'Iranians admire Indian cinema and often mention Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan when you meet them.'
Zameer Abbas Jafri from Mumbai, who is studying theology in Qom and has been living in Iran for 11 years, speaks to Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff about what it is like living in a country under Israeli attack.
I first traveled to Iran in 2014.
I had been to London and from there I visited Tehran. I could not believe that Tehran was lush with greenery and greener than London. There were trees, gardens and public parks everywhere in Tehran.
I was very impressed with Iranian tehzeeb (culture). People addressed each other with great respect. It was just like the Urdu culture in India where 'Aap-Janab' is used.
The Iranian people give importance to Persian poetry and the Persian language in their day to day life.
Iranians welcome you very warmly if you are an Indian citizen. They love India.
I found there was a purdah system for women but the education of Iranian women is exemplary.
Every office in Iran has 30 percent women. It is a myth generated by the Western media that Iranian women were much more liberated under the Shah (Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran), before the Islamic revolution of 1979.
In fact, fewer women were educated under the Shah as he never paid importance to the education of Iranian women. Almost every woman in Iran is educated.
What surprised me the most about Iranian society was that a man has to give dowry to his wife to get married.
Iranian society does not consider a girl child a bhoj (financial burden) on the family.
A man has to buy his house and ensure he will keep his future wife financially secure. Only then can he get married.
When I first went to Iran in 2014; Rs 1,000 in Indian currency was equivalent to Rs 22,000 in Iranian currency.
Thanks to US sanctions, Rs 1,000 today is equal to Rs 8.5 lakh (Rs 850,000) in Iranian currency.
In spite of all this, the Iranian people have not given up. They are very proud of their 7,000-year-old Persian civilisation.
Iranians are of the Shia faith in Islam and don't fear death.
This is why you don't see Iranians running to bunkers when Israel bombs the country.
In fact, Iranians have no bunkers because they do not fear death. Martyrdom is celebrated in Iran.
Sayed Raza Ali has travelled to Iran thrice in the last 11 years. He shares vignettes from his travels:
The first thing you observe in Iran as an outsider is that you will not notice any major global brands like you do in India.
This is visible on the roads of Iran as you see the cars which are locally produced running in Iran or if they are imported they are Chinese brands.
You might see one or two Western cars but they are very few.
What will impress you the most as an outsider in Iran would be the infrastructure of the country which is world class, and, of course, the cuisine of Iran which is also world class.
On my three visits to Iran, the first in 2014, then 2023 and the most recent one in May 2025, I saw Iranian infrastructure in terms of roads improving by leaps and bounds.
I recall traveling from Tehran to Qom (about 98 km) in just one hour in May.
Travel for Indians to Iran is easy.
There are direct flights from Mumbai to Tehran. Previously, Indians needed a visa from the Iranian embassy in Mumbai, but since February 2024 Indian visitors are visa-exempt and can travel without a visa to Iran.
Tehran is a vibrant capital city bustling with energy and modern life.
Qom is a sacred pilgrimage destination and centred around religious learning.
Mashhad, on the other hand, is a deeply spiritual city, home to the Imam Reza shrine (the 8th Imam in Shia Islam).
Iranians are extremely friendly and respectful toward guests.
When my companion and I arrived at Mashhad's metro station and didn't have change for the ticket machine, a station attendant kindly opened the gate for us so we could ride.
Most locals don't speak much English, so not knowing Persian can be a challenge. However, tools like Google Translate can help bridge the gap.
During a conversation with a hotel manager, I learned that many Iranians do two jobs to make ends meet.
The economic situation for every Iranian is not easy and surviving on a single job is very difficult.
There is wealth disparity in Iran for sure, but you do not see slums in Iran.
However, I did notice a year-on-year increase in visibly poor people, especially beggars.
The women of Iran move around freely and safely at night.
I didn't sense any danger at all for them or someone making lewd comments at them.
In fact, I noticed Iranian men often making way for women and treating them with respect.
Iranians hold India in high regard. Simply mentioning you are from India earns you respect.
Iranians admire Indian cinema and often mention Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan when you meet them.
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