____________________________________________ 5 IICC Perspectives The ruling class during the Shah’s time were the “men of the king,” and today they are the khodi, a Persian word meaning “our own people.” They adopt, outwardly, the worldview of senior clerics and comply with the dress code the regime imposed upon them. In Iranian society, there is a clear distinction between a khodi and someone who is not, and the attitude of the regime toward you is shaped accordingly. Worship of power is characteristic of Iranian culture. Consideration for others, vacillation and the failure to firmly stand by one’s principles are perceived as weaknesses to be exploited. Power and strength are treated with attention and usually submission. If an Iranian thinks you cannot harm him, he will not take you seriously or respect your demands, and at best will ignore you, both in private and in national life. The Iranians worshipped the Shah until he showed weakness and failed to act as expected to suppress the imminent revolution. Those same obedient Iranians suddenly became heroes and took to the streets the moment they sensed the ruler’s weakness, crying out “The king is dead – long live the new king.” They always follow the strong... Consideration for others, vacillation and the failure to firmly stand by one’s principles are perceived as weaknesses to be exploited..A patriotic, proud society “The dignity and greatness of the Iranian nation” is a common phrase which enlivens in the statement and speeches of every average Iranian politician. Inflated national pride is the basis for any negotiation and an offense to it will prevent a dialogue from beginning. The rulers of Iran show signs of megalomania, likely rooted in the glory of the past. A prominent character trait of the last Shah, Pahlavi, it has not bypassed the leaders of Iran since the Islamic Revolution. Khamenei, in his speech in Fars Province on May 4, 2008, claimed that “everything in Iran is the best in the world; under Islamic rule, the Iranian people, and especially its youth, are the happiest, freest, wisest and most intelligent in the world.” Iran's centrality in the Islamic world is not an invention of the mullahs. The Shah and his predecessors also viewed Iran as a leading regional power, and their megalomaniac ambitions, their perception of themselves as superior to Arabs and other Muslim peoples, and their striving to gain legitimacy as Shi’ites, further fuel their current aspiration for hegemony over Islam. Any Iranian, wherever he may be, will protest bitterly if someone mistakenly calls the Persian Gulf the “Arab Gulf.” Even outspoken regime opponents, including those who fled abroad to avoid government persecution, will strongly object if “the good name of Iran” is attacked. A prominent feature of the national character is pride, shifting between the elevated, sublime Iranian self-image and the Shi’ite self-image, which embodies a sharp sense of inferiority and existence under a burden of oppression and humiliation from
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