Issue Date: October 25, 2009

The Iran I know

Amid talk of nukes, a young Iranian-American visits her homeland and sees a lighter side.

By Reyhaneh Fathieh

When students in Iran rushed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, took 66 Americans hostage and set off a chain reaction that severed diplomatic relations between the two countries, I hadn't even been born. Today, nearly 30 years later, the standoff between Iran and America continues, and with it, the steady stream of stereotypes, misconceptions and rumors.

I was 12 when my parents moved my sister, my brother and me to the United States, and I learned English by watching Saved by the Bell reruns on TV. As a citizen of both countries, I've witnessed misunderstandings on both sides.

When I shared my plans to travel to Iran this summer shortly after its election fiasco, my American and Iranian-American friends alike were horrified. Why, they wondered, would any sane person go there for vacation?

Here, friends, are a few of my answers:

Iran isn't (that) dangerous. This point is a hard sell. The U.S. Department of State has issued a warning against traveling there and notes that Iranian-Americans "may encounter difficulty in departing Iran." Scores of oppositionists reportedly died in this summer's election protests, and videos of a young rioter being killed circulated on the Internet. As of press time, three American hikers were being detained by the Iranian government.

So, naturally, when the Iranian customs officer came to stamp my passport, I was floating in fantasies of getting kidnapped and winning a Pulitzer Prize (my friends had already rehearsed what they would say about me on CNN). But he didn't hesitate to let me through.

The adventurer-rebel in me was disappointed to find that, aside from a few new works of graffiti christening the controversially re-elected President Ahmadinejad as "the midget dictator," the capital city of Tehran seemed to be mostly untouched by the violence and protests. As long as I avoided demonstration hot spots -- specifically, Azadi and Vali Asr squares -- I could enjoy quite a pleasant brunch.

Average Iranians don't hate Americans. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then the Iranian people never stopped complimenting America. Light-colored contact lenses are so popular that they're sold over the counter. Bleached-blond hair is so rampant that it's easy to forget this is a population composed entirely of natural brunets (a recent obsession with hip-hop music manifests itself in the strange new trend of Iranians sporting platinum dreadlocks). Angelina Jolie and Enrique Iglesias are cultural staples; Prison Break and Lost are water-cooler conversation. President Obama has a legion of fans who tout the catchy slogan "Oo-Ba-Mast," which means "he's with us" in Persian.

Iran isn't a desert wasteland. In the mind's eye, Iran registers as a hybrid of war-torn Afghanistan and ancient Mesopotamia. Despite what the news and fables might suggest, you'll find neither military tanks nor camels roaming the streets. In fact, Tehran is more reminiscent of Manhattan, with its crowds, pollution, traffic, tall buildings, beggars, hot-dog stands, pizza shops and ridiculously good-looking people. All the conveniences of modern life are available -- taxis, Starbucks-like cafes, air-conditioned malls, high-speed Internet, the iPhone. Maybe it's logistically impossible for a country with a median age of just 27 to be unhip. The bling reflecting off the fake Gucci sunglasses may blind you, but believe me, turban and head-to-toe burqa sightings are rare.

Still, it's not exactly advisable, let alone convenient (good luck getting that visa) to visit Iran. But, should you choose to learn from my foray into so-called enemy territory, know that we're all cut from the same fabric. Or, to quote a Persian proverb: Anywhere you go, the sky is the same color.

Reyhaneh Fathieh, 25, is an editorial assistant at USA WEEKEND Magazine.