Iran is the most misunderstood
country of the world!
Interview with Jill Worrall, New Zealand Herald Columnist Interviewed by Kourosh Ziabari
Photography depicted from www.tbzmed.ac.ir, www.persiancarpetguide.com,
www.findhotel.ir and www.sahelabi.com
It's a long time that I've gotten used to hear expressions such
as "Wow! I see you have restaurants in Iran!", "Believe
me Iran was not what I had thought", "I was never thinking
of such a beautiful country" and so on, when talking to a
foreign tourist who has come to Iran for the very first time.
For the global public opinions and the majority of masses who
do not have any particular way of knowing a far spot on the earth
rather than relying on the information given to them by the mainstream
media i.e. magazines, TV channels, news websites and radio stations,
Iran would enthusiastically be the most astonishing and enticing
place one can ever see and explore in his/her lifespan.
When switching between TV channels who perpetually hold up piping-hot
debates between their guests talking about Iran's nuclear issue,
you can see pictures of spacious, dry deserts with a sequence
of camels running in sluggishly demolished buildings adjacent
to the slums of downtown, ballistic missiles being test-fired,
multitudinous hordes chanting political slogans while rallying
in the covered streets and afterwards, some interlinked strings
of nuclear power plants being shown from aerial view.
What kind of perception one might catch from this partial and
subjective "image-doctoring"? Undoubtedly, they would
be convinced that the target country, Iran in in this instance,
is the terrific and scaremonger "axis of evil" and full
of terrorists, atomic bomb arsenals and a forgotten land.
That's why when most foreigners come to Iran for various purposes
they get perplexed and confused of what they see here; a bizarre
confusion which begins from the early moment of their arrival
in the airport and lasts until the final seconds of their bidding
farewell with the "Ancient Persia".
Less people, except those who are in favor of unveiling the truth
by researching regularly, are informed that Iran is the same country
of "Persia" with 15,000 years of ancient history and
civilization, a monarchy that someday was gaining dominance over
India to Egypt as the largest territory of all times, where Cyrus
the Great has flourished and where the most remarkable personalities
of science, literature and arts come from; Mevlana and Khawrizmi
to Rhazes and Avicenna, Ferdowsi and Hafez to Khayyam and Rudaki.
Less people know that Iran is the land of Persepolis, Pasargadae
and Apadana, the land of oldest known human civilization on the
earth and the land of "Persian Gulf", but they know
well that Iran is "the axis of evil"! The prevalence
of such assumptions has no reason but the dominance of treacherous,
dishonest and malicious media that feed the public opinions with
duplicity, doubtfulness and misinformation.
However, I believe that awakened, conscious people, who could
still be found somewhere in the world, have an ethic duty of preventing
the widespread expansion of such untruths and falsifications by
divulging the reality and propagating it worldwide.
To do so, on behalf of myself and at least about my country,
I derived the most possible benefits from an opportunity which
has occurred last month and helped me conduct another interview
with a non-Iranian journalist who had traveled to Iran for the
same goal of mine: understanding the reality of Iran.
Jill Worrall is a well-known New Zealander travel
journalist and international tour-guide who has co-written several
books on the profile of her own country such as "Landscapes
of New Zealand" and "Coastlines of New Zealand"
with the patronage of her husband, moreover she is intending to
write an elaborate book about her observations of Iran.
She owns a regular column in New Zealand Herald, which is the
most prominent newspaper of the country, in which she tells the
stories of her miscellaneous travels to different parts of the
world as a regular wanderlust!
In November 2008, she made her second travel to Iran with a group
of 29 New Zealander tourists who voyaged to most of the important
cities of Iran including Tehran, Yazd, Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashhad,
Rasht, Qom, Ahvaz, and Kashan.
Pursuant to my prior liaisons with her husband, to whom I should
express my warmest thanksgivings for the immense help he has given,
I conducted a detailed interview with Jill Worrall and questioned
a load of challenging topics focused on Iran from the viewpoint
of a non-Iranian visitor.
Following is the complete text of our conversation in which a
number of delicate and interesting remarks could be implied if
a minimum of talent and astuteness is employed.
Let me add that when in the first question, I called Jill a famous
travel writer, she denied submissively with a humble compliment
and told that maybe she will become one day "Inshaallah",
but not now!
Dear Jill! It seems that you, like many of famous travel
writers worldwide, have a special interest in Iran, its people
and culture. Aren't you afraid of dealing with a country which
is branded as "the axis of evil"?
I have never believed the “axis of evil” label, especially
given that the phrase was coined by someone for whom I have absolutely
no respect and certainly no confidence in terms of his opinions.
I’ve spent more than 20 years as a journalist and realized
long ago that what is portrayed in the media and what is reality
is often very different. I also believe that before you make any
comment about a country, or for that matter any person, you should
visit it first, see it for yourself and talk to the people there.
Even then I don’t think people who visit a country are in
any position to make judgments; observations maybe, but no more.
What I have learned is that when it comes to traveling extensively
in a country as I have in Iran it is a case of “ The more
you think you know, the less you know!”
Do you agree that Iran is the most misrepresented and misinterpreted
country in the world? With a history of 15,000 years culture,
many of the world citizens do not know it accurately yet, confuse
it with Iraq or Afghanistan in most cases. What's the main reason,
in your idea, that there isn't a clarified view of Iran for the
world? Isn't it a result of severe black propaganda on Iran and
its people, running by the western media corporations?
I’ll answer this question in parts. To your first question
Yes, I absolutely agree that Iran is the most misunderstood country
in the world – in my experience at least, but I suspect
even among the countries I haven’t visited, none gets as
much bad press as Iran. It’s true that even many New Zealanders,
who are legendary for being well-traveled, often think I’m
going to Iraq and I’m afraid as you well know many people
often mistakenly refer to it as an Arab country.
I think the reason for this is mostly ignorance. Clearly I can
speak only even slightly authoratively as a New Zealander and,
as a whole, New Zealanders are more outward looking and less likely
to follow or believe US propaganda. So I think in the case of
NZ it is mostly lack of information and also lack of contact with
Iranians that leads to this confusion and misunderstanding. However,
it has to be said that media portrayals, which of course we see
here too, both in print and in TV, do not help. There is a very
stereotyped view of Iran on offer; largely, women in black chadors,
people burning American flags. Scenes of white-coated men in power
plant control rooms, that kind of thing!
I am not sure that all Western media organizations are out to
blacken Iran’s name, there maybe some but to be honest I
think most of it is the result of ignorance and sloppy journalism
where journalists just repeat the stereotypes without considering
if the reality is different, or even better still go there and
find out for themselves!
If we don’t bound ourselves to moral and ethic framework
of media professionalism and explicate the information with any
kind of distortion or alteration stuck to it, then we too become
propagandists. It is fine to take a positive view of a country
and not dwell on the negatives but I believe as a writer and journalist
we do have a duty to try to present a balance and not hide the
facts. As writers we are in a privileged position as you say,
and we must take our roles very seriously as often people do take
what we write to heart.
Given your punctual analysis of Iran's portrayal in the
mainstream media why did you choose to study and research about
such a misunderstood and controversial country?
I made my first visit to Iran because I had spoken to several
New Zealanders who had visited the country and absolutely loved
it. So I started to read more about the country and it became
my burning desire to travel there. The absolute main distinction
that made it top of my list was what I had been told about the
Iranian people. How warm, hospitable and interesting they were.
It was this, not the scenery, the architecture or even the history
that enticed me at first.
The last time, you came to Iran as tour leader heading
a group of 29 New Zealanders with yourself. What was their conception
before and after seeing Iran? What did they think and say about
the country, its people, its culture, sights and attractions?
My group’s conceptions of Iran before they came were mixed.
They had read, seen and heard some of the common misconceptions
and images about the country and the reason many were on the tour
was because they wanted to find out more for themselves and because
they were sure that the reality was very different. But even among
the well informed members of the party and the well traveled there
was so much surprise as they traveled the country and realized
just how different it was to what they’d been led to believe.
They told me often that Iran was a constant surprise. Again like
me, the Iranian people were the absolute highlight of their visit,
followed by a range of things such as the beautiful mosques including
Emam and Lotfollah in Isfahan, in fact all of Isfahan! Then for
some people it was the caravanserai, the shrine at Mashhad, the
old city in Yazd, the bazaar in Tabriz. Honestly the list could
go on and on. Then of course there’s Persepolis, their enjoyment
of our Persian poetry readings that are always part of our tours,
fresh dates. Generally their views on Iran were transformed and
they were all planning to come home and spread the message!
About the main reasons of people feeling so anxious before going
to Iran and their transformation of thoughts after observing the
realities there, I believe that media reports and images that
are regularly beamed into our living rooms are culprits. People
worry that while they are in Iran some other country might attack
Iran; or they have been led to believe that if their headscarf
slips for a minute they will be put in jail!
Which component or portion of Persian culture attracts
you the most? How is your familiarity with Persian painting, music,
literature, cuisine, clothing and the other symbols of Persian
culture?
I think it is the people themselves. I feel so lucky that I have
been adopted by an Iranian family. I love Iranian family life.
But after that I absolutely love Persian poetry, from Hafez to
Sepheri. I knew about Omar Khayyam, of course, because my late
father adored the Rubbaiyat (double couplets) but when I discovered
Hafez, Rumi, Sa'di and Sepheri, to name but a few, as we say “it
blew socks off”. It was love at first sight.
But I also love miniature paintings, Persian architecture and
decorative tile work and I am addicted to "Fesenjan",
Iranian rice, dates, tea, "Gaz", saffron ice cream,
any Khoreshet (stew) that you offer me, the cake from Qom which
I can’t remember the name of, pomegranates ….shall
I keep going?
Undoubtedly you have visited various countries other
than Iran during your professional career. What would be the most
apparent differences of Iran with the other countries, in your
view?
I think the overwhelming friendliness of the Iranian people is
totally beyond what I have found anywhere else in the world. Other
differences would be of course that there is a dress code for
women which is different from most places I visit; a thirst for
knowledge of the outside world and also desire for acceptance
or understanding from the West; and if I can say this, maybe a
desire for a little more freedom to make more decisions about
one’s own lifestyle and expression of beliefs for oneself.
For a New Zealander and thus from such a tiny country that many
people can not even find on the map and that has so little strategic
or political importance in the world, I do find it very thought-provoking
to be in a country that is so pivotal on the world stage and also
that is both perceived as both a major threat and a target. It
is almost impossible for me as a New Zealander to imagine what
it is like to be in this position!
As you may know, Iran has got 9 UNESCO world heritage
sites registered in it, along with thousands of other national
heritage sites that are not yet introduced internationally. What
do you know about them, and which one was your favorite, more
than the others?
I have been fortunate enough to visit almost all the nine registered
sites with the exception of Bam; tragically I first visited Iran
after the earthquake, and Tahkt-e Soleyman. I think my absolute
favorite has to be the "Meydan" (Square) in Isfahan.
I love the ensemble of buildings, the symmetry, the atmosphere,
shops in the arcades and of course the tea houses! Standing in
the Emam Mosque and listening to someone calling the Azan under
the main dome is always a deeply moving experience for me as is
walking into the Lotfollah mosque. But I also love the footprint
in the pavestone at the "Choqa Zanbil" ziggurat, seeing
the Armenian churches in the snow, the Apadana Staircase at Persepolis,
the view across the plains from Bisotun and I am so happy that
on my last visit a few weeks ago they were taking down the scaffolding
from Cyrus’ tomb at Pasargadae!
And finally, let me ask you what was the most valuable
discovery which you have made by talking to Iranian people, citizens
whom you found in restaurants, streets, shops, malls etc? What
was the most attractive manner or behavioral habit you observed?
The richness and importance of family life always strikes me
in Iran, even small things such as watching men so devotedly and
proudly carrying their babies and small children. Their warmth,
friendliness and kindness are also very obvious. In terms of social
interaction I do notice that life maybe isn’t so easy if
you are young and wanting to talk to the opposite gender however!
That is not to say that the way things happen in the West is better
but maybe there is some middle ground somewhere here.
I love Iran and its people and love to travel in the country
as often as I can. I am hoping very much that with a new president
in the US the international relations between Iran and the West
will improve for the good for all of us.
I do hope that as time goes by Iran’s people can continue
to develop and maybe explore a little more intellectual and personal
freedom in their own way, not through any outside influence of
pressure. I would also like to say that just as I work hard to
dispel the stereotypes about Iran it is also important for Iranians
to keep in mind that not all people in the West are hostile to
Iran and that there are also many decent, warm and special people
in countries like New Zealand who also believe in the importance
of a spiritual dimension to their lives.
Kourosh Ziabari,
an 18 year old freelance blogger and journalist from Iran,
published the book "7+1" which is a collection of
his interviews with 7 contemporary Iranian authors. He is
the contributing author of Opednews.com and the Irani-based
correspondent of OhMyNews international.
