Buzorgmehr Vaziri: Ferdowsi is the Identity Document of Iranian Ethnicities; Depiction of Lion and Sun in Shahnameh

A Shahnameh researcher considers Ferdowsi as the 'identity document of Iranian ethnicities' and tells Voice of America that this renowned poet, contrary to what 'communists and extremist Islamists' claim, is 'neither racist, nor anti-Arab, nor anti-Turk'; rather, he is 'the greatest pillar of Iranian identity.' On the occasion of Ferdowsi Day on May 14, the Persian section of Voice of America interviewed Buzorgmehr Vaziri about Ferdowsi's perspective on Iranian ethnicities and women, as well as the role of Shahnameh in creating national cohesion among Iranians. Abolqasem Ferdowsi, the author of Shahnameh, narrates the national epics of Iranians and is the greatest Persian-speaking poet. This Shahnameh researcher residing in Texas considers the geographical scope of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh to extend from Central Asia, Afghanistan, and present-day Iran, Anatolia, Eastern Europe, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, parts of Yemen to North Africa. Buzorgmehr Vaziri tells Voice of America that 'Ferdowsi is the identity document of Iranian ethnicities' and, contrary to the 'indifference' and what has been 'said by communists or extremist Islamists,' this renowned poet is 'neither racist, nor anti-Arab, nor anti-Turk,' but rather 'Ferdowsi is the greatest pillar of Iranian identity,' and that is why 'he is attacked.' This Shahnameh researcher explains that the depiction of 'Zahhak the Arab' as the 'worst character' in Shahnameh is 'not because he is Arab, but because of his actions'; as 'Mardas, Zahhak's father, was also Arab,' and Ferdowsi 'speaks well of him.' Vaziri also points out that 'Pan-Turks' exploit the issue of Turanians in Shahnameh, noting the difference between 'Turanians and yellow-skinned Turks,' adding that 'Turanians are Aryan Turks,' as according to Shahnameh, 'Ferdowsi, who is the father of Iranian ethnicities,' had three sons named 'Iraj, Tur, and Salm,' and 'Turanians' are the descendants of Tur. According to him, the verse 'Everywhere in Iran is my home' is spoken by Afrasiab, the Turanian character in Shahnameh, because he 'considered himself Iranian, as his father Pashang is a grandson of Ferdowsi.' Vaziri also addresses the criticisms raised about Ferdowsi's view of women, stating that these criticisms reference the line 'Women and dragons are pure from the earth,' which 'has been falsely attributed to Ferdowsi.' He points out that the beginning of Shahnameh with the story of Bijan and Manijeh was based on his wife's suggestion, and 'in that story, you see how lovingly he speaks of his wife.' When Ferdowsi 'talks about Zal,' he uses a metaphor saying: 'On the breast and arm of the lion and sun, the heart of the hero seeks the sword,' meaning he has included 'all three elements of sun, lion, and sword that are seen in the flag of Iran' in Shahnameh. Vaziri emphasizes that 'at least 30 women are mentioned in Shahnameh,' and the presence of 'many women' is also noted without naming them, identifying Gordafarid as the most well-known woman in Shahnameh due to her story of war with Sohrab, and mentions that Sindokht, the wife of Mehrab of Kabul, whose daughter Rudabeh is the wife of Zal and mother of Rostam, is forgotten; while she has 'the character of a politician and ambassador who prevents war between two countries.' This literary researcher states that 'often a couplet from Shahnameh is taken and conclusions are drawn without considering the previous and following couplets,' referring to a couplet from the king of Hamavaran (present-day Yemen) that says 'Know that the one who has no daughter is unfortunate, as when there is a daughter, her brightness is not.' He explains that when this couplet is read in isolation, it seems as if he considers someone with a daughter to be unfortunate. However, the story is that when Ferdowsi proposes to the three daughters of the king of Hamavaran for his sons, he is forced to give his daughters to his sons due to Ferdowsi's power, and that is why 'he was crying and lamenting,' reading this couplet like a father or mother who sees their daughters moving away from him, describing those daughters as 'world-seeing' or 'like his own eyes.' According to Buzorgmehr Vaziri, Ferdowsi expresses his view on women at the end of this poem, saying 'When a child has character and honor, it is dear to the heart, whether female or male'; meaning 'it does not matter if the child is a daughter or a son, but the character and behavior are important.' This Shahnameh researcher emphasizes in his conversation with Voice of America that Iran is not only 'a political empire' but 'a cultural empire that still exists.' He stresses that the ethnic groups of this geographical and cultural expanse 'had customs and beliefs that are present in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh.' Buzorgmehr Vaziri explains: 'Cyrus the Great had a great empire that included many ethnicities, and Thomas Jefferson, who wrote the U.S. Constitution, was inspired by him.' He adds that in Shahnameh 'all Iranian ethnicities are mentioned, including Turks, Arabs, Kurds, Persians, Alans, and the ethnic groups of Khwarezm, etc.' Vaziri considers this feature of Shahnameh as 'a reminder of the great continuous Iran' and emphasizes: 'That is, Iran has not only been a political empire but has been a cultural empire that still exists.' He recalls 'artifacts found in Siberia from woven carpet maps' or 'the depiction of Zal and Rudabeh's courtship' in Shahnameh, stating: 'The depictions that Ferdowsi makes are exactly the same motifs seen on the walls of Persepolis.' Buzorgmehr Vaziri emphasizes that 'we have the first depictions of the lion and sun in Shahnameh,' stating that when Ferdowsi 'talks about Zal,' he uses a metaphor saying: 'On the breast and arm of the lion and sun, the heart of the hero seeks the sword'; meaning he has included 'all three elements of sun, lion, and sword' that are seen in the flag of Iran in Shahnameh.