The story of Iran’s defiance to the United Nations through uranium enrichment activities and the U.S. run-up for a potential war with Iran dominated the world and U.S. news throughout 2007. Black and White conducted an interview with a private citizen living in the U.S. with family in Iran. Since our interview, a U.S. National Intelligence Estimate Report was released indicating that Iran had ceased their nuclear weapon activities in 2003. This prompted many reactions but not a change of the position of the Bush Administration.

In November 2007, John Eastman spoke with Dr. Mary Banihashem about her experiences as an Iranian and American. Born in London, she was raised in Iran and London before moving to the U.S. 14 years ago. Banihashem obtained a Diploma of Osteopathic Medicine and a Masters of Health. Her husband is a doctor at a major Medical Provider in Western Pennsylvania.
Welcome to Black and White. Are you a citizen of the U.S.?
BANIHASHEM: I have a Green Card.

Where were you born?
BANIHASHEM: I was born in London up until a year old and then my family moved to Iran. I lived there until I was nine years old.

Your parents are both Iranian?
BANIHASHEM: Yes.

What were their professions at the time?
BANIHASHEM: I would describe my father as an entrepreneur. He was an architect and engineer and owned his own firm. He built bridges and roads in Tehran. Before my mother married my father, she was a florist. She owned her own business. My mother was 27 years younger than my father. She married my father when she was 22.

Tell me about your youth in Iran.
BANIHASHEM: Mostly what I remember was going to school and coming home and doing things with my family. It was focused around school and then family. I remember many beautiful homes of friends; they were like villas and mansions with elaborate facades — beautiful architecture. I also remember my father taking me to multiple-story buildings that he had been involved in or that he had built. He would say “what do you think of this?” and he would question me of my opinions about the buildings there. He always gave me such confidence and I would revel in this attention. To this day my opinions mean a lot to him and we have a close relationship.

Did he ever show you any of the bridges or roads that he built?
BANIHASHEM: He would show me maps. He would show me blueprints. At first they appeared to be drawings that I couldn’t understand. He would sit down and explain them to me. And I think I was only six or seven and I would sit there with him and he would always have a cup of tea and have me on a chair next to him and go through “this is the doorway and this sign means this. A window is going to go here. This is the first floor, this is the second floor.” And he would go through all of the levels of the blueprint of a plan with me.

So these are very fond memories.
BANIHASHEM: Oh, of course. I don’t know many dads who would take the time and spend so much time with their six year old and go over what he was doing. My mother gave me the inspiration to do and achieve anything I imagined in my mind and this is exactly how she would word it.

Did you see these places when you went back to Iran?
BANIHASHEM: A few of them yes, I did see some of those buildings, of course they did not have the grandeur that I remember. They were sort of worn and older-looking and perhaps in some instances, a little bit destroyed in their upkeep, they were not maintained the way they should have been. There is a lot of new development going on there at the moment as well which was surprising to me.

Was religion a major factor when you were growing up?
BANIHASHEM: We are Shia. Iran is primarily all Shia.

And when you were growing up it was also that way?
BANIHASHEM: It was primarily Shia, many of my friends were from multiple backgrounds. That was the nature of the country at the time. People came from Europe, from the United States, they lived there and worked there.

Was there a Jewish population?
ANIHASHEM: At that time there were, but they have since left. After the revolution their homes and properties were confiscated by the government. They have all left.

Did your parents have a strong religious affiliation? Did you go to a mosque?
BANIHASHEM: No, we were not told that we have to go to the mosque. Of course we were raised Muslims. We had some teachings from the Koran from our grandmothers so we do have a background in it, but nobody forced us to pray every day.

Were your parents political?
BANIHASHEM: No. Of course there was discussions always about what was happening with people who visited and discussions were always part of the daily home life. But whether my parents would feel passionate about to write articles as some of my father’s friends did and be out in the media they did not. He preferred to stay out of the limelight.

The U.S. backed and supported the Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi during that time. He took power in 1941 and ruled for nearly 40 years, until the Iranian Revolution in 1979.
BANIHASHEM: Yes

He oversaw the nationalization of the Iranian Oil industry. It is perceived that there was a considerable amount of western influence in Iran as a result of the relationship with the U.S.
BANIHASHEM: Yes, that’s true. Iran was influence and managed by America.

Was this apparent to your parents or you at the time?
BANIHASHEM: The stores were full of western exports. The stores were identical to the stores in Europe.

So the shops had a western influence. They sold the same products that you would find in Europe?
BANIHASHEM: Actually more to the United States. There was candy there from the United States. There were products imported there in the supermarkets. And I remember how much I enjoyed the American candy.

It is also noted that the Shah, who was a Muslim, lost the support of the Shia clergy, was the first Iranian leader to recognize Israel and this caused him a lot of problems.
BANIHASHEM: Yes, it did.

Did your family benefit from oil resources in Iran, directly or through investments?
BANIHASHEM: I think that everybody did in Iran if they were a professional and in business and so on, but directly I would say no.

Did other members of your family also, not your sisters, but aunts and uncles?
BANIHASHEM: Actually my uncle had to flee the country. My aunts stayed there for many years during the revolution. My uncle was one of the people who was wanted by the government. So he actually had to leave the country, flee Iran. He has not to this day been able to return.

The revolution that you’re talking about is the Iranian Revolution and the overthrow of the Shah of Iran by the Islamic regime. Your uncle was wanted by the new Islamic government?
BANIHASHEM: Yes. He had business there. He had borrowed money. I don’t know to what degree, I’ve never known to what degree his involvement with the government was or why they needed him, but he had to flee the country.

Where is he now?
BANIHASHEM: He is in France, in Paris.