Persia (1501-1935 CE) under Safavid dynasty, Afsharid dynasty, Zand dynasty, Qajar dynasty and Pahlavi dynasty.
There is no such nation state called Persia. The official empire of Persia ended in 1935, just as the nation state of Burma became Myanmar; Siam became Thailand; and a part of the region that used to be Rome is now Italy.
When I meet an Italian, they state quite proudly that they are Italian. Same for those who's ancestry can be traced back to Thailand or Myanmar. They certainly don't claim that they are Roman, Burmese or Siamese. So why is it that virtually all the Iranians I have ever met insist they are 'Persian' and not Iranian?
Is it shame that for the past 30+ years Iran has been an internationally infamous terrorist state and enemy of all things democratic? That's the only thing I can think of. If there might be another reason, I invite any intelligent discourse on this in the comments below.
Yesterday, I met a young man on the subway and we started talking about his jacket. One thing led to another and he said how he loved growing up in Turkey. I ask if he was Turkish and he replied that he was ethnically, Iranian. I didn't realized it until this morning, but that was the first time an Iranian admitted to me he was an Iranian. No a joke. I work with Iranians. I used to roll (Jujistu) with many Iranians. I deal with Iranians in my personal life. Not one - yes, not even one in 20 years admitted to me they were Iranian. They will refer to the country of Iran and talk about Iranian politics, but if someone was to discuss Iranian food, it's always 'Persian' food. If someone asks what their ethnic background is, it's always 'Persian'.
But, here was this man who said he was Iranian. And I made no judgement, no thought of evil associations, nothing. I paid attention to the conversation and his personality and his demeanor. His statement didn't detract from the topic at hand. However, had he said he was 'Persian' - that statement would have incited so many thoughts in my mind, I wouldn't have been able to see him clearly. Why? Because it doesn't make any sense. Why is he stating national allegiance to a nation-state that no longer exists? Is it that he is trying to remove himself from the international image of terrorism? In my mind, and in my life, I have learned never to trust someone who isn't: 1) honest with others; and 2) honest with him/herself. This is a guiding principal that has allowed me to avoid distasteful interaction with sneaky, delusional people. This young Iranian said he keeps his distance from the Iranian community because of its Toronto village mentality (gossip, keeping up with the Tehranis, no privacy/anonymity). Perhaps this is why this young man was so different than the others. An independent thinker who also admitted was a world traveller and open to talking to strangers on the ttc!
I was happy to have met someone who can call a dog's tail, simply a tail - and not a leg.
