Iran

__ Ir﻿an __ flat

__**M**﻿**ap** __



=__Brief History __=

Qajar Dynasty

 * Prince of Persia Abbas Mirza (1797-1833)
 * Sent groups of students to study in Europe, particularly in England and France. [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/dc/Portrait_of_Amir_Kabir.jpg width="232" height="325" align="right" caption="Prime Minister Amir Kabir"]]
 * After returning to Iran, these students were able to spread awareness of the outside world, and their technological and intellectual advances.
 * One student brought back with him knowledge of the printing press, and was able to create one and distribute the country's first newspaper, along with several books about Great Britain.
 * Prime Minister Amir Kabir (1848-1851)
 * Worked tirelessly to reform the Iranian military and lighten Iran's dependence on foreign countries, particularly Great Britain and Russia, who were important figures in Iran's military, trade, and economic demographics throughout the country's history.
 * Most important achievement was the establishing of Daral-Fonoun, the military and technical college which opened in 1851.
 * Government carefully hired teachers from countries which had no hidden agendas against Iran, and offered classes in medicine, pharmacy, military tactics, mineralogy, and basic lessons in European and Middle Eastern languages, history, and mathematics, all taught in French.
 * The school was a paradigm for other Iranian educational institutions, and set the standard for the education level of generations of the Iranian elite.
 * Mazaffar O-Din Shah (1896-1907)
 * Did not recognize public's needs, the religious establishment, merchants and other classes
 * An elected assembly created a constitution that put harsh limitations on royal power
 * After the Shah signed the constitution, Mazaffar died just five days later.
 * Supplementary Fundamental laws gave freedom of press, speech, and association within limits
 * Constitutional Revolution marked the end of the Medieval Period in Iran

Pahlavi Dynasty

 * Reza Shah (1925-1941)
 * Modernized Iran- brought industries, railroads, a nationwide public school system, reformed judiciary system, improved healthcare, and a centralized government to Iran. He sent his government personnel to be trained in Europe. His changes brought about the emerging of new social classes- a professional middle class and a working class.
 * Name changed from Persia to Iran in 1935
 * Alienated in particular Britain and the USSR. Iran refused to give them any contracts on the projects that were developing the nation, instead seeking help from Germany, France, and Italy.
 * Claimed neutrality it WWII but Britain urged Iran to exile all German employees but they refused. It was thought that the Shah had a secret agreement with Nazi Germany.
 * 1941- Britain and the Soviet Union invaded Iran, exiling the Shah and took control of the Iranian communications and railroad.
 * Mohamed Shah (1941- 1979)
 * Put in under British and USSR rule
 * 1942- Agreement signed to respect Iran's independence and withdrew troops after the war
 * Political system developed (political parties with the first really competitive elections in 20+ years)
 * Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq (1951-1953)
 * Elected as Prime Minister
 * Nationalist; stood for the common people
 * Gained control of army forces from the Shah and dissolved Parliament
 * Arrested with the support of the U.S. and Britain but was already considered a hero of the Iranian nationalism
 * 1963- Shah instituted the White Revolution which included land reform, women's voting rights and elimination of illiteracy.
 * Islamic leaders channeled their discontent with the Shah's actions into a populist Islamic ideology

Khomeini Revolution[[image:http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Everyone%20Else/images-3/Ayatollah-Khomeini.jpg width="262" height="352" align="right"]]

 * Ayatollah Khomeini (1979-1989)
 * Exiled in 1964 to Iraq and then to France
 * Ideology of "absolutist theocratic rule" led by a leader with unquestioned authority.
 * His ideologies spread through Iran by being smuggled over the border through cassettes and books.
 * He publicly shared more democratic views, in which Iran was a democracy and he would not put himself as leader.
 * Iranian Revolution
 * Khomeini returned to Iran on invitation by Prime Minister Bakhtiar while the Shah took an 18 month leave of absence
 * Began to execute hundreds of supporters of the Shah
 * 1979- referendum to vote on the new form of government in Iran. Only one form of government- the Islamic Republic- was on the ballot. 98% of the voters approved of this governmental change in the elections.
 * Anarchy and revolution developed: civillians rebelled against new government and the new Prime Minister, Bazargan. There was a lot of turmoil between ethnic groups as well, in particular the Kurds, Arabs, and Turkomens.
 * Khomeini began publicly threatening the US and their Persian Gulf allies in extremeist speeches. On the other hand, Bazargan tried to maintain a relatively good relationship with the US.

Khamenei-Rafsanjani Era

 * President Khamenei (1981-1989)
 * Was elected by a landslide and became the first cleric to serve in office
 * Was very interested in the military, financial, and administrative aspects of the government, and helped developed a close relationship with the Revolutionary Guards
 * After Khomeini died in 1989, the Council of Guardians named him the Faqih, which was Khomeini's previous post. Khamenei had officially replaced him as the leader of the Islamic Revolution, or the Supreme Leader
 * His job as the Supreme Leader is, as Khomeini's was, to guide the country's politics, rather than executively make all decisions. However, when those in power come to him seeking advice, or if two politicans are at odds with each other over a law, he is inclined to make an executive decision, just as Khomeini was
 * Has become an "omnipotent overseer of Iran's political scene", despite his stance on staying disconnected from the country's daily politics.
 * The Revolutionary Guard, a branch of the military founded after the Iranian revolution, have risen in power and influence over the past few decades, and have always backed Khamenei since his inauguration as President.
 * President Rafsanjani (1989-1997)
 * Was elected after Khamenei became Faqih, and he won the election overwhelmingly.
 * Inherited a surplus of complex problems facing the country; such as the aftermath of the war with Iraq, which had caused massive damage to Iran's infrastructure, economy, and people, with many casualties reported.Also, inflation, unemployment, deficit spending, crime, and drug use throughout the country were at an all-time high.
 * Rafsanjani made plans to repair all the war damage, improve the country's infrastructure, and increase production and economic growth
 * Significant progress had been made by 1992, largely due to the Gulf War, in which the price of oil rose.
 * Iranian culture and society also developed during his presidency
 * Academic and religious studies increased
 * A massive movement toward cinema and film production was made, which the government supported due to its potential to improve Iran's global reputation

Khatami's Era of Reform

 * President Khatami (1997-2005)
 * Was encouraged by Rafsanjani (who had been Khatami's mentor at one time) to apply for presidency, and surprisingly won in a landslide victory.
 * Despite his connections with Khamenei; Rafsanjani; Khomeini's son, Ahmad; and Ayatollah Montazeri, who had all dipped their hands into the corrupt Iranian political system, Khatami's image remained positive and his political campaign involved touring the country by bus and mingling with the civilians.
 * An important facet of Khatami's presidency was that religion should not keep one from freedom, especially the freedom to question authority. He wanted to hear the public opinion of the government, which the government itself had been surpressing for decades. He was supportive of individual's dignity and rights, and believed that religion and religious values cannot take root into a society that does not have any sort of material wealth, that a country must be secure in one aspect before religion may spread.
 * Appointed a woman as one of his vice presidents, which was a progressive acknowledgement to women in Iranian society and the importance of their issues
 * Allowed media the freedom of expression, who began to attack certain aspects of government
 * Members within the government assassinated several pro-reformist journalists, and although they were imprisoned for their crimes, tension and uncertainty grew in regards to the Khatami administration, and anti-reformist feelings developed among the civilians.
 * Helped revive relations with Western countries, especially Italy and France
 * However, he fought many battles with the Islamic conservatives within the government as well, and many of those battles he lost by way of Khamenei. By the end of his presidency, many of his followers had become disenchanted with his democratic views.

2009 Presidential Election

 * Much higher voter participation than in the 2005 election
 * There were four candidates, two from each side of the Iranian political spectrum: conservative and reformist [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/3rd_Day_-_Mousavi_Supporters_Rally.jpg width="355" height="276" align="right"]]
 * Reformists were Mehdi Karroubi and Mir-Hossein Mousavi
 * Conservatives were Mahmound Ahmadinejad and Mohsen Rezaee
 * Khatami campaigned for presidency as well but soon withdrew
 * It was a viscious campaign season, with each candidate attacking one another for something they had said, and made comparisons to the Iranian government with Adolf Hitler's regime.
 * Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won the election, securing his second term in office after Khatami had given up his post.
 * Accusations were made by the losing candidates that the election had been rigged, or that the polls were a fraud, but so far there has been no real evidence supporting those claims.
 * Protests broke out in the days following the announcement of the elections against the alleged fraud and in support of Mousavi, which were initially peaceful protests, but quickly deteriorated to violence. Rioting occurred in Tehran, and protesting spread to outside the Iranian embassies in Paris, Turkey, Dubai, Berlin, London, Vienna, Rome, Sydney, and The Hauge.
 * In reaction to the protesters against Ahmadinejad and for Mousavi, thousands of protestors showed their support for Ahmadinejad through rallies and demonstrations. Competitions developed between the pro-Ahmadinejads and the pro-Mousavis, however the pro-Ahmadinejads far outnumbered the other group.
 * The Islamic Regime and the police did their part in trying to control the crowds, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people. It was also reported that the regime raped and tortured several people.

Sources: //Iran: The Khomeini Revolution// by Martin Wright and Nick Danziger //The History of Iran// by Elton L. Daniel [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

=__Geography __= <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Iran is the eighteenth largest country in the world with an area of 1,648,000 sq. km (636,000 sq. mi). It is about the size of Alaska, or the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany combined. Iran is located in the Middle East. It borders with seven countries and three bodies of water: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iraq, the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Iran is one of the world's most mountainous countries. The landscape consists of dominating mountain ranges that separate various plateaux and basins from one another. The Western part is mountain ranges include Caucasus, Zagros and Alborz Mountains. It also contains Iran's highest point, Mount Damauand which stands at 5,610 km (18,406 ft). Mount Damauand is not only Iran's highest peak but is also the highest mountain on the Eastern landmass west of the Hindu Kush. The Northern part of Iran is dense rain forests called Shomal or the Jungles of Iran. The Eastern part of Iran is made up of mostly deserts such as the Dasht-e Kavir (Iran's largest desert). Due to the mountains' heights, rain clouds are unable to get to these areas resulting in desert conditions. The only large plain is located along the Caspian Sea, at the northern end of the Persian Gulf.

Iran's climate ranges from semi-arid to subtropical along the Caspian Coast and the northern forests. Northern edges of the country temperatures rarely fall below freezing while the rest of the year remains humid. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 85 degrees Ferinheight. Annual precipitation is around 680 mm (26.8 in) in the Eastern part of the plain and more than 1700 mm (66.9 in) in the Western area. Coastal plains of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in southern Iran have mild winters and very hot and humid summers with an average precipitation ranging from 135 to 355 mm (5.4 to 14.0 in).

Sources: [] [] []

=__<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Economy __= The economy in Iran is the eighteenth largest economy in the world. Iran's economy is a mixture of central planning, state ownership of oil and other large enterprises, village agriculture, and small-scale private trading and service ventures. The economy infrastructure has been advancing steadily over the past two decades, but it is continually being affected by unemployment and inflation in parts of Iran.Over the past fifteen years, authorities have placed an emphasis on the local production of domestic-consumption oriented goods such as home appliances, cars, agriculture products and pharmaceutical goods.

Iran ranks second in natural gas reserves and third in oil reserves. Iran has the potential to become an energy superpower. The oil and energy industries have a sizable affect on Iran's economy.

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=__<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">France-Iran Relations __= <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">A Franco-Persian Alliance was formed for a brief period of time. The alliance was established between the French Empire of Napoleon I and the Persian Empire of Fath Ali Shah against Russia and Great Britain around 1807. The alliance was a scheme planned by Napoleon to gain access to the Middle East so he could quietly cross the Middle East to attack British India. The alliance ended when France allied with Russia to focus on European campaigns instead.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">In 1979 after the Islamic Revolution, France refused to provide anymore uranium to Iran which was needed for their nuclear program. Additionally, Tehran did not receive their investments back from the Eurodif Joint Stock Company, which is a company that was formed by France, Spain, Belgium and Sweden in 1973. Again in 1982, the 1981 elected president, François Mitterrand, refused to ship any uranium to Iran. In addition to this time, France demanded Iran pay their $1 billion debt.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Iran and France have generally been supportive of one another since the Middle Ages and that remains true to this day. In recent years, under the French President's Jacques Chirac's authority, French government assisted the Iranian government to detain PMOI (People's Mujahedin of Iran; group of Islamic socialist who advocate to overthrow the Islamic Republic of Iran) members and supporters that Iran regards as "terrorist" in 2003.

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=__<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Music __= __<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">﻿media type="file" key="Talab - Mohammad Esfahani.mp3" width="240" height="20" __ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">media type="file" key="Parvaz- Arian Band.mp3" width="240" height="20" The music in Iran has thousands of years of history. Iran takes in the distinction between the science of music (also known as Musicology) which is a branch of mathematics and has always been held in high regards in Iran opposed to music performance which has an uneasy relationship with religious authorities and has been a revival to religion at certain points in Iran's history. In ancient Persia (now Iran) musicians held socially respectable positions. The history of musical performance in Sassanid Iran, golden age of Persian music under the Sassanid Dynasty, was better documented than earlier periods. During this time period, the Sassanid era, was a time for many musicians to appear on the scene and was full of influential music.

More recently, the country's youth have come together through an underground rock music scene, internationally represented in the 2009 film //No One Knows About Persian Cats// by Bahman Gobadi, which featured real, underground, Iranian bands playing their own music for most of the film. The country's strict government, especially after the 1979 revolution, does not allow the playing of Western bands or music, although those laws do not stop the youth of Iran from smuggling those Western bands' music into their homes. The government has been preventing modern Iranian youths from expressing themselves freely and creatively, and has been doing so for the past 25 years. In their own quiet rebellion, the Iranian youths have been making their own brand of music, choosing whichever avenue they please to channel their creative energies and emotions, creating their own sub-cultures as they go along.

A Quick time line of Music in Iran:
 * **Persian Classical Music**- a very classical theme and was mostly heard in royal courts of the monarchy.
 * **Persian Symphonic Music**- includes the Opera which originated from Iran before hitting Europe.
 * **Folk Music**- concepts to Iranian folk music come from the classical music.
 * **Pop Music**- developed by the 1950's when the electric guitar was introduced to the music.
 * **Rock and Metal Music**- influenced by the traditional forms of early music. First appeared in the 1970's then reappeared largely in the 1990's
 * **Hip Hop and Rap Music**-.also introduced in the 1970's; was a mixture of the old and the new sounds which created a new chapter in the Music of Iran.
 * **Electric Music**- developed in the late 1970's.
 * **Iranian Children Music**- consists of simple melodies and lyrics while most are performed by children and has been mixed in Iran's music culture since the very early years of music.

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= __Cuisine__ = Food is diverse and distinctive to the different regions of Iran. Plain yogurt is an important part of all Iranian meals, eaten alongside lunch and dinner. Fresh green herbs are generally used with such fruits as quinces, plums, pomegranates, prunes, apricots, and raisins. Typical main dishes consists largely of rice, and some kind of meat (chicken, lamb, or fish, although red meat is used much less frequently) with onion, nuts, vegetables, and herbs. Also, saffron, dried limes, cinnamon and parsley are commonly used to give the dish that Iranian traditional flavor. Rice and/or bread, called Nân, is always incorporated into each meal. Iran is also known for its exotic fruits. Iran's most popular beverage is Chây tea, is brewed in a samovar, which is a tall, ornate, heated metal pot, serving the same purpose a tea kettle would for a Westerner.

Iranian etiquette regarding mealtimes is interesting, as members of the opposite sex, unless they are related, are not allowed to sit next to each other. It is also frowned upon to carry on a conversation over mealtimes. They also make it a point to have three meals per day.

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=__ Sports __= The blending of traditional and modern is best shown through Iran's diverse sports that are played throughout the country. Iran is the birthplace of both the sports of polo and Varzesh-e Bastani, an ancient form of wrestling popular during the Qajar dynasty, but has now been gaining popularity once again in Iran and Afghanistan. Iran does compete internationally in sports, and all of their Olympic medals have all been won in the weight-lifting and wrestling events. Traditionally, the national sport of Iran has been wrestling, but soccer has gained much popularity in recent times, with team sports being introduced to the country by the West in the 1900s. The Iranian soccer team is incredibly strong, winning the Asian Cup three times, and having played at the World Cup tournament three times as well. Also, with the many mountains surrounding the outer rim of Iran's borders, skiing, hiking, and mountain climbing have become very popular. Iranians firmly believe in their passion for sports, and they are dedicated to using them to help revive their country and bring Iran closer together with other nations.

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= __**Art and Literature**__ =

__**Art**__ <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">There is a deep history and past of art in Iran. Along with the deep history of art, there are many disciplines practiced in Iran including architecture, painting, weaving, pottery, calligraphy, metalworking, and stone maso <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">nry. Iranian art began as Persian art when Iran was part of the larger colony of Persia. During this time period, there were specific designs or patterns created that would be later known as motifs. These motifs would also later be used to decorate Iranian artwork to give it the classic Persian feel. There are three bases that make these motifs specific to Persia:
 * 1) Inspired by ancestral nomad tribe
 * 2) Islamic influenced with advanced geometrical patterns or shapes
 * 3) Oriental based (this is also found in India or Pakistan artwork)

In recent history, the Islamic era have brought drastic changes to the practices and styles of art just as every dynasty has. For example, the Qajarid era was the final phase of Classical Persian art before the more modern styles began to be intermingled into teaching and learning environments. In art, social, political and economic issues have always played a major role in art. Modern art in Iran though, is even more so based on those issues.

Modern art really appeared and became notable in the late 1940's and early 1950's. This period was just after the death of famous Iranian painter Kamal al-Mulk in 1940. Kamal al-Mulk's death symbolized the end of an art era in the Iranian art world.

In 1977, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art opened with an important collection of Western and Iranian artists mixed together.

__**Languages and Literature**__ There are many different languages spoken throughout Iran:
 * Persian- Central Iran
 * Azerbaijani- Northwest and Central Iran
 * Kurdish- West Iran
 * Arabic- Southwest
 * Balochi- East Iran
 * Turkmen- Very North Iran and North of Iran

Ancient literature and historical text were poorly preserved, which means there are few documents today that in decent condition. Like Iranian art, Iranian literature started as Persian literature. Very few documents survived from Achaemenid Persia (also known as the Persia Empire). Any texts that did survive were related to the royalty of that period. In the years that followed, poetry became the main and most popular form of literature. Poetry in Iran today, still have traces to poetry from the Persian Empire era. Some of the forms and styles of poetry have remained the same, or very close to the same, as they were when Iran was part of Persia. Other styles and formats are descendants from the original form from the Persian era.

Sources:

[] [] [] [] [|http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=02®ion=wai]

= __Book Reviews__ =

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">﻿Review of //Iran: The Khomeini Revolution// by Kara Chiasson **
The book, //Iran: The Khomeini Revolution//, is quite dated, having been published in 1989. However, it still includes extensive information regarding the Iranian political revolution from its beginnings to the time the book was sent to publication. Divided into two parts, the first discusses Iran's historical overview, and the second part describes the “current” relationships Iran holds with its Islam beliefs, Western Europe, the United States, and its own political status. It also includes several short essays on various journalists' experiences in Iran during the revolution, two sections written by a British journalist, the other three written by two different Middle Eastern journalists, one having been the staff correspondent for the //Daily Telegraph// in Tehran from 1979 to 1981.

After reading other articles on the struggle between the Shah and the revolutionary powers, mainly Ayatollah Khomeini, the book seems to take a biased stance towards the Shah when describing the political state of Iran before the revolution. For example, the book sheds a much more positive light on the Shah's role in the country's needs and demands. Other authors of different articles and books, however, give credit for Iran's prosperity pre-revolution to the Prime Ministers who had presided over the country at the time, but the book gave credit solely to the Shah, proclaiming that in particular, Reza Shah worked hard to help his country out of its dependence on foreign countries, but he was not completely successful. The book was also notably anti-Khomeini, which is understandable given the time that the book was released. The authors were careful to imply that the Iranian public supported Khomeini because they felt that the Shah didn't care about them, or was ignoring them in favor of fulfilling his own ideas about what Iran should be. Where the Shah was absent to the public, there Khomeini was, listening to the public's wishes and demands, promising them that they would be treated well.

The second half, however, presents a much more balanced view of the situations and relations in Iran. It discusses, with insight, the relationship Iran had with Islam both before and after the government, and the ways various characters of history, including Khomeini himself, changed the religion for the Iranian people, in both positive and negative ways. However, the most interesting aspect of the second part was the reportage, which was where the prominent journalists mentioned earlier interjected their perspectives of the revolution and of Iranian life in general. The section is written as a creative non-fiction piece, and helped put into context the revolution against what was going on in our country at the time. As a whole, the history of the revolution and the war with Iraq can be quite overwhelming and detailed, but these small snapshots of life in Tehran in that time period were helpful to place one in the war zone, in the chaos that enveloped the country for the ten years before this book went to print.

Wright, Martin, and Nick Danziger. //Iran: the Khomeini Revolution//. Chicago, Ill.,: St. James, 1989. Print.

Review of //The History of Iran// by Kara Chiasson
//The History of Iran,// by Elton L. Daniel, gives a very detailed description of Iran's past glories and triumphs, as well as their shortcomings and failures. Iran is a country with a deep and very complicated and elaborate history, dating back to ancient times, almost 3,000 years ago. Iran (known as Persia until 1925) had come into contact and sometimes clashing with many of the great warriors and kings of the times, including Cyrus the Great, who founded the powerful Persian empire in 533 BC; Darius the Great, who became the third king of the Persian empire; and Alexander the Great, of Macedonia, who defeated Darius and consequently overthrew the empire in 331 BC. There was a 1,000 year span of chaos as imperial powers fought one another for dominance in the country, before the last empire was defeated by Arab Muslims in 637 AD, and from then on Iran took on the Muslim religion and beliefs. The previous main religion of Iran was Zoroastrianism, and with the introduction of the Muslim culture, most Iranians converted to Islam. It wasn't until the 16th century that Shi'ism was declared as the national religion, setting them apart from nations around them, who were mostly, and still are, of the Sunni branch of Islam.

This book was written by Westerners and presents a western view of Iran. In a few sections, bias is obvious when clashes between Americans and Iranians are discussed. For example, during the Iraq-Iran War, America was brought into the conflict when allies of theirs were being attacked in the Persian Gulf. When American troops accidentally shot down a commercial airliner, //Vincennes//, which killed 200 innocent Iranians on board the plane, Iranians expected international rage at the United States and support for them. Instead, they were deeply disappointed, as the international papers made not much of anything of the incident, citing it as a consequence of war. This attitude towards America as being the superior, complete contrast to everything that was essentially Iranian was what gave Iranians a negative image of America during the war, and that exact image is shed in a positive light in the book, despite all of Iran's troubles. The book surely gives one a sense of sympathy for the Iranian people, who have had to live through these turbulent decades, and continue to live in them today.

However, Iran struggled with dependency on foreign countries throughout its history, specifically Britain and Russia. Both countries had contracts and political interests in Iran's oil fields, and throughout their history the different Shahs, Prime Ministers, and Presidents all have had their own agendas regarding foreign policy. This has led to the alienation of Iran from the global stage, shown especially during the Iran-Iraq War, in which after eight years of fighting a losing battle, Iran finally, reluctantly agreed to a cease-fire in the UN Security Council's Resolution 598. Throughout the war, they lost all support and aid they had been receiving from foreign countries for refusing any peace negotiations, and consequently, those countries began to fully support Iraq.

An interesting and unexpected facet about the book is its discussion on Iranian culture, and how they are perceived by outsiders, past and present. Those who traveled to Iran in the 19th century found its people to be both welcoming and cold, polite and insincere, talkative yet condescending. This duplicity can be explained through Iran's history, in which allies turned to enemies and back again, both within and outside of the country. The political government was constantly at odds with each other, and civilians had to be very careful about who they vocally supported, for their lives often depended on it. Also, a feeling of deep connection to the country and its physical land that Iranians, even today, experience, originated from traditional, ancient, religious texts, which is the heritage ingrained within them that keeps calling them back home.

Elton, Daniel L. //The History of Iran.// Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. Print.

**Review of //Islamic Republic of Iran// by Katie Whitlow**
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0pt;">The book about Iran, //Islamic Republic of Iran// covers a wide range of information about Iran. This book not only presents Iran’s history but also covers Iran’s geography, economy and commerce, government, and art and literature. The book opens with a list of quick facts about the country such as Iran’s national anthem and calendar that the country follows. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The history presented is detailed and thorough. It is broken down by dynasty. Within those dynasties, important revolutions and events are also highlighted. Even though the history is thorough, it is concise and to-the-point. Each section tells just what we need to know to give us enough information for everything to come together and make sense.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">The most interesting section is the entire chapter about Iran’s art and literature. The pictures are full colored and beautiful. Art has played an important role in Iran’s history and past. Just like the history section of the book, the art chapter is broken down by time period and the role it played during that time period. For example, during the Islamic period, architecture was big and a beautiful art form. Iran has had its hand in the development of literature. Poetry was the primary form of writing in Iran’s history. Iran is one that can be credited in the development of rhyming couplets.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">In addition to these aspects of the book, there are other features. Like mentioned before, in the first couple pages of the book there is Iran’s national anthem. Along with the anthem, there is the sheet music for the anthem. Another feature that is very resourceful and unique was the pop-out map of Iran at the end of the book.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">//Islamic Republic of Iran//. Berne: Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Print.

**Review of //Russia and The West in Iran: 1918-1948// by Katie Whitlow**
<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">A second book about Iran is //Russia and The West in Iran: 1918-1948// by George Lenczowski. This book takes a different approach from the one //Islamic Republic of Iran// did. Lenczowski’s entire book was about Iran’s relationships with other countries that have had control in and of Iran some point.This book starts from the beginning in 1918 and does not leave much out in Iran's history.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">It was interesting reading about not only France’s relationship with Iran but also England’s and Russia’s relationship with Iran. France teamed up with Russia in the very early 1800’s to attempt to conquer Iran. As this was going on, France was also working its way through India, trying to take control of it as well. But this was in the background to France’s desire for control over Iran. Finally in 1807, the Franco-Iranian Treaty of Finkenstein was brought into motion while the French influence in Iran was at its peak. Even though France’s influence in Iran was in its early years, and the book focused more on Russia’s and Britain’s influence, reading about all the different views brought a different dynamic to the way somebody can look at Iran and its relationship with the rest of the world.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">This book shows just how important other countries’ influence was in forming the Iran that is present today. One thing that this book did was not only looked at outside influence on Iran but in addition, it showed how traditional Iran has remained with their own customs on top of taking in others' customs.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">Lenczowski’s book goes into great detail and in-depth information to help make sense of Iran’s past and their relationship with the rest of the world. Even though, most of the book centered around Iran's relationship with Russia and England, it mentioned France whenever France did appear in Iran's history. The book gives a better perspective on Iran's past and history because it did branch out further than France.

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">Lenczowski, George. //Russia and the West in Iran: 1918 - 1948: a Study in Big-power Rivalry//. <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">Ithaca, NY: Cornell Univ., 1949. Print.

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<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">Film Analysis By Katie Whitlow
//No One Knows About Persian Cats//

The film //No One Knows About Persian Cats//takes place in Iran but even more specifically, Tehran (the capital of Iran). The film takes place in modern Iran, after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power, first as Major in 2003 then as President in 2005, of the Islamic Republic of Iran. During these years, Iran became stricter on music and cinema; what the population was and was not allowed to hear or see in Iran. This quickly became a big problem for the youth in Iran. Due to the harsh censorship, many bands and most of the popular music of that time became part of the underground music scene that has transformed into a phenomenon of the young generation in Iran. The underground music scene contains thousands of different bands and groups in a vast range of genres.

//No One Knows About Persian Cats// was written and directed by the celebrated Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi in 2008. The film follows two young Iranians, Negar Shaghaghi and Ashkan Koshanejad as they try to assemble a band together to go on tour through Europe. The film itself is a flashback of Negar’s and Ashkan’s story and the struggles they faced and had to overcome by being part of an underground indie rock band. Ghobadi wanted to create something different from the typical films about music. He wanted to create a something that was based on true facts. In the end, Ghobadi accomplished his goal in creating a film mostly based on true events (except for one major event in the end) and that was ninety percent true. His desire of wanting to bring the underground music scene to the spotlight, forced him to make the film illegally. Ghobadi has made two previous motion features that take place in Kurdish that have gotten him in trouble with the authorities for speaking out against the government. That did not stop him from making //No One Knows About Persian Cats//. The title itself is symbolic to the plot of the film. Ghobadi says in an interview, “When I’d go and listen to the music of the underground, I’d often see cats…It struck me that even the cats were not free to walk the streets…” (Ghobadi, 2010). Animals outside are not permitted and were a sign of filth. Ghobadi compares this to the underground music scene in the way that certain music was not permitted in society and is considered immoral and as a sign of filth.

The three main themes in the film are connected. The first is hope—specific hope in a repressive country. The film in general is a one of hopes and dreams and the work it takes to realize them. In the film, Negar and Ashkan hold on to the hope that one day soon everything would finally payoff and fall into place, and they would be able to leave Iran and tour Europe. They hope that they would be well-known and be free to play their music in the open. Any underground band, hopes that one day they would not have to hide doing something that they loved. One band, because of the love they had for their music, had to rehearse in a cow barn as a last resort. Constantly rehearsing in an unsanitary place led to the drummer contracting hepatitis. And through that entire situation, the band clung to the hope of one day having a proper space to rehearse.

All of the underground bands struggle with hopeful delusions. The audience sees the effects that delusions have on Ashkan and the handful of the groups that were showcased in this film. Everyone, with the exception of Negar, gets caught up in the hope that everything will work out the way it should be. Negar is the only one who is aware of the fact that there is a chance that not everything will work out in the end. Negar seems to still have a grasp on reality even though she wants to believe everything will work out in the end.

The last theme that was apparent in the film is fear. There were many types of fear in the movie: the fear of getting arrested or caught, the fear of being conned, and the fear of failure. Fear of being conned out of the all the money Negar and Ashkan have put into trying to get a band together is one of the strongest examples of fear in the film. Negar is more conscious of the possibility of Nader running off with the money they have given him for counterfeit passports and visas. Nader is the character who introduces Negar and Ashkan to the people like David, who people go to when they are in need of passports or visas and they do not want to wait. Negar is constantly worried that Nader is going to take off with their money. To her surprise though, Nader stays true to them throughout the whole time they are together. The fear though, is still there. The fear that might top the fear of being conned is the fear of getting caught or arrested. Because of the restrictions on music, people repeatedly call the police on underground bands. Every band that is portrayed in the film faces this constant fear of being caught. In addition to that, most of the youth that are involved with the underground bands have already been arrested at least once. Because they have already been arrested, they must be very cautious when it comes to where //and// when they practice.

//No One Knows About Persian Cats// has a lot of interesting qualities about it. One thing that was a benefit to this film was Negar and Ashkan were played by Negar Shaghaghi and Ashkan Koshanejad, who played themselves. It had a documentary feel because they were playing themselves. All of the characters, since the film is based on true events, are based on actual people but Negar and Ashkan were the only two (besides the quick appearance by director Bahman Ghobadi) who played themselves. By having Negar and Ashkan play themselves in the film adds to the truth of the story.

The mood or tone of the film is serious, but there are some parts where the mood is fun and light. The signs of the tone of the movie being serious are everywhere in the film. Having to hide from the world because of their passion brings the seriousness of the film to life. Becoming well-known musicians is the dream for all of the underground bands. When talking about the situation, they are talking about their lives and their futures which have to be taken serious. The mood of the film can also be light and fun because of the music in the film. It is about two young people trying to make something of themselves through what they love the most: music.

Aesthetic qualities in the film are important. The most noticeable and reoccurring quality is music and the way Ghobadi incorporates music in the film. All the music (including the score) appears as actual scenes. An example is when the audience sees a band recording or playing a song, and then we see some of the main characters doing something in everyday life. The scenes flash back and forth between the band playing the song and the other characters doing something or going somewhere. In addition, the music played by the band becomes the nondiegetic music for the main characters. This comes into play throughout and it is how Ghobadi creates the score for the film. The scenes like the one described above also play the part of transitions. Another aesthetic quality in the movie is the lighting. The lighting in the film is done beautifully. When Negar and Ashkan are out and about Tehran, it is mostly daylight. The daylight feel is natural, so the scene feels natural. Once the characters go to David or someplace underground to listen to music, the lighting grows darker. When the lighting grows darker, it fits with its surroundings, again, making the scene feel very natural. The darker lighting in the scenes correlates to hiding. With all the scenes, both brighter lighting and darker lighting, the lighting reflects the scene rather they are hiding or out in the daylight.

An aspect to the film that has occurred in a majority of the films we have watched this semester is the role of flashbacks. At first, the beginning of the movie is confusing and seems a little out of place. Once the ending of the movie comes around, it clicks; the entire movie is a flashback. In the beginning is when Ghobadi, the director, makes his appearance in the recording studio. This is also when Negar and Ashkan are indirectly introduced and the story begins as a flashback.

The first scene to analyze is about half way through the film. At this point, Nader has introduced Negar and Ashkan to multiple individuals that could help them. The scene opens to the three of them walking into a classroom full of children of all ages. The person that Nader wishes to introduce them to is a musician who volunteers at the school. He is playing the guitar softly and singing in almost a whisper to the children. In this scene we see the beauty and innocence of music in Iran. The man that remains nameless in the story has the children close their eyes and imagine they are playing guitar. The lighting in this scene is important. It is day out but the light that comes in through the windows has a weightlessness to it that gives the scene a whimsical feel to it. The camera angles also give a whimsical charm to the scene. The camera zooms in and out of some of the children getting close-up shots of the children with their eyes closed playing an invisible guitar. After a few moments the scene is over and a new scene is beginning to unravel. This scene is important to the film because it shows just how innocent the music is. This scene can also be seen as a metaphor; children represent innocence and in the film, the music represents innocence. It is taking something that is supposed to be pure (a child) and giving that pureness and innocence to the main topic of the film, music.

The second scene that can be analyzed takes place later in the film. Negar and Ashkan are in their car driving somewhere talking about what they still in need of to be able to complete their band. Starting off faint in the background, police sirens appear. As their conversation goes on the sirens get closer and closer to car. The police end up pulling them over and for a reason that shows the dominating power the Iranian government has over its people. Negar and Ashkan get pulled over because they have their dog in the car with them. During this time in Iran, dogs or any pets were not permitted to be outside of the house because it was dirty and impure. Negar attempts to fight the police officer as he reaches in the car taking the dog away. In a way, this scene is dejecting because they lose their dog; but there is even more dejecting because it shows the Iranian government has so much power still over there people. Ghobadi puts in this scene to symbolize that power and how powerless the Iranian people are. This scene is straightforward and to the point which Ghobadi’s style throughout the film.

One question has to do with the sudden change at the end of the film. With Ghobadi staying as true to the real story as he possibly can, why would he change the ending and have Negar die when it did not happen in actual life? Another question has to do with Negar’s character. Negar keeps her head covered like traditional women in Iran but it is not covered all the way, some of her hair still shows. Is that just Negar’s style? Or is it Ghobadi attempting to give that traditional feel to the film?

Works Cited "Bahman Ghobadi-No One Knows About Persian Cats : The Tehran Underground - Mondomix." //Mondomix, Worldwide Music and Culture - News, Artists, Downloads, Competitions,// //Forum || The Worldwide Mix//. Mondomix Media, 13 Jan. 2010. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://bahman-ghobadi.mondomix.com/en/itw5562.htm>. "No One Knows About Persian Cats (2009) - IMDb." //The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)//. Amazon.com. Web. 01 May 2011. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1426378/>. "No One Knows About Persian Cats." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. 10 Apr. 2011. Web. 01 May 2011. [].

Film Review by Kara Chiasson
The film //No One Knows About Persian Cats//, directed by Bahman Gobadi, was an instant hit among international critics, such as those who attended its screenings at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, Miami International Film Festival, S <span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif; font-style: normal;">ã o Paulo International Film Festival, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, and Tokyo Filmex. The film won every award it was nominated for at each of those festivals. Filmed in Iran, in secret, and in the country's own language, Persian, the movie follows the mostly true events of a three-week period in the lives of two burgeoning underground musicians, Negar and Ashkan, and how far they will go to prove their passion for music, to the very face of their oppressive government itself. Gobadi pays close attention to almost every aspect that makes up the diegesis of a film: the mise en scene, space, lighting, costume, acting, scale, movement, and sound. The end result is a piece of art, in the medium of film.

The two main characters, Negar and Ashkan, both embark on what could be called a spiritual music pilgrimage to find other musicians that would be open to travelling to London with them to perform at an upcoming show. They are led to these other underground musicians by Nader, a producer who is passionate and has good intentions, but his ways of carrying out his elaborate plans for the two main characters are not as sincere and direct, as he frequently lies, disappears for days at a time, and can manipulate nearly anyone, using any means possible to get what he wants. He is sneaky and slippery, and for that cannot be completely trusted by either Negar or the audience.

The film explores modern Tehran, Iran's capital, from the point of view of an underground musician, someone who is almost regarded as a terrorist or a corrupted, dirty, illegal out to ruin the “purity” of Iran's society and culture. There are lots of shots that are filmed close to the ground, following the footsteps of the main characters and their journey through Tehran, but also many contrasting pans of the cityscape, the wide open spaces they visited, leaving no stone left unturned in Tehran. The montages put together during the different bands' performances featured shots from every possible view of Tehran, focusing on what seems like every possible lifestyle and environment, from the desolately poor and homeless, to the rich and wealthy. The film also creates what seems like an underground network, where most of the bands practice and play, because of the very narrow and cramped hallways, and passageways, and twisting stairways they pass through to get to the more open spaces they call home. All of these shots, together form the aesthetic point of the film, to emphasize and present the hidden beauty of Iran, through the hidden performers the film is based around.

The film's main themes are of oppression, and the resilience humans have within themselves to flourish beyond that oppression. Another theme is of the disillusionment people often surround themselves with, as a buffer against the realities of oppression. These themes are explored through the characters and the bands that meet them, and their surroundings. Negar and Ashkan's story, as a whole, is one of universal human rebellion and resistance, through the lens of those living under Iran's strict and omnipresent government. The film aim is to make aware the struggle that these musicians, and, in a bigger picture- oppressed people of any nation- go through to gain their rights as human beings, in this case, the freedom of expression. The theme of disillusionment is also prevalent, as disillusionment is the veil that most characters in the film use to hide their genuine fears of being caught, of their own highly controlling, oppressive government. Nader's catchphrase in the film seems to be “No problems,” in order to reassure Negar and Ashkan that the creation and processing of their fake passports and visas which will take their entire band safely out of the country is going smoothly. Despite the things he tells the pair, behind the curtain, things are falling apart. For example, the final straw seems to come when Nader witnesses David, the man in charge of forging the documents, being arrested before the papers are finished, and the audience sees Nader lose his composure, his excited, energetic persona falling away to reveal a man who is breaking at the seams from slipping through the cracks in the government so many times, to all come to nothing.

The tone of the film begins as hopeful and seemingly bright, as if their dreams may be fulfilled in the hands of Nader, their manager and tour guide throughout underground Tehran. However, the tone quickly deteriorates to one of terror and uncertainty, broken promises and government intervention. Almost everyone in the film held the disillusioned ideal of there being “no problems”, confident that they weren't doing anything wrong, yet still hiding in basements and sound-proofed sheds, only accessible through narrow, long and winding stairs and passageways. Their attitudes contradict their actions magnificently, proving that they are all fearful of the government and what they have the power to do and take away from them. Yet, the only one who doesn't hide behind a nonchalant, easy-going facade is Negar, who remains vocal in her worries to her fellow underground musicians, and yet ultimately becomes a casualty in the war between the rebellious youths and their oppressive government, between Westernized freedom and Islamic traditionalism. Forged passports and visas, which are so hard to come by, are offered to the various musicians they recruit, given the opportunity to leave, and yet many musicians refuse. This shows how dedicated they are to their homeland, and their own struggles within the borders. One rapper, upon meeting Nader, explained why he refused the opportunity to go abroad, saying that leaving would not change things in Iran. His passion was to change Iran for the better, not raise awareness elsewhere. Negar and Ashkan, however, are determined to leave, and give their fates over to Nader, who they put their confidence and trust in that he would provide them the necessary papers in order to get out of the country. Nader, in all his duplicity, reassured them that all was going well, and everything seemed to go off without a hitch when they met the forger himself, who promised the papers with all certainty and confidence. All this reassurance inflated them, and when things began to fall apart, it was Negar who suspected it, while Ashkan and their new bandmates simply brushed her worries away, dismissing it to “no problem”, using Nader's own terminology and ideology to calm her fears. Nader, however, continues to lie and give confidence to the pair, even when the symptoms of his plans falling apart became more and more pronounced, such as when he had to sell his motorcycle to afford the rising costs and problems their goal is causing him.

Two scenes that are similar are when Nader first takes Negar and Ashkan to the forging office, quickly slipping through the narrow, unfamiliar twists and turns of the stairwells until they find themselves in an open, bright room, where another couple is waiting for their papers. While Nader smooth talks his way into allowing the pair to be considered for David's services, Negar quickly befriends the wife of the couple sitting adjacent to them. As they discussed their plans to leave the country, their hopeful smiles echoed the dominating tone of the scene. When the other couple are given their papers and leave, David finally interviews the pair and eventually makes the decision to help them escape the country for the show they've booked in London. In the second scene, occurring during the last half of the film, Nader watches in horror as David is taken through that same narrow, twisting staircase, and away in a police car. It is at this moment when Nader, as well as the audience, knows that all hope is lost for Ashkan and Negar, that they won't be able to escape Iran this time, if ever. The tone has completely changed by this point, from hopeful to hopeless. However, the same bright, soothing yellows of the painted walls of the neighborhood still portray a mood of repose and serenity. The same walls that brightened the pair's mood and hopes, has now begun to mock Nader's faith in David and his shattered dreams for what have become his “students”, Ashkan and Negar. Most of the questions that arose by the ending of the film was, primarily, for the welfare of the characters I had grown attached to over the two hour film. However, I am interested to know what type of camera Gobadi used to film the movie, and if he used more than one type of camera. Most shots look as if they are filmed by a handheld camera, but many of the panning shots look much more sophisticated, and I am not sure whether they were done by the same camera. Also, in the opening scene, Bahman Gobadi plays himself as a musician, recording a song simply, according to the studio producer Babak, to “lift his spirits”. This was the first aspect of the movie that puzzled me, furthering me into disorient. The artist sitting with Babak asks whether the recording will go into Gobadi's next film (the film the audience is currently viewing) and Babak says no. The entire dialogue about Gobadi's music confused me, because as the artist sitting with Babak stated, it costs a lot of money to rent out the studio, so recording a song simply to “lift his spirits” was very baffling to me.

//No One Knows About Persian Cats// sets a very strong statement about the spirit of the Iranian youths, and the oppression from the Iranian government that still continues today, and is not simply a memory in the global mind. The political clashing has been going on since the Khomeini revolution, and did not end with Khomeini himself. Iranians today are still facing this fear of their own government, and rebelling against it using any means possible.

Works Cited

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_One_Knows_About_Persian_Cats