The car journey to Esfahan from Persepolis is long and draining. My minder tells me that roads are called "gypsy killer passes" because in the winter they're covered by snow, which causes caravans to careen down ravines. We travel for hours with no bathroom in sight. "You can make good use of nature," said my minder. This is easy for him to say because he's not a woman swaddled in extraneous layers of fabric.
There are huge paintings of the founders of the revolution on building facades and the streets are littered with didactic messages such as "Iran will become the greatest country in the world if its grass is greener and its water cleaner." Right now, Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the world and I'm told many women have traded in their pastel coats for darker colours not because they're conservative but because the city soot accumulates more prominently on lighter fabrics.
We pass several check-points where we are searched for drugs. Narcotics are a growing problem in Iran, and my minder warns not to take photos because there is a military training base is nearby. In fact, Esfahan is known as "the place to gather the army for training." It's also known as Jay or Jew City because, after Cyrus the Great freed Babylonia and the Jews, many Jews followed him back to Esfahan. "You may have heard in American propaganda that Jews are tortured in Iran but this is far from true," my minder told me with no prompting. "The Jews are most of the business people here and they have beautiful shops." He added, "The don't have the same rights and conditions in the government as the Muslim minority but it's in proportion to their numbers. They have their own synagogues, are free to practice their religion, and marry," said my minder. "No Iranian is allowed to travel to Israel but many Jews go through Turkey." There is a Member of Parliament who is Jewish and one who is Zoroastrian. The Zoroastrian head priest had set up meetings with both members of Parliament but my minder prohibited me from attending.
In Tehran, I spoke with the translator of BBC correspondent Jessie Graham who says he's studied issues regarding minorities in Iran. "The density of the Jewish population has changed because of migration," he said. "They are accepted and respected as businessman but they are not people with whom we socialize a lot."
I finally met the Jewish community after convincing both my government minder and the community to let me visit. Although I was given less than 30 minutes of access, I was able to observe their prayers, tour the inside of a synagogue and ask a few questions. The Jewish presence in Iran spans over 2,500 years and the synagogue in Esfahan that I visit is run by a well-established family. There was a bit of an ethical dilemma in terms of getting access because the community was suspicious of my intentions. "We'll pretend you're Jewish and have come from the U.S. to see this community," said my minder.
We knock on a nondescript green gate at the corner of a busy intersection and I quickly say "Shalom" to the young boy who peeks outside. My minder speaks with him for a few minutes and is then redirected to the matron of the community, Turan, who lets us enter an area that is frequented by 300 Jews in the surrounding environs. There are prayers going on and the people quickly disperse when they finish. I meet a woman, Esther, who says she does not want her voice recorded and is wary when I tell her I'm a journalist. "The reporters come here and write articles that can cause us problems," said Esther. She entertains a few of my questions but speaks rapidly and I can't tell if my minder is genuinely translating everything she is saying. When I ask her how Muslims regard the Jewish community in Iran, she says, "The people here are kind and respect our ancient religion, except the fanatics. We are treated well and I identify myself as Jewish with honor." Esther says the Jewish member of Parliament should be doing more for the community but doesn't elaborate. "Many people leave Iran because of the situation here," said Esther. When I ask my minder to ask her what she means, he answers for her instead: "there's not many jobs so there's lots of brain drain." I would have preferred hearing what she had to say but Esther abruptly excuses herself.
I want to visit another synagogue but I remember that Moji Agha, the Sufi I met in Tehran, told me the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is paranoid about Americans spending too much time in the Jewish community. "They'll think that you're a Zionist because of all the political machinations of Israel and America," said Agha. "They are scared that Americans come to Iran looking for faults and will spread propaganda when they go back."
The hotel I'm staying at sports a neon sign that says men and women who observe more conservative forms of Islamic dress will receive a 10 to 15 percent discount. When I tell a man outside my hotel that I'm Zoroastrian, he responds, "I'm Muslim, but I love all religion because we all believe in the same God in the end." I think about the diverse religious communities I've seen in Esfahan and nod in agreement.
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Cyrus Confectioner, 2007-09-17 02:41:45 -- Flag for review
A very very well written article about the Iranian country and people. It show's them in good light. Sad that politics and greedy people distort facts and even the media does no justice.
It's time the Americans change the way they view the World before the World changes them.