A new book casts fresh light on the people and culture of Iran

Nada al-Azhari’s 'An Arabian in Iran' shows how the country’s people have been cut off from the region by the regime. Full of insight into daily life, it captures a sense of post-imperial turmoil

'An Arabian in Iran' by Nada al-Azhari, published in May 2024, explores life in Iran from an Arab's perspective.

A new book casts fresh light on the people and culture of Iran

Mohamed abi Samra

last update on 21 Jun 2024

Since Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, the world has lacked insight into how the country’s people view their lives and society under the rule of the ayatollahs.

Little has been written from within the country that captures people’s ideas and opinions, or that reveals Iran’s sense of self. For these reasons, a new book titled An Arabian in Iran is both timely and important.

From writer Nada al-Azhari, a picture builds of exactly those elements of national life. A Syrian Arab who holds French citizenship, al-Azhari has lived in Tehran for years and visited much of the country.

Based on conversations with those she has met, Al-Azhari has now published her impressions and observations of the country and its cultures. The book’s subtitle—‘Iranians as you did not know them’—is apt.

Iran’s Arab ‘outsiders’

Reflecting her identification with Arab culture during her stay in Iran, the book both highlights and addresses Arabs’ general unfamiliarity with Iranian life and society.

This sense of detachment is influenced by Iran’s foreign policy, with Tehran seeking to exert control over Arab capitals like Beirut, Damascus, Baghdad, and Sana’a.

To some extent, Iran has been isolated, much like the Cold War’s ‘Iron Curtain’ fell over half of Europe, cutting its people off from their near neighbours. Has isolation bred ignorance? Is Iranian society and culture, in effect, being held hostage?

Al-Azhari notes that ordinary Iranians refer to non-Iranian residents as “outsiders”. It remains unclear whether the term is traditional or a product of the regime.

Little has been written from within the country that captures people's ideas and opinions, or that reveals Iran's sense of self.

"I am neither in my homeland, nor in any other Arab country, nor in a Western country," she wrote of her extended stay in Tehran. "So where am I? This was a question I continuously asked myself."

By the final page, she had found a sense of belonging. "It has been four years since my last visit to Tehran, and more than a decade since my unforgettable stay. I can say I am still there, or it is still there."

This shows that while the "outsider" label was used throughout her stay, al-Azhari's time in Iran became an important part of her life and her sense of identity.

An elusive people

Over 250 pages, the author recalls her life in Iran and her encounters with its people. An enduring fascination comes through. The country keeps surprising her.

Al-Azhari is a film critic and her exploration of Iranian cinema and interactions with Iranian audiences is central to the story of her memoirs.

Her reflections are engaging and offer compelling detail but, as with so much of life, definitive answers are elusive. Nonetheless, a unique picture is created.

"We can generalise about the behaviour of nine out of ten French people," she says. "This is not possible in Iran." One cannot generalise about the behaviour of Iranians.

The book is based on "what I saw and heard, what struck me and caught my attention," she says. Importantly, it steers clear of politics and judgement, a trap many fall into when it comes to Iran and its policies.

The memoir is more an attempt to understand Iranians' perceptions of themselves and of other non-Iranians, particularly Arabs, as al-Azhari seeks to understand the typical 'Iranian personality', or even if there is one.

Reticence and warmth

"Predicting Iranians' reactions was challenging for me," she says. "Some adjust their behaviour based on what they think the other person expects, especially when interacting with Westerners."

A French acquaintance praises Iranians for their warmth, love, and hospitality, noting their generosity and eagerness to give gifts, even among those with a reputation for thrift, such as the people of Isfahan.

An Isfahani girl she met on a flight confirmed her city's reputation for frugality, attributing it to a long-standing tradition of commerce.

A French acquaintance praises Iranians' warmth, love, hospitality, generosity, and eagerness to give gifts, even among the thrifty.

Yet several she spoke to mentioned that, under the Islamic Republic, Iranians feel compelled to conceal their true emotions, beliefs, and thoughts, in contrast to the relative openness during the Shah's reign.

Al-Azhari finds this plausible. As a Syrian, she knows about living under a totalitarian regime, drawing parallels from her own experiences to what American researcher Lisa Wedeen called the "authoritarian apprehensions" of the Assad presidencies.

Women, life, freedom

While visiting Tabriz in north-western Iran, where Azerbaijani Turkish is widely spoken, vendors in the bazaar encouraged al-Azhari to learn Turkish rather than Persian, hinting at regional nationalist sentiments.

This is particularly evident among Kurds who played a significant role in recent protests like the women-led demonstrations sparked by the death in custody of a young Iranian-Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini, who was not wearing a hijab.

Mahsa, a friend of the writer, lamented that "our lives are sacrificed for others, not for ourselves", reflecting her frustration with the Iranian regime, which she felt prioritised foreign issues over domestic concerns.

Mahsa had visited Syria and found life there markedly different and more favourable, reinforcing her love for the country, despite both Tehran and Damascus prioritising world affairs over internal issues.

Al-Azhari highlights the intense social and political pressures faced by Iranians, which prompt many to seek respite through travel. She mentions the alarming suicide statistics in Iran, an average of 11 daily. More are attempted.

She recounts incidents of attending foreign embassy events in Tehran that led to serious repercussions. A friend was detained by police for hours after attending a British embassy celebration. Iranians' cautious interactions with foreigners, particularly in the public sector, reflect their anxiety over job security.

At a lunch hosted by an Arab embassy, an Iranian professor was reluctant to acknowledge her publicly, fearing repercussion. This caution underscores the pervasive presence of security officials, even in seemingly casual social settings.

Islam, Arabs, and Arabic

Iranians' complex relationship with Arabs, Arabic culture, and the Islamic religion, rooted in its ancient Arabic origins, is a focus of observations. Iranians mainly use Arabic for prayer and Qur'anic reading, seldom integrating it into daily speech.

When al-Azhari was looking for rental housing in Tehran, an Iranian Kurdish broker told her that "people used to fast during the Shah's era, but now they don't, because it is no longer obligatory".

Iranians have a complex relationship with Arabs. They mainly use Arabic for prayer and Qur'anic reading, seldom integrating it into daily speech.

Al-Azhari notes that "reserve is a predominant Iranian trait, sharply contrasting with Arabic expressiveness".

She also encountered a landlord and his wife who expressed admiration for Dubai's prosperity, lamenting Iran's economic stagnation. They decried international sanctions and supported Iran's nuclear policies.

Uneasy neighbours

The intricate dynamics between Arabs and Persians is described by some Iranians as fraught with "mutual animosity". By her second year in Tehran, al-Azhari felt a profound scepticism about Arab-Persian coexistence.

This was echoed by an Iranian teacher, who described it as "a complex confusion" that "stems from the imposition of Arab-Islamic norms on Persia following the Arab conquest" around 1,400 years ago.

"Arabs enforced their script on Persians, who adapted the Persian language to Arabic letters," the teacher said, reflecting divergent views in Iran on whether Arab influence was imposed or embraced.

Al-Azhari frequently encountered Iranian intellectuals who advocated Westernisation and were critical of the Islamic regime's religious fervour. One professor said: "We seek distance from both Arabs and the clerical regime."

Another lamented that "Iranians have not forgiven Arabs for imposing Islam on their land", attributing the grievances more to Arab actions than to Islam itself. This sentiment underscored Iranians' sensitivity towards Arab influences, prompting calls to "purify Persian language of Arabic vocabulary".

Al-Azhari recalls being frequently asked by Iranians whether she understood the Qur'an, and if its Arabic resembled poetic beauty, revealing a disconnection felt by Iranians forced to learn Arabic and alienated from Qur'anic and Islamic teachings.

Dredging up the past

Some Iranians cited historical grievances, saying Arabs invaded and destroyed Persian cultural heritage, contrasting Zoroastrianism's peaceful nature with the perceived militancy of Islam as perpetuated by Arab conquerors.

Al-Azhari recounts that an Iraqi woman once told her that "Iranians look down on us, they don't like us, they claim we treated them poorly", before adding: "But that's in the past."

Some Iranians cited historical grievances, saying Arabs invaded and destroyed Persian cultural heritage.

Some Iranian perspectives on Arabs and the Arab-Islamic conquest of Persia suggest that the story of this part of history continues to resonate and evolve.

It is a narrative that adapts to different eras, circumstances, and political interests. For some Iranians, alienation from Islam stems from their perception of the ruling regime having politicised religion to serve the clerical class and suppress dissent.

Chained to history

For many Iranians, the current regional antagonism arises from a disconnect with their imperial past, perpetuating aspirations of former glory and renewal, and leading to attempts to reclaim lost identities, especially when facing crisis or challenge.

The Iranian regime's violent suppression of uprisings only fuels unrest, driven by a desire to break free from the burdens of an imagined imperial legacy.

The struggle is not unique to Iranians. Many nations and peoples grapple with their imperial pasts, comparing it to their present and future ambitions. This can lead to inherited rebellions.

Milan Kundera, the late Czech-French novelist, once expressed envy for small, forgotten countries on the fringes of major historical narratives, whose people live peacefully without the burden of imperial neuroses.

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