63 episodes

There's nothing sensible about what we're doing — like hosting Iran's #1 English-language podcast... until we can't. So get that hashtag ready #FreeAskAnIranian

Ask An Iranian Ask An Iranian

    • Comedy
    • 4.8 • 32 Ratings

There's nothing sensible about what we're doing — like hosting Iran's #1 English-language podcast... until we can't. So get that hashtag ready #FreeAskAnIranian

    Is it safe to visit Iran?

    Is it safe to visit Iran?

    You have lots of questions about Iran, we know! One of which—maybe the third—is likely to be, “Is it safe to visit Iran?”. If you ask us, we’d say yes. If you ask your Home Office, they’d say no. Sure, it’s complicated, and if you’re reading this any time between 1979 and 2029, it’s even more complicated.



    Disclaimer about whether it’s safe to visit Iran:
    We do not, and will never, advocate any travel that contravenes the travel advice provided by your nation’s Home Office. Information about travelling to Iran is constantly changing, so always consult with the relevant authorities before making any plans. Travelling to and inside Iran can be risky, possibly more riskier than visiting London. Don’t say you weren’t warned.



    Questions we also tackle in this episode:




    How safe is it to travel to Iran?



    Who is Micheal of The Red Line podcast?



    Where is the Island of Qeshm?



    What is Stabberstan?



    What language do they speak in Australia? (spoiler, it’s not kangaroo)



    Is George an Iranian name?



    What does it take to get you jailed in Iran?



    What should I do when the Iranian police want to delete photos from my SD card?



    Who is TikTok for? (spoiler, it’s commie kids)



    Are people and government the same?



    Are politics and religion the same? (they are in Iran)



    Is it safe to travel as a tourist in Iran?




    You can find Daisy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d_lorenzi/



    And Michael’s podcast can be found here: https://twitter.com/TheRedLinePod



    And you can read more here!



    Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog



    Image credit: European tourist begging for help in a fictional traditional Iranian setting, made using images generated with MidJourney and edited specifically for Ask An Iranian, 2023.



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    • 1 hr 25 min
    Baba, why did you circumcise me?

    Baba, why did you circumcise me?

    We put it out to our Iranian audience. We asked them if they prefer their men cut, i.e. circumcised. They mostly preferred it. We also asked them if they think being cut is a good idea. They mostly thought it was a good idea. Lastly, we asked them if they would have their next male child cut. They were kinda 50/50 on this. Where did the enthusiasm for circumcision in Iran go?!



    The practice of circumcision goes way back — like 15,000 years back. Yes, apparently Egyptians are depicted as performing circumcision before Judaism and Islam adopted it into their rituals. Fast forward to the modern day and we now have health reasons to help perpetuate this practice. In fact, health was the main reason given to us by our audience for why they think it's a good idea. Another top listed reason was beatification.



    Some of the questions we get answers to in this episode




    Do Iranians circumcise their boys?



    Are women circumcised in Iran?



    Does female genital mutilation (FGM) happen in Iran



    Why do Iranians think circumcision is a good idea?



    Where did the practice of circumcision come from?



    Why do Muslims circumcise their boys?



    How did one of the Ask An Iranian host's circumcision in Iran go?



    Is circumcision common in Iran?




    Read more here!





    Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog



    Image credit: image of a circumcised banana representing a golden penis, or "doodool tala" as Iranians say. All of the Ask An Iranian podcast covers are available as NFTs here.



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    • 1 hr 23 min
    How deep will an Iranian uncle’s love go?

    How deep will an Iranian uncle’s love go?

    You might have uncles, and you might have aunties. Iranians, however, have uncles, and they have uncles, and they have non-uncle uncles. This is because the titles given, differ, depending on the relation. Although this is not unique to Iran, there are many uniquely Iranian things that the world needs to know about Iranian aunts and uncles. What are they? Like any good Iranian uncle, we attempt to get deep into things.



    In this episode, we discuss the Persian words for aunts and uncles. We also let you know why Iranians, seemingly, have different feelings towards their aunts and uncles, depending on if they are your mother or father's sibling. As if that wasn't enough, we get into the good, the bad and the ugly Persian terms that involve Iranian aunts and uncles.



    We believe that comedy can help highlight disturbing topics by helping bring about awareness, and subsequent change for the better. In this episode we tackle one of the more disturbing ones: that of child abuse. We’ve heard anecdotal evidence of such happenings, and elude to this during our conversation. We conclude the conversations about this with a warning to those that might fall prey to such horrors. It goes without saying that we find such crimes against children abhorrent.



    Questions we also get answers to in this episode



    What is the Persian (Farsi) word for uncle?Why are some Iranian aunts and uncles more important?What is the Persian (Farsi) word for auntHow many words are there for aunt and uncle in Persian (Farsi)?Why do Iranian uncles and aunts answer you with their own title?How do you say aunt and uncle in Persian (Farsi)?Why is a Dāi better than an Amoo?What Persian (Farsi) phrases, idioms or terms use aunt or uncle?Why is a Khāleh better than an Ammeh?What are the gender neutral terms for aunt and uncle?Who is Amoo Sabzi Foroosh?What Persian (Farsi) phrases use aunt or uncle?Are there gender neutral terms for the words aunt and uncle?





    Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog



    Image credit: Remastered image based on the promotional poster for the Iranian movie, "Amoo Sabzi Foroosh", edited by Ask An Iranian, 2022. This artwork has been used for the related podcast episode cover. All of the Ask An Iranian podcast covers are available as NFTs here.



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    • 45 min
    WTF are NFTs and why are Iranian artists into them?

    WTF are NFTs and why are Iranian artists into them?

    [NOTE OF WARNING: please read below before setting up an account for NFTs.]



    How much is a really good replica of a Mona Lisa worth? It might only be worthy of wiping your rear with — which should come as no surprise to you. This is because she’s a one-off work of art, or “non-fungible”. The digital realm has brought many great things with its advent, but until recently, freely replicating information made digital ownership very fungible. This has changed with the introduction of Web 3.0.



    We were joined by the Iranian artist, Nightwatcher, who recently shifted from being a regular real-world artist to an NFT artist. The NF part stands for non-fungible, and the T is for token. This means, his art is minted using certain technologies and made available for people to own the rights to. Control-C and Control-P his stuff if you like, he doesn’t mind. You won’t own it in the true sense.



    This gentleman joined us to chat about the changing world of art with respect to NFTs, but also shared with us his experience of the Iranian art scene. He explains these changes are affording Iranian artists—especially—with a new means to be able to avoid restrictions. During our discussion, we also touched upon how emerging technologies, seen with Web 3.0 for example, are changing people's association with the internet and each other.



    Read more here to get au fait with all things NFTs in Iran.



    NOTE OF WARNING: in this episode, we advocate the NFT platform, OpenSea. This company restricts activity for people that are related to Iran. Do not use their services if this description relates to you. Similarly, be warned, other platforms may also have such restrictions. Always check a platform's restrictions before setting up an account.



    DISCLAIMER: Ask An Iranian and Nightwatcher are not investment advisers. All opinions are our own. There are risks involved in placing any investment in securities or in Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and NFTs... or in anything for that matter. None of the information presented herein is intended to form the basis of any offer or recommendation or have any regard to the investment objectives, financial situation, or needs of any specific person, and that includes you, our dear listener or reader. Everything you’re going to hear or read is for informational entertainment purposes only.











    Questions we also get answers to in this episode



    What is an NFT?How do I sell NFT artwork in Iran?Who are the best Iranian NFT artists?Is NFT just money laundering?Who is Crypto Punk?How do I mint an NFT?Which platforms sells NFTs?Did the CIA fund Modern art?What is the Metasphere and how do I get into it?





    Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog



    Image credit: NightwatcherXHomadokht + Ask An Iranian, Acid Ajam remix NFT artwork, 2022. Copyright... to whoever buys it here.



    Read more and find the links on ASKANIRANIAN.COM



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    • 1 hr 24 min
    What's it like being Christian in a Muslim nation?

    What's it like being Christian in a Muslim nation?

    Jesus Christ! We love him! Muslims love him! He’s one of the prophets that we Muslims recognise. In fact, in the Quran, he gets mentioned by name 25 times, making him the most mentioned person in the holy book. You might also be surprised to hear that communities of Christians live among Muslims in Iran — yup! Jews too… but we’ll save that for another time. To help us learn what it’s like to be a Christian in a Muslim nation, we called on a Christian — not just any old Christian though. We called on a priestess, no less!



    Kirsten Wolandt is a pastor at the German Speaking Congregation in Tehran and regularly runs services to a mostly-German expat community in Iran. She agreed to join us for a chat about her experiences of being a Christian in a Muslim nation. During our discussion, we spoke about the many similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam. We also put the priestess’s carols singing skills to the test and sang a song for the occasion of Christmas.



    Questions we also get answer to in this episode



    What’s it like being a Christian in Iran?What are the blasphemy laws like in Iran?What’s it like being a priestess in Iran?Are Iranians very religious?
    And more!



    Find more information about German Speaking Evangelical Congregation in Iran.





    Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati | “Ask An Iranian Outro”, The Devildog | "Carol of the Bells Remix", Approaching Nirvana



    Image credit: picture of a Christmas tree with the symbol for the Islamic Republic of Iran sitting up top, created by Ask An Iranian, 2021.



    Read more and find the links on ASKANIRANIAN.COM



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    • 54 min
    Are all Iranian men mummy's boys?

    Are all Iranian men mummy's boys?

    In Iran we don't refer to somebody as the special child of a family — we refer to them as the golden willy. And, we think that's cute, if not a little sexist. Fret not though dear sisters, because this is not considered a compliment. A golden willy, or "dodool talā" as we say in Persian, can also be described as a mummy's boy. For a gender-neutral term, we say "bache naneh" to imply that a person is spoilt. Now, are there multiple terms in Persian for this because Iranian men are mostly mummy's boys? Seemingly yes — but hear us out.



    Once again—and by popular demand—we invited Shanay to join us and share her perspective. Yes, we couldn't go into a matter concerning Iranian men, without an Iranian women's perspective. We're not necessarily suggesting that Shanay knows more about golden willies than we do... but we kinda are.



    Don't just listen to us though! No, no! Among other related questions, we put it out to our Iranian audience and asked them whether Iranian men are mommy's boys. The results were more frightening than we expected — yes, you were warned. So, wanna know if, how, and why Iranian men have a complex relationship with their mothers.



    Read more here.



    Questions we also get answers to in this episode



    Why are Iranian men mummy's boys?What is the Persian (or Farsi) for mummy's boy?Do Persian women (Iranian women!) like mummy's boys?Why do Iranian mother make "mama's boy"?Is it the fault of Iranian mothers that Iranian men are spoilt?What does Maz Jobrani have to say about "mommy's boys"?Do Persian girls get put off by dating mummy's boys?What does "doodool tala" mean?





    Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati



    Image credit: 3D golden banana on a turquoise background, created by Ask An Iranian.



    Read more and find the links on ASKANIRANIAN.COM



    Check the merchandise out on ASKANIRANIAN.COM/SHOP

    • 1 hr 4 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
32 Ratings

32 Ratings

mahdiyeh_x.b.z ,

i loved it

congratulations for this podcast.it is so entertaining and fun.and I am glad to find this podcast from the digest podcast.good luck
I am waiting for your crazy episodes

Sahabzzz ,

Entertaining,informative and fun!

The show provides an unusual modern twist on an ancient yet unfamiliar nation. It’s entertaining yet informative, with excellent production quality. I’m keen to hear more!

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