Iran Culture Tips
Iran Culture Tips
The following tips on Iranian culture will be useful when in Iran or when interacting with its people.
+ The language of Iran is Farsi, otherwise called Persian. It is not a form of Arabic, although Farsi script utilizes the Arabic alphabet.
+ Everyone living in Iran, including expatriates and foreign business travelers, is subject to Shari’a law. Foreigners who break the law are penalized in the same way an Iranian would be.
+ Iranians can be superstitious and believe receiving compliments or good news attracts the evil eye. Therefore, they tend to downplay compliments and are hesitant to publicly admit their good fortunes. The expression “mash’allah” (“as God wills it”) is often said to ward off the potential negative effect of a compliment or personal achievement.
+ Iranians see themselves as having two distinct identities: zaher (public) and batin (private). When they are in public, they conform to accepted modes of behavior. In private, behaviors are not as restrained.
+ Ta’arouf is a system of politeness that includes both verbal and non-verbal communication. Iranians protest compliments and attempt to appear vulnerable in public. They belittle their own accomplishments so that they appear humble, although other Iranians understand that this is custom and do not take their words at face value.
+ Iranians are indirect communicators who employ allegory, poetry, and proverbs to make a point. They can spend a long time talking around an issue, which can be frustrating for people who come from more direct cultures.
+ Iranians do not harbor negative ideas about foreign women. The way a woman is treated generally has more to do with her personality rather than her cultural or religious background.
+ Foreign women must adopt the local dress style. This means covering the head with a scarf (a rusari) and wearing a chador (a long-sleeved coat) over clothes.
- provided by RW3′s CultureWizard™ Country Profiles
