As much as I like to look ahead and not get hung up in the past - and as much as I know how foreigners used all their influence in Iran to topple the late Mohammad Reza Shah - But I would like to open this thread to review one more side of the 1978 Revolution. A side which I believe above Islam, above socialism, above any material or moral quests - was most responsible for the mass suicide - Iran's middle class committed !!!
I want to look at the problem of "Snubbing". I want to discuss how bad the so called High Class Iranian society snubbed the middle and lower classes. How bad they snubbed each other !!! many of them still do - even today in Iran and in exile !!
What is Snubbing ? My best definition for "Snubbing" is when one person ignors or puts down another, under an impression that he or she enjoys a higher status in a society. While I do not deny that social accomplishments and education, distinguish people within the same society - but I also believe nothing gives a person the right to snub another. Also my experience tells me that those who snub, more often that not - enjoy a self made social status that was not earned though accomplishments or education. Another words - those who snub others do it out of complex and ignorance, rather than actualy belonging to a higher social class.
I remember some 10 years before the revolution - we went to Ramsar for a family vacation during the Norouz holidays. Hotel Ramsar had a game room and on it's door to my amazement, I saw a sign that read - "No Locals Allowed" !!! can you imagine the impact of such sign on a population, being prohibited to get into a venue within their own community ???!!
Tehranis in General lived/live a life of snubbing Shahrestanis. While at the same time, people from big cities snubbed villagers !! A villager was called a Dahati, in a big city, while a big city resident was called a Dahati in Tehran !!
While I do understand that people are different from one another - from one area to another - and from one heritage to another - but the biggest problem with Snubbing is that it's borders and boundaries are often defined by "Wealth" and nothing else !! While not condoning any kind of snubbish attitude - I do understand people distinguishing themselves from the rest in their community when they earn status as an acheiver. But most snubbing that I observed in Iran (and still do) is by the wealthy - and more often than not the Newly Wealthy !!
In our quest to get rid of akhoondism - we must not forget the problem of Snubbing amongst Iranians. And the best way to fight it is to not let anyone enjoy a special status because of wealth !! that fight has to start within us - we must not be overly impressed by wealth. I hope things have changed (or are changing) - but from where I am sitting many Iranians have a problem with flipping for the wealthy !!!
I want to look at the problem of "Snubbing". I want to discuss how bad the so called High Class Iranian society snubbed the middle and lower classes. How bad they snubbed each other !!! many of them still do - even today in Iran and in exile !!
What is Snubbing ? My best definition for "Snubbing" is when one person ignors or puts down another, under an impression that he or she enjoys a higher status in a society. While I do not deny that social accomplishments and education, distinguish people within the same society - but I also believe nothing gives a person the right to snub another. Also my experience tells me that those who snub, more often that not - enjoy a self made social status that was not earned though accomplishments or education. Another words - those who snub others do it out of complex and ignorance, rather than actualy belonging to a higher social class.
I remember some 10 years before the revolution - we went to Ramsar for a family vacation during the Norouz holidays. Hotel Ramsar had a game room and on it's door to my amazement, I saw a sign that read - "No Locals Allowed" !!! can you imagine the impact of such sign on a population, being prohibited to get into a venue within their own community ???!!
Tehranis in General lived/live a life of snubbing Shahrestanis. While at the same time, people from big cities snubbed villagers !! A villager was called a Dahati, in a big city, while a big city resident was called a Dahati in Tehran !!
While I do understand that people are different from one another - from one area to another - and from one heritage to another - but the biggest problem with Snubbing is that it's borders and boundaries are often defined by "Wealth" and nothing else !! While not condoning any kind of snubbish attitude - I do understand people distinguishing themselves from the rest in their community when they earn status as an acheiver. But most snubbing that I observed in Iran (and still do) is by the wealthy - and more often than not the Newly Wealthy !!
In our quest to get rid of akhoondism - we must not forget the problem of Snubbing amongst Iranians. And the best way to fight it is to not let anyone enjoy a special status because of wealth !! that fight has to start within us - we must not be overly impressed by wealth. I hope things have changed (or are changing) - but from where I am sitting many Iranians have a problem with flipping for the wealthy !!!
