On many occasions I have been accused of being too negative and harsh on Iran and Iranians while praising other countries and or cultures. So when I received a couple of emails from a couple of Iranian.com readers who had my email address from way back, telling me to ease up or shut up, I started reflecting on this question: "What is good about Iran and Iranians?".
Iran is basically just a place where Iranians live. So, I guess the main question is whats good about Iranians?
To start with, on a relative scale, Iranians are smarter than most other nationalities. Specially Iranian women. Inspite of oppression and lack of opportunity Iranian women have kept up or actually surpassed Iranian men when afforded the chance.
Then it felt like sort of reaching a dead end street. I couldn't think of anything. Iranian foods, such as chelo kabob, ghormehsabzi, aab goosht, etc are the best; Iranian cusine is fantastically complex yet simple.
What else? Lets examine the idea of "mehmoon doosti". Its a nice concept but in most cases the host usually starts saying "when is this guy leaving?" of "taraf kangar khordeh langar andakhteh" or "mehmoon az mehmoon badesh miyad sahab khooneh az hardo" after a couple days. Usually because keeping up such a high standard of hosting is so difficult.
Other than the intelligence and the food I could not think of anything. Can you?
Please tell me what.
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Live From Tehran
by Mehdi Mazloom on Mon Jul 28, 2008 05:09 PM PDTIf you are writing from Tehran, how come the Tarboosha don't block this blog. It does not seem to be complimentary to the akhoodah?.
all the best
To: XerXar
by Live From Tehran (not verified) on Mon Jul 28, 2008 01:51 PM PDTNo my brainwashed Hamvatan,,
I am as Iranian as any can be.. I live right here in the heart of tehran..Precisely in Tehran pars..And more for your information that for 7 yrs i was Part of Sepaheh pasdarn organization..And this the truth..
Yes you are from Urshalim
by XerXes (not verified) on Mon Jul 28, 2008 01:26 PM PDTIf you think for one minute that anyone would think you are in Tehran, you must take us for a fool. Dude wat up wid dat?
Didn't you say that you would give up your citizenship once out of "country"? To me you have already given that up. You are not Iranian, in this case, maybe by choice. It's irrelevant though, you have already declared who you really are!
To: XerXar
by Live From Tehran (not verified) on Mon Jul 28, 2008 01:05 PM PDTyeap,, Mr/ Mrs,,you and your bosses like always are right again. we Iranians all must be stupid. we don't have any brains to think about what is right or what is wrong. You are right, our criticism must come from Urshalim. you are right. we don't have eyes to see or Logic to criticize the brutal regim of Ayatollahs. Every opinion like mine or everything else in this country must be coming from Zionist or Americans..
What is good about the
by nymo (not verified) on Mon Jul 28, 2008 12:51 PM PDTWhat is good about the
French, Germans. Greeks , Ecuadorians, Angolans, Croatians, Brazilians, Uzbeks, Egyptians, Malaysians, British, Americans......???
Let's count 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9........???
What do you come up with here?
I love the freebees in the Emamzadeh on Friday nights, Ramezans,
by Mola Nasredeen on Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:47 AM PDTand the rest of our relgious hollidays. Also I enjoy free dinners and khorma during "Majles Khatm". Not to forget "The tradition of Seegheh" that rocks. And nobody laughs at me and my camel.
xerxes
by Babak Khorramdin on Mon Jul 28, 2008 10:26 AM PDTsave your breath and ZIP IT.
DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJESTS, MOLLAH 2 Zaree :D
B.K.
1979 revolution, be proud
by XerXes (not verified) on Mon Jul 28, 2008 09:36 AM PDTWe showed the world that it's more than economy alone that matter to us. We are a race that care. We did our revolution under a bright economical forecast. That's because we are selfless.
And we are smart with thick skin. Like we all know that "live from tehran" is actually "live from Urshalim", a hell hole. No buddy, we ain't no stupid!!!
If i become an American
by live From Tehran (not verified) on Mon Jul 28, 2008 09:12 AM PDTIf i become an American or get any other country's citizenship i would denounce my iranian citizenship..that's how much i hate this culture and country with it's beauty..My joy and pride of being Iranian stopped in 1979..but hey who am i to say that i still live in this cultural hell..
Pointless!
by Abarmard on Mon Jul 28, 2008 09:03 AM PDTI certainly see it pointless to write about "What's great" about the Iranians. There are many good things, similar to any cultures and countries around the globe and many bad. Your task is however to be the better person, learning from those attributes that are humane and beautiful. Once realized that we are not a superior culture or nation, but full of flaws, if you have a link or a love to your background, try to help advancing our nation/country. Otherwise who cares.
This problem has been attaching itself to many Iranians, who live in a dream of the Iranian past, or see some minute changes in our long history as a matter of fact, to hold their noses high and brag, clouding their minds with a self made images that gradually has become the realities of the region...They are those who when see a sad picture coming from Iran, think foreign invasions, wars, or generally a quick "fix"! because they have separated themselves from the nation and therefore lost their human sense. How many Iranians perceive themselves to be above the rest of the region culturally or nationally? Forgetting that the "Iranian culture" is based on humbleness and bending your head closer to the soil!
The story is long and the answer is twisted!
No dear friend, I am not going to brag about how great "Iranians" are or what "greatness" Iran has to offer, seeing us living as such as a nation outside of our borders.
Fekr e naan baash keh kharbozeh aab ast...I guess...
Good luck
What is beautiful in Iran
by Mehdi Mazloom on Mon Jul 28, 2008 08:19 AM PDTI do agree with Azarin Sadegh about those positive aspect of Iran. particularly the language spoken in Tehran. It sounds like a beautiful melody, like French. Very pleasant to speak and hear it. And yes, the bass-tani (Ice cream), who can forget the flavor of Rose flower. .
One unfortunate trait to which I found among the Iranians when you deal with them. After while you find them to be very muzzi (not straight shooters), with dubious intend. As more educated they are, the more dishonest they seem to be. Sometimes, you really don't know if you are being told the truth, or the whole story until it is too late.
I personally fell in love with Iranian culture
by niki not logged in (not verified) on Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:56 PM PDTthrough its cinema (old and new), music (from classical traditional to pop to alternative), literature, poetry and most of all its tradition of satire and humor. Nothing better than an Iranian telling a joke.
Iran's natural beauty doesn't have much to do with Iranians
by Faramarz_Fateh on Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:17 PM PDTIran's natural beauty or smell of its roses or how fantastic is the shores of Caspian has to do with God. Not Iranians.
Mehmoon navazi on the other hand is an Iranian trait.
It is
by Kurdish Warrior (not verified) on Sun Jul 27, 2008 11:06 PM PDTits diversity which is interesting where different Iranian groups with its own different languages, religions and customs have lived side by side under one roof.
How about this?
by Majid on Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:05 PM PDTاونجا سنگ یا کلوخ میگذاشتیم جلوی در که به روی تازه وارد بسته نباشه، اینجا در رو از تو هشت قفله میکنیم که مهمون بی خبر وارد نشه!
Natural Beauty
by KB on Sun Jul 27, 2008 09:41 PM PDTNo one has mentioned the natural beauty of Iran. From the Caspian sea, to the Persian Gulf there are mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, deserts and marshlands which take your breath away.
The best (and probably the worst) thing about Iranians however, is that they think every thing Iranian is great.
Everything
by Amir Nasiri (not verified) on Sun Jul 27, 2008 09:28 PM PDTOur history, our tradition and our culture. Our pride and honor. We are proud people. Our hospitality and generosity. Our music and our women.
The nights when you sleep on the roof of the house with your family. The time when you visit north and south of Iran.
Our soil, our river,the air and the mountains. Everything is good about Iran.
So to those of you who have a hard tie to find out anything good about Iran you have missed a life time.
My heart is beating for Iran and everthing about Iran.
What's great about Iran and Iranians:
by Azarin Sadegh on Sun Jul 27, 2008 07:46 PM PDTMy younger son (since he saw Kite Runner) has fallen madly in love with Iran and with Farsi/Persian language. The other day, he asked us the same question as you do in this blog:
Voila the response of me and my husband:
1) Our literature and especially our poetry.
2) Our warmth and passion, our caring and hospitality.
3) The variety of our historical places to visit (if he goes to Iran.)
4) The perfum of our Roses
5) The taste of our ice cream
6) Our traditional music.
At this point, our son went on speaking for too long about Kamancheh, so our discussion took another turn!
Azarin
PS: He's an 11 years old kid, so it's too early to talk politics...:-)
Its true, you are a negative
by True Iranian (not verified) on Sun Jul 27, 2008 06:01 PM PDTIts true, you are a negative person and you obviously don't like Iran or Iranians. Since this is the case, why do you write so much on an Iranian site?
They are very communal
by Alborzi (not verified) on Sun Jul 27, 2008 06:01 PM PDTLast winter this dog was lost, so I had to go knock on every door to find the owner. Now we live in the most
exclusive neighbor hood in Rochcha (endeared name for Rochester NY) , yet most people would talk to you from behind closed door. Contrast that to our house on the corner of Safa and Shahnaz, when there was an accident 50 people would get involved, here try to find a witness. The people of Iran are kind and lovely. They invite you to their house.
customs and culture ended with the revolution
by Live From Tehran (not verified) on Sun Jul 27, 2008 03:09 PM PDTActually, Mehmonavazi belonged to the Shah's time and since the revolution happened, this custom has disappeared along with many other things like MAREFAT, LOUTIGARY, REFAGHAT and MARDOMDARY. Nowadays, a family can barely feed themselves let alone buy things for hospitality. There is nothing more to discuss. Only one thing that remains strong is that we iranians are the best at gossiping and being jealous.
Faramarz_Fateh - there is more then that
by Mehdi Mazloom on Sun Jul 27, 2008 12:11 PM PDTIndeed, Iranian people are good people. It is their leaders who had led them astray. In Israel we have a very famous axiom, which says, "there are no bad followers, there are only bad leaders". Or another one which says. "I don't know you. However, if you show me your leaders, show me your associets, I will tell you exactly who you are"
The Iranian people are the real victims. On 3 folds.
a) Those who had the means and resources to push Iran forward in the corridors of world communities, (The rich and the educated one), have already left Iran. Now residing in Beverley Hills CA.
b) The silent majority in Iran, who do not have the resources are stuck with the Mullahs and have no choice but endure the Mullahs garbage.
c) the small group of those fundamentalists (The Mullahs, the head of the IRI, the military and other civil service organizations), whom are close to the plate where they enjoy the good life, and have vested interest to keep the regime in power.
Then there is a small group of those peasants and the illiterates who truly believe in the crap handed to them by the akhoodah.