Every nation needs allegory to sustain its sense of its own past. Yesterday, we travelled for the last time (at least for a while) to the burial place of the famous Persian poet, Ferdowsi in Tus. I still read the Shahnameh for inspiration. May its dramatic tales live forever!

Cross Cultural Training Essential for Foreign-Bound Personnel - Ignorance Can Land You in Jail commisceo-global.com/blog/cross-cul…

'We're not Muslim enough' fear Turkish Cypriots as poll looms theguardian.com/world/2018/jan…

Behind the veil: Iranian women cast off their hijabs – in pictures theguardian.com/artanddesign/g…

Turkish Delight! Cenk Tosun & the 14 Other Turkish Players Who Have Played in the Premier League 90min.com/posts/5940196-…

Iran bans the teaching of English in primary schools, official says theguardian.com/world/2018/jan…

Iran's easing of drug laws could halt execution of 5,000 prisoners theguardian.com/world/2018/jan…

The Spark Behind Iran’s Unrest: Millions of Defrauded Investors wsj.com/articles/the-s…

Turkey begins assault on Kurdish-held enclave in Syria theguardian.com/world/2018/jan…

Arabian flight: why are nine Saudis playing in Spain before World Cup? theguardian.com/football/2018/…

Only in Saudi Arabia do they keep rich prisoners in the Ritz. theguardian.com/world/2018/jan…

Iran furious as athletes miss out on Winter Olympics smartphones theguardian.com/sport/2018/feb…

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Turkish genealogy database fascinates, frightens Turks al-monitor.com/pulse/original…

Louvre show opens in Tehran as cultural diplomacy thrives theguardian.com/world/2018/mar…

A brilliant overview of the Salafi approach to Islam within Saudi. I don't have as much optimism as the author ᴅʀ. ʜ.ᴀ. ʜᴇʟʟʏᴇʀ 🖖🏾 ⚜️ though. They've indoctrinated generations at school and at mosques. Will take a good few generations to reverse. t.co/l1PXRMRnE5?amp…

Banksy mural in New York highlights case of jailed Turkish artist theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…

EU may offer credit to firms trading with Iran if Trump pulls out of nuclear deal theguardian.com/world/2018/mar…

How Carlos Queiroz turned Iran into Asia’s best World Cup hope theguardian.com/football/2018/…

The Demand for Farsi Translations is About to Go Boom! Are you Ready? - ATC blog #xl8 #t9n #l10n #Iran atc.org.uk/atc-blog/entry…