>>>Sounds like the examiner was trying to keep Iranians out of Canada!
>>
>>And Persians too. < gd&r >
>
>Persians are fully acceptable while Iranians are not! (Political joke related to the Shah)
>
>All Iranians I know call themselves Persians. I know a good number and some grew up in Iran, UK, and in California.
>
>Around the 1930-40 period from what I gather inspiration for the Third Reich caused the country's name to be changed from Persia to Iran at the suggestion of the embassy in Berlin, since Iran was "the birthplace of the Aryan race".
>
>So if you are Iranian you are suspect. It is all right to be a Persian! :)

Some good has come out of this thread. Sorry, this is chatter and I'm not the originator of this thread, but I'd give you *** for solving this mystery which has always bothered me.