Gov'ts cannot confront traditions: Iranian expert

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Gov'ts cannot confront traditions: Iranian expert
Tuesday, August 23, 2005 - ©2005 IranMania.com

LONDON, August 23 (IranMania) - A lecturer at Instructors Training (Tarbiat Modarres) University has said that while governments, customs and traditions influence one other, the impact of traditions and customs on governments is greater than that of the latter on the former.

Mohammad Hossein Paili Yazdi told ISNA that governments cannot change the customs on marriage, food, clothing, mourning etc., especially if it has a religious aspect.

"For example, villagers in Khorasan, Sistan-Baluchestan and Lorestan provinces still observe ceremonies pertaining to the years of drought, when there was an acute water shortage, which are rooted in Avesta (the sacred book of the Zoroastrians)," he said, adding that in recent years such ceremonies have been diluted due the weather forecasts and advanced means of communications.

"This is an example of the impact of governments on customs and traditions," he said.

If governments want to confront customs and traditions, they will create problems for themselves but if they are equipped with strong communication equipment, they will be able to change them gradually through long-term planning, he observed.

"Customs and traditions are part of the culture while it takes 3,000 to 4,000 years to form a culture, so the changes in it will take place over a long period of time," Paili Yazdi said.

Customs and traditions can be divided into three types, he said adding the first type is rooted in religion and also advocated by religious authorities and cannot be changed easily. The second category includes those which are completely superstitious and people know that, he pointed out, noting that such customs can be abolished through education.

The final group includes those which are not purely superstitious but have taken up social aspect, he added.

These also do not change easily except under a 10- or 15-year planning, he concluded.

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