Understanding the Iranian Culture

The country is multicultural and multiethnic society due to the reason that resulted in of millennia of migration and conquest (Khalili). Almost half of the population use Persian as their common language and affiliated dialects as their primary one. While the rest speak language drawn from Indo-European, Ural-Altaic also called the Semitic language families. The Semitic speakers constitute 10 percent of the existing population including large Arabic speakers among them in the extreme southwest province of Khuzestan. Along the Persian Gulf coast is a small community of Assyrians in the northwest who speaks Syriac. The country has very many beautiful customs and traditions. They have great respect for the elders and are very hospitable to foreigners. The acknowledgment for other people shows humbleness and respectfulness.

The Iranian people have two identities. The first is the representation of one in the public and the other in private (Zamani-Farahani). They are being used by men in the country because their highly protect their women and not those from foreigner nations. The universal Islamic salaam should be used when greeting people (YAZDI). The oldest people are greeted first at a social gathering as age is highly respected in the culture of the Iranians. A handshake is acceptable to people of the same gender in the formal while the informal is kissing three times on each check. Place the right hand on the chest is seen as a form of respect after a shake. Refusing to do so was considered as the worst insult one could offer a fellow Muslim.

This makes them hate other races. For the Muslim, they saw other people from a different religion as a danger to their security and a threat to their religion. This makes them try in an effort to convert each and every individual who comes their way. Or else assassinate them for a very small mistake done that could be rectified. This is to avoid harassment from male colleagues if they might happen to share the same room. Foreigners cannot accept an invitation into a man’s house or even be accompanied by another female friend. Not unless one of the female relatives is or will be present during the invitation. This shows how foreigners are take and treated with less respect in this nation of Iran and lack of a code of conduct.

Also on intercity buses, one is an urge to usually sit next to a woman or next to a western male while traveling. This is the despite one being a Muslim or not. Women must wear hijab while males are expected to wear good clothes in right conditions. A foreign male can find himself in a difficult situation while found standing with or close to Iranian women. This could come even if it wasn’t to the knowledge of the victim. Also in Iran, Iranians must lead double lives, the public life, which is visible to government authorities who can dish out really unpleasant punishment if you aren’t a good and devoted and the private life live that is difficult to explain.