Ask An Iranian

You have lots of questions about Iran, we know! One of which—maybe the third—is likely to be, “Is it safe to visit Iran?”. If you ask us, we’d say yes. If you ask your Home Office, they’d say no. Sure, it’s complicated, and if you’re reading this any time between 1979 and 2029, it’s even more complicated.

Disclaimer about whether it’s safe to visit Iran:

We do not, and will never, advocate any travel that contravenes the travel advice provided by your nation’s Home Office. Information about travelling to Iran is constantly changing, so always consult with the relevant authorities before making any plans. Travelling to and inside Iran can be risky, possibly more riskier than visiting London. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

Questions we also tackle in this episode:

How safe is it to travel to Iran?

Who is Micheal of The Red Line podcast?

Where is the Island of Qeshm?

What is Stabberstan?

What language do they speak in Australia? (spoiler, it’s not kangaroo)

Is George an Iranian name?

What does it take to get you jailed in Iran?

What should I do when the Iranian police want to delete photos from my SD card?

Who is TikTok for? (spoiler, it’s commie kids)

Are people and government the same?

Are politics and religion the same? (they are in Iran)

Is it safe to travel as a tourist in Iran?

You can find Daisy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d_lorenzi/

And Michael’s podcast can be found here: https://twitter.com/TheRedLinePod

And you can read more here!

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog

Image credit: European tourist begging for help in a fictional traditional Iranian setting, made using images generated with MidJourney and edited specifically for Ask An Iranian, 2023.

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We put it out to our Iranian audience. We asked them if they prefer their men cut, i.e. circumcised. They mostly preferred it. We also asked them if they think being cut is a good idea. They mostly thought it was a good idea. Lastly, we asked them if they would have their next male child cut. They were kinda 50/50 on this. Where did the enthusiasm for circumcision in Iran go?!

The practice of circumcision goes way back — like 15,000 years back. Yes, apparently Egyptians are depicted as performing circumcision before Judaism and Islam adopted it into their rituals. Fast forward to the modern day and we now have health reasons to help perpetuate this practice. In fact, health was the main reason given to us by our audience for why they think it's a good idea. Another top listed reason was beatification.

Some of the questions we get answers to in this episode

Do Iranians circumcise their boys?

Are women circumcised in Iran?

Does female genital mutilation (FGM) happen in Iran

Why do Iranians think circumcision is a good idea?

Where did the practice of circumcision come from?

Why do Muslims circumcise their boys?

How did one of the Ask An Iranian host's circumcision in Iran go?

Is circumcision common in Iran?

Read more here!

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog

Image credit: image of a circumcised banana representing a golden penis, or "doodool tala" as Iranians say. All of the Ask An Iranian podcast covers are available as NFTs here.

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You might have uncles, and you might have aunties. Iranians, however, have uncles, and they have uncles, and they have non-uncle uncles. This is because the titles given, differ, depending on the relation. Although this is not unique to Iran, there are many uniquely Iranian things that the world needs to know about Iranian aunts and uncles. What are they? Like any good Iranian uncle, we attempt to get deep into things.

In this episode, we discuss the Persian words for aunts and uncles. We also let you know why Iranians, seemingly, have different feelings towards their aunts and uncles, depending on if they are your mother or father's sibling. As if that wasn't enough, we get into the good, the bad and the ugly Persian terms that involve Iranian aunts and uncles.

We believe that comedy can help highlight disturbing topics by helping bring about awareness, and subsequent change for the better. In this episode we tackle one of the more disturbing ones: that of child abuse. We’ve heard anecdotal evidence of such happenings, and elude to this during our conversation. We conclude the conversations about this with a warning to those that might fall prey to such horrors. It goes without saying that we find such crimes against children abhorrent.

Questions we also get answers to in this episode

What is the Persian (Farsi) word for uncle?Why are some Iranian aunts and uncles more important?What is the Persian (Farsi) word for auntHow many words are there for aunt and uncle in Persian (Farsi)?Why do Iranian uncles and aunts answer you with their own title?How do you say aunt and uncle in Persian (Farsi)?Why is a Dāi better than an Amoo?What Persian (Farsi) phrases, idioms or terms use aunt or uncle?Why is a Khāleh better than an Ammeh?What are the gender neutral terms for aunt and uncle?Who is Amoo Sabzi Foroosh?What Persian (Farsi) phrases use aunt or uncle?Are there gender neutral terms for the words aunt and uncle?

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog

Image credit: Remastered image based on the promotional poster for the Iranian movie, "Amoo Sabzi Foroosh", edited by Ask An Iranian, 2022. This artwork has been used for the related podcast episode cover. All of the Ask An Iranian podcast covers are available as NFTs here.

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[NOTE OF WARNING: please read below before setting up an account for NFTs.]

How much is a really good replica of a Mona Lisa worth? It might only be worthy of wiping your rear with — which should come as no surprise to you. This is because she’s a one-off work of art, or “non-fungible”. The digital realm has brought many great things with its advent, but until recently, freely replicating information made digital ownership very fungible. This has changed with the introduction of Web 3.0.

We were joined by the Iranian artist, Nightwatcher, who recently shifted from being a regular real-world artist to an NFT artist. The NF part stands for non-fungible, and the T is for token. This means, his art is minted using certain technologies and made available for people to own the rights to. Control-C and Control-P his stuff if you like, he doesn’t mind. You won’t own it in the true sense.

This gentleman joined us to chat about the changing world of art with respect to NFTs, but also shared with us his experience of the Iranian art scene. He explains these changes are affording Iranian artists—especially—with a new means to be able to avoid restrictions. During our discussion, we also touched upon how emerging technologies, seen with Web 3.0 for example, are changing people's association with the internet and each other.

Read more here to get au fait with all things NFTs in Iran.

NOTE OF WARNING: in this episode, we advocate the NFT platform, OpenSea. This company restricts activity for people that are related to Iran. Do not use their services if this description relates to you. Similarly, be warned, other platforms may also have such restrictions. Always check a platform's restrictions before setting up an account.

DISCLAIMER: Ask An Iranian and Nightwatcher are not investment advisers. All opinions are our own. There are risks involved in placing any investment in securities or in Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and NFTs... or in anything for that matter. None of the information presented herein is intended to form the basis of any offer or recommendation or have any regard to the investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of any specific person, and that includes you, our dear listener or reader. Everything you’re going to hear or read is for informational entertainment purposes only.

Questions we also get answers to in this episode

What is an NFT?How do I sell NFT artwork in Iran?Who are the best Iranian NFT artists?Is NFT just money laundering?Who is Crypto Punk?How do I mint an NFT?Which platforms sells NFTs?Did the CIA fund Modern art?What is the Metasphere and how do I get into it?

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog

Image credit: NightwatcherXHomadokht + Ask An Iranian, Acid Ajam remix NFT artwork, 2022. Copyright... to whoever buys it here.

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Jesus Christ! We love him! Muslims love him! He’s one of the prophets that we Muslims recognise. In fact, in the Quran, he gets mentioned by name 25 times, making him the most mentioned person in the holy book. You might also be surprised to hear that communities of Christians live among Muslims in Iran — yup! Jews too… but we’ll save that for another time. To help us learn what it’s like to be a Christian in a Muslim nation, we called on a Christian — not just any old Christian though. We called on a priestess, no less!

Kirsten Wolandt is a pastor at the German Speaking Congregation in Tehran and regularly runs services to a mostly-German expat community in Iran. She agreed to join us for a chat about her experiences of being a Christian in a Muslim nation. During our discussion, we spoke about the many similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam. We also put the priestess’s carols singing skills to the test and sang a song for the occasion of Christmas.

Questions we also get answer to in this episode

What’s it like being a Christian in Iran?What are the blasphemy laws like in Iran?What’s it like being a priestess in Iran?Are Iranians very religious?

And more!

Find more information about German Speaking Evangelical Congregation in Iran.

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog | "Carol of the Bells Remix", Approaching Nirvana

Image credit: picture of a Christmas tree with the symbol for the Islamic Republic of Iran sitting up top, created by Ask An Iranian, 2021.

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In Iran we don't refer to somebody as the special child of a family — we refer to them as the golden willy. And, we think that's cute, if not a little sexist. Fret not though dear sisters, because this is not considered a compliment. A golden willy, or "dodool talā" as we say in Persian, can also be described as a mummy's boy. For a gender-neutral term, we say "bache naneh" to imply that a person is spoilt. Now, are there multiple terms in Persian for this because Iranian men are mostly mummy's boys? Seemingly yes — but hear us out.

Once again—and by popular demand—we invited Shanay to join us and share her perspective. Yes, we couldn't go into a matter concerning Iranian men, without an Iranian women's perspective. We're not necessarily suggesting that Shanay knows more about golden willies than we do... but we kinda are.

Don't just listen to us though! No, no! Among other related questions, we put it out to our Iranian audience and asked them whether Iranian men are mommy's boys. The results were more frightening than we expected — yes, you were warned. So, wanna know if, how, and why Iranian men have a complex relationship with their mothers.

Read more here.

Questions we also get answers to in this episode

Why are Iranian men mummy's boys?What is the Persian (or Farsi) for mummy's boy?Do Persian women (Iranian women!) like mummy's boys?Why do Iranian mother make "mama's boy"?Is it the fault of Iranian mothers that Iranian men are spoilt?What does Maz Jobrani have to say about "mommy's boys"?Do Persian girls get put off by dating mummy's boys?What does "doodool tala" mean?

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati

Image credit: 3D golden banana on a turquoise background, created by Ask An Iranian.

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No, this isn't about tourist stuff — no, no, this one is about what you're kinda forced to do in Iran. And yes, you'd be forgiven for thinking that a list of what you must do in Iran would be longer than other nations — but is that strictly true? Well, probably yes. How much more, is something we go deep into, with this episode.

As you might expect, there are dress codes that you must respect in Iran (for both men and women), and there are several musts that you won't expect. For example, you must officially name your child a certain way. With the help of our Iranian audience, we get into this, and more — so be sure to read more here to learn more.

Questions we also get answers to in this episode

What tourist things must you do in Iran?Are you likely to kill a 5th dimension version of yourself?What must men and women wear in Iran?Is there a dress code for men in Iran?How much should women cover up in Iran?Why do old Iranian houses have two knockers on the doors?Are men and women allowed to share a taxi in Iran?Can non-related men and women be together in public?Are the people from Yazd conservative?Does Iran have a conscription military service?What happens if you leave the Islamic faith?

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati

Image credit: original photo of multiple Iranian women in black hejāb by Mehdi Sepehri on Unsplash, edited by adding a face mask to the child, by Ask an Iranian.

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You might say you speak German, French, or Swahili, but you never say you speak Deutsch, Français, or Kiswahili. This is the logic behind people saying they speak Persian—when saying it in English—as opposed to saying they speak Farsi. Why let logic get in the way of your "feels" though?! You call it what you want! Farsi or Persian, Parsi or Iranian, who cares?! Oh, we do, kinda — enough at least that we'd make a podcast episode about it.

To help us get into this much contested topic, we sought the help of a popular language enthusiast. We called upon Canada-based Iranian, Bahador Alast, to help us clear this one up... for now at least. Since 2013, Bahador has invited many international guests on his YouTube channel to talk with him about similarities between languages. Up until late 2021 these videos have been seen around 45m times.

So is it Farsi, or is it Persian? Listen to this episode to hear our take — then come for us in the comments.

Questions we also get answers to in this episode

Which is correct, Farsi of Persian?What percentage of Iranians refer to it as Farsi or Persian?Is it not better to refer to Persian as Parsi?

Follow Bahador Alast:

https://www.instagram.com/BahadorAlast

https://www.youtube.com/c/BahadorAlast

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati

Image credit: Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda, Iranian linguist and author of the Dehkhoda dictionary - edited with the tongue of Albert Einstein - Ask An Iranian, some rights reserved – 2021

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The Americans have obesity, the French have snobbery and the Saudis have hacksaws, but what is the most Iranian thing? To help figure this one out, we called on the help of our audience, and the results... were weird, in parts. We obviously got answers such as Persian rugs, nose jobs, and saffron, but we weren't expecting so many things related to the toilet.

So, to help you get familiar with why the most Iranian things are the most Iranian things, be sure to check our website here.

Questions we also get answers to in this episode

What are the top ten most Iranian things?Do Sharjah Filipinos dress recognizably?Which nation sells the most saffron (it's not Iran, kinda)?What is taarof and why is it so Iranian?Why do Iranians use "ghand" instead of regular sugar?What is in the popular Iranian dish, Ghormeh Sabzi?Are Iranians good drivers?How do Iranian cook rice?Why do Iranians add tomato ketchup to everything?Which is correct Farsi or Persian?Why do Iranians wrap everything in plastic?How are Iranian toilets different?What is an "aaftaabeh" and why are they used in Toilets?Why do Iranians sit on the floor to eat?What is the most popular social media for Iranians?Why do Iranians households have so many facial tissue boxes?

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati

Image credit: aftabeh with the ancient Persian Cyrus Cylinder from the 6th century BC (British Museum London) and the Golden Achaemenid Rhyton from 5th century B.C.E. (National Museum of Iran) - Artwork by Ask An Iranian, 2021.

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You make sounds — mouth sounds. You make them with intention because you probably want to ask your Pilates instructor if you can swap Tuesdays for Mondays. Other peoples do this, but with different mouth sounds — mouth sounds that have gradually found characters, and gradually become alphabets. This is pretty handy because it'll help you kinda figure out the intentions of peoples with very different mouth sounds.

Pingilish (or Fingilish) is the Romanisation of the Persian (or Farsi) language. It can help you figure out the response of your Iranian pilates instructor. So, assuming you have no grasp of the Persian alphabet but share an understanding of those mouth-sounds — "aakhey!" — Tuesdays get swapped for Mondays.

In this episode, we discuss how Pingilish (or Fingilish) came into use, and why it's kinda going out of use. We also get into which Persian phonemes can have which Latin characters, because yes, there is no standard. So, wanna learn what Pingilish (or Fingilish) is and how to use it.

Read more here: https://askaniranian.com/fingilish-or-is-it-pingilish

Questions we also get answers to in this episode

Which is correct, Pingilish or Fingilish?Why is the word Tehran written differently in different places?Which should I use, "oo", "ou"?Why do Iranians write using the Arabic script?How do I write in Pingilish or Fingilish from Persian script?Which should I use. "ee", "ei", "i" or "y"?How does Persian and Arabic pronunciation of the alphabet differ?Are there capital letters in the Persian or Arabic script?

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati

Image credit: The Fingilish or Pingilish word for "which", written in many Romanised ways, and styled like an old Nokia mobile phone. Designed by Ask An Iranian, 2021.

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