The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran by Hooman Majd

No peering into Iran’s soul, but excellent travel writing
Somewhere near the start of the book the author said he wanted us to peer into Iran’s soul. That didn’t happen. There was no eureka moment. As there wasn’t really anything new here, apart from a few interviews with some senior figures in the Islamic establishment.

So no furniture in my mind shifted. But as first rate travel writing with plenty of background and gentle insight the author certainly polished the furniture. For example anyone who has had any interaction with Iranians know there is a huge amount of snobbery in the disdain the rich and middle classes have for the clerics and Ahmadinejad’s working class constituency. Hooman Majd underlines this, but gives us great background on the identity of the ‘laat’ (working class skin head type) and the jahel (skin head leader) who won the revolution for the clerics.

He is particularly good on how Shia Iran is, and during his description of the mourning for Hossein he tells us what the passion is all about: tribalism. ‘This was our cult’, he writes, ‘and screw the rest of the world, particularly the Arabs if they didn’t like it.’ This is refreshingly blunt.

There is no detailed political story here, but on these sort of big points you feel Majd has probably got it right: the MEK is rightly loathed by most Iranians; Iranians’ garden walls (the public/private divide) is still respected; the idea that the Diaspora Iranians will have any political influence is laughable; the Islamic Republic has massive and committed support, easily seen when Majd attended the revolution’s anniversary party; there is no appetite for another violent revolution; the young are more interested in social freedoms than politics, the old in economic security; and so as long as the rulers remember their ‘Shia sensibilities’, (the right of the righteous David to fight the oppressive Goliath) there will be no internal overthrow of the constitution Ayatollah Khomeini set up over thirty years ago.

So for me, there was no peering into Iran’s soul; but it was a pleasant journey with plenty of enjoyable sights. If you enjoy travel writing, and want to find out more about Iran from a sensible and knowledgeable guide, this is a good place to start.