Riding with three men through the western countryside I overhead them say ‘Iskendar’ several times.

‘What’s Iskendar?’ I asked, thinking of delicious Iskendar kabob back in Turkey.

'We were talking about a freind of ours in the next town named Iskendar' they replied, ‘It’s a name, in English its 'Alexander'.’

‘Iranian people are named after Alexander or Iskendar and even Ghenghis Khan or Chengis.’ 'What!?' I exclaimed, ‘Even though Alexander the Great dystroyed the Persian Golden Age capitol at Persepolis?’ (I had read somewhere that Iranians to this day curse Alexander calling him Alexander the Devil instead of Alexander the Great).

‘Iranians respect power' they replied taking on a philosophical tone, 'compared to what the Mongolians under Ghenghis Khan did to Iran, Alexander was a polite guest’ said one man. (Genghis Kahn is purported to have chopped all male head's off upon entering a city after seige, using the bloody heads to build a pyramid in the main square as a deterrent to any ideas of revolt against Mongol rule.)

His freind added with a smirk, ‘And look at what the Arab invader Mohammad continues to do to Iran and we still name kids after him.'