The relationship between Arabs and
Persians has always been a source of
controversy, not only owing to the
contemporary power struggle in the
region, but also because of a long
history of rivalry that formed an integral part of the national psyche of
both people. Iranian intellectual Sadek
Zibakalam provides deep insight into
the different levels of this enduring
animosity. I think the majority of Iranians of all
types hate Arabs, and I believe they
hate us, too, Sadek Zibakalam, who is
also a professor at the University of
Tehran, said in an interview with the
Iranian weekly Sobh Azade. Zibakalam said there is a link between
racism and a lack of education, and
pointed out that this is the case in
Europe, where people who express
hatred against Jews or Muslims or
foreigners are mostly uneducated. However, the situation tends to be
different in Iran. The phenomenon of hating Arabs is
very common among intellectuals in
Iran, he said. He added that religious people also
frequently express their resentment of
Arabs, which usually comes in the form
of curses directed at Sunnis. As a matter of fact, Iranians constant
attacks on Sunnis stem from their
hatred of Arabs. This hatred, Zibakalam argued, is not
the product of the current hegemony
conflict in the region, as many people
might suspect, but has its roots in
history. Persians will never forget their defeat
at the hands of Arabs in the Battle of
Qadisiya 1,400 years ago. It is as if a fire
keeps seething under the ashes and is
waiting for the right moment to
explode, he said. Irans attempts to gain supremacy in
the region are not triggered by political
ambition as much as by a racist drive
that pushes Iranians to prove they are
superior, the professor said. Whenever Iran issues any fiery
statement about our neighbors in the
U.A.E, Qatar, or Kuwait, you can easily
detect that they revolve around a belief
that Persians are superior. Listen to our
foreign minister, parliament speaker, or even mosque imams, and you will
notice that derogatory tone they use
and which focuses on the racial and not
the political superiority of Persians. He cited the example of the U.A.E.,
which many Iranians, politicians and
clergy derides in their statements. They would say that if Iranians just
blow some air across the Persian Gulf,
they would wipe the U.A.E off the map,
he said. When asked whether the stance of the
people is similar to that of the
government as far as hatred of Arabs is
concerned, Zibakalam replied in the
affirmative.
Hatred of Arabs deeply rooted in Persians, says Iranian intellectual
Persians has always been a source of
controversy, not only owing to the
contemporary power struggle in the
region, but also because of a long
history of rivalry that formed an integral part of the national psyche of
both people. Iranian intellectual Sadek
Zibakalam provides deep insight into
the different levels of this enduring
animosity. I think the majority of Iranians of all
types hate Arabs, and I believe they
hate us, too, Sadek Zibakalam, who is
also a professor at the University of
Tehran, said in an interview with the
Iranian weekly Sobh Azade. Zibakalam said there is a link between
racism and a lack of education, and
pointed out that this is the case in
Europe, where people who express
hatred against Jews or Muslims or
foreigners are mostly uneducated. However, the situation tends to be
different in Iran. The phenomenon of hating Arabs is
very common among intellectuals in
Iran, he said. He added that religious people also
frequently express their resentment of
Arabs, which usually comes in the form
of curses directed at Sunnis. As a matter of fact, Iranians constant
attacks on Sunnis stem from their
hatred of Arabs. This hatred, Zibakalam argued, is not
the product of the current hegemony
conflict in the region, as many people
might suspect, but has its roots in
history. Persians will never forget their defeat
at the hands of Arabs in the Battle of
Qadisiya 1,400 years ago. It is as if a fire
keeps seething under the ashes and is
waiting for the right moment to
explode, he said. Irans attempts to gain supremacy in
the region are not triggered by political
ambition as much as by a racist drive
that pushes Iranians to prove they are
superior, the professor said. Whenever Iran issues any fiery
statement about our neighbors in the
U.A.E, Qatar, or Kuwait, you can easily
detect that they revolve around a belief
that Persians are superior. Listen to our
foreign minister, parliament speaker, or even mosque imams, and you will
notice that derogatory tone they use
and which focuses on the racial and not
the political superiority of Persians. He cited the example of the U.A.E.,
which many Iranians, politicians and
clergy derides in their statements. They would say that if Iranians just
blow some air across the Persian Gulf,
they would wipe the U.A.E off the map,
he said. When asked whether the stance of the
people is similar to that of the
government as far as hatred of Arabs is
concerned, Zibakalam replied in the
affirmative.
Hatred of Arabs deeply rooted in Persians, says Iranian intellectual
