Olympic Spirit, courtesy of Iran

A heartwarming anti-bullying message, from an unexpected source.

Maybe I’ve gotten the Iranian theocracy all wrong.

Sure, it’s a totalitarian dictatorship which carries out public executions and sponsors terrorist groups around the world, but they also released a video (which I sadly cannot embed until MEMRI updates its YouTube channel) that hit me right in the feels:

I can’t remember the last time I sympathized with a put-upon film character like this. Here’s a man representing his country on the international stage, only to be isolated and bullied and threatened by his fellow competitors just because of his nationality and his religion, illustrated by the menorah neck tattoo worn by all observant Jews. [citation needed]

Some people might say that’s not what the video is about, and that the bullies are actually the good guys. Yeah, right. Next you’ll tell me Jar Jar Binks was bumbling comic relief and not the villain of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

All in all, it just goes to show you how even repressive dictatorships can sometimes l…