Iran: the other side of the world? The people of this Middle Eastern country often feel very distant from America.

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Mohammad Reza Moqaddam (moh-kahd-DAHM) is a serious young man. Meeting a visitor for the first time, the 15-year-old speaks quietly and respectfully. Mostly he looks down, making no direct eye contact. On his right hand he wears a silver ring that shows his devotion to Islam, his religion. Like many other devout Muslims, Mohammad concentrates on the ring when he says his prayers, five times a day.

"A lot of young people these days have distanced themselves from religion," he tells JS. "I would like them to be much closer to it."

Mohammad lives in Qom (koom), a city in central Iran. Each Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, he typically walks to the Jamkaran mosque near his home to pray for his parents and six brothers and sisters. The rest of the week, Mohammad is in school, concentrating on his studies. He hopes to become a petrochemical engineer someday.

Despite his busy life, Mohammad still makes time to follow the news. These days, much of that news is about Iran's dispute with the United States and other Western countries over its nuclear-power program.

The West accuses Iran of trying to make nuclear weapons. Iran's leaders say that their country's nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, such as producing electricity. Many Iranians resent the sanctions that the United Nations Security Council has imposed as a way to limit their country's nuclear activity.

Mohammad thinks that the West should stay out of Iran's affairs. "Even if Iran wants nuclear weapons, it's none of the other countries' business," he says. "Some of them have nuclear weapons themselves." He has harsher words for the U.S. "They go into other countries," he says of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, Iran's neighbor. "I can't have a good view of them."

At Odds With America

Iran and the U.S. have not had diplomatic ties since Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979. That uprising forced out the U.S.-backed Shah and brought to power a government based on strict Islamic principles. Since then, Iran's leaders have often been at odds with America.

The war in Iraq has further increased those tensions. U.S. military commanders claim that Iran funds and train militias (armed groups) in Iraq that kill American troops and Iraqi civilians. The Iranian defense minister has called that claim a "sheer lie."

According to Western news reports, some members of the Bush administration want to take military action against Iran. The idea has provoked a fierce debate within the U.S. government. Last year, the administration received at least $66 million from Congress to "promote openness and freedom" to Iranians. The money is used for broadcasting and other programs meant to present the American viewpoint.

Iran's top religious and political leader, Ayatollah Khamenei (kah-MAY-nee), has called the U.S. actions "psychological war." Iranian officials accuse the U.S. of trying to topple their country's government. They have reacted by cracking down on the news media and dissidents. They have also detained a few Iranian-American scholars, whom they accuse of supporting the U.S.

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Recently, top officials from Iran and the U.S. held two meetings to discuss Iraq's security. No one knows whether these negotiations will be productive. Some Iranian hard-liners oppose establishing relations with the U.S. But other Iranians, both in and out of the government, seek to reduce Iran's conflicts with America.

Ahmad Shirzad, a former member of Parliament, believes that talks are necessary. "If this dialogue continues," he said, "the atmosphere of military threats will decrease."

"A Deep Philosophy"

Tania Shokri, 13, defends her country's right to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes. "We must not surrender in any way to outside pressures," she tells JS. Tania says that she doesn't have a problem with the American people--only with their government. "The U.S. thinks we are dangerous," she says. "Why shouldn't we think the U.S. is dangerous?"

Tania lives in an upper-class neighborhood of Tehran, Iran's capital, with her parents and three brothers. Her father owns a factory that makes gas and water piping for homes and businesses. For fun, she goes swimming in her indoor pool or plays basketball at a local gym. Tania has many friends, both girls and boys. At the gym, however, Islamic practice requires them to exercise separately.

Islam plays a large role in Iran's politics, law, and society. Some Iranian women find the country's religious laws too restrictive. For instance, one law bans music in which women sing lead parts. In public places, women and adolescent girls are required to wear the hijab (heh-JAHB), a garment that covers their hair and bodies.

Tania values her faith. But she also believes that accepting some of its restrictions should be a personal decision. "Hijab is wonderful, but every woman must be able to choose for herself whether or not to wear it," she says. The garment symbolizes "a deep philosophy" of devotion to Allah, she adds. "It's better for a person to reach this understanding on her own."

Still, Tania is devoted to her country. Her wish for her people is that they become wise and well-educated. "I love Iran because it has many great things--its history, its people, its nature, and its beautiful language," she says. "I hope to help my nation someday by becoming a lawyer."

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"Nothing to Do With Me"

Meanwhile, some teens in Iran, including Majid Ghorbani (mah-jeed gore-BAH-nee), are not paying any attention to politics. The 15-year-old is too busy working to support his four sisters (see p. 14). His mother died four years ago. When his father later became ill, Majid had to quit school and get a job. Now he works six days a week making sun-dried bricks for about $7.50 a day.

"I heard something on television about our nuclear program," Majid tells JS. "But it has nothing to do with me."

Majid lives with his sisters and five other relatives in Khaavar City, a small suburb southeast of Tehran. Their home is a small room made of cement, located beside the brick-making factory. They have no telephone, and several families share one bathroom.

Although Iran is the world's fourth-highest exporter of oil, reportedly more than one quarter of its people live in poverty. Iran's laws generally prohibit children under 15 from working. But in many towns, poor kids roam the streets selling chewing gum and flowers. Many, like Majid, do manual labor. For them, Iran's conflicts with the rest of the world are not as important as their daily survival.

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"I don't know," Majid says when asked about the Americans. "They are very far from us. They are on that side of the world, we're on this side. We don't know much about them, and they don't know anything about us."

Words to Know

* dissidents: people who disagree with an established religion or government.

* Islam: the religious faith of Muslims, including belief in one God, called Allah in Arabic, and in Muhammad as his prophet.

* petrochemical: a substance made from petroleum {oil] or natural gas, used as a basic ingredient in many manufactured products, such as soap and plastic.

* sanctions: economic penalties.

* Shah Persian word meaning King.

Think About It

1. What has Iran's top religious leader called "psychological war"?

2. Does it seem to you that Iran is on the other side of World? Why or why not? Do you think that could change? Explain.

Roxana Saberi in Tehran