Shiraz, a Persian Pearl
People in our dear little Romania don’t know too much about Iran except for what the local press publishes, as an echo of the American-Western European press, according to which Iran is the den of evil and terrorism. Well, what is said doesn’t really matter, what matters is who says it, and if the Americans say that, it must most necessarily acquire the status of law.
To paraphrase the great
George Orwell in his famous (”beggar’s opera”) work ”Animal Farm”, where the
animals shout in one voice ”Four legs, good! Two legs, bad!” we should all roar
something like:”Germany – good, England – better, USA very good, Russia – bad,
North Korea – worse, Iran – the worst!” Well, I will never become part of such
a typically Romanian hypothetical chorus of slimy creatures crawling like
earthworms, dominated by the herd instinct.
I have visited Iran two
times already and I could see the pride the Iranians obviously feel in the
great Persian culture and civilization the lawful descendants of which they
are, but besides this I could also notice three important things:
They are a resigned,
realistic people. That is they are perfectly aware of the fact that their
forefathers (and foremothers…) did not know anything about time travelling and
teleportation, obediently accepting the fact that such stuff was already well
known to the Dacians, who were the descendants of extraterrestrials besides
everything!! They did not envy the Dacians for being the first to invent
writing, for being the first to reach what we now call America (America, which
was to become a reliable ally and friend to the present day Iranians) or for
other planetary priorities the Dacians got the monopoly on. They did not care
that Jesus had no Persian origins! They were content with what was historically
proven to belong to them (actually a mere trifle, isn’t it… ??!!)
They are an ungrateful people!!
How dare they refuse to worship Alexander The Great, that great jerk (the
great… mass killer)!! I refrained from asking my hosts if Sandy the Macedonian was
mentioned in their national anthem, for fear they might split their sides with
laughter and then call an ambulance to take me away… Nowhere on the streets of
Tehran or Shiraz have I seen his statue, stark naked, dick in full sight,
holding a pathetic cur in his arms!! Incredible! I took a good look at their
rials, analyzing both sides of the banknotes, but I didn’t see his face near
that of Darius! Moreover, I have visited Persepolis, where – to my surprise –
there is no commemorating plaque, no monument or bust depicting that great
jerk, famous for his sexual deviations, just like our dear old Emperor Trajan…
They are a naïve and selfish
nation! How come that they cannot understand (of their own free will and forced
by circumstances) that the oil beneath their feet, the gift of Allah the Great
and Merciful, is there just because it could not fit into some other place and
consequently they should act the ”nice
guys” and give it all for free to the Americans, its lawful owners??!!
How dare they keep it for themselves or sell it as they please, to whomever
they want, fetching a good price??!! Who do they think they are??!! In
conclusion: they are terrorists situated on the AXIS OF EVIL!!
We could add lots of other
things to the detriment of this nation (actually we could reproduce the issues
presented by shitty sources), but I prefer to insist on what I myself
saw/observed/felt during the two visits I paid to this UNIQUE AND FASCINATING
country, inhabited by SUPERIOR people whose noble character you are invited to
perceive! If you feel like doing that, of course… They are a special people
(not a population!) putting a distinct mark on the confused cosmic ball called
TERRA, on which they have to live their dignified life among the mean meanders
of political interests!
On the background of a
typically oriental hustle and bustle, the cities in Iran display exceptional
order and cleanliness. The inhabitants, busy with the problems of everyday
life, share the street on which they run hurriedly with those who seem to have
all the time in the world and no existential problems at all, those who sit in
groups in the most various places, apparently doing nothing, just waiting for
something known to nobody else but themselves… It is an order through which one
can feel a vague breeze of … dictatorship, the kind I perceived as natural and
necessary! Both in Tehran and Shiraz one can feel this active influence of the
authorities capable of keeping things under control. The aberration called
”democracy” is sparingly served to the Iranians…
I asked about the price of
the petrol which makes a whole universe go round, with its ceaseless rush of
various vehicles in the plaintive moaning of engines and horn honking, and when
I got the answer I burst into laughter…
It was in Shiraz, regarded
as the third Iranian city in point of tradition and cultural-architectural
places of interest (to my deepest regret I didn’t have the opportunity of
visiting Isfahan), that I could better observe the daily routine of Iranian
life. The streets are busy in a specific ”oriental” manner and I was astonished
to see how many families had 2-3 children! For a country of about 80 million
inhabitants it apparently doesn’t have any demographic challenges… It is a
country in which the concept of FAMILY is deeply rooted and SACRED! Many
unknown persons have invited me to take ”selfies” with them, a local sign of
hospitality that one can get everywhere. I got selfless help from all kinds of
people, and even unsolicited support at times.
In the evening, all this
human universe flows towards public spaces or gardens, where one can find the
most popular pubs, typical Iranian places for socializing, selling cakes,
charlottes, juice, ice-cream, tea, flavored milk drinks, plain water and so on…
well, anything except for beer or wine without which the Europeans would not
gladly be tempted to spend their time in idle amusement with family and
friends! The above mentioned places are full of the quiet monotonous buzzing of
conversation people are peacefully having while sitting at their tables,
without any guttural roaring or belching of drunkards, ”well-oiled” after
numberless beers.
Well, well, well… and the
Iranian WOMEN!!! The streets are full of fascinating women, many of them of
rare beauty, even if they are somehow uncomfortably hindered by the Islamic
veil and the strict requirement of wearing a ”hijab” (often allowed to slide
backwards just enough to keep it from not falling down, but enough to display
their elaborate hairdo as well…). These ladies know how to take care of their
”looks” using elaborate ”makeup”, deftly and often quite provocatively done. Looking
at them even if only in passing by, you get a different image of coquettish
womanhood, one of delicate shades that seem to come from ancient times! They
possess the pure beauty of a human race that has travelled along millennia
without too much interbreeding with ”intruders”! I often thought that if those
women did not (partially) hide their beauty, a lot of male visitors might easily
lose their self-control…
Due to the facts presented
in our partinic subservient press, many people in our country believe that
Iranian women are humble, shy, always keeping their eyes on the ground. That is
all wrong! Taking a walk through Shiraz will convince you of the falsity of such
prejudices while getting a bunch of charming smiles offered by many nice
ladies, no matter whether accompanied or not. I got such smiles and I returned
them, even if I was also accompanied by my better half!
A walk through Shiraz makes
sense only if you also visit the bazaar, where you plunge into an Oriental
universe unique in animation, brightness, supply and entertainment! Once I was
there I felt the need of coming back again, aware of the fact that it is an
inexhaustible place that reveals itself in time, partially, but never totally.
I have visited different other bazaars in Cairo, Uzbekistan, Jerusalem,
Calcutta, Istanbul, but neither can compare to those in Iran (in Tehran I
visited an extraordinary bazaar, as large as a whole town)!
These were just some
fugitive thoughts inspired by my visits in Iran, with special emphasis on one
of its pearls – Shiraz!
I am a friend of Iran and
the Iranians! I wish I could get there again! And I do hope this dream would
come true one day!
In conclusion:
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