Researcher and translator Morteza Saqebfar argues that Iran’s greatest strength has always been its rich culture and civilization — one that once overshadowed other ancient societies and still leaves its mark on both Iran and the West today. Yet, in modern Western historical narratives, Iran’s legacy is often overlooked. Disturbingly, some Iranians have either assisted in this erasure or, through silence, have allowed it to happen.
In a recent interview, Saqebfar emphasized the importance of Iranians taking ownership of their own history. “I’m not in favor of exaggeration,” he said, “but it’s clear that we must be the ones to write our own story. During the West’s intellectual peak in the 18th and 19th centuries, Iran was in the depths of the Qajar era — a time of severe decline. That’s why much of our ancient history, up to the end of the Sasanian period, was recorded by Greek and Roman writers. And from the 19th century onward, most archaeological discoveries about our culture were made by foreigners.”
Saqebfar acknowledged the role of Western scholars, citing Colonel Henry Rawlinson’s groundbreaking work in deciphering the Behistun Inscription. “We owe much to these scholars — that’s a fact,” he said.
He concluded by noting that real engagement with Iran’s ancient history only began during Reza Shah’s reign: “It was only then that we started to seriously study our own heritage — particularly the Achaemenid and Parthian periods, which had remained largely unknown to us until that point.”
Saqebfar: We Have the Tools—Now It’s Time to Tell Our Story
According to Morteza Saqebfar, the Pahlavi II era marked a turning point in Iran’s engagement with its own history. “That period focused on studying and correcting key historical and literary texts,” he said. “Cuneiform was deciphered, the Avesta analyzed linguistically, and essential texts were critically edited. We now have the tools — it’s time to write and reflect.”
On how Iran is portrayed in Western histories, Saqebfar noted that much of the ancient record was written by Greeks and Romans — Iran’s historical rivals. “Almost all of their writings are biased and often deliberately distorted,” he explained.
He pointed out that in the 17th and 18th centuries, as Europe sought to build a cultural identity rooted in ideals like democracy, it turned Greece into a symbol — and demonized Greece’s enemies. “They called anyone who fought Greece ‘barbarian.’ Originally, that just meant ‘non-Greek,’ but Europeans turned it into an insult — and placed Iranians in that category.”
Thinkers like Voltaire and Bossuet even claimed that had Iran defeated Greece at the Battle of Salamis (480 BCE), Europe would have fallen under barbarian rule and lost its chance at freedom. “Such claims show how little they understood the Persian Empire’s values,” Saqebfar said.
He added that not all Greeks held such views. “Philosophers like Plato and Xenophon praised Persian governance. Plato’s idea of the philosopher-king was inspired by Zoroastrian philosophy — something even his students acknowledged.”
He noted that anti-Iranian prejudice among Western historians took root in the 17th to 19th centuries and unfortunately still persists today among some politically biased individuals. “That said, many Western scholars in the past century have strived for fairness,” Saqebfar explained, drawing from his extensive study and translation of works on ancient Iran. “With the exception of one, most have remained impartial. For instance, American author Dan Nardo openly identified Iran’s adversaries in his book The Persian Empire. We need to read such works with caution.”
Saqebfar stressed that despite these biases, Iran’s civilization was too significant to be ignored — even if discussed with prejudice. “However, in recent years, Western books increasingly omit Iran entirely. In major works like Civilizations of the World, Iran is absent. Even in children’s geography and history books in the West, which shape early education, Iran is often missing.”
Saqebfar attributes Iran’s marginalization in Western narratives to several causes, foremost among them lingering anti-Iranian and anti-Eastern biases. “Even European children’s books portray Greece as the beacon of democracy, while depicting Iran as despotic, with its people labeled as barbaric, cruel, and ruthless,” he explained. “Such prejudices foster neglect, which must be challenged. While I’m indifferent to smaller countries, we cannot accept this from the West — a society that claims to uphold democracy and progress and should have no insecurities about our 2,500-year-old empire and rich cultural heritage.”
He stressed that throughout history, Iran was unique as an empire that preserved and fostered culture rather than destroying it. “Like all nations, we’ve had victories and defeats. But when at our strongest — ruling the Near East, including Lydia (modern Turkey), Syria, Lebanon, Mesopotamia (Iraq), and Egypt for over two centuries — we governed justly and without oppression.”
Saqebfar called for a balanced study of Iranian history. “We must avoid exaggeration. Without evidence, we cannot claim that all sciences originated in Iran. Yet, a study of Hegel’s philosophy of nature reveals striking parallels with Zoroastrian thought.”
Regarding protecting Iran’s rights today, he remarked, “Individuals alone can’t defend our heritage; we must act through official channels. For instance, Arabs receive funding to rename the Persian Gulf on maps — such actions demand a firm response.”
