29 April 2003

An Iranian political scientist complained the textbooks in the Iranian schools paint a distorted picture of history, in particular the history of the ancient Iran, noting what they impart to students is far from true.

Addressing a gathering in the Artists Home on Tuesday, Dr. Hermidas Bavand said since the 19th century there were systematic attempts originating from India, and then Bahrain and Afghanistan to undermine cultural principles. As part of this campaign, the (Persian) language was squeezed in a bid to cut off our mutual bond, he remarked, expressing regret that there are now three trends operating to ruin the past.

The first include those with a dogmatic view on the past, axing part of the Iranian history which dates back to before the Islam, he elaborated. The second group are residual elements of those affected by the 19th century socialist ideas who believe the ancient Iranian history, save the Sassanids, are fabrications of Jews, ruling out any place for Iranians in the human civilization, Dr. Bavand continued. The third group comprise ethnically inspired movements that tend to make distinctions in history, he remarked.

Prior to the 19th century, the Iranian society had no idea about the Achamenides but late in the century translation of Greek historians' works including Herodotus and Xenophon brought awareness of the ancient Iranian history to the society at large. Elaborating on the Medes rule, he stated the Iranian history started with the Medes in 8th C. BCE who gave the status of a state to iIan, while he called the Mede king Cyaxares the first liberator in the country's history for freeing the Iranains from the yoke of the Assyrians.

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