Instead of appreciating the fact that Iran took you in when Saddam was gassing you, this is how you repay Iran..

I’ve been watching unedited walking vlogs of Tehran recently, and the contrast with what I expected based on international news coverage completely blew my mind.

Coming into these videos, my mental model of Iran was shaped almost entirely by headlines following the Mahsa Amini protests and strict enforcement reports. I expected to see a heavily restricted public sphere where every woman in public was strictly covered under direct supervision.

Instead, the footage shows a surprisingly fluid street scene in Tehran:

- Women walking freely down busy avenues—some in full traditional chadors or hijabs, but many others wearing loose scarves draped over their shoulders, trendy coats, or walking unveiled in cafes and pedestrian areas.

- A vibrant, modern urban setting with high-rise cityscapes, modern coffee shops, and broad boulevards.

For locals or people familiar with the ground reality: How does this dynamic actually function on a daily basis?

I've got a coworker at the place I work at who's an old conservative white guy. Former Air Force vet. He's obsessed with Iran, and the current war. Loves Trump, y'know the type. A month ago I thought I'd just have a little chat with him. See if I couldn't help him understand Iran a little bit better. Ideally, to talk him out of thinking this war's a good idea.

Talking about Howard Baskerville and the constitutional revolution, about how this American preacher made the connection between these Iranians fighting for a constitution with rights for its citizens and the American war for Independence, it helped. It didn't sway him into *liking* Iran, but I felt like he was at least starting to appreciate Iranians' long struggle for freedom and democracy.

I don't remember how, but the subject eventually drifted back to the '79 Islamic Revolution. He was like a lot of Pahlavists; he was nostalgic for the era before the fall of the Shah. And that's when I brought up SAVAK, about how they repressed, tortured and killed people who were in any way opposed to the Shah. And that's when he said... well, what's in the title.

"Democracy ain't all it's cracked up to be."

Or in other words, Iran was better when it was an American-aligned authoritarian state. And America would be better off if it's an authoritarian state.

Anyway, not much luck in changing any conservatives' minds. But, hope springs eternal, y'know?

People on n*wiran and /Persian sub were blaming it on IRGC yesterday. They did the exact same thing when the bombing of the girls school in Minab happened on February 28.

This corrupt opposition serve as mercenaries who engage in hybrid warfare against Iran through their lies intended to obfuscate the crimes of the US and Israel against Iranian people

This is what the sellout opposition supported. The monarchist morons called this guy their uncle and now he wants the erasure of Iranian identity and history

So much for 'Liberation'

I love Iranian culture and have studied its history and often read books by its authors. Of course I follow geopolitics very closely too. Would it be disrespectful if I bought a faravahar necklace? I only have 1% Iranian Persian ancestry and none of my family identifies as Persian.

The President now claims 100,000 protestors were killed in Iran. A new all time low even for the US, Trump and atrocity propaganda constantly coming out from the West.

Their purpose as mercenaries is to normalize any crime against Iranian people.

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Hey all :)

I want to write and frame a poem in Persian for my Persian friend who is going through a difficult time. I speak Urdu so I am slightly familiar with Persian language and poetry due to the vast influence it has had on Urdu literature.

However I don't know enough to feel confident to find a poem that is perfect. I want to keep it short and simple but powerful. I was hoping someone could direct me towards a poet or poem that would fit what I'm looking for.

Thanks a lot!!

Salam-everyone, hope you all doing good! How is Karaj for living and retiring? How are the areas like Seid Abad, Kordan and Nazarabad? Are these areas safe for elderly people and women to live? How are they when it comes to essentials and amenities accessiblity? Would appreciate some insight from people nearby or living there!

Hey wonderful people!

I'm learning Farsi; I've been collecting a lot of Farsi/Dari learning Materials to share, as well! (I can look for more dialects upon request!)

There’s a language WhatsApp group that a friend started and it’s become a really nice place for endangered languages or diverse languages to gather, practice and connect with!

We JUST started a Channel/Group Chat specifically for Indo-Iranian Languages (Farsi, Pashto, Kurdish), and we’re especially hoping to interest any Farsi/Darsi learners/speakers!

ANYONE is expressly welcome; Here’s the link for anyone who would like to join, practice, and explore languages:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/GDbVnzjCRdFGs97zGoSouZ?mode=gi_t

Let’s practice your favorite dialects of PERSIAN/FARSI together!!🙏

The Guardian is not media, its subversion.