If you have a facebook or myspace account (more than likely you do) and Iranian acquaintances go look at their pictures right now. I will wait and not write anything until you check and come back. No, seriously go. Go. Now….Alright, now that you are back did you notice anything? Besides the air of arrogance and inherent douchebaggery from a majority of them, anything else? Go back and now count the number of those pictures that have Iranians throwing up unnecessary finger gestures? Really, count how many. Even their so called “religious leaders” enjoy throwing up a middle finger or two during their day.
It’s clear that their finger gesture of choice is the middle one and I suppose that it’s their favorite because, as everyone knows, it means “fuck you” and it shows how much of a rebel and against the system they are. Sometimes you’ll see a variation of their finger gesture because they might be throwing up a sign representing their respective group/set or they are trying to communicate a message to their cohorts who are looking at the picture (if only during WWII the United States used Iranians and their highly ingenious way of communicating, not so many people would have died). The only other reason that Iranians use finger gestures so much can be because they all know sign language and their version consists of 3-5 gestures, which can convey everything they need. I don’t think that is the reason though.
Whatever the case may be a picture of Iranians is not complete until one of them presents some sort of gesture. So the next time you see an Iranian taking a picture and they are throwing up the middle finger or some other weird contortion of their finger, rest assure that there is a deeper meaning to it.
I seem to remember getting in trouble after giving a ‘thumbs up’ sign to a classmate.