pound for pound

pound for pound

fiction
edward w pritchard

fiction

Like between people sometimes relationships between Countries have a tendency to be somewhat one-sided leading to turmoil and disrespect over long periods of time. Such has become the relationship between the United States and Iran. Mostly, I say sadly, the fault is on the part of the United States who seem to have historically a vague disrespect and ignorance of one of the great cultures on Earth.

Ask the man on the street in an American State about Iran and the pat answer for the attitude here against Iran will have something to do with the foreignness Americans feel against all Muslim countries. Something about any place that has a call to prayer five times a day starting at 4:30 Am does not seem reasonable and seems out of balance to American sensibilities. Additionally nearly all Americans have secret fears about the fervor of Jihad and aggrandizement that seem to be at odds to the quaint American sense of fair play. Americans have guilt towards our own Country's history of conquest and dislike being confronted by same historically here or elsewhere.

Pound for pound so to speak Iran is one of the most important cultures on Earth. To improve relationships between Iran and America I suggest that more emphasis be put on children in America while in school spending  a little more time learning the pre-Muslim culture of Iran and the Arab world. Having taught History in American classrooms it saddens me to see how little time is spent on the curriculum of history in our schools. In the case of Muslim countries being studied by American students the problem is intensified by our teacher's fears of teaching religion in school.

We should include Iranian history during pre-Muslim times in American schools by using Sassanian art as the medium to teach American students respect for the rich history of the Country of Iran. As we will recall the Sassanian empire in Iran and the nearby environs was the  last period of Persian empire in Iran before Muslim culture there, circa 660,  and it's relationships with Rome, China and India was centered on the politics and strategic warfare of the times. Additionally Sassanian art was and is highly respected in China and India  and Sassanian art is accessible to Americans in our great art museums.

Lastly there is something profound in viewing Sassanian art that has always made me curious about Iran, Zoroasterism- which is a religion slowly and sadly vanishing, and the History of the [nearby to Iran], Arab world in particular. Curiosity leads to knowledge which leads to respect for our fellow citizens of the vast cultures of the world.