2024-11-18 -- Monaco

Having never attended kindergarten or preschool, I began my formal education in first grade at an Armenian school at the age of 5.

Back then, my province had two school systems: public and semi-public. The latter was intended for nonmuslim religious or immersion education. Unlike the traditional public school system, the semi-public system had no age limitations. Students could begin their education at any age, provided they met the specific criteria.

Semi-public schools required a small fee, whereas public schools were entirely free. Following my first year at the Armenian school, I had the option to enroll in any public school. Public schools were tuition-free. Later in life, I was admitted to the University of Tehran, another tuition-free public institution.

The nearest school to our home was a public school affiliated with an Islamic center. "Jame-eh Talimat Islami, جامعه تعلیمات اسلامی , The center for Islamic Education". The center offered a range of educational and religious facilities, including a bookstore, a combined elementary and middle school, a high school, and a mosque.

Prior to the Islamic Revolution, Iranian schools aimed to impart knowledge through the lens of biblical and Quranic stories. I particularly enjoyed the tale of Joseph and Zuleikha! The intention behind these classroom stories was to instill moral values in students. However, I found myself more captivated by the complex dynamic between Zuleikha and Joseph, particularly her intense desire for him. We call it physical rape today!

In addition to biblical and Quranic stories, students were exposed to direct quotations from the Prophet Muhammad and Ali ibn Abi Talib, who is considered the fourth caliph in Sunni Islam and the first Imam in Shia Islam. I won't delve into the debate about the legitimacy of different Islamic sects. I was raised a Shia Muslim, the Twelve Imams, اثنی عشری. 

One of Ali's teachings was that wealth often comes at the expense of others. "Wealth inequality is often a result of injustice, with the rich benefiting at the expense of the poor."

Aside from that, my dad had this belief, or perhaps he was just pretending to believe, that the rich get rich by stealing. I've always disagreed with that notion. Later in his life, he admitted that the reason he wasn't wealthy was that he didn't know how to make or keep money.

The result of this brainwashing was that I always loathed the rich, no matter how wealthy they were. Later in my life, I discovered that one can legitimately make money by providing a service or product and become relatively wealthy, perhaps even feeling underpaid and undervalued along the way.

It is natural that with that thought process, when I saw the south of France, I felt I was among thieves. I had the same feeling the first time I was in London, almost 50 years ago, seeing sheiks riding in Rolls-Royces and carrying cash as if it were recycled paper. 

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Monaco with my family. It was a stark contrast to my previous beliefs. While I no longer thought one had to be a thief to be rich, I realized I hadn't truly understood the meaning of wealth.

This time, however, they weren't Arabian Peninsula sheikhs. I can certainly say they were oligarchs from the largest country on Earth.

I'm not sure if I would have been one of them, given the opportunity. Could I have felt entitled to my country's resources due to intelligence or nobility?

Let's just look at some pictures and imagine I am living there with a $100,000 monthly allowance.

(c) I personally took these photos and videos and own the rights to them. Please feel free to use them as you wish.