Ali Mostofi - Iranian Astrologer and Current Affairs Commentator.

Once a year Iranians actually get quite close to being Iranian. There are two ways of being Iranian. You are either an Iranian, because people tell you that you are Iranian; they could be your parents (usually the case); they could be the colleagues you are seeing all the time. Or you can choose to be Iranian; either because you are in love with Iran (as an Iranologist) , or the people you are with, are not being as Iranian as you, because they are confused (putting it politely).So the questions that pop into your mind are, what is it that makes you Iranian. We have pretty much rejected every political and religious concept in living memory. No one cares about politics or religion. We just know we are Iranian. Being amongst foreigners, we were forced to always express the Iranian version of any topic With the invention of internet every Iranian outside Iran began collecting Iranian cultural entities as the enemy within was systematically wiping out Iran. The people within Iran resisted from the moment music was banned in 1979. Red alert, and Iranian culture was threatened.Now every year the Iranian way of celebrating the coming of the Spring season really shows how unique we are. Astrologically the first milliseconds of the coming of Spring is part of the Iranian DNA. Iranians are seriously into sharing into this moment whenever it happens. It changes but we all get together and do the countdown. The time is calculated by NASA as the Verbal Equinox. This union amongst Iranians is the most powerful force in Iran throughout time. No one in Iran is left out of this moment in Iran. Nothing has managed to stop Iranians celebrating Nowruz.But, how many of you really know what it means? Let me start with the Haftseen. It has survived the Islamic Inquisition by people remembering seven things starting with the s sound. Now it had to be as such so that the traditon would remain. But that is wrong. This is why. The seven Ss come from the word Sepanta which is part of a longer name of Ameshasepanta. It means never ending principle. So what are these never principles. They are the four basic elements of Earth Fire Air and Water plus the three forms of Life, Humans Animals and Plants. Each of these has to be represented on the Spring Festival table. Now this concept of Life worship is what we Iranians have cherished. It is what ties us together once a year and holds our identity. It actually holds us everyday and makes us appreciative or as we say har rooz or every day is Nowruz. This is why the Iranians can just go about their lives without any other sacred concept. A new Iran will be based on just loving and taking care of life. Hopefully you now will know what a true Iranian is. Only when all Iranians do not mix or get confused about Iranian concepts, will the identity of Iran become alive. Right now the nation is being misrepresented and very little is being done about it correctly. The Iranian writers themselves use the word Iran to describe activities not related to Iranians. This very simple act has led the world to misunderstand our culture. Just look at how many people will not see the unity in Iranians during Nowruz and think that there is no opposition. Fact is that the Iranian culture is the main opposition to non-Iranians. But it is not an opposition in the political sense. It happens to be a way of life that the non-Iranians don't like. Iranians frame of mind accepts all life. It is the non-Iranians that don't want to accept us. That is why we do not oppose them, but they oppose us. A new Iran is naturally inclusive.