2008 Woodie Awards
Iranian lecturer provides passport to her native country
Third discourse in International Studies Symposium explores Iranian culture
By: Bryan Coplin
Issue date: 10/4/07 Section: Lifestyle
- Page 1 of 1
In the third International Studies Symposium Series lecture, Dr. Tahmineh Entessar, a history, politics and international relations lecturer, stressed the ethnic basis of Iranian differences from the rest of the Middle East. Entessar emigrated from Iran to the United States with her family around high school.
Modern Iranians are of Persian descent and are not Arabs. Iranians are tied to Arabs in the Middle East only through Islam, Entessar said. The lecture encompassed Iranian history from the beginning of the settlement of Iran to the Persian Empire to the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
Students in two international studies courses were required to attend the lecture. It served as a supplement to a book they had been reading in class, "Prisoner of Tehran."
The book describes how Marina Nemat immigrates to Iran with her family as a young Russian Orthodox. She is imprisoned and eventually released after agreeing to marry one of her captors and converting to Islam. She currently lives in Canada.
Nemat stresses that the persecution she endured was religious intolerance, but because she challenged religious
authority.
Entessar contrasted Iranian culture to American culture. She described Iranian culture as more relaxed about timeliness while having religion integrated far more in everyday life.
"Religion is the basis for cultural norms, social norms and political norms," said Entessar.
International studies students were required to attend the Symposiums and write papers about their content.
"I found the lecture really interesting, but I would like to have heard more about 'Prisoner of Tehran,'" said Caza Patkovic, an undecided freshman.
There are six Symposiums a semester. The first was about Brazilian culture, the second about collective cultures.
"We look for diversity in content," said Mathias Jackson, department associate for the Center for International Education.
The next Symposium will be held on Oct. 23 and will center on India. It will be led by Bindu Gangadharan.
Modern Iranians are of Persian descent and are not Arabs. Iranians are tied to Arabs in the Middle East only through Islam, Entessar said. The lecture encompassed Iranian history from the beginning of the settlement of Iran to the Persian Empire to the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
Students in two international studies courses were required to attend the lecture. It served as a supplement to a book they had been reading in class, "Prisoner of Tehran."
The book describes how Marina Nemat immigrates to Iran with her family as a young Russian Orthodox. She is imprisoned and eventually released after agreeing to marry one of her captors and converting to Islam. She currently lives in Canada.
Nemat stresses that the persecution she endured was religious intolerance, but because she challenged religious
authority.
Entessar contrasted Iranian culture to American culture. She described Iranian culture as more relaxed about timeliness while having religion integrated far more in everyday life.
"Religion is the basis for cultural norms, social norms and political norms," said Entessar.
International studies students were required to attend the Symposiums and write papers about their content.
"I found the lecture really interesting, but I would like to have heard more about 'Prisoner of Tehran,'" said Caza Patkovic, an undecided freshman.
There are six Symposiums a semester. The first was about Brazilian culture, the second about collective cultures.
"We look for diversity in content," said Mathias Jackson, department associate for the Center for International Education.
The next Symposium will be held on Oct. 23 and will center on India. It will be led by Bindu Gangadharan.
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