History UsefulNotes / Iran

* Iranians have called their country "Iran" since ancient times. The first Iranian empire had its origins in Fars province (Parsa in Old Persian), so the Greeks called the country "Persis," later derived into "Persia." That name was used in the West until 1935, when the Shah politely asked everyone to stop.

** Farsi is not related to Arabic, despite the large number of loanwords. It is an Indo-European language, related to Hindi, and, more distantly, to English and most other European languages.

* Iran is a very mixed society.
* Iran's official religion is, as you might know, Shia Islam.

* 98% of Iranians are Muslim.
** Before Islam, most Iranians were Zoroastrian. A tiny community of Zoroastrians still live in Iran, but most Zoroastrians live elsewhere these days.

* Homosexuality was acted upon during the very beginning days of Iranian Islamic Republic. Though still closeted due to social misrepresentations, homosexuals have a hang-out in Tehran, and aren't afraid of coming out to their families.

* Iran is an old country, dating back to 900 B.C. (or 3200 B.C. if you count Elam) Iran's history is divided into two parts by historians, ''Ancient Iran'' and ''post-Islam Iran''.

* Iran is an old country, dating back to 900 B.C. Iran's history is divided into two parts by historians, ''Ancient Iran'' and ''post-Islam Iran''.

Hafiz, Sa'adi, Ferdowsi, Khayyam and Molavi Rumi are known world-wide for their poetry. Some other classic Persian Poets are:

* Nezami Ganjavi: Wrote romantic poems.

* The current President is Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, and widespread protests broke out over the results of the last election, but were quickly put down. This was big news in the West, but then MichaelJackson died and they forgot about it. The President famously declared at Columbia University that Iran didn't have gay people like the United States did, and is an avowed Holocaust denier, as well as being anti-Israel in general.

** The Armenian populace has one as well. Iran has had a friendship with Armenia going back to ancient times, and despite religious differences. Though this strains Iran's relations with Azerbaijan as a result.

*** A good analogy for Farsi's linguistic situation is actually English: just as English is a Germanic language with substantial Romance (specifically French) vocabulary, Farsi is an Indo-European language with substantial Semitic (specifically Arabic) vocabulary. Just as French-derived words in English are more "high-class" or "technical" than the Germanic ones, the Arabic imports in Farsi generally deal with more sophisticated topics. For instance, in the same way that English ''government'' comes from Old French and is clearly related to the Modern French ''gouvernement'' (same thing), the Farsi word for "government" is the Arabic-derived ''hokumet'' (the Arabic is ''hukumah'', but can be pronounced as ''hukumat'' in certain situations which we won't go into here). On the other hand, day-to-day words (or at least words whose meanings are very ancient) are almost inevitably Indo-European, just as 88% of the day-to-day vocabulary of English is Germanic. ''Star'' in English is clearly more closely related to the Dutch ''ster'' and German ''Stern'' than the French ''etoile'' or Italian "stella", and the Farsi ''setāre'' is very obviously Indo-European (the Arabic word is ''najm'').

*** A good analogy for Farsi's linguistic situation is actually English: just as English is a Germanic language with substantial Romance (specifically French) vocabulary, Farsi is an Indo-European language with substantial Semitic (specifically Arabic) vocabulary. Just as French-derived words in English are more "high-class" or "technical" than the Germanic ones, the Arabic imports in Farsi generally deal with more sophisticated topics. For instance, in the same way that English ''government'' comes from Old French and is clearly related to the Modern French ''gouvernement'' (same thing), the Farsi word for "government" is the Arabic-derived ''hokumet'' (the Arabic is ''hukumah'', but can be pronounced as ''hukumat'' in certain situations which we won't go into here). On the other hand, day-to-day words (or at least words whose meanings are very ancient) are almost inevitably Indo-European, just as 88% of the day-to-day vocabulary of English is Germanic. ''Star'' in English is clearly more closely related to the Dutch ''ster'' and German ''Stern'' than the French ''etoile'', and the Farsi ''setāre'' is very obviously Indo-European (the Arabic word is ''najm'').

* Despite this, Iran is not controlled by Sharia Law (as an Iranian, I've never heard this word during my life). Iran's Judicial Law is like instant coffee, it's made-up in place. And Iran's political system is a mixture of "what's good and evil according to the Koran."

* Homosexuality was acted upon during the very beginning days of Iranian Islamic Republic. Though still closeted due to social misrepresentations, homosexuals have a hang-out in Tehran, and aren't afraid of coming out to their families. Sodomy is punishable by death for both parties.

* Albeit Iranians do not like to ''imitate'' West, this country is mixed-culture ''as fuck''.

* Iran's major export, and best known, is oil. They also export goods to the landlocked countries of Central Asia, such as food. Iran also has its hand in electronic consumerism, but just enough for the domestic use.

* Iran's official religion is, as you might know, Shia Islam. They are the ones without the suicide bombers.

*** A good analogy for Farsi's linguistic situation is actually English: just as English is a Germanic language with substantial Romance (specifically French) vocabulary, Farsi is an Indo-European language with substantial Semitic (specifically Arabic) vocabulary. Just as French-derived words in English are more "high-class" or "technical" than the Germanic ones, the Arabic imports in Farsi generally deal with more sophisticated topics. For instance, in the same way that English ''government'' comes from Old French and is clearly related to the Modern French ''gouvernement'' (same thing), the Farsi word for "government" is the Arabic-derived ''hokumet'' (the Arabic is ''hukumah'', but can be pronounced as ''hukumat'' in certain situations which we won't go into here). On the other hand, ''star'' in English is more closely related to the Dutch ''ster'' and German ''Stern'' than the French ''etoile'', and the Farsi ''setāre'' is very obviously Indo-European (the Arabic word is ''najm'').

* Iran's official language is ''Persian'' or Farsi, and the official Alphabet is Arabic with addition of four letters, which Arabic language lacks.

* Iranians have called their country "Iran" since ancient times. The first Iranian empire had its origins in Fars province (Parsa in Old Persian), so the Greeks called the country "Persis," later derived into "Persia." That name was used in the West until 1935.

* Homosexuality was acted upon during the very beginning days of Iranian Islamic Republic. Though still closeted due to social misrepresentations, homosexuals have a hang-out in Tehran, and aren't afraid of coming out to their families.

* The current President is Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, and widespread protests broke out over the results of the last election, but were quickly put down. This was big news in the West, but then MichaelJackson died and they forgot about it. The President famously declared at Columbia University that "There are no gay people in Iran".

* The current President is Mahmoud Ahmadenijad, and widespread protests broke out over the results of the last election, but were quickly put down. This was big news in the West, but then MichaelJackson died and they forgot about it.

** Also, it should be noted they both have tried to patch it up but, because of the inability to appease all factions within and outside them both, they have mainly fallen through. See: Grand bargain
* Currently Iran is under sanctions by the West over transparency issues and just plain hypocrisy, with at least a hundred people dying every year because of outdated airplanes, tears dropped because of low-speed Internet connections, and millions wasted from the lack the support of [=PayPal=]/Visa.

* Tork: Meaning Turk, this word is used to describe dump people.

* Iran's major export, and best known, is oil. The also export goods to the landlocked countries of Central Asia, such as food. Iran also has its hand in electronic consumerism, but just enough for the domestic use.

* Iran is moderately and old country, dating back to 900 B.C. Iran's history is divided into two parts by historians, ''Ancient Iran'' and ''post-Islam Iran''.
* Until today, Iran has had Egypt, Babylon, Mesopotamia, Transoxiana, and Athens under its rule, all of which today, has lost to Arabs, Mongols, Russia and Britain.
* Iran uses Solar Calender, invented by the famous ''Omar Khayyam''. Each year starts at the first day of spring, celebrated by a traditional holiday named ''Nowrouz'' (meaning ''The Renewed Day'').

* Albeit, Iran is not controlled by Sharia Law (as an Iranian, I've never heard this word during my life). Iran's Judicial Law is like instant coffee, it's made-up in place. And Iran's political system is a mixture of "what's good and evil according to the Koran."

* Currently Iran is under sanctions by the West over transparency issues and just plain hypocrisy, with at least a hundred people dying every year because of outdated airplanes, tears dropped because of low-speed Internet connections, and millions wasted from the lack the support of PayPal/Visa.

* Iran has the second highest execution rate, just behind China. They have been known to use hangings for homosexuals, adultery, and other crimes. However, stoning is usually exchanged for other punishments.
** Still not as bad as Saudi Arabia.
* Iran has a dress code imposed on their population, usually enforced by the Basij, a group linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.
* Iran is controlled by an interesting conglomeration of a government. They have a Supreme Leader, who has the final say, a President, and the Majiles, the Iranian Parliament.

* Iran's major export, and best known, is oil. The also export goods to the landlocked countries of Central Asia, such as food.

Iran is the 18th largest country of the world, currently bearing about 72,000,000 Homo sapiens inside its 7,000,000 km perimeter. Iran has a vastly variant fauna and flora. Although Iran has a few percent of Arabs, Iranians '''are not Arab''', and being a Muslim country doesn't negate it. Here are a few useful notes for insinuative readers:

* Until today, Iran has had Egypt, Babylon, Mesopotamia, Transoxiana, and Athena under its rule, all of which today, has lost to Arabs, Mongols, Russia and Britain.

* Iran's official language is ''Persian'' (does it even sound like ''Arabic''?), and the official Alphabet is Arabic with addition of four letters, which Arabic language lacks.
* Iran is mixed-race ''as fuck''.
* Iran's official religion is, as you might know, Shia Islam. The difference between Shia Islam and other Islamic breed is simply everything.
* Albeit, Iran is not controlled by Sharia Law (as an Iranian, I've never heard this word during my life). Iran's Judicial Law is like instant coffee, it's made-up in place. And Iran's political system is a mixture of "what's good and evil".
* Currently, Iran's Nemesis is the US. The US hates Iran because it feels sympathy for poor the Uraniums and Plotoniums, and Iran hates the US because he doesn't want to be stuck selling oil until god knows when. Iran's intention of having Nuclear Technology is a subject of debate.
* Currently Iran is being sanctioned by the good, human-rights-loving Western countries, with at least a hundred people dying every year because of outdated Air Planes, tears dropped because of low-speed Internet connections, and millions wasted because of PayPal/Visa Card lack of support.

* [[BlatantLies Iran hangs homosexuals, stones adulterers, internments blasphemers, and cuts the hands of thieves.]]
-> With an exception of imprisoning blasphemers (somehow), all of these are pure, rampant propaganda. These ''might have happened'' during the Iran-Iraq War, but Iran is not really a Middle Age Gothic village.
* Iran is a nun costume party.
-> Iranian women aren't forced to cover their hair by the Constitutional Law. Why they do it, and when did they start doing it is unknown. Probably nobody will ever know, because they're doing it since the dawn of time and at the beginning of Islamic Revolution, only .0% of Iranian Women did not wear veils, '''And they don't wear Burqas, or Niqabs'''. Nowadays most of them only cover their hair with scarf, and even before that, they wore veils that doesn't cover their head.
* Iran is controlled by a dictatorship, monarch government.
-> I don't know if a TVTropes is interested in this, but this statement is just absurd. Iran has a very powerful president, re-elected every 4 years. It has a Supreme Leader too, but he's not someone like Kim Jong Il. He's ''indirectly'' elected by people, and he's just an iconic role.
* Iran is a desert country with an economy 100% tied to oil exports and camel-riding towel-head sandniggers.
-> As mentioned above, Iranians are not Arab and they don't speak Arabic. They only breed camel in deserts, they never wore towels on their head, and Iran's economy is loosely based on oil.
* Iranians are pedophiles who marry 9 years old girls.
-> Due to radical social differences (premarital sex not appreciated by people), Iranians are unfamiliar with the concept of Consent Age, but an average Iranian girl never marries until she's older than 20.

After the revolution, the quality of movies was improved a lot. Mainly because directors made movies without prostitutes, discos and rich teenager girls, so Iranian people dropped their anti-cinema policy and went to the theaters. Also many children movies with cute puppets were made during the 80s and 90s, because producing animation was too expensive and time-consuming.
Unfortunately, Iranian cinema has been dead for 6-7 years now, with directors making movies about rich boys chasing after rich girls in their expensive cars. Some notable post-revolution Iranian movies are: