It was the first week of September 2000.

Yes, you read it right – 2000. That was 24 years ago.

“Tārīkh-e difā‘-e shomā bisto hamtum-e (The date of your [MA thesis] defense will be on the 27th [of Shahrīvar] (September 17),” the lady secretary of the Chairman of the Department of International Relations at the Faculty of Political Science and Law of Shahid Beheshti University informed me.

“Hatman khānom-e shomā hozur dashte bāshad (Your wife must be present [during the defense session]),” Khanom-e Marandi added.

“Bebinam chun khabghahe-ma dar Qazvine va unja hastand (Let me see because our dorm [for couples] is in Qazvin [City] and she is there,” I replied.

“Eshkale nadareh, mehman-e ma bashid (No problem, be our guests).”

After much persuasion, I finally gave in to be her family’s guests.

On the morning of the day (September 16) before the thesis defense session, my Roommate and I made the 2-hour journey from Qazvin to Tehran, and then from the southern bus terminal to Shahid Beheshti University in the north of the capital. From there we, along with Mrs. Marandi, took a university bus heading toward the southern part of Tehran where her family lived. The southern neighborhoods are typically home to low and middle-income families, with apartment prices much lower than in the northern parts of the city.

Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the Marandi family—her husband and two children, Shereen (if I remember correctly) and Babak (a name I won’t forget easily, as any Magindanawn, Iranun, or M’ranaw would understand).

Khanom-e Marandi made a special effort with dinner when she learned that my roommate and I were celebrating our first wedding anniversary. To our surprise, they even gave us their master bedroom while they all slept in a smaller room.

This overwhelming hospitality all began with a simple yet heartfelt invitation that every Iranian offers: “Mehmān-e mā bāshid! (Be our guest!)”

In one word: MEHMĀN-NAVĀSĪ—hospitality at its finest.

Etymologically, MEHMAN-NAVASI is derived from two Persian words: MEHMĀN (guest, visitor) and NAVĀSī which comes from the word NAVĀZĪDAN or NAVĀKHTĀN, meaning to play on, caress, or fondle. In practice, MEHMĀN-NAVĀSĪ means to provide the guest or visitor with the highest level of comfort and amenities ever possible.

This deep-rooted Persian tradition of hospitality led to the establishment of institutions like MEHMANSARĀ/MEHMĀNKHĀNEH (hotel) and KĀRAVĀNSARĀ (caravansary/caravanserai)—the latter being a roadside inn where travelers (caravaners) could rest and recover from the day’s journey.

Now, what can the world expect when an official guest is assassinated in the heart of Tehran – thereby twisting the literal meaning of MEHMĀN-NAVĀSĪ from GUEST-CARESSING to GUEST-STRIKING?

It is interesting to note that NAVĀKHTĀN from where we get the imperative root of NAVĀSĪ also means “to strike” or “to beat” (as one does to a musical instrument).

The world can’t expect anything but “Iran Doom” vs. “Iron Dome”.

Of course, the Mighty Amrika and other Western powers must serve as the “Iron Dome,” believing it to be their God-given duty.

And let’s not forget the loyal neighbors who would again help their darling cousin fend off a swarm of “abābīl” that might come above them all the way from Tehran, all in the name of preserving their centuries-old beloved fiction called ‘ABDULLAH IBN SABA.

Al-ḥamdulillāh, the World Arrogance still clings to the belief that nothing in the world has changed since their clandestine Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916.