My name is Homand Bahrami. I’m a staff pharmacist at CHA. I was born in Esfahan, Iran, but grew up in Tehran. I came to the United States in 1987 to flee government sponsored persecution of my religion, the Baha’i Faith. I studied Pharmacy at Purdue University. I graduated in 1993. I have joined CHA since 1999 and have made Indiana my home away from home. I love it here, especially the people and the four seasons that remind me of home. I’m married and the father of a girl, 7, and a boy, 5. I became naturalized in 1992. I still have family back in Iran which I keep close contact with through emails, pictures and phone calls.

Most of the people I talked to only knew about Iran through the news. The hostages’ crisis, the loud demonstrations, the stern and severe look on the ayatollahs, etc. didn’t make a very pleasant impression at times. The Iran I knew and keep close to my heart is more than that. The friendly smiling people, the bustling cities, the beautiful mountains that I loved to go up on weekends, the woods, and most of all, my old home town with its centuries old streets, the markets, and the old buildings that have witnessed some three thousand years of history. Iranians’ favorite sport is soccer. I can even say that it’s the unofficial national sport. There is no city, no school, no park, no street corner where you wouldn’t see a match going on, especially in the cool evenings and on the weekends. Iranians also love weight lifting and wrestling and have produced many world champions in these sports. I also miss the food with all the fragrant spices and the rich colors of saffron and paprika. That is the Iran I remember.

Iran

Background
Known as Persia until 1935, Iran became an Islamic republic in 1979 after the ruling monarchy was overthrown and the Shah was forced into exile. Conservative clerical forces established a theocratic system of government with ultimate political authority nominally vested in a learned religious scholar.

Location
Middle East, slightly larger than Alaska, bordering the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, and the Caspian Sea, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.

Climate
Mostly arid or semiarid, subtropical along Caspian coast, rugged, mountainous rim; high, central basin with deserts, mountains; small, discontinuous plains along both coasts

Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, sulfur

Population
68,017,860 (July 2005 est.) Population growth rate 0.86% (2005 est.) Ethnic groups: Persian 51%, Azeri 24%, Gilaki and Mazandarani 8%, Kurd 7%, Arab 3%, Lur 2%, Baloch 2%, Turkmen 2%, other 1%. Literacy: Total population: 79.4%, male: 85.6%, female: 73% (2003 est.)

Religions
Shi'a Muslim 89%, Sunni Muslim 9%, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i 2%

Languages
Persian and Persian dialects 58%, Turkic and Turkic dialects 26%, Kurdish 9%, Luri 2%, Balochi 1%, Arabic 1%, Turkish 1%, other 2%

Government
Theocratic Republic. National holiday is Republic Day, 1 April (1979)

Economy
Iran's economy is reliant on the oil sector. Most economic activity is controlled by the state. Private sector activity is typically small-scale - workshops, farming, and services. Relatively high oil prices in recent years helped the revenues up to $30 billion in foreign exchange reserves. That has not eased economic hardships such as high unemployment and inflation. Agriculture - products: wheat, rice, other grains, sugar beets, fruits, nuts, cotton; dairy products, wool and caviar. Industries: petroleum, petrochemicals, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food processing (particularly sugar refining and vegetable oil production), metal fabrication, armaments.
In 2004, one US dollar equals 8,614 rials.