Regarding Edwin Black's article, "Despite Holocaust denial, Iran seen to have worked with Nazis" (Insight, Jan. 8): Black's justified criticisms of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would have been much more effective and persuasive had he not confused facts with fiction.
The name "Iran" was not invented by Reza Shah Pahlavi. For the last 3,000 years, Iranians have called their country Iran. "Persia" was the name given to Iran by the Greeks.
On Aug. 25, 1941, Britain and Russia jointly attacked and occupied Iran under the manufactured pretext of Iran's ties with Germany, in an attempt to rescue Russia from certain defeat by Germany.
Any sympathy for Germany in both World War I and II was motivated by the Iranians' deep-rooted yearning to curtail Britain's and Russia's unbridled influence in the affairs of their country.
Up until the Islamic revolution of 1979, relations between the Iranian nation and the Jewish people were based on mutual respect, tolerance and goodwill. This association dated back to the time of Cyrus the Great, 2,500 years ago. Iranian diplomats stationed in Europe issued Iranian travel documents to many Jews who were fleeing Nazi persecution during World War II. Please take a moment and visit the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which illustrates clearly the position of Iranians vis-à-vis the Jews.
Kambiz Atabai
New York
