Ask a persian.

[Cull]

Are they any Mongols left over there? Or have they submerged themselves into the population? Or have they interbred with the people already there it doesn't matter?

 

[Dachs]

If Oldschooler doesn't mind...

Why did the Greeks call the place Persia?

Corruption of the word "Parsa", name of the people from which the Hakhamaneshi dynasty, the "Persians" of the Persian Wars, originated. Currently called "Fars".

Why is it called Iran today?

The word used by the Iranians for the Iranian "people", "nation", or "state", starting in late Parthian or Sasanian times, was "eran" - they called themselves "Aryans". Use of roots of that word can be traced back to before the birth of Christ.

 

[NovaKart]

It's not just Perisa/Iran. Egyptians call their country masr مصر
And Greeks don't call their country Greece in their language. Same with China and India.

 

[Cull]

No on China. China calls it "middle country" in direct translation, but the idea is still China=China.

 

[NovaKart]

So isn't that the same thing with Persia? Chinese call it Zhong Guo, we call it China.

 

[Cull]

But in China, Zhong Guo is China.

 

[NovaKart]

I'm just saying the names we give countries are different from what the locals call them in their language in the instance of Greece, Egypt and China and actually Germany now that I think about it more. I suppose all these are a little bit different from Persian/Iranian because both are used in English but the same kind of principle.

 

[Cull]

Sure, that's because the language is different. What do you expect, China to start speaking English?!?

 

[NovaKart]

I was trying to compare this to the idea that an Iranian using the word Persian isn't that strange since it's done in a lot of other instances.

 

[Dachs]

I understand that, but I have difficulty understanding why Iranians would default to - and why some even insist on - employing an exonym when they refer to themselves. Well, it's not difficult to understand, but it's still silly, IMO. Whatever.

 

[SchoolzSoKewl]

Are they any Mongols left over there? Or have they submerged themselves into the population? Or have they interbred with the people already there it doesn't matter?

We have a lot of turks in the north east in and around Mashad. I mean turks are sort of related to mongols and I'm sure a whole bunch of them came with the Mongols anyways.

Do all male Iranians have to serve in the army

Since no one's answered your question, you do have to if you're capable. However you are given the option to pay your way out of military service and if you're studying in college then you don't have to leave school for the military but afterwards you are required to serve a little time.
It applies for Iranians with dual citizenships too.

I understand that, but I have difficulty understanding why Iranians would default to - and why some even insist on - employing an exonym when they refer to themselves. Well, it's not difficult to understand, but it's still silly, IMO. Whatever.

I don't know any Iranians, certainly not any native Iranians, who refer to themselves as Persian over Iranian, unless they're doing it for the benefit of English speakers. Or they want to use a word that doesn't come with the stigma of Iranian.

 

[Dachs]

I don't know any Iranians, certainly not any native Iranians, who refer to themselves as Persian over Iranian, unless they're doing it for the benefit of English speakers. Or they want to use a word that doesn't come with the stigma of Iranian.

Bingo.

 

[Commy]

I am not a Muslim at all, nor have I ever been one. I am a Christian. I read somewhere that Persians have the highest Islam to Christian convert rate in Western countries. I personally consider that to be a good thing, because it shows how well Persians are integrating into western society.

Are you catholic, protestant or orthodox?

 

[caketastydelish]

Who do you think was the greatest Persian ruler in history?

IMO Cyrus the Great, a ruler that the founding fathers of America were influenced by. Many people do not know this.

 

[Cull]

How did Cyrus the Great influence the founding fathers?

 

[caketastydelish]

Are you catholic, protestant or orthodox?

Protestant although I don't see why that would matter.

How did Cyrus the Great influence the founding fathers?

http://www.spentaproductions.com/faqs.htm
scroll down to number five. Cyrus contributed to human rights which the founding fathers liked.

An Iranian making a documentary about Cyrus the Great was falsley accused of being a terrorist and was attacked by Bill O'Riley on fox news.

http://www.spentaproductions.com/faqs.htm Scroll down to number 6.

 

[Traitorfish]

IMO Cyrus the Great, a ruler that the founding fathers of America were influenced by. Many people do not know this.

I'm lead to understand that he founded what was essentially the first constitutional monarchy in the world. Is that correct?

Also, I read an article in National Geographic which claimed that Cyrus has become a popular figure in the Iranian pro-democracy movement, as he is seen to represent a secular form of Persian/Iranian nationalism, and his aforementioned interest in constitutionalism marks him as, at least in spirit, a more liberal ruler than the current theocratic regime. Is there any substance to this? (Incidentally, he seems to parallel the Scottish monarch Robert the Bruce in this regard, who has also become a secular nationalist icon, uniting both Catholics and Protestants, and who's support for popular, proto-constitutional monarchy has long made him a radical/democratic icon.)

 

[bombshoo]

Would you consider yourself part of the Iranian/Persian-American community? Do you hang out with other Persians or go to ethnic oriented festivals or anything regularly? (outside of family)?

On the topic of architecture, does the term "Persian Palace" offend you for those overly large houses with no lawn on the West Coast?

I don't know any Iranians, certainly not any native Iranians, who refer to themselves as Persian over Iranian, unless they're doing it for the benefit of English speakers. Or they want to use a word that doesn't come with the stigma of Iranian.

Similarly, I actually know a Native American that insists on calling himself an "Indian". The way he sees it, a "Native American" is an alcoholic that is using the name as an excuse to get affirmative action benefits, while an "Indian" is a fierce warrior that is attune with nature.

Then again...He is way more of an alcoholic than a fierce warrior. He gives "spirit tours" at the Grand Canyon though, so he might be attune with nature.

 

[Dachs]

I'm lead to understand that he founded what was essentially the first constitutional monarchy in the world. Is that correct?

It's a bit of a stretch. A lot of that comes from Xenophon who didn't know what the hell he was talking about and who wanted to make monarchs look better cause he didn't like Athenian democracy, and other sayings attributed to Kūruš come from long after the fact, when there was a definite interest in portraying him as either egalitarian or democratic. Same thing for his critical comments about markets and trade. I personally tend to discount most of the Kūruš philosopher-king glorification, but to be entirely fair there's nothing that directly contradicts the possibility.

 

[plarq]

How do you average Iranian/Persian view us, the Baha'i?