Shahrokh Ahkami —
Persian Heritage, #115, Spring 2025 —
I extend my heartfelt congratulations on the ancient Norooz to all esteemed Iranians, both inside and outside of Iran, as well as to everyone around the world who celebrates this auspicious day. I also send my best wishes for happiness, health, purity, kindness, peace, and tranquility to all my readers and friends.
Over the past 30 years, Norooz has annually marked the continuation of a cultural endeavor – the publication of the Mirāss-e Irān (PersianHeritage) quarterly. Twenty-nine years ago, we embarked on this cultural initiative with doubt and uncertainty, lacking experience in the challenging field of journalism, yet driven solely by the desire to provide a cultural and journalistic service to Iranians living abroad.
The goal was to equip Iranian immigrants, especially second- and third-generation Iranians who had settled outside their beloved homeland in the wake of the 1979 Revolution, the hostage crisis, and the September 11 attacks, with knowledge about their motherland. Many faced waves of anti-Iranian sentiment in host countries where there was little understanding of Iran’s rich, ancient, and proud civilization, as well as its noble, cultured, kind, and peace-loving people. At the same time, Iranian migrants and their descendants also struggled with various challenges due to their unfamiliarity with the political and social landscape of their new home countries.
For this reason, I decided to establish a publication that would introduce Iran’s national, cultural, and historical identity – both to its new hosts and to the younger generations of Iranians abroad. Despite immense pressures, financial difficulties, and the lack of any organizational support, we managed to publish Mirāss-e Irān for 29 years, producing more than 111 issues in both Persian and English for those who cherish Iran.
Over these 29 years, only two issues of Mirāss-e Irān were not published – one due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the other due to financial constraints. Ultimately, in the summer of 2023, we were forced to discontinue its print edition. Today, as long as my family’s financial means allow, I will continue its digital publication.
Today, when I occasionally look back at past issues of Mirāss-e Irān, I feel a deep sense of pride and accomplishment for having provided this cultural service – publishing insightful and educational content over the past 29 years. Of course, the greatest factor in the survival and continuity of Mirāss-e Irān has been the dedication and loyalty of my selfless colleagues, whose contributions I deeply cherish.
One of the most rewarding achievements of Mirāss-e Irān is that, after years of effort to distinguish the suffering and resilient people of Iran from its ruling establishment, we have begun to see a shift in global discourse. In recent times, as the Western world seriously and dangerously considers military action against Iran, the offensive and unjust attacks that once painted all Iranians as enemies have notably diminished. Today, when Iran is discussed, the conversation often begins by acknowledging the nobility, cultural richness, and dignity of the Iranian people – before criticism turns to the government and ruling authorities.
Even the current U.S. Secretary of State recently remarked that Iran is perhaps the only country in the world where such a profound and undeniable gap exists between its people and its government. This same official, back when he was a senator, along with one or two of his colleagues, used to direct harsh attacks and insults indiscriminately at all Iranians. Now, the U.S. President and his cabinet speak of the dignity and authenticity of the Iranian people.
These overly polite praises and compliments do nothing to alleviate the immense pressure that, through economic sanctions, continues to weigh more heavily on the noble and suffering people of Iran every day. Sanctions have led to the shutdown of factories and production centers, increasing unemployment and poverty. The skyrocketing rise in foreign exchange rates – given that the price of nearly everything consumed domestically is effectively tied to the dollar, while wages and incomes for the middle and lower classes are in rials – has resulted in the hourly and daily surge in the prices of goods, clothing, food, and housing. Consequently, poverty, destitution, hunger, illness, and financial hardship are on the rise.
This is the same catastrophe that befell the people of Cuba and is now afflicting the people of Venezuela. Once one of the wealthiest nations in Latin America, Venezuela, despite its vast oil resources, is now struggling with poverty, unemployment, displacement, and the mass migration of its helpless and desperate people – all due to sanctions. These sanctions have not and will not lead to the overthrow of these governments.
When the system doesn’t function properly in countries like Canada or Germany, leaders and officials who still have time left in their terms may resign and step aside, allowing fresh and capable individuals to take charge and address the nation’s issues.
However, in countries like Iran, war – such as the devastating Iran-Iraq War – and economic sanctions only weaken ordinary citizens while making the ruling elite stronger and more entrenched. Sanctions have increased the number of corrupt and exploitative wealthy individuals in Iran, whose children and relatives enjoy the best possible lives, both inside and outside the country. Meanwhile, ordinary people spend their days and nights struggling to figure out how to provide food, clothing, and shelter for their families.
In the midst of all this, a cleric known as the “Sugar King” and many of his like-minded associates stand at the pulpit, preaching patience and endurance, even advising people to eat just one meal a day. The sheer audacity and hypocrisy of these preachers are beyond words – they claim dominion over both this world and the hereafter. In this world, they and their privileged children enjoy the most luxurious and comfortable lives, receiving medical treatment in the finest hospitals of England, Europe, Canada, and the U.S. And in the next world, they see themselves as the gatekeepers of paradise
At any rate, one of the greatest concerns for most Iranians today is the looming threat of war. The terrifying toll of conflict could strike at any moment, dragging Iran – already scarred by the eight-year war with Iraq, which claimed over a million lives of men, women, young, and old, and left behind massive destruction, some of which remains unrepaired – into an even more catastrophic and devastating war.
Unfortunately, in these perilous times, some among us, sitting safely abroad, far from any personal risk of harm or loss, take comfort in the possibility of war. They believe it could lead to the overthrow of the clerical establishment and bring about a government of their choosing – one in which they might even hold positions of power.
A few days ago, I sent an interview with a sociologist from Iran – who spoke about the consequences and miseries of war – to one of these acquaintances. He, who sees war as a “blessing” for Iran, reacted with loud outrage, furiously rejecting the sociologist’s views and accusing him of colluding with the clerics. Ironically, neither of us had ever heard of this sociologist before, nor did we even know his name.
These dear individuals fail to realize that an imposed war could turn into a prolonged conflict – much like the war between Russia and Ukraine. Initially expected to last only a few months, it has now stretched into nearly three years, bringing daily destruction and horror to both nations. Millions of Ukrainians have been forced to abandon their rich and fertile homeland, seeking refuge elsewhere.
On the day Iraq attacked Iran, we were on a trip to London. That day, British newspapers took readers through the streets of Khorramshahr and Abadan, painting a grim picture of the conflict. Everyone expected Saddam to swiftly take over southern Iran. Yet, the immense sacrifices and fierce resistance of the Iranian people, followed by Khomeini’s reluctant acceptance of a ceasefire – what he called “drinking the poisoned chalice” – brought the war to an end after eight years of devastation. However, the clerics did not leave, nor did Saddam succeed in reinstating his allies to power in Iran.
Let us hope that no new war erupts, sparing innocent Iranians from further pain and suffering.
To conclude my words, I turned to artificial intelligence, which beautifully expresses:
“Peace is like an ancient tree, its roots deep in the earth, its branches stretching into the sky. This tree casts its shadow over all living beings, offering them security and tranquility. War is a violent storm that shakes this tree and breaks its branches. Peace is the sweet song of birds echoing through the garden of life. War is the anguished cries of the oppressed and the wails of children. Peace is a priceless treasure that must be safeguarded. War is a raging fire that consumes everything in its path. Let us join hands in striving for peace and erasing war from the pages of life.”
In these days of Norooz, when nature has been rejuvenated and is blossoming in all its beauty, I hope that our beloved Iran and Iranians within the borders remain free from harm and injury. Our brave men and women have, over the years, managed to resist despite all the difficulties, disorders, pressures, oppression, looting, and corruption of the ruling regime. Particularly, our courageous women, after years of struggle and sacrifice, have prevented the implementation of the disgraceful hijab law by standing firm and demanding change.
Now, it has reached a point where those who advocate for the strict enforcement of the hijab law are staging sit-ins, protests, and causing disturbances, even shouting and making a ruckus. (It is clear that the instigators of these ignorant individuals, as one cleric has mentioned, are large sums of money from specific people with certain agendas.) Truly, shame on these shameless individuals who seemingly seek to humiliate and insult their free and oppressed sisters for not adhering to their desired dress code. These ignorant people claim to be teachers of clothing and hijab etiquette to the heroic Iranian women, both in Iran and across the globe. These are the women who have achieved the greatest honors outside of Iran – from serving in Sweden’s cabinet to becoming the mayor of Frankfurt, from holding seats in European parliaments to being members of the U.S. Congress, from becoming astronauts to winning Nobel Prizes in mathematics and peace, as well as being inventors and pioneers in various fields.
One of these enlightened women is a 29-year-old who completed her medical studies at the University of Isfahan. Due to the political and social pressures on women, she moved to Germany in 2020, where she pursued studies in biochemistry and molecular biology. Today, she is the owner of a biotechnology company that researches treatments for cancerous tumors and is a nominee for the German Startup Award.
Truly, what kind of sound logic encourages and leads this ignorant group of protesters demanding the imposition of mandatory hijab? Shame and curse upon these blind minds!
Once again, I wish all Iranians, both inside and outside the country, and my dear readers, a year filled with peace and health.
With hopes for a free and progressive Iran, where people can enjoy the rights of freedom of speech, freedom to choose their clothing, freedom of belief and ideology, freedom of religion, and equality and justice for all our dear Iranians.