Iran - Andrew Burke [25]
* * *
The name Iran – from the Middle Persian ‘Eran’ – comes from the term for Aryan, ‘the land of the nobles’. It was first used in the 1st millennium BC.
* * *
Remember that Iranians are proud of their Aryan roots, which distinguish them from the people of south Asia or the Middle East. Iranians intensely dislike being classed as Arabs, who remain unforgiven for their invasion of Iran in the 7th century. Iranian racism is reserved for Afghan refugees and the Arabs of neighbouring countries, who are regarded as having no culture aside from what their invasion of Iran gave them. But such is the power of Iranian courtesy and hospitality that you will rarely see such attitudes displayed openly and especially not extended to travellers.
The Iranian spirit is tolerant and eternally buoyant. The Iranian plateau can be a harsh land, hence the necessary creativity of the Iranian soul. The traditional Persian garden, walled in from the desert and divided by water channels, occupies a profoundly primal place in the Iranian heart, inspiring the designs of rugs, informing the brilliance of miniatures and lending its colours to the tiled domes of mosques. The play of light and colour preoccupies all aspects of Iranian art and even Shiism can be seen as an expression of this, based as it is on the ‘Light of Mohammad’, a spiritual thread passed on through the imams.
* * *
Shiites were historically persecuted by the Sunni majority and so developed a doctrine whereby it is fine to conceal one’s faith in order to escape persecution.
* * *
In essence the Iranian soul is a deeply sensual one – perhaps the biggest surprise for Westerners expecting religious fanaticism and austerity. What is universal in the Iranian character is the enjoyment of the cadences of poetry read aloud, their wonderful food and their admiration of natural beauty. They are tied absolutely to the land, although most now live urban lives.
Somewhere in every modern Iranian the desires expressed by Omar Khayyam in his 12th-century poem Rubaiyat still resound:
A book of verses underneath the bough
A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou
Beside me singing in the wilderness
And wilderness is paradise enow.
Return to beginning of chapter
LIFESTYLE
The majority of Iran’s urban dwellers live in flats, and more and more houses in Tehran and the major cities are being razed, with apartment blocks taking their place. Land in Tehran is as expensive as many North American and European cities, and the cost of living increasingly prohibitive, particularly for young couples who can rarely afford their own place. Many newly married couples will live with parents for years before they can afford their own place. With the monthly rent for an average two-bedroom property in Tehran coming in at around US$600, and the salary of a mid-ranking civil servant US$250 a month, the struggle to make ends meet dominates many lives. Hence, many ordinary Iranians work more than one job and, in the case of the middle classes, often both men and women work.
* * *
‘What is your idea about Iran?’ Andrew Burke
It’s a question I’ve been asked hundreds of times while travelling in Iran, and one that simultaneously reflects a strong sense of national pride and an equally strong insecurity about Iran’s place in the world. Iranians are well aware the rest of the world has a one-dimensional understanding of their country and culture. It’s something they don’t like, and something that many feel makes them – undeservedly – second class citizens of the world. Iranians like to think of themselves as equals to Europeans, and don’t like being treated as second-rate or somehow fanatic