Iran – A nation seen from the different angles, biases and prejudices

What would be your feeling while entering a territory or a country which the world’s superpowers think as being a hot bed of extremism or for that matter where the women’s freedom is curtailed and they are confined to remain inside their homes? Fear, psychosis, hesitation, isn’t it?

But most of the things which the western backed media shows about Iran are either biased or full of prejudice and fabricated. While on a trip to Teheran to participate the death anniversary of the Islamic Republic’s late founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini I found so many things which are in total contradiction with what we in this part of the world are fed up or forced to believe about Iran.

Upon arriving at the Teheran’s Imam Khomeini International airport it seemed as if we have reached some European capital. Teheran can compete with any other Western capital in infrastructure, beauty and so many other things. The women there are as fashion conscious (while being in hijab) as any other progressive society.

The six lane dirt-less roads between the airport on Qom – Teheran highway and Teharn give you an impression that you are in either Europe or America. Many flyovers, tall skyscrapers, Green Mausoleums (The most beautiful is the one of Ayatollah Khomeini) increase the beauty of the city to many a folds. One cannot even think that this very nation is going through continuous international sanction since past 30 years.

One can find more fashionable hijab as anywhere else in Iran. Women there enjoy lots of freedom while choosing their career options. ‘’ The professional freedom of the Iranian women have never been curtailed after the revolution. Before the revolution the Iranian women were regarded as a sex object, but Khomeini made us to realize our self respect by encouraging us to excel in nearly all professional fields’’, said a a woman security official at the Teheran’s Imam Khomeini international airport. The literacy of women there is higher than India and many other developing nations. On nearly each and every counter I found women wearing hijab as receptionists.

The politics in Iran revolves around the Vali e Faqeeh i.e. Ayatollah Khamenei who is the most powerful person in Iran. He is the supreme commander who heads all the three wings of the armed forces and has a last say on nuclear related issues. Vili e Faqeeh is a post created by Late Ayatollah Khomeini for the person who can keep a tag on the activities of the president and the armed forces. It’s compulsory for a Vali e Faqeeh to be a cleric while the President can be a non cleric also like the present President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is a non cleric having a P.hd in traffic management from Teheran University.

Looking at the infrastructure of the country one could not imagine that this is the sane nation which had cut the teeth in an imposed eight year long war against Iraq then ruled by the western backed dictator Saddam Hussan. While speaking with the taxi driver on way to the Holy city of Qom I asked him how the continuous sanctions have affected the progress of the nation. His reply was that in fact these sanctions have made the country self reliant and the feeling of self respect in the Iranians have increased many a folds

There is no doubt that there are difference in the regime which is itself a good sign for a democracy but the support base of the present president comes from the class which has been kept marginalized by many years. They see hope in Ahmadinejad and his pro poor policies. ‘’ The President is a hope for we people who can get heard our voices heard ‘’, said a street vendor in Teheran.

Iranian nationalism is one of the most powerful nationalism in the world which is much deep rooted than any other nation. Apart from the Islamic revolution it’s the Iranian Nationalism only because of which Iran has remained defiant against all the pressures from the West in the form of Iran – Iraq war and various other sanctions and pressures.
If one really wants know Iran then he must go there and have a first hand account rather than relying on the biased western news reports.

There are really some sections which are totally against Ahmadinejad and his policies the proof of which has been the last year’s post elections turmoil in which the factions led by the runner up to the election Mir Hussain Mousavi claimed that the elections have been forged.

I also visited the cities of Qom and Mashhad. Mashhad is a city full of life where the shrine of Imam e Raza . the 8th Imam of the Shias is situated. This shrine has its name in the Guinese book of worlds record for getting the highest number of pilgrims on a daily basis for the whole year. Mashhad is the capital of Khorasaan province. Khorasaan is the only province of Iran which finances the Iranian government by the donations collected by the Imam e Raza trust(Aastana e Ghods e Razavi). Every day, 24/7, millions of people visit this holy shrine of Imam e Raza.

Qom is the virtual power center of Iran because of its being spiritual centre. Most of the experts of the most powerful guardian council live in Qom only. Qom has many seminaries in which thousands of students from across the world come to get religious education. The founder of the Islamic revolution late Ayatollah Khomeini also studied from this city apart from Najaf in Iraq.

As a whole Iran is a nation which can give you many surprises at a single time. A nation waiting to hit the table hard if the sanctions are removed. When I asked an Iranian diplomat , does he think America can attack on Iran, his reply was , ‘’ The only thing which has stopped America till now from Attacking Iran is it’s not being sure about the Iranian response to any possible American blitzkrieg.

Apart from all the above mentioned things, there are some sectors where one can easily see the effects of continous sanctions. The aviations section is one of them which has been badly affected by the sanctions by the international community. Inflation is also very high which is the main reason behind the dissatisfaction of the masses sometimes against the government but as a whole the situation is normal and the Iranian nation has much more to achieve.