Nissar H. Gilani
In the middle of last year, I planned a vacation to Iran, which has one of the oldest, richest and the most influential art heritages in the world which includes many disciplines like literature, the music, dance, architecture, planting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metal working and stone masonry.
Unfortunately, due to international political concerns and highly defamatory and disinformation from western media, there are many unfavorable perceptions of this great nation. As a result of this many tourists like me drop the idea of visiting this beautiful country. The Iranian govt. has been adamant about the importance of tourism to Iran’s economic growth, that stands true, but due to sanction visitors to the country are relatively low.
My travel dates coincided with the protest’s over MahsaAminis death.Amini 22, who died on September 16, 3 days after falling into a coma following her arrest by the morality police for allegedly breaching the Islamic republic’s strict dress code for women. Many of my well-wishers including my family members advised me to cancel the visit, but I remained adamant to visit the country on schedule and it happened surprisingly.
Every country has its own beauty, some countries have more things to visit and some have less, in case of iran, she has the most interesting destinations then many countries. Iran covers an area of 1,648,195 km making it the 4th largest country in south western Asia, with coastline 2,815 km. There are no major river systems in the country, and historically transpotation was by means of carvans that followed routes traversing gaps and passes in the mountains. Much of Iran consists of central desert.
The long and the complete history of Iran is just brilliant the Persains were the most civilized advanced people of their era who had the greatest empires of the time.Zorastriansm was the state religion until the Muslim conquest of Persia, when in 632 A.D., Umar Ibn Al-khattab, Caliph completely took over the sasanian empire by 651 A.D, by 674 Muslim’s had conquered greater khorasan. Interestingly european power’s never colonized Iran, but this did not protect it from colonial reach of the united Kingdom and in the late 19th centruy, the british – Indian company had established a monopoly over tabacco trade in the country at the expense of the local merchant’s. Britain controlled Iran’s oil for some time, but Iran remained as Empire with over 3000 years of history.
In nutshell Iran has endured invasions off and on, by the Macedonians, Arabs, Turks and the Mongols. Iran has undoubtedly reasserted her national identity through out the centuries and has developed as a distinct political and cultural entity.
In 1921, Rezshah Pahavi, seving as an officer in Iran’s only mlitary forces master minded a sucessful coup, against the Government of Qatar Dynasty, and established himself as the most powrful Person in the country, and became as the new Shah of Iran.
Mohammad Reza Shah, who was educated in Europe replaced his father in September 1941, and he vehemenly carried the reform policies of his, which he successfully implemented in the context of regional turmoil and the cold war, the Shah established himself as an indispensable – ally of the west.Domestically, he advocated refrom polices, culminating in the 1963 progam known as the ‘white revolution” which included Land reform, voting rights to women, and the elimination of the illiteracy.In his reforms, the king Mohammad Raza Shah greatly succeeded, but despite all these measures, religoius leader, who feared losing their radiontal authority to raise the voters started opposing him, which coinsequenly led to some civil unrest.
Against all odds Mophammad Reza Shah saw himself as heir to the king of ancient iran, and in the the year 1971, held extravegant celebration of 2500 of Persian monarchy. It was attended by many foreign dignitaries and I remember Indian deailies like Indian express, times of India, Rusi karanjias ‘Biltiz’ carried special editions on the Iranian 2500 years of Persain monarchy.
During processing years the Shah’s regime suppressedits opponents with the help of Iran’s security and intelligence agencies. The country during the middle of the seventies relied on oil revenue which sharply increased. The Shah continued to pursue his goal of develping iran as a mighty regional power dedicated to social reform and economic development yet he continually side stepped democratic arrangements, remaining unresposive to public opinion and refused to audit meaningful political liberties. These measures let widsppered discontent among populace, more so islamic leaders, particularly – the exiled religious leader Ayatollah R Khomeni was able to focus this discontent with a populist ideology tied to islamic principles and calls for overthrow of the shah and his regime. Finally, Shah’s government collapsed following widspread uprising in 1978/79.
Mohammad Reza Shah Pahalivi fled the country and was granted asylum in Egypt and died of cancer in July 1980. Soon after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomini took power in Iran, after 15 years of exile, A new iranian consititution was drafted and approved. Following this the various Iranian embassies across the globe shaped theirt strategies according to new islamic revolution. cultural center of many iranian embassies around the world started organizing the various events to highght the iranian revolution and to promot goals of social justice, freedom and democracy, besides the benefits of islamic unity at global level.
Following in suit the culture house of Iran embassy New Dehi organized an all India level essay competiton on ‘Muslim unity and its significance’. During february 1983. I also participated in the competition and won the 3rd prize in the English segment. 1st and 2nd prizes were in urdu segment won by late Jha Ara Sarwat, a renowned Urdu poet and urdu writer from Lucknow and by another writer and poet Absar Ahmed Siduqi of Muzaffarour U.P
Iand my family attended the brief but impressive fuction at Iranian Culture house New Delhi, where the winners were honored by the first secretary Mr. Mosood.From that time Iran was in my itinerary and 40 years later, it matured Alhumdha Lilla.
….to be continued
The author can be reached at nisargilani57748@gmail.om