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Iranian Cyclists Discuss Biking World for Peace

Aired December 19, 2002 - 14:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Talk about putting your foot where your mouth is. Two Iranian cyclists are carrying a message of global friendship. They've put foot to pedal and are biking around the world for peace.
Now they're here in Atlanta. Hassan Alizadeh and Amir Akmadi (ph) join us here in the studio.

Gentlemen, thank you for being with us.

HASSAN ALIZADEH, IRANIAN CYCLIST: Hello, Kyra. Thank you so much.

Well, Hassan, now you and I will be talking, because Amir is still working on his English. But of course we're very glad that he's here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about Saddam Hussein for a moment. You have very strong feelings about him.

ALIZADEH: Yes, sure. Because, as you know, everybody knows that he attacked our country, and we had things really hard and trouble in our area, in our country, and in Iraq, too. And lots of people have been killed in this war from both countries. And he's a dangerous man for peace and we want peace.

PHILLIPS: So you remember the effect of Saddam Hussein on your country. You understand what's happening with the United States and Iraq now. So now you and Amir are on this pedaling for peace.

ALIZADEH: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Tell us about it. What made you come up with this idea?

ALIZADEH: As you know, we feel that more than others maybe, we need to have peace between countries, and we need world peace, because we can solve everything by using peace and friendship.

And I would like to use this opportunity to say that -- to give the message from Iranian people to all nations, especially American people, and to say that American -- and to say to American people, Iranian are very nice and friendly people, and they'd like to have a good relationship between nation all over the world. And we are trying to put out the message, the peace message from the Iranian to all nations, and we are very proud of that, Iranian people are supporting us in this message.

PHILLIPS: Well, that's a very strong message. Because the president of the United States has said Iran is a part of the axis of evil, yet you have another side and another opinion. And you, from being in Iran, you remember September 11.

ALIZADEH: Yes.

PHILLIPS: How did people react to September 11 in Iran?

ALIZADEH: In Iran, as you know, the Iranian was the first Muslim country in the Middle East, they carried candles and they prayed for the victims of this terrorist attacks. And because the Iranians, they love peace and friendship between the nations, and they don't like any blooding from any countries. And they were very sad, I am sure that they were really sad as we were in here and we are very sad about that. And we pray for the victims, and that's it.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's a strong message. Very strong message. You started in Iran, you've been to Bangladesh, Pakistan, you've gone from country to country. We can even track you on a Web site which I think is fantastic. Now you're in the United States. How have you been received? What have people been saying to you? Have you been receiving a lot of support? And have you received any resistance, any legal problems with the visas or anything?

ALIZADEH: We had actually we had some problems for checking visa for countries, as in right now, we are waiting for Mexican visa. But the U.S. embassy in Canada, they gave us a visa, and when we want to enter to U.S., we didn't have any problem or fingerprints. And they accepted our message and they welcomed us, and I have to say, we appreciated about that from your embassy in Canada.

And all American people, we had a positive reaction from all people, especially in U.S., and after the attack, the terrorist attack on September 11, everybody say that we need your message, thank you for doing that, and we are proud of that what you are doing. That was the American people say this.

PHILLIPS: My final question, is Iran changing? We see a lot of demonstrations going on with the students in Iran. We see messages of peace come from the President Khatimi. Now we see you and Amir (ph) bicycling around the world with this message of peace. Are these signs of hope that Iran is changing?

ALIZADEH: Yes. And the Iranian people, all the Iranian, they love peace and they -- we don't represent any government or any government persons. Because we are from the Iranian students, and Iranian people, we are representing them, and they are supporting us in this message. And we love them and we want to give the love message to all nations and all over the world peoples.

PHILLIPS: Well, Hassan Alizadeh, thank you. Amir Akmadi (ph), merci, We appreciate you both being here.

ALIZADEH: Thank you so much and happy holidays to you and all American people.

PHILLIPS: Thank you very much, gentlemen. Pleasure. Commendable message of love.

ALIZADEH: Thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 19, 2002 - 14:16   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Talk about putting your foot where your mouth is. Two Iranian cyclists are carrying a message of global friendship. They've put foot to pedal and are biking around the world for peace.
Now they're here in Atlanta. Hassan Alizadeh and Amir Akmadi (ph) join us here in the studio.

Gentlemen, thank you for being with us.

HASSAN ALIZADEH, IRANIAN CYCLIST: Hello, Kyra. Thank you so much.

Well, Hassan, now you and I will be talking, because Amir is still working on his English. But of course we're very glad that he's here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Let's talk about Saddam Hussein for a moment. You have very strong feelings about him.

ALIZADEH: Yes, sure. Because, as you know, everybody knows that he attacked our country, and we had things really hard and trouble in our area, in our country, and in Iraq, too. And lots of people have been killed in this war from both countries. And he's a dangerous man for peace and we want peace.

PHILLIPS: So you remember the effect of Saddam Hussein on your country. You understand what's happening with the United States and Iraq now. So now you and Amir are on this pedaling for peace.

ALIZADEH: Yes.

PHILLIPS: Tell us about it. What made you come up with this idea?

ALIZADEH: As you know, we feel that more than others maybe, we need to have peace between countries, and we need world peace, because we can solve everything by using peace and friendship.

And I would like to use this opportunity to say that -- to give the message from Iranian people to all nations, especially American people, and to say that American -- and to say to American people, Iranian are very nice and friendly people, and they'd like to have a good relationship between nation all over the world. And we are trying to put out the message, the peace message from the Iranian to all nations, and we are very proud of that, Iranian people are supporting us in this message.

PHILLIPS: Well, that's a very strong message. Because the president of the United States has said Iran is a part of the axis of evil, yet you have another side and another opinion. And you, from being in Iran, you remember September 11.

ALIZADEH: Yes.

PHILLIPS: How did people react to September 11 in Iran?

ALIZADEH: In Iran, as you know, the Iranian was the first Muslim country in the Middle East, they carried candles and they prayed for the victims of this terrorist attacks. And because the Iranians, they love peace and friendship between the nations, and they don't like any blooding from any countries. And they were very sad, I am sure that they were really sad as we were in here and we are very sad about that. And we pray for the victims, and that's it.

PHILLIPS: Well, it's a strong message. Very strong message. You started in Iran, you've been to Bangladesh, Pakistan, you've gone from country to country. We can even track you on a Web site which I think is fantastic. Now you're in the United States. How have you been received? What have people been saying to you? Have you been receiving a lot of support? And have you received any resistance, any legal problems with the visas or anything?

ALIZADEH: We had actually we had some problems for checking visa for countries, as in right now, we are waiting for Mexican visa. But the U.S. embassy in Canada, they gave us a visa, and when we want to enter to U.S., we didn't have any problem or fingerprints. And they accepted our message and they welcomed us, and I have to say, we appreciated about that from your embassy in Canada.

And all American people, we had a positive reaction from all people, especially in U.S., and after the attack, the terrorist attack on September 11, everybody say that we need your message, thank you for doing that, and we are proud of that what you are doing. That was the American people say this.

PHILLIPS: My final question, is Iran changing? We see a lot of demonstrations going on with the students in Iran. We see messages of peace come from the President Khatimi. Now we see you and Amir (ph) bicycling around the world with this message of peace. Are these signs of hope that Iran is changing?

ALIZADEH: Yes. And the Iranian people, all the Iranian, they love peace and they -- we don't represent any government or any government persons. Because we are from the Iranian students, and Iranian people, we are representing them, and they are supporting us in this message. And we love them and we want to give the love message to all nations and all over the world peoples.

PHILLIPS: Well, Hassan Alizadeh, thank you. Amir Akmadi (ph), merci, We appreciate you both being here.

ALIZADEH: Thank you so much and happy holidays to you and all American people.

PHILLIPS: Thank you very much, gentlemen. Pleasure. Commendable message of love.

ALIZADEH: Thank you so much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com