Iran–Contra affair

Greece is home to the first advanced civilizations in Europe and has one of the most ex-tense histories of any country, it is considered the framework of Western society. Greece was first consolidated under Philip of Macedon in the fourth century BCE. His son Alexander the Great conquered great amounts of the ancient world, spreading Greek culture and science from the eastern Mediterranean to the Indus River. Today Greece is a democratic and developed country with a developed high-income economy…

been known for getting involved with matters that do not concern them. This is perfect example of this, Iran was doing just fine when their Prime Minister, Mossadegh, but America didn’t think so. They only got scared because they didn’t want Mossadegh in power because they thought that he would choose to align with the USSR. America only wanted to protect themselves and be able to control Iran and their oil. America only wants to increase the number of capitalist states and decrease the spread…

Throughout the late 20th century, the Middle East had been struggling with instability and hostility. Afghanistan had been locked in war between the Soviets and the Mujahideen. Israel and Palestine continue to fight each other after Israel was established in 1948. OPEC raised oil prices after the United States sent aid to Israel causing the oil embargo of 1973. Among these conflicts, a little-known president, Saddam Hussein, would grow to become one of the worst leaders since World War II, and…

substantially benefits Iran’s nuclear program, decreases the amount of time required by Iran to achieve a nuclear weapon or…

Marjane Satrapi writes her autobiography, Persepolis with an omnipotent style. Every once and a while she lets it be known that she is both the author and the main character with quips and commentary on a situation. She especially takes advantage of this in foreshadowing how her relationship with Reza. One of the times she does this really stands out to me, “Apparently, her best friend wanted to go out with Reza… Unfortunately, we don’t always get what we want” (Satrapi 278). In this short…

The life in Iran during Reza Shah’s tenure was full of inequity, harshness and cruelty. This period affected not only the local population, but also the Armenian community. Both “Persepolis” and “The Armenian Community of Tabriz” are bright examples of how indigenous people and unwelcomed non-natives suffered from the decisions that government made. As Satrapi brings up in “Persepolis”, her early childhood was spent in an easygoing way. She was brought up in a well-to-do family. She had mother,…

extremely non-secular country and being an extremely outspoken girl, I would want my parents to make the same decision that Marjane’s parents made. With the large amount of prejudice towards women and the lack of input form the people, the country of Iran is a negative place for a girl like Marjane to develop. A big factor that plays into Marjane’s parent’s decision is the role that women play in a country where religion and state are connected. Marjane’s mother knows first hand the way that…

The safavid religion was mostly straightforward. The old Safavid leader Shah Ismail declared early on that the Safavid religion would be a form of Islam called Shi’ism. However, this did not go over quite so easily. This old leader created a program of people to help convert a mostly Sunni population either by persuasion, or by force. During this time there was a council of religious leaders, the Sunni ulama. The members either submitted and left or were forcefully removed. To help move this…

The United States and Iran: a Strained Relationship For more than a century now, the United States and Iran have shared a very strained relationship. Communism, oil, radical Islam, and nuclear proliferation are just some of the several disputes that these two nations have butted heads against throughout these years. Violations of trust have negatively affected the perceptions each country holds for one another, and the previous leader of Iran was disinclined and unwilling to ease tensions with…

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi tells the story of Marjane’s life as she grows up in Iran during the Iranian revolution. In the beginning, Marjane is young and naive, not fully understanding the impact of the war. Throughout the graphic novel, she experiences a series of major life events, including moving to Austria and losing her beloved Uncle Anoosh. By the end of the graphic novel, however, these events have strengthened her, creating a strong, independent woman who knows the…