A Great Change: From “Iran Is Our Inherited Birthright” to “We Will Take Iran Back” S. Rouzbeh ۲۰۲۶/۰۶/۰۹ Why has national identity returned to the streets? S. Rouzbeh explores the growing prominence of “Iran” in protests and social media, and what slogans about reclaiming Iran and the Pahlavi era reveal about belonging, identity and the country’s future. From “Iran Is Our Inherited Birthright” to “We Will Take Iran Back”: why has national identity returned to the streets? S. Rouzbeh — Specially for Gooya Newsletter Why, in recent years, has the word “Iran” become one of the most frequently used words in protests, gatherings and Iranian social media? Why have slogans such as “Iran is our inherited birthright”, “We will take Iran back” and “The Pahlavi dynasty is coming back” spread so quickly among some sections of Iranian society and Iranians abroad? Are we dealing with a few political slogans, or with signs of a deeper transformation in the mind and psyche of Iranian society? No society chooses its slogans by chance. Slogans are the most condensed expression of collective feelings, hopes, fears and experiences. They emerge from people’s everyday lives and sometimes reveal the realities of a society more clearly than hundreds of speeches and articles. At first glance, the slogan “Iran is our inherited birthright” seems like a simple sentence, but it carries an important message at its heart: Iran belongs to the people of Iran. Here, “inherited birthright” does not mean legal ownership; rather, it symbolises the history, culture, civilisation, collective memory and heritage that previous generations have left to those who follow. In Iranian culture, an inherited birthright is not merely a house or a plot of land. It evokes roots, identity, the past and belonging. That is why, when some people speak of “Iran is our inherited birthright”, they are, in fact, emphasising that Iran belongs to all Iranians—not to a party, a faction, an ideology or any particular group. It is in this context that the slogan “We will take Iran back” acquires its meaning. For one takes back something one believes once belonged to them. From this perspective, the issue is not just the land. For many who use this slogan, it is about reclaiming the right to choose, to participate in the country’s destiny, a sense of national belonging and hope for the future. This shift is also historically significant. In 1979, a large proportion of slogans were revolutionary and ideological in character. In 1999, civil liberties were at the centre of attention. In 2009, the vote and political rights came to the fore. But from the protests of 2017 and 2019, and then 2022 onwards, the word “Iran” returned to the centre of slogans more than ever before. This change shows that, for some sections of society, the issue is no longer just the economy or day-to-day politics: national identity and Iran’s future have also become central concerns. This trend has not been confined to inside the country. Millions of Iranians abroad have also connected with these slogans. For many of them, Iran is not merely a geographical place; it is home, memory, language, family and part of their personal identity. For this reason, “Iran” has become a common point of reference for Iranians inside and outside the country—a point that transcends political, generational and ideological differences. In this context, the slogan “The Pahlavi dynasty is coming back” also takes on meaning for some sections of society. Regardless of whether one agrees with or opposes the slogan, some people connect national identity and the experience of modernisation under the Pahlavis with Iran’s future. They point to a period in which projects such as the Trans-Iranian Railway, the expansion of modern education, the development of infrastructure, the country’s industrialisation and economic growth accelerated, and Iran embarked on a path of modernisation. In the eyes of this group, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi is not merely a political figure but a symbol of the continuity of that national and historical narrative. Perhaps the greatest mistake would be to see these slogans as merely a few sentences chanted in the streets. They reflect a deeper transformation. For some sections of Iranian society, the issue is no longer just inflation, unemployment or day-to-day politics. It has reached more fundamental questions: Who does Iran belong to? Who has the right to decide its future? And how can national identity, development and freedom be brought together? Perhaps this is also the secret behind the rapid spread of these slogans. More than speaking about power, they speak about belonging. And at a time when many feel they have lost part of their past, future or identity, no word can create a shared feeling as powerfully as “Iran”. Source: https://srouzbeh.com/en/posts/archive-ce902d34-ca4d-4764-d756-91e07f441a1e Please credit the author and link to this edition.