The History Channel ran a series called History vs. Hollywood. Each episode examined a biopic or historical epic to determine whether the film accurately reflected historical events. The series revealed that Hollywood tended to mythologize the past rather than be historically accurate.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, recently sent an open letter to American university students protesting Israel’s war on Hamas. Khamenei praised their “awakened consciousness,” which propelled them to defend the oppressed people of Gaza.
However, Khamenei’s letter was more mythologizing than Hollywood could even imagine.
Khamenei began by informing the American students that the pages of history were turning, and they were on the right side of it. Former United States President Barack Obama frequently discussed being on the right or wrong side of history. Being on “the right side of history” meant supporting specific activities or political viewpoints that promoted progress, social justice, and change.
Most media agencies referred to Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack as the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, but Khamenei mythologized it as a turning point in history. According to Khamenei, October 7 symbolizes the start of Israel’s downfall.