With a season coming to an end, introspection and retrospection is sometimes needed. When that season has a theme such as Misunderstanding Iran, it's important to bring it to a close with a clear point. What can be done to help Iran, now that we have a better understanding of its history, culture, issues, and different political landscapes? This is the answer to that question, as best as it can be answered. It might not be as holistic as it can be, but it is the answer needed at this time.

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With the current regime of Iran facing more and more scrutiny, there's also a loud voice in the room claiming that the only way to return to any sort of stability is by returning to the olden days of Monarchy. This is the prominent voice behind propagandists and many of the older diaspora. Yet, this is also the voice that carries with itself an uncritical view of all the problems that rise with a monarchy, and a desire to deprive people that they deem unworthy of any political power. This is the Monarchist infestation in Iranian political discourse, and it needs to be examined and ridiculed as swiftly as possible.

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Iranian Culture is old, historied and incredibly complex, which is why it is oftentimes easier for people who are not aware of it to bundle it up with the whole of the Middle East and create an Orientalist view of the region. Though there is need to untangle that mess and look at Iranian Culture as its own thing rather than a monolith, it is as important to look at its shortfalls and problems. By ignoring them, we learn nothing, but by learning and facing them, we can step in the right direction.

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Self-image and what you project onto the world is an important part of politics, and it becomes more important with every passing year. It's such optics that can shape the opinions of public, who in turn can put pressure on their governments. Much like any other country in the Middle East, Iran's optics are oftentimes complex, filled with historical context, and fueled by the desires of a few powerful to shape the world's narratives. Though, in this web of optics, there's a question: How do the Iranian citizen projects their self-image?

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Usually when discussing the health of Middle East, there's an ugly assumption that once the physical needs are not actively hampered, then the responsibility for betterment of mental needs are completely off the shoulders of people who were doing the physical assault. It's an ugly assumption because much like other things misunderstood about Iran and Middle East as a whole, it doesn't fully grasp everything and shifts the blame for the depression caused by outside forces onto the populace who is depressed. Iran is such a populace.

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Social media has become a hot button issue since its conception, and since its effect are becoming more and more apparent. Social media tends to bring out the worst in us in certain situations, and for people who are primed for conspiracy through their government, education and media systems, these "worst in us" can come out in horrifying degrees. Iran has a problem with social media. It's a big one, and it has been laden with the worst of humanity.

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Sometimes it's important to tackle ideas and ideals when talking about misunderstandings in one region or another. Sometimes it's just as important to tackle a symbol of those misunderstandings and a throughput of more misunderstandings. Iran International, the """news""" network, is such a throughput. It is a propaganda machine with a singular vision of a perceived enemy, who caters to the most vibe-based views on Iranian history, culture and systems. It is a cesspool of talking heads touting propaganda, and it serves as the worst in a series of already broken systems.

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Much like any country who has had massive social and political upheaval in the 20th century, Iran has a considering number of diaspora living abroad. This has created a schism in the pop culture of Iran, and has separated it into a homegrown and a diaspora-grown branch. Both of these branches though, still have a home in Iranian identity, and have created the dual-personality of Iranian culture.

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Food is such a peculiar subject. It is universally believed to be apolitical, even though our connection to it is increasingly becoming more and more political. It's one of those subjects that can lead to appreciation of a culture, while also quietly dehumanize it. It's a peculiar subject, and when it applies to any one culture as their defining trait, it makes putting aside the people of that culture in favor of their residual aspects much easier. In short, when food is involved, it's easy to diminish people into what they will serve you.

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The specter of Iranian Cinema outside of Iran is an odd and interesting one. It oftentimes frames some of the most unique movies out of this system as the "norm", and creates a stereotype of an Iranian artist as someone in tune with something extraordinary. Truth is a lot more complicated than that. A positive stereotype, is still a stereotype, and with it comes a misunderstanding. Iranian Cinema is not what the best of it represents, and Iranian filmmakers are far more varied than imagined.

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