President Barack Obama has sent a video message to Iran and its people on Naw Ruz, the Persian New Year that falls on the spring equinox. Interestingly enough, this is at the same time a Zoroastrian religious tradition that became part of the Iranian (non-religious) culture, as well as a Baha’i religious tradition.

What a great video, what great timing, and what a lovely effort to try to speak Persian at the very end of the video (the accent wasn’t too bad either). What an amazing thing to for an American president to do, to reach out to a country who doesn’t like the United States (to put it mildly). ‘Be the change’ seems to be more than a motto for this administration, and this administration seems intent on proving it time and time again.

Perhaps the best consequence of this video won’t necessarily be the response of the Iranian government, but rather that of both the Iranian and the American people: to be piqued with curiosity enough that they will open up to what the other country really is like, rather than to believe in all the misconceptions that have been flying around both countries. And perhaps this will lead both governments to open up even more to each other. How great would that be!