Iran: The Tigers Grow Hungry
Is Iran a Shakespearean drama with the last act yet to come? This essay was inspired by a February speech by Canadian (former MPP), Goldie Ghamari, passionate Iranian patriot and friend of Israel.
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Few nations in history can claim the depth of culture, learning, and civility that Iran once did. From the grandeur of Persepolis to the humanistic principles enshrined by Cyrus the Great, Iran has long stood as a beacon of civilization. Yet, in the last four decades, this proud nation has been reduced to an international pariah—its people crushed under theocratic rule, its legacy of tolerance and modernity hidden behind a theocratic veil.
Iran Before the Revolution: A Modern, Thriving Nation
Iran, in the mid-20th century, was a rising power. Under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, the country embraced modernization, prosperity, and openness to the world. Women were granted the right to vote in 1963, the economy grew rapidly, and Iran became an industrial power. The Shah, educated in Switzerland and keenly aware of Western advancements, sought to elevate Iran through ambitious reforms, including the White Revolution—a series of social and economic measures such as land redistribution, literacy programs, and expanded rights for women.
Iran, contrary to today’s image, was one of the most progressive and least anti-Semitic countries in the Middle East. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), even in recent surveys, has noted that Iran remains less hostile to Jews than its Arab neighbours—a testament to an enduring history of Persian-Jewish coexistence.
The Shah himself was a firm supporter of Israel, establishing trade and military ties. In 1975, he famously declared:
“I do not see why Iran and Israel cannot cooperate. We are both ancient civilizations and have common enemies who seek to divide us.”
This was not an isolated sentiment. The Jewish community in Iran flourished under the Shah, contributing significantly to Iranian society in fields such as banking, medicine, and academia. Iranian Jews were ministers, academics, and business leaders, a stark contrast to their later persecution under the theocratic regime.
The Islamic Revolution: A Hijacking of Iran’s Identity
The 1979 Islamic Revolution, led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, marked a dramatic fissure between Iran's past and present.
The revolution, which promised to overthrow the perceived tyranny of the Shah and establish a "government of the oppressed," quickly devolved into a theocratic dictatorship. The new regime, steeped in a radical interpretation of Shia Islam, viewed the Jewish community with suspicion, branding them as agents of Zionism and imperialism.
The Islamic Republic transformed Iran from a modernizing, forward-looking nation into a repressive theocracy.
Women, who once studied in universities and held professional roles, were veiled and segregated. Jews, once integral to Iranian society, were suddenly accused of being Zionist spies. Ayatollah Khomeini himself made clear the new regime’s position:
“Israel must be wiped off the map.”
Iran’s Jewish population, once over 100,000, has since dwindled to less than 10,000, with most fleeing to Israel or the United States. The synagogues, businesses, and schools that once flourished now exist under state-sanctioned repression.
The same nation that rescued Jews under Cyrus, welcomed them under the Shah, and traded with Israel in the 1970s had, within a few years, transformed into one of the world’s most virulently anti-Semitic regimes.