Ask a persian.

[caketastydelish]

Are there any non-Farsi languages encouraged by Iranian Education?

As far as I know, English and Arabic are taught at schools.

 

[SchoolzSoKewl]

Afghanistan is not a part of Iran but it was very much a part of the Persian empire. I don't know about the rest of my family though, haven't asked them. I do not speak fluent farsi, but I know a little bit. I have never been to Iran, and have no immediate plans to go considering the current situation of the country. It's a shame that such a beautiful country has to be in the shape it's in.

As to your first question? Well it depends who we're talking too. If we are afraid that who we are talking to is prejudice against Iranians, we will say we are "persian" not "iranian" if we do not think they are prejudice, we will refer to ourselves as either one.

Are you referring to the current regime being in charge or the hooplah over the elections?
Do you think Iran is unsafe? I go almost every other summer! Sadly not this summer but many of my friends have.
It's perfectly safe to go visit Iran, unless you're set on stepping out of the airport in a green headband you're A ok! It's even safe for Westerners, whenever I'm in Isfahan or somewhere touristy there are plenty of Westerners!

 

[Perfection]

Do you consider Exotic Shorthairs fellow Persians or not?

 

[caketastydelish]

Are you referring to the current regime being in charge or the hooplah over the elections?
Do you think Iran is unsafe? I go almost every other summer! Sadly not this summer but many of my friends have.
It's perfectly safe to go visit Iran, unless you're set on stepping out of the airport in a green headband you're A ok! It's even safe for Westerners, whenever I'm in Isfahan or somewhere touristy there are plenty of Westerners!

I've seen a show on tv telling the true story of British westerners bicycling through Iran and being kidnapped.

I am referring to the current regime being in charge. The hooplah over the elections is just another example of an injustice caused by the current regime. Even if they started giving fair elections, that's just a small part of the problem being fixed.

If the Iranian government accuses me of being "anti them" or whatever, they can send me (or anyone else) to a kangaroo court, and send me to jail, or even kill me. There have been cases of Iranians going to Iran, and this very thing happening. And just for the record, I have no intention of wearing a green headband. Partly because the opposition leader is nearly as bad as the current Regime, and partly because I don't want to be arrested.

 

[W|M]

Who would you support for current leader of Iran? And I heard that oil workers have a special dispensation from the strict fasting in Ramadan (see the muslim thread). Is this true?

 

[caketastydelish]

Do you consider Exotic Shorthairs fellow Persians or not?

Very funny. There are such a thing as Persian cats, which have been ruined by breeders that have made the nose so small the cats have breathing problems, and this I am not exaggerating. Also persian cats have long hair, not short.

Who would you suppoert for current leader of Iran?

T.Boone Pickens, the same man I would support as the current leader for any country. I don't care what anyone else says, but that man has the answers!

 

[SchoolzSoKewl]

I've seen a show on tv telling the true story of British westerners bicycling through Iran and being kidnapped.

I am referring to the current regime being in charge. The hooplah over the elections is just another example of an injustice caused by the current regime. Even if they started giving fair elections, that's just a small part of the problem being fixed.

If the Iranian government accuses me of being "anti them" or whatever, they can send me (or anyone else) to a kangaroo court, and send me to jail, or even kill me. There have been cases of Iranians going to Iran, and this very thing happening. And just for the record, I have no intention of wearing a green headband. Partly because the opposition leader is nearly as bad as the current Regime, and partly because I don't want to be arrested.

Yeah no one's defending the current regime, bad guys through and through. But it's pretty safe to say thousands if not tens of thousands of Iranians living in Western Europe and North America go back all the time to visit. The government isn't going to accuse you of being anti them unless you intentionally antagonize them. Yeah there have been visiting Iranians held in Iran but usually for a specific reason(however stupid the reason is).
Trust me Iran is a safe place to visit unless your parents are political refugees, in fact Rick Steve did a show on traveling to Iran and mentions how safe and fun it is!
http://www.ricksteves.com/iran/

 

[W|M]

He was a financial supporter of President George W. Bush and contributed heavily to both his Texas and national political campaigns.

I don´t agree, but people have differing views I guess. What are the political views of Iranians in general?

EDIT: X-Post.

 

[caketastydelish]

I don´t agree, but people have differing views I guess. What are the political views of Iranians in general?

EDIT: X-Post.

Where did that quote of yours come from? I didn't see anywhere on the thread saying it. As to the political views of Iranians in general? Well I personally tend to swing to the left. Not every Iranian is the same way. Most of the Iranians in my family are probably liberal but I have a few Republicans in my Iranian family as well.

To answer your question more straightforwardly: Most of the younger, educated Iranians tend to be secular and liberal. A lot of the older generations are more conservative and religious.

 

[W|M]

Where did that quote of yours come from?

I looked up that guy you suggested on wikipedia.

 

[caketastydelish]

I don´t agree, but people have differing views I guess. What are the political views of Iranians in general?

EDIT: X-Post.

Yeah no one's defending the current regime, bad guys through and through. But it's pretty safe to say thousands if not tens of thousands of Iranians living in Western Europe and North America go back all the time to visit. The government isn't going to accuse you of being anti them unless you intentionally antagonize them. Yeah there have been visiting Iranians held in Iran but usually for a specific reason(however stupid the reason is).
Trust me Iran is a safe place to visit unless your parents are political refugees, in fact Rick Steve did a show on traveling to Iran and mentions how safe and fun it is!
http://www.ricksteves.com/iran/

Oh really? Well in that case I might go some day, although I'd still have a tad bit of fear in the back of my mind to tell you the truth. Even though my personal opinions are anti-government, I am not an activist by any means. If there was any kind of an uprising against the government, I wouldn't want to take any part of it. Partly because i'm afraid the new government would be just as corrupt as the old, and partly because I would rather not die or get seriously hurt.

My parents aren't political refugees. I just hope I don't get held in Iran for a "stupid reason".

I looked up that guy you suggested on wikipedia.

I was not aware that Pickens was a Bush supporter. This makes me lose respect for him. Still, I love his ideas on renewable energy. But lets not get off topic here. This thread is about Persians/Iranians, not T. Boone Pickens. Pm me if you want to talk abou thim.

 

[Mansa Musa]

Does your family celebrate Nowruz (sp?). If so, what's it like?

 

[Perfection]

Very funny. There are such a thing as Persian cats, which have been ruined by breeders that have made the nose so small the cats have breathing problems, and this I am not exaggerating.

Yeah, i'm with you there man. Are there kinds that don't have these sorts of issues?

Also, do you own any nice rugs?


Oh, and what could we as loud proud obnoxious awesome ubercool Americans do to make you guys like our silly government more?

 

[caketastydelish]

Does your family celebrate Nowruz (sp?). If so, what's it like?

There are different ways to spell Nowruz. Nowruz is the celebration of the Persian new year. My family does celebrate it. It is the first day of spring. As the end of cold and darkness of the winter and the beginning of the life, beings.

In comparison to the western New Year, which is always at midnight, the Persian new year which is ancient and was calculated by the mathematicians when the equinox happens at a different time every year. For example, one year the beginning of spring may be 10:32 so many seconds AM and the next year it may be 11:15 PM fifteen seconds. So the time of Nowruz is different every year because it's the time when the earth makes a complete year.

Nowruz is an ancient new year that predates Islam. People celebrate it by gathering seven symbols and these symbols are supposed to represent different things in life. The first letter of the things they gather being with the sound "s".

Usually the kids/younger people of the family would receive money from the older people/those that have more money in the family. That is the new years present. It is also customary that Iranians would clean up there houses and also they buy brand new clothes and wear their brand new clothes and go and visit each other. If their was any animosity or hard feeling between friends/families by the new year as they put on new clothes, they try to start fresh and forget about the bad things that have happened between them.

Yeah, i'm with you there man. Are there kinds that don't have these sorts of issues?

Also, do you own any nice rugs?


Oh, and what could we as loud proud obnoxious awesome ubercool Americans do to make you guys like our silly government more?

It seems to me you're borderline trolling. Watch what you say or I won't hesitate to get a mod.

The original persian cats didn't have a small nose. The breeding that caused that. There are still some persian cats that do not have a small nose.

And I am a Persian and do not hate the American government. Nor does anyone in my Persian side of the family that I am aware of. Again, It's mainly the Iranian government that hates America, not the people of Iran.

edit: and yes, I do own Persian rugs, which I do consider to be nice.

 

[Perfection]

Yeah, I bet the peeps of Iran don't hate Americans, but I think many don't like our gubment. Am I correct? If so what can we do to make that better?

 

[caketastydelish]

Yeah, I bet the peeps of Iran don't hate Americans, but I think many don't like our gubment. Am I correct? If so what can we do to make that better?

Well even many americans, from both the left and right are not currently happy with the American government, so to say "Iranians don't like the current American government" isn't saying a whole lot. I can't speak for other Iranians, so this is a difficult question to answer. As to what the American government could do to make me personally happy?

First, less government spending. We need to pay off our national debt. Second, pull out of countries that we have invaded. Seriously. Third, I wish Obama and the democrats in congress would stop sucking up and giving in to the conservatives.

But just for the record: I am far more fed up with the Iranian government than I am the American government.

edit: now that I think about it, perhaps I can give you a better answer. The American CIA has helped overthrow the Iranian Prime minister in 1952 so they could put in a new leader. The Prime minister was going to nationalize the oil of Iran, and that was against American interest. Many Iranians still don't trust the American government, and are afraid they will still do whatever is in America's best interest, even if it comes at Iran's expense.

 

[Tycho Brahe]

Do you consider yourself white?

It's not uncommon for iranians/persians to have redish brown hair, green eyes and "pale" skin. Especially in the north by the shores of the black sea.

My persian friends are very worried about an american/western attack on Iran. They hate the fundementalist regime, but they still have friends and relatives who could get caught in the middle. This was worse a year ago or so, though.

 

[SchoolzSoKewl]

There are different ways to spell Nowruz. Nowruz is the celebration of the Persian new year. My family does celebrate it. It is the first day of spring. As the end of cold and darkness of the winter and the beginning of the life, beings.

In comparison to the western New Year, which is always at midnight, the Persian new year which is ancient and was calculated by the mathematicians when the equinox happens at a different time every year. For example, one year the beginning of spring may be 10:32 so many seconds AM and the next year it may be 11:15 PM fifteen seconds. So the time of Nowruz is different every year because it's the time when the earth makes a complete year.

Nowruz is an ancient new year that predates Islam. People celebrate it by gathering seven symbols and these symbols are supposed to represent different things in life. The first letter of the things they gather being with the sound "s".

Usually the kids/younger people of the family would receive money from the older people/those that have more money in the family. That is the new years present. It is also customary that Iranians would clean up there houses and also they buy brand new clothes and wear their brand new clothes and go and visit each other. If their was any animosity or hard feeling between friends/families by the new year as they put on new clothes, they try to start fresh and forget about the bad things that have happened between them.

Don't forget to mention jumping over fire and painting eggs!!

 

[Cheetah]

Painting eggs? Like Easter eggs?

Who stole the tradition from whom?

And the billions dollar question:

Many Iranians still don't trust the American government, and are afraid they will still do whatever is in America's best interest, even if it comes at Iran's expense.

Can you, or anyone else (SchoolzSoKewl?), see a way that the West, and especially the USA, can make the Iranian people trust them more?

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

Why are Persians so "Club Persh"? By that, I mean, why do you guys dress all flashy and luxurious all the time?