A Word from Simurgh

The diverse nature of dialogue, which leads to the ontological recognition of the “Other” and “Others,” can very effectively guide us towards theory production and critical thinking, distinguishing the good and evil of our culture. This is one of the important situations where we can better understand the limitations and potentials of this culture. Moreover, I believe that engaging with those who have written their views on the Shahnameh over the years and completed their research can only happen through a lively and contemporary discourse, enabling the re-examination and transcending of their opinions and the genesis of new thoughts in this domain. This, in itself, serves another form of re-reading and challenging such texts. This book is the result of 13 to 14 hours of conversation with Mir Jalal al-Din Kazzazi, who is considered a symbol of Persian speech. The book is structured in 27 chapters, in which key questions are presented as chapter titles and headings.