Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
h e casual tone of Majid's telling aside made me think dif erently about
one of the biggest concerns many Americans have about Iranians: h eir
penchant for declaring “Death to” this and that. Did Majid literally want to
kill all those drivers that were in our way?
h e experience made me wonder if Iranians' “Death to” curses are not
so dif erent from Westerners who exclaim, “Damn those French” or “Damn
this trai c jam.” If we say, “Damn those teenagers,” do we really want them
to die and burn in hell for eternity? No. Just turn down the music.
Don't get me wrong: All those “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”
murals are impossible to justify. But they seemed so incongruous with the
gregarious people I met. Do the Iranians literally wish “death” to the US and
Israel? Or is it a mix of international road rage, fear, frustration—and the
seductive clarity of a catchy slogan?
No Credit Cards, Alcohol…or Urinals
While pondering weighty issues can be thought-provoking, the little everyday
dif erences you encounter while traveling are vividly memorable. As I journeyed
through Iran, my notebook i lled with quirky observations. One moment,
I'd be stirred by propaganda murals encouraging young men to walk into
the blazing sunset of martyrdom. h e next, a woman in a bookstore served
me cookies while I browsed. h en, as I was about to leave without buying
anything, she gave me—free of charge—a book I'd admired.
While English is the second language on many signs, and young, well-
educated people routinely speak English, communication was often chal-
lenging. h e majority of Iranians are ethnically Persian. Persians are not
Arabs, and they don't speak Arabic—they speak Persian (also called Farsi).
h is Persian/Arab dif er-
ence is a very important
distinction to the people
of Iran. I heard over and
over again, “We are not
Arabs!”
In this mural (fi lling the
entire wall of a building),
martyrs walk heroically into
the sunset of death for God
and country.
