Where the Shah Went Alone | Reason - July 2003

Where the Shah Went Alone - Iraj Isaac Rahmim

There's nothing quite like the ludicrous cartoonish aspects of a despotic tyrant.  The Dear Leader images everywhere, the inscriptions found in every book, the fawning journalistic coverage, the religious zeal of the street all make it seem more like a movie to the typical American.

So, who am I to judge the experiences of Mr. Rahmim?  He is a Jewish-Iranian, born into a comfortable middle-class, not starving or in need of shelter, yet not fabulously wealthy.  This worked out well for him for the most part.  They weren't poor enough to be too oppressed and not rich enough to be concerned with the danger of politics.

Many Americans do not know much about Iranian history.  We kind of know something about Cyrus the Great or Xerxes, when we remember to connect Persia with modern Iran.  Then there is a gap of over 2000 years until we have the embassy in Tehran captured by supporters of the new theocracy.  Most Americans, of a certain age, know of the 444 day captivity of American hostages.  Iran has been part of the national consciousness ever since.

Mr. Rahmim gives us a quick stroll through the final two Shahi of Iran.  He relates stories from his family.  While I know that they were in danger, I never get the sense that he ever felt threatened as a child.  He was a well-traveled kid, too.  This place doesn't seem like North Korea or even the old Soviet Union.  Iran feels more like a well-to-do country with a uniformed martinet running the show, only he's ok with rapid capital punishment.

The comparisons of culture with his American girlfriend and her family reveals the impact such tyranny can have on adults, but it doesn't seemed to have overly affected Mr. Rahmim.

The Equality Equation put forth is a hoot and a wonderful depiction of a logical mind dealing with envy and esteem issues.

In the end, Mr. Rahmim provides an informative and entertaining glimpse of living in Iran as a kid.  When we mostly know Iran from Ahmadinejad and Persepolis, it's helpful to have another perspective.