The following are excerpts from an interview with political analyst Dr. Shahram Mohammadnejad, which aired on the Iranian News Network (IRINN) on September 4, 2005.

Mohammadnejad:The place where this hurricane struck belongs to the deprived parts of the southern US.

Host: You mean New Orleans?

Mohammadnejad: Yes, New Orleans... These are second-class states, which are mostly inhabited by blacks, who have gathered there since the beginning of slavery. Most of them work in agriculture and services. They are usually from the oppressed levels of society. unlike regions in central or northern US, this area is populated by oppressed people - except for Houston, Austin, and some cities and states that are large commercial centers. Except from the oil and space centers, these are deprived areas. In many cases, they are viewed as second- and third-class citizens, and as second and third in importance.

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If, for example, this were to happen in Washington or New York, their expectations would most certainly have been different, and they would have treated the situation with the utmost importance.

Host: So there is a prevailing view of racial discrimination between first- and second-class citizens.

Mohammadnejad: Most certainly. When I studied in America, our curriculum included American history. There are some interesting and heart-wrenching stories about this race, which they call "Negro". I don't want to offend anyone, but this word translates as "black slaves". They were treated in a humiliating and discriminating way in American society. This attitude continues today, and will continue. It is part of the culture of the whites who rule America. Naturally, if there is a need to prioritize, they will be less important.

Martin Luther King's struggles... Surely you know that up to 50 or 60 years ago, blacks had to sit at the back of the bus. Martin Luther King's mother was the first to have the courage to sit at the front. That started a revolution. Naturally, her son supported this ideology, and he created a freedom movement in America. He was eventually assassinated by the CIA.

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For example, two kilometers from Huston State University - which is considered an leading university - there is a university for blacks. I will not mention its name. They are kept busy there in various ways to prevent them from studying and progressing, while leading universities maintain strict discipline.