Ay Dokhtare

I am the Islamic Republic of Iran and there are many misconceptions about me, but I am here to answer your many questions and enlighten you!

[ask-iran]

A familiar face.

[Roshanak Bahramzadeh. Iran. First time I have drawn her in a good while. Hello everyone]

[ask-iran]

((I’m a bit busy lately with work and commissions, but here’s some doodles of Iran and Tajikistan! 

Iran is wearing traditional dress from the village of Abyaneh, and Tajikistan is wearing some Kulobi dress!))

[ask-iran]

A familiar face.

[Roshanak Bahramzadeh. Iran. First time I have drawn her in a good while. Hello everyone]

[ask-iran]

[forgive me for my long absence, while I don’t associate myself with hetalia anymore, I still have a great fondness for Iran/Roshanak and will hopefully one day return to this blog. It’s kind of funny to see that even after all these years, people still like/reblog/follow my work and it is kind of nostalgic to see.

I hope you all have been doing well! :) see you soon, maybe!]

[lecantina]

¡Yay! i have finished this drawing for 14 of february.  I know, i know: i get obsessed for these old geezers, but… Hey! They are cute, the history that they have is cute. 

Like always; Iran is from @ask-iran (I’m so sorry for draw your character without permission…) 

[ask-iran]

((So cute! Thank you for drawing Iran khanoom ❤️ she’s adorable!))

[ask-iran]

According to Hetafacts Age Theory a nation physical age depends on the following: Dependency and Self-sufficienty, Status and Power, When they were born and Economy. So it seems that the countries age isn't the only factor that determines the physical apperance of a national personification. So I don't think that the same logic would appeal to Israel because of it's quickly reached prosperity despite having been surrounded by enemies since it's birth. But I'm not trying to tell you what to do.

((I do not subscribe to 'Hetafacts' whatever theory, I do not subscribe entirely to hetalia's constructions of personification, I do my own independent academic research that informs the way i interpret personification and the way a historical/cultural entity is constructed. There wasn't a cohesive "Iranian identity" back in 500BCE, but she existed as a coalition of linguistic-cultural tribes, with one pertaining hegemony in the Empire. Projecting the nation-state backwards on formations of culture existing before the concept is not how I define Iran or other cultures that exist in nation-states.But regardless, you predicated your previous ask on the "newness" of identity. I want you to know that Palestinian identity [which, like all identities, are not static or fixed] has roots further back than the 1960's. This line of thinking is used as a rhetorical tool for anti-Palestinian liberation propaganda, by the way. I want you to examine why you feel this way particularly towards Palestine and what materials you are reading regarding Palestinian culture and history. Anyways, end of discussion. this blog is about Iran.))

[ask-iran]

Shouldn't palestine be a toddler because there was no palestinian identity before the 1960s?

((Would you apply the same logic to the modern state of Israel as the notion of a modern Israeli identity is also a recent construction?

Anyways, no.))

[ask-iran]

This isn’t really an ask more of a thank you for having such a pretty and amazing design for Iran ❤️

((Thank you! I did take a lot of time to develop her design so I’m thrilled people still love how I’ve personified her! Though I have neglected this blog for quite some time, I still appreciate the kind words and messages of recent followers who are discovering this blog. 

On another note, due to the recent earthquake in the areas of Kurdistan/Iran/Iraq, I wanted to share some resources for folks outside of Iran to donate to regarding disaster relief--though these resources focus more on Iran, I welcome other suggestions. 

My dear friend Alex Shams wrote a guide primarily for US citizens because of how US sanctions on Iran affect how Iranians are able to receive relief from US sources. He lists a number of organizations in this NIAC guide here: [1] They are as follows, Relief International, Child Foundation, and Children of Persia.

The Iranian Alliance Across Borders (IAAB) org’s twitter suggested Mothers Against Poverty World Wide as they have an existing presence in Kurdistan and are largely volunteer based: You can donate here: [2]

There is also the Imam Ali Popular Students Relief Society, they accept monetary donations thru several locations and the instructions to do so can be found here: [3]

Thankfully, my friends in the area are fine--but there are people in the areas affected who need help wherever they can get it. I urge those who are able to spare some donations to please do so!))

[cuscatlanaziz]

been awhile since I’ve drawn dear iran khanoom

[ask-iran]

((I’m a bit busy lately with work and commissions, but here’s some doodles of Iran and Tajikistan! 

Iran is wearing traditional dress from the village of Abyaneh, and Tajikistan is wearing some Kulobi dress!))

[ask-iran]

((A quick doodle of my Bangladesh design and Iran! 

Recently, both countries have set the ground for further cooperation diplomatically, academically, and scientifically, with Iran promising to share it’s engineering capabilities with Bangladesh)). 

[ask-iran]

((I’ve gotten a few commissions out of the way, so here’s an inktober sketch of Iran and a couple of quickly colored doodles! Real updates are on the way, friends! Thanks for being patient :) ))

[ask-iran]

((Ask-Iran’s next Featured Iranian Artist is one of my personal favorites: Nedlook! 

Nedlook is a handmade jewelry brand by Neda K., an Iranian woman based in Michigan, that is described on @alangoo as:

“…[taking] inspiration from Persian tile designs. It features beautiful pieces to preserve the unique designs of old tiles and ceramics made centuries ago in Persia (modern day Iran) and shares the beauty of this country with people who have a special place in their hearts for this land.”

Neda K. designs bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and even cuff-links! Though, what seals the deal for me personally, is that she always has the cutest little packaging and personal ‘thank you’ notes! To support her and purchase her stuff, visit any one of these sites: 

Alangoo, Etsy, Persian Basket. Nedlook also has an Instagram!))

[ask-iran]

((mamnoon, doosteman :) Man khoob hastam.

Finding references for Iranian women’s clothing during the early Medieval centuries is pretty tough, but here’s a quick doodle of  Iran Khanoom during the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum [1077 CE - 1308 CE]. Though the Seljuks themselves were Turks, their rule was marked by the flourishing of Persian culture, through arts and architecture and the adoption of Persian as the court language. It was also a period in which the Turko-Persian cultural tradition was maintained.

full view here))

[ask-iran]

((Some doodles of Khuzestani Iran and Bandari Iran, plus a sketch of Iran dancing Bandari with @dromedarypenguin ‘s Iran, Shirin!! 

Sorry for not updating so much, still busy with commissions!))

[ask-iran]

((Don’t apologize, I’m happy you can talk about this. I cannot tell you how to feel, no one but you has the authority to define your identity. I am not a mixed Iranian, but the things I can say is that there is nothing harmful about you wanting to rediscover a significant part of your roots. Light skin does not negate your claim to ME ethnic heritage. Your Jewishness does not negate your Iranian-ness. Iranians are diverse in ethnicity, cultures, and religion, there are Iranian Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians…but this is all I can say. Oh, and that I’m sure your features are lovely! I know Self-love is a difficult journey but I wish you luck and support.

Instead I talked to mixed and non-mixed Iranians about this, here a few lovely people here under the cut, but if any of my mixed iranian followers want to reply or give their expereinces/advice, you’re more than welcome to!:

Keep reading

[sailorcorgimoon]

My father is from Iran, and my mother is a WASP raised in NoCal. When my father came to this country he had the intention to assimilate, and his relationship to his family is…uhh…complicated. I too have a very limited connection to my Persian routes, and don’t feel 100% right with claiming an identity in a white space or an Iranian space (or a POC space tbh). I’m light brown, so I get the “what are you?” questions, but I can also pass for white. I know a handful of words in Farsi, and my main connection is with the Persian New Year (No Ruz). 

My father is not a Muslim and neither am I (I’m a Unitarian Universalist). Like, I’ve met a few people who were full Persian and not Muslim, and there’s definitely still a bunch of cultural things I’m an outsider to. (Also, I’ve heard that there were a lot of Jewish Iranians that left around the revolution, so that might be a good place to look?) 

Anyways, I’ve found some comfort and communion with other multi-racial folks who are white passing and/or ambiguously brown and/or raised in white culture. Just sort of talking about our struggles around what identity to claim. So, I’m just going to reiterate @ask-iran in saying that identity is complicated, you can identify as Middle Eastern, and you can keep exploring that side of your culture. You can also contact me if you’d like. 

[ask-iran]

((Don’t apologize, I’m happy you can talk about this. I cannot tell you how to feel, no one but you has the authority to define your identity. I am not a mixed Iranian, but the things I can say is that there is nothing harmful about you wanting to rediscover a significant part of your roots. Light skin does not negate your claim to ME ethnic heritage. Your Jewishness does not negate your Iranian-ness. Iranians are diverse in ethnicity, cultures, and religion, there are Iranian Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians…but this is all I can say. Oh, and that I’m sure your features are lovely! I know Self-love is a difficult journey but I wish you luck and support.

Instead I talked to mixed and non-mixed Iranians about this, here a few lovely people here under the cut, but if any of my mixed iranian followers want to reply or give their expereinces/advice, you’re more than welcome to!:

Keep reading

[shahrzadghessehgoo]

@ask-iran it might help anon to know as well that light skin does not negate your Iranian-ness in the least. I’m Zoroastrian and Jewish as far as the religious mixing in my family goes and ethnically Persian and I can’t tan worth a damn. My hair is auburn, eyes are hazel. I get mistaken for farangi often, which irks me to no avail, lol. Anon has features and coloring not at all uncommon among her Iranian roots. While shadism is a big subject, mostly because of the negative connotation of darker skin, shadism being used against your heritage because you’re so light is also unfair. You definitely can identify as Iranian and ME because that’s your birthright just as being Jewish is. And you’re always welcome among your fellow Iranians here on tumblr for help and advice. When you’re denied a piece of who you are, you’ll feel lacking otherwise. I hope you find acceptance among us here.