# President Obama Nowruz message to Iran and Iranian people

- Author: Joichi Ito
- Date: 2009-03-20T05:40:19Z




I already Twittered this, but on the occasion of the Iranian New Year, US President Obama posted a YouTube video on The White House site. "This year, the President wanted to send a special message to the people and government of Iran on Nowruz, acknowledging the strain in our relations over the last few decades. 'But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together,' he says."

The video has Persian subtitles.

Very impressive. Although some might argue that it's not enough and others that it's too much, I really like the respectful tone and change from the tone of the previous administration.

Mohamed Nanabhay who works at Al Jazeera Twitters, "definitely not with us or without us..." about the video.

Ross Stapleton-Gray, former CIA guy who helped get them onto the web, commented on my Facebook status: "I've long advocated that the U.S. propose a "truth and reconciliation" summit with Iran that takes as its starting point the idea that our issues began some time considerably before the 1979 embassy takeover..."

I'm really curious to see how the Iranians react as well as others in the Middle East.