Iran Identity Essay

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Millenniums and centuries ago the Persian Empire illuminated the World. Nowadays, the powerful Persian Empire has been replaced for the weak Islamic Republic of Iran. Astonishingly, through the centuries Iranians were able to keep parts of their identity. Unfortunately, the Islamist Republic has sought to prevent Iranians to keep any identity different to Islam’s. The images in this documentary will help you acquire a better idea of the major changes in the Persian individual and identity through the first and second millennium after Jesus Christ until 1953. We will first give the main characteristics of the Iranian identity and then will see its evolution through the Islamist conquest of Iran, the Shahnameh, the Constitutional Revolution …show more content…

The principal reason why the Zoroastrian philosophy stayed in the Iranian identity is because of the rituals and believes Islam inherited from Zoroastrians. For example, the call to prayer, the ablutions or the head coverings are similarities between the two religion. Otherwise, even if Islam had imposed its philosophy, Zoroastrianism is still believed and people attend traditional rituals daily. The Zoroastrian followers have kept the true Iranian identity and the converted Iranians brought part of their identity to Islam. After the Islamic conquest of Iran, Islam started hindering the Iranian identity. Unwilling to lose their culture Iranians not only fought Islam, but also influenced Islam and the Arab World. It is logical to understand that the Iranian identity slightly changes through time and that a political change as the Islamization of Iran impacted on their identity. Because most Iranians became Islamist, they gradually accepted the Islamist culture and rituals. The Iranian identity kept most of its characteristics and after 400 years it lived a …show more content…

Iranians revenues from the company were significantly low and English people were not willing to negotiate the company sharing. This was only one of the factors showing the occupation of Western countries in Iran but it was the turning point in Iranian-Western international relations. Iranians started complaining about the inequalities and the risk of losing their identity. Mosaddegh engaged renegotiations of the Anglo-Iranian oil agreement but the English refusal caused the Iranian nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Mosaddegh nationalization could be seen as this “breath of fresh air” previously presented. The Iranians were then supposedly able to rule their country and their struggle to keep their identity would have disappeared. Unfortunately, England and America did not accept the nationalization and decided to overthrow Mosaddegh in a military coup helped by the Shah. In consequence, Western oil companies sign agreements with Iran and the Iranian culture was put aside to new Iranian priorities. Not only, Mosaddegh had tried to bring back the Iranian identity, but he had also symbolized the Iranian identity

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