January 2003 / No. 21

Auto Industry

A commission for culture and industry was organized in honor of ‘Mines and Metals’ day, with the participation of prominent figures in Iran’s industry. The commission intends to forge a new alliance between culture and industry, and facilitate their integration. It comes at a time when the introduction of new technologies, which have never been truly domesticated in Iran, has further widened the rift between culture and industry – making industrial products void of any cultural value for their Iranian consumers.

Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Ahmad Masjedjamei, began his address to the commission by examining art, industry and culture. He said, despite their obvious differences, these three fields share a common origin and all stem from imagination and creativity which should lead to a productive cooperation rather than a hindering opposition.  He explained that when a work of art is created, the artist must mass produce it so it can be presented to the marketplace. This mass production transforms the art into culture and publishing books, taping performances, cinema, music tapes and CDs can all be cited as examples. So culture emerges from creation and subsequent duplication, which is also the most fundamental principle in industry. Thus the essential elements of both culture and industry are the same – both originate from creativity and the drive to invent something.

Masjedjamei continued by assessing the correlation between industry and tradition and said industry, in its traditional form, has a long history in Iran. However, what we now know as industry, which comes from the creation of the steam engine and the industrial revolution, is only about 200 years old. There seems to be a divergence in the concepts of tradition and industry, as even in historical categorizations we see a traditional age and a separate industrial age, on the basis of which countries are divided into industrialized and unindustrialized. There have been debates about the true relation between tradition and industry and no clear answer as whether they compliment, parallel, oppose or are contradictory has been submitted to date. But when I say industry, I mean any factory or workshop that creates wealth and employment and improves the general welfare of society. With this definition, Iran has had a textile industry for at least three centuries – references of which can be found in most of the remaining travel accounts that report on Iran’s fabric and silk weaving workshops. This shows that industrial production is firmly embedded in the Iranian tradition. A further example of this is Iran’s traditional town-design, which is remarkably innovative even today, to an extent that the Malaysians are using Isfahan’s city plans as a model for their internet network expansions. What more do we need to prove that our industry is intertwined with our tradition, when our urban designs from four centuries ago are capable of inspiring the information and telecommunications industries in the twenty-first century? There is no doubt that we were once pioneers in science and technology, but why this trend did not continue through the industrial revolution is a matter to be attributed to factors other than the lack of creativity and talent.

Masjedjamei then turned his attention to the question of whether Iran can have a national industry, and stated that a national industry is one that is an indication of national identity. Every nation has its symbols and the Norooz (New Year) celebrations and the Moharam mourning ceremonies are examples for Iran. When a country’s culture and industry come together, the point of their intersection becomes the national industry. The collaboration of culture and industry is essential as neither is capable of achieving the task on its own. To better illustrate this point, let’s use the auto industry as an example. Every car has some technical and mechanical features that are more or less consistent worldwide, and it is not until the unique cultural considerations of an Iranian is integrated into the car that it can be called a national automobile. So the industry must endeavor to create a car that while providing for the day-to-day needs of life, also has an Iranian identity.

He continued that the national automobile is not merely manufactured by Iranian engineers. Evidence of Iranian taste and talent, pattern and designs, handicrafts and decorations must be in generous display throughout the its interior and exterior. For example, in Iran it is customary to carry some sort of spiritual scripture, be it a prayer or verses from the Holy Koran, in the car. With no clear religious justification, this is a reality all-the-same. Now, why haven’t we designed a special place for this or other symbols of our culture and belief in our national automobiles, in the same way that we have designated a place for our audio entertainment systems? Why haven’t we created an industry that is an indication and expression of being Iranian, not just in a geographical sense, but in a comprehensive cultural sense? A national automobile that establishes a cultural connection with its Iranian consumers will become attractive and popular in Iran’s marketplace. This attractiveness will allow it to compete with foreign products and subsequently boost Iran’s domestic production. This is further assisted by globalization and its insistence on cultural homogeneity, which has made people more sensitive and protective of their national identities. National industries can use this new found patriotism to promote their products. 

Masjedjamei reiterated that as a general rule, none of our industrial products should be cliché and common and they should all have a unique cultural vibe to them. Even if you are going to make a doll, make sure it is an Iranian doll, because Iranian features, Iranian cloths, Iranian physique have their distinctive characteristics. This will be seen and respected worldwide as taking pride in ones national identity. He concluded his remarks by saying: so I ask again, how can we have a national industry stem directly from our national identity? I hope the commission gives this matter its due consideration, and the long-overdue steps are finally taken.