403 it's Forbidden in your location.
How many times you have been encountered with this message? What's your opinion about it?
I'm not a normally complaining person. In fact we Iranians have learned to live(or stay alive) under the crushing pressures. But a repetitive scenario has triggered an idea to speak about some problems.
While I'm starving to find an academic or research position and I need a certificate of English fluency, I've received the below message yesterday:
While I appreciate their Information and accountability the question that occupied my mind is why is many resteriction for the Iranian people? Home edition TOEFL is available everywhere except Iran!
This is several times since last year that my test appointment day has been canceled and rescheduled! There are some problems created by COVID-19 situation and other impersonal reasons. If It was only me, I must have taken part in TOEFL test and earned the certificate Nov 2019 !! That's a sad story I couldn't take the test yet and I couldn't do anything about it.
While no person in the world has the authority and power in selecting life and place of birth, he/she must be given a proper possibilities and facilities for living independent of his/her nationality, race, color, religion, etc. In one hand the world has the slogan of "No to racism", on the other hand they have created some rules that make the mentioned goal practically impossible. In my experience Iran is a country that people are mostly and badly affected by these things.
There are both internal and external rules and restrictions on us without any reason. I will list some of them below and you tell me why can be such decisions made?
Example for internal restrictions and limitations:
1- Social media: Youtube, Facebook, Telegram, Twitter, .... are all filtered!
2- Internet quality is poor and whenever they decide they totally block it!
3- Using satellite services such as TV, Radio, ... is illegal!
4- You are not allowed to express your ideas about religion, politics, and even social problems!
5- Very low level of wages and high costs of living.
........
Examples of international limitations:
1- We are not eligible to have an international Bank account!
2- There are some Visa restrictions.
3- Some of web services are not available, such as:
- LinkedIn Premium,
- Researchgate Jobs,
- Youtube Music,
- Instagram Music,
- Duolingo language learning platform has no course for persian people; even when I suggested that I can create some courses for them they didn't even respond me.
- ....
4- Many of companies are restricted to sell products, devices and services to Iran
.......
These are just some examples and living with all of such restrictions deals with a lot of challenges. Again I assert that person must be positive and make his way, but I would like to say when the world picks up the flag of "No to racism" must notice that the geographical fatalism caused a lot of problems with many people. I hope that someday racism totally becomes extinct and every person finds his/her real position based on abilities, endeavor and competence.
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