Thinking about Iran beyond biased images

By Kim Min-jeong

Whenever I am asked what I am studying, I have to repeat the answer twice or more. “I’m studying Iran,” I say.

Then, I have to explain why. People usually do not ask why you study English literature, law, physics or music. They briefly nod, and then think of something else to talk about.

In my case, though, people often raise their eyebrows implying they are puzzled why anybody would study Iran. It often makes me feel like a weirdo who chose a “strange” country to study, but sometimes I feel like an adventurous hipster. In either case, this shows what Koreans think of Iran.

Iran is such a veiled country. Described by George W. Bush as part of the “axis of evil,” a land of deserts, camels, women swathed in black cloth, crazy mullahs eager to get their hands on nuclear weapons ― and none of this is right.

If you imagine a totalitarian country in the middle of the desert under a burning sun, that is wrong (although there are deserts and camels in Iran). Despite being descended from the ancient Persian civilization, Iran is an unknown or notorious place to many people.

So it was for me, even when I first saw a picture of an old Iranian man who resembled Sean Connery wearing a turban. The picture, at Tehran International Airport, was of Imam Khomeini.

I lived in Tehran, the capital of Iran, for seven months to study Farsi. That was not enough time for me to explore the city, country and culture. The longer I was there, though, the more distinct Iran became to me.

Iran began with the aroma of freshly baked bread. In the morning if you go to a bakery, you will find people queuing to buy the flatbread, nan. If you take a taxi on a crowded street, you will end up talking with the driver about everything. Among the questions from the driver, he will ask you if you can learn a poem by heart.

If you cannot, the driver will tell you about the beautiful Persian poems that even fascinated Goethe. Iranians love the arts, including poetry, music, and dance. If an Iranian invited you for coffee or to their home after meeting you on the street, you would enjoy great warmth and genuine friendship. If you are lucky enough, they will invite you to a party where they dance and sing and laugh and enjoy their private freedom.

They go to school, work, and have tea with friends, and go on picnics and spend time with their families. They do the same things that Koreans do.

They are friendly to foreigners, whether you are from Korea or from the U.S. They do not care whether you are Muslim or Christian or Jew (But maybe they will be confused if you say that you do not believe in any god).

As a foreigner, I was grateful for their understanding and generosity. Also, I had many opportunities to meet many people in this pluralist society that is Iran.

Iran is a big country. Tehran itself is a megalopolis with a population of more than eight million. North of the city, mountains and ski resorts are nearby. The residents of this part of Tehran are relatively wealthy. In the southern part of the city there is a big bazaar. The residents here are relatively poor and more conservative. In Iran, there are many ethnic groups, including Kurd, Azeri, Afghani, African-Iranian, even Jews.

A person’s neighborhood in Tehran says much about the economic status of that person, or how religious he or she is. You will find that the Iranians have contrasting opinions about politics, as much as Koreans do. And they are passionate about making their country a better place. They vote, and sometimes demonstrate against the government or gather to celebrate the country they wrested from the Shah’s hand. Iran is not a fixed society that a ruler can suppress. Iran is a lively and dynamic country and the people have a voice in how they live.

We have to forget the outdated political rhetoric, “axis of evil.” It distorted our images about Iran and stopped us from seeing this beautiful country as it truly is. We should be more open-minded about the world because wherever people live, it is not that different from where we live.

Kim Min-jeong is a senior majoring in Iranian studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Her email address is 210_02@naver.com.