Persepolis the book was published in 2000 and the film was released in 2007. In 1995, the United States enacted sanctions on Iran for groups such as Hezbollah Hamas which are considered terrorist groups in the U.S. (Iran Profile). This sanction has continued, in different variations, to the present. George Bush described Iran as “part of an ‘axis of evil’ that exports terror” in 2002 (Iran Profile). This was due to the potential development of long range missiles in multiple countries, including Iran. Soon after, Iran’s first nuclear reactor was constructed. This was met with opposition from the United States and in 2003, United Nations inspections of nuclear facilities were conducted, finding no evidence of nuclear weapons.
Persepolis (the book) was released amidst these events, sharing a different perspective to readers in the United States who had only seen Iran through a negative political lens.
In 2006, Iran failed to stop its work on nuclear fuel by a deadline set by the UN Security Council, and in 2007, Iran detained 15 British sailors, causing a standoff between the two countries (Iranian Navy). This incident occurred after British sailors entered disputed waters which Iran believes to be theirs. This conflict was soon followed by harsher sanctions on Iran from the U.S. for the failure to suspend uranium enrichment (A Brief History). These sanctions have made the value of currency in Iran fall drastically and have lowered economic growth (Six Charts).
Persepolis (the movie) once again challenged this narrative by providing a glimpse into Iranian life that was less biased by western political turmoil. Due to conflicts between the U.S. and Iranian governments, a 2013 study found that only 5% of Americans viewed Iranians positively, which is the lowest of any country in the world (BBC World Service Poll). Media in the United States focuses on the negative relationship between the two countries, causing the American people to only know the negative side of the story. Persepolis was released in English for a reason, and both the book and movie versions, released during political conflict, have helped western audiences see Iran unobstructed by politics.
Works Cited
“BBC World Service Poll.” BBC.
“A Brief History of Sanctions on Iran.” Atlantic Council, 8 May 2018, www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/a-brief-history-of-sanctions-on-iran/.
“Iran Profile – Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 6 Jan. 2020, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-14542438.
“Iranian Navy Detains British Sailors in Persian Gulf.” NPR, NPR, 23 Mar. 2007, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9112105.
“Six Charts That Show How Hard US Sanctions Have Hit Iran.” BBC News, BBC, 9 Dec. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48119109.