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About Persians
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Persians are not Arabs, any more than Koreans are Japanese.
The question, “Are Persians the same as Arabs?” is a common
one that is asked here in the Western world. Search the internet for an
answer, and many different sites and forums come up each with a
different response. Unfortunately, the average American’s study of
history usually starts with the Ancient Egyptian civilization, followed
by the Greeks, Romans and then somehow skips to Christopher Columbus’
discovery of the New World. That other distant civilizations developed
in between those periods is new information to many. Studying our
Eastern neighbors opens an entirely new world of history, culture and
achievements. |
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This site will look
at Persia, which at one point had been one of the greatest empires of
all time. From this great culture we gained beautiful art seen in the
masterful woven Persian carpets, melodic poetic verse, and modern
algebra. It is referred to as an “ancient” empire, but, in fact, some
Persian practices, such as equal rights for men and women and the
abolishment of slavery, were way ahead of their time. The fall of this
great dynasty to Islamic control in 633-656 will also be touched upon.
Since that time, surrounding Arab nations have forced the former power
to repeatedly restructure changing former Persia into present day Iran.
(see “Renaming Iran”
for more information). But with history and culture this rich, it is
to no surprise that Persians want to be distinguished from others
including their Arab neighbors.
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How can we clarify the appropriate use of the term “Persian”? Shall
it only be used when referring to the times of the great ancient Persian
Empire? Does it really define a nation? Persia is now thought to be
synonymous with Iran, but do either of those terms define the myriad of
ethnic groups within the country, such as the Kurds or Turks, those who
neither identify themselves as Persian nor speak the Persian language of
Farsi? Or should it simply be used to identify goods and wares we have
all become familiar with like the Persian cat or Persian rug? This
website will look into what is really behind the name “Persian” by
briefly discussing its rich history and unique culture. And perhaps finally one will understand why Persians are not Arabs.
We also recommend visiting Persian.asia for more information pertaining to Iran & Iranians.
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