created 2025-06-20, & modified, =this.modified
tags:y2025
rel: Suspect Because You Know Something
Why I’m reading
I first read this years ago, and I’ve also seen the film. Revisiting in the present state of the Iran–Israel conflict.
Introduction
The word “Iran” was derived from the “ayryana vaejo” meaning “the origin of the Aryans.” These people were the semi-nomads who descendants were the Medes and the Persians. The Medes founded the first Iranian nation in the 7th century, later to be destroyed by Cyrus the Great. He established one of the largest empires in the ancient world, the Persian empire.
Iran was referred to as Persia – its Greek name – till 1935 when Reza Shah, asked everyone to call the country Iran.
In the 20th century Iran entered a new phase. Reza Shah decided to modernize and westernize the country, and oil was discovered. The West, particularly Great Britain had a strong influence on the Iranian economy. In WWII Reza Shah was asked to side with the allies but Shah who sympathized with the Germans, declared Iran a neutral zone. So the allies occupied Iran and Reza Shah was sent into exile and was succeeded by his son, Mohammed Reza, known simply as the Shah.
In 1951 Mohammed Mossadeq, the prime minister of Iran, nationalized the oil industry. In retaliation Great Britain organized an embargo on all exports of oil from Iran. In 1952 the CIA with the help of British intelligence organized a coup against him. Mossadeq was overthrown and the Shah, who earlier escaped the country returned to power. The Shah stayed on the throne until 1979 when he fled Iran to escape the Islamic revolution.
The Veil
In 1979 a revolution took place called the Islamic Revolution. In 1980 it became obligatory to wear a veil at school.
The year before they were in French Non-religious schools, where boys and girls were mixed. The cultural movement saw them as symbols of capitalism.
She wanted to be the last prophet.
The cinema went on fire, the doors locked from the outside and people locked inside. BBC said there were 400 victims. The Shah said a group of religious fanatics perpetrated the massacre, but the people knew it was the Shah’s fault.
She wants to join her family in the demonstrations.
She remains believing god chose the king. Her father says this is not true and tells her that fifty years ago he father of the Shah who was a soldier, tried to overthrow the emperor and install a republic. The British promise everything in exchange for oil.
She reads and begins to understand her privilege. The maid falls in love with the neighbor, and unable to write Marjane writes love letters to him in her stead. Marjane’s father tells the neighbor, and he gives back the letters seeing her handwriting. He tells of the need to remain in social class.
They demonstrate.
Segment on Black Friday 1978 (pivotal event in Iranian revolution, where at least 64 people were shot dead by Pahlavi military).
The Shah steps down and the country celebrates.
The US set up a leader for personal gain, then immediately drops them once they are not useful.
In any case, as long as there is oil in the middle east we will never have peace
She’s instructed to remove Shah from her textbook, by the teachers who also told her Shah was chosen by god.
You see this? It’s a plastic key painted gold. They gave this to my son at school. They told the boys that if they went to war and were lucky enough to die, this key would get them into heaven.
Now that Tehran was under attack, many fled. The city was deserted. As for us, we stayed. Not just out of fatalism. If there was to be a future, in my parents’ eyes, that future was linked to my French education, and Tehran was the only place I could get it.
In life you’ll meet a lot of jerks. If they hurt you, tell yourself that it’s because they’re stupid. That will help keep you from reacting to their cruelty. Because there is nothing worse than bitterness and vengeance… always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.