Brian Williams' recent interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was broadcast on national TV. Tieless, but wearing his signature sport jacket and perpetual grimace, Ahmadinejad pre-empted his interviewer by calling for the return of the twelfth Imam to cure all the ills of the world including "poverty," "injustice," "egotism," "greed" and "famine," thereby implicitly signaling the viewers that they are at the presence of a global leader, one whose concerns are not only for his own nation, but for the entire "human societies."
When Mr. Williams later asked Ahmadinejad whether he feels responsible for a sagging economy and an "isolated" stance in the world, the Iranian leader countered that the "great nation" of Iran was "fine" and "happy" and infused his comeback with a quick history lesson: that Iranians have a rich culture and heritage, that their history is thousands of years old and that they are "a proud nation" who will not bow to threats or pressures.
Being an Iranian myself and having a vivid memory of the country I left behind 30 years ago, I was both bemused and beleaguered by this response.
Yes, Iranians are a proud nation. Yes they do have a rich heritage and a glorious past. But it is in the past, a very distant one too. Thousands of years have gone by since the time of the mighty Persian Empire, and the world hasn't stood still. Iran's claim to its greatness is the equivalent of an aging debutante, who having dressed beautifully once in a ball, expects to be included in this year's best-dressed list. The world order has changed from empires to sovereign states. Powerful nations have emerged and for now, Iran is not one of them. So why such hubris? Rather, why such an insecurity?
Does Iran suffer from the Napoleon complex or is it only President Ahmadinejad?
To be fair, the behavior of many politicians (of all statures) can often send one scrambling through psychology books. But the odd parallels between the Iranian president and the French emperor beg a second reading of the aptly named chapter.
The Napoleon Complex is a colloquial term used to describe people who overcompensate for their short height by seeking power, war and conquest. To illustrate the reason for this comparison, consider the following: both men were short in stature (even though both were almost average compared to their countrymen), came from humble backgrounds, fought in wars, rose to leadership amidst turbulent times, ruled over 70 million people, dreamed big, talked bigger and thumbed their nose at the rest of the world -- all the while scheming to reshape it by the help of the twelfth Imam or the Napoleonic Code.
As for Iran itself, its fault may be that it is a complex nation without having a complex. Westerners are often left scratching their heads trying to decipher and analyze the Iranians. Who are they and what do they want? Are they for democracy or theocracy? Do they love us or hate us? Why did the Iranians pour in to the streets and held a candlelight vigil for the victims of 9/11? Why chant "Down with USA" when they don't really mean it? Are they truly as normal as Mr. Ahmadinejad stated? If not, who are we to believe?
For starters let's not believe Mr. Ahmadinejad. Iranians are neither "fine" nor "happy". While the French are still puzzled by the legacy Napoleon has left behind both for promoting and hijacking the French revolution‹ the average Iranian quietly denounces Mr. Ahmadinejad's fiery rhetoric and confrontational attitude. However, the Iranian leader was right to claim that Iranians are a proud nation. But, their pride is a very private one, and not meant for public discourse or scrutiny. It manifests itself through their obsessive rituals during the ancient Zoroastrian holiday Noruz, their family gatherings, their warm hospitality and their insistence that their children should speak Farsi and read poetry. They are worried for their future, and having survived a brutal eight year war with Iraq, dread the thought of an impending war with the West when sirens, bombs and missile fires can rule the nights once again. In short, they have no claim to the world and want to live peacefully. That's not a complex. It is having the ill fortune of being misrepresented by their leaders and misunderstood by the world for the past three decades.