When people think of the Middle East, they tend to put everyone in the same basket and misunderstand the ethnic, cultural and linguistic identities of each country. One of these common misconceptions is that Iran is an Arab country. While Iran indeed shares some historical and geographical links with its Arab neighbors, it is a non-Arab country with a rich cultural identity and a long Persian heritage. In this article, we will explore what distinguish Iran from other Arab countries and what makes it so unique.
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Persian, Not Arabic: The Language Difference
One of the first and most obvious differences between Iran and its Arab neighbors is the language. The official language of Iran is Persian (Farsi), which is an Indo-European language. It means that Persian is closer to languages like Hindi, Pashto, and Kurdish than to Arabic, which is a Semitic language.
Even though Persian uses the Arabic alphabet, the languages themselves are completely distinct. Persian and Arabic have a different grammar and different vocabulary. So much so that a native Arabic speaker would not be able to understand Persian, and vice versa, as only a few words are common in both languages (usually imported from Arabic to the Persian language).
A Proud Persian Heritage
Iran’s cultural heritage is deeply rooted in its rich Persian history, and the glory of the Persian Empires. The first Persian Empire goes back to 2500 years ago, and was established by Cyrus the Great: it’s the Achaemenid Empire, one of the largest empires in the world’s history. Cyrus the Great and later Darius the Great built the foundation to the Persian civilization with their empire, which influenced many countries in the region.
Later on, the Sassanid Empire also played an important role in the region in building the Persian identity. They adopted a distinct Persian culture, language, and religion (Zoroastrianism), long before the spread of Islam. Contrary to Arab countries that are often united by a shared Arab identity, Iran has always had its own unique and distinctive Persian cultural identity, even after the Arab conquest of Iran.
Persian Art, Poetry, and Architecture
Throughout history, Iran has developed its own art, poetry and architecture, all of which reflect its singular cultural identity. Persian architecture has a long history dating back from 5000 BC and was called “the supreme Iranian art” by the American historian and archaeologist Arthur Pope. It is characterized by intricate tile work, vault, and domes that are different from the architectural styles found in Arab countries. Iconic sites such as Persepolis, Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, and the stunning Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan are all embodiments of Persian design and aesthetics.
Persian literature, with poets like Ferdowsi, Hafez, Saadi, Rumi, and Omar Khayyam, also holds a central place in the Iranian culture. It is considered one of the world’s oldest literatures and sometimes described as one of the great literatures of humanity. The work of Rumi and other Iranian poets has influenced literature worldwide and differs significantly from the poetry of the Arab world, which follows different themes and stylistic conventions. Nowadays, Iranians take great pride in their poets and their work still holds a central place in the everyday lives of Iranians.
Ethnic Diversity of Iranians
Another important point is that ethnically, Iranians are predominantly Persian, and not Arab. Persians form about 50 % of the Iranian population, followed by Azeris, Kurds, Lurs, Balooch, Turkmens and other ethnic groups. Arabs minorities represent only 2 to 3 % of the population and live in majority in the southwest of Iran, in the Khuzestan Province.
This ethnic distinction is important because while Arabs share a common ancestry traced to the Arabian Peninsula, Persians have a different lineage, culture, and history. As a consequence, Arabs and Persians also have different celebrations. The Persian New Year, Nowruz, is for instance celebrated in Iran but nowhere in the Arab world, as it derives from the pre-Islamic Zoroastrian tradition.
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Religion: A Different Branch of Islam
Even if Iran is a Muslim country, it still differentiates itself from most Arab countries in terms of religion. Indeed, Iran is a Shia Muslim country, with about 95% of Muslims belonging to the Twelver Shia Islam. In contrast, the majority of the Arab world follows Sunni Islam.
This religious difference has historical and political significance. It dates back from death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 and a disagreement regarding who was his legitimate successor to lead the Muslim community. Sunnis choose Abu Bakr as the first caliph, while Shias believe the leadership should have stay in the Prophet’s family and Ali, his cousin and son-in-law, should have been his successor.
Sunni Islam has always been the majority current of Islam in the Arab world, but once again Iran distinguished itself under the Safavid Dynasty, during the 16th century, by choosing Shia Islam as the state religion. Nowadays, Iran is considered the center of the Shia Muslim world, and the religious and political institutions of the country are deeply influenced by this ideology.
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