National Symbols in Modern Iran: Identity, Ethnicity, and Collective MemoryNow more than ever the role of icons and monuments in shaping a national identity is a subject of vital importance to scholars of both nationalism and memory studies. While the nation state undoubtedly has a powerful influence on a society's cultural memory, it cannot necessarily control the ways in which icons are perceived. Once created, national symbols and perceptions of them take on a life of their own. Taking an innovative approach to the study