As noted earlier, President Obama took the occasion of the Iranian holiday of Nowruz to send a message of friendship to the Iranian people, hailing their important contributions to the world.
In particular, Obama criticized the “electronic curtain” blocking the Iranian people from the rest of the world. “Because of the actions of the Iranian regime, an electronic curtain has fallen around Iran,” Obama said. “A barrier that stops the free flow of information and ideas into the country, and denies the rest of the world the benefit of interacting with the Iranian people, who have so much to offer.”
Obama called for Iranians to join a “Virtual Embassy,” set up to promote the United States, and hailed a new inititave to make for American businesses to provide technology to Iran.
“(Y)ou can see for yourselves what the United States is saying and doing.” he said. “We’re using Farsi on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus.”
“The United States of America seeks a future of deeper connections between our people – a time when the electronic curtain that divides us is lifted and your voices are heard; a season in which mistrust and fear are overcome by mutual understanding and our common hopes as human beings,” he concludes.
