THE AYATULLAH BEGS TO DIFFER

The Paradox of Modern Iran

By Hooman Majd

The book is in the nature of a travelogue by an Iranian born American during his visit to Iran in 2006-2007 with frequent recalling of personalities of earlier periods to stress a particular point of view.  The author emphasizes the following throughout the book:-

 

Ø  Iran is not just a country of Shias but also consists of Sunni Muslims, Christians, Zoroastrians, Jews, Bhias and also ethnic minorities such as Arabs, Turks, Kurds and others. The live their normal lives in peace like in many other countries;

 

Ø   The author quotes Rafsanjani, the former Iranian President, who had once said, “If you want to understand Iranians, become a Shia first.”;

 

Ø  Shias have a troubled  history enduring enormous sacrifices. Two of their heroes Ali (Son in law of the Prophet) and Hussein (in the battle of Karbala) have been stabbed in their backs by the rivals.  Their treacherous defeats in the battle field have been memorialized by the Shias and this memory has endured over centuries  giving raise to the sense of tauf (pride) and sacrifice.

 

Ø  It is this sense of pride and honor which persists in their defiance of world opinion against Iran completing the full nuclear cycle;

 

Ø  Besides tauf (pride), another characteristic exhibited by Iranians  is ta’arouf which means hospitality and elaborate etiquette, but is also about gaining advantage politically, socially or economically.  What others gain advantage by way of a certain measure of brashness and ruthlessness, Iranians do so with a good dose of ta’arouf.  This chacteristic of ta’arouf is indulged when confronting a guest face to face and not to be exihibited anymously;

 

Ø   The sense of tauf and sacrifice was exhibited in large measure in the Iran-Iraq war or Gulf war, when boys hardly of 14-15 years of age (in the Bais Regiment) with ammunition belt strapped to their waists collided against Iraqi tanks and exploded with plastic keys tied to their necks symbolizing their opening gates of jannat (heaven);

 

Ø  Like many other countries, Iranians too have exhibited a liking for modern western life style such as loud music, fast automobile, mobile phones and consequent vices like corruption, consumptive pattern of living and even prostitution.  The author illustrates his experience of drug consumption in the holy town of Qom.

 

The author does not somehow explain the repeated killing of both rightists and leftists by the Iranian regime and suppression of basic rights of its citizens to express their displeasure against the government and suppression of free speech.  Even wearing a different kind of dress, particularly by women, is repulsed.  Explaining the behavior of the regime as a residue of the age Persian character of tauf (pride) does not jell with modern political states.