Embracing the Northman Within: How My Iranian-American, Ex-Muslim, and Christian LDS Journey Finds Resonation in the Spirit of Revenge
By Bobby Darvish, Iranian-American Ex-Muslim, Former Vegan, Former Democrat, Former Socialist, Former CAIR-Columbus Executive Director, Former Muslim Forum of Utah President, Christian Conservative LDS
Revenge is a primal force, as ancient as the tribes of the North and as unyielding as the deserts of my Iranian homeland. Watching The Northman, I was struck by how deeply it spoke to the part of me that longs for justice and retribution—a longing fed by my heritage and my personal history. As an Iranian-American with 12% Norse Viking DNA, the drive for vengeance coursing through me feels both inherited and forged through experience. I am an exile, one who has seen the destructive forces of socialism and Islamism overtake my beloved homeland. These forces tore apart the Iran of my ancestors, forcing many like me to leave or live under oppression.
This longing for justice goes beyond personal grievance—it is historical, spiritual, and even, I believe, righteous. Revenge in the Norse tradition, as portrayed in The Northman, is not just an act but a calling, a path one must walk even if it leads to one’s own undoing. And yet, I find a sense of kinship in that path. When I watch the protagonist set out to reclaim his dignity and avenge his family, I see echoes of my own journey: the path of the exile, the Christian convert, and the reformer who yearns for his homeland to be freed from tyranny.
The Viking Call to Justice and My Iranian Bloodline
In The Northman, revenge becomes a living, breathing character—a force that can’t be tamed or diverted. As I watched, I could feel the fire of my Norse ancestors kindling something deep within me, something raw and righteous. In Iranian culture, we have a similar reverence for vengeance, for avenging wrongs done to our people and our land. Iran, too, was once a land of warriors—ancestors like the Sassanids and Achaemenids who took pride in their heritage and fought to protect their people. My exile is a constant reminder that such pride is not just ancient history; it is a call to action, a call to honor.
The Norse aspect of my heritage—small as it may be—speaks to a strength and resilience that resonates with my Persian lineage. Both the Viking and Persian traditions understand the need for vengeance not just as personal satisfaction but as a moral obligation, a means of restoring order in the world. In today’s context, that “order” feels threatened by ideologies that once claimed to offer justice but have become tools of repression. As an ex-Muslim and ex-socialist, I am all too familiar with the lies these ideologies spread, and I feel a responsibility to reclaim what they have corrupted.
The Betrayal of Socialism and Islamism: My Personal Exile
Socialism and Islamism once held sway over my life. I was a socialist; I believed in the ideals of equality, thinking they would bring justice. I was a devout Muslim, deeply involved in organizations like CAIR and the Muslim Forum of Utah, where I thought I was advocating for peace and inclusion. But over time, I saw the reality: socialism, in practice, undermines individual freedom and ambition. Islamism, with its unchecked power and dogma, restricts the very liberties it pretends to protect. Both ideologies brought nothing but division, repression, and, ultimately, exile for people like me who dared to question them.
This dual betrayal from Islamism and socialism forced me to leave my homeland, pushing me to seek refuge in the United States. And it’s in this land that I rediscovered the power of faith—this time as a Christian, particularly in the teachings of the LDS Church, which emphasize family, heritage, and divine justice. The teachings of Christ have shown me a path of forgiveness, but they also reaffirm the necessity of justice. In a world marred by ideological lies, turning the other cheek must be balanced with a commitment to truth.
The Power of Trump’s Victory and the Path Forward
For me, the 2016 election was a momentous turning point. Trump’s victory felt like the first real step in a long journey of revenge—a symbolic but necessary blow against the forces that had threatened to dismantle the freedoms I hold dear. Trump’s rise was a rallying cry for many Americans disillusioned with political correctness, socialism, and the encroachment of radical ideologies. To me, it was proof that the spirit of resistance is still alive.
But my journey is far from complete. For my revenge to feel whole, I need to see the fall of the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is not just political; it is deeply personal. The same regime that forced me from my homeland and indoctrinated me with Islamist beliefs is still oppressing countless Iranians. The people of Iran deserve freedom, and the world deserves to see the end of a regime that has long supported terror and authoritarianism.
As a Christian conservative, I am called to a higher standard of justice. But justice and revenge are not mutually exclusive—they are two sides of the same coin. The Northman captured this reality in its brutal, unflinching depiction of vengeance. The protagonist’s journey mirrored my own in many ways: both of us are shaped by heritage, driven by duty, and committed to a course that seems unalterable. Watching his story unfold was like seeing my own life translated to the screen. It reminded me that while the path of vengeance is often dark, it is also necessary for restoration.
The Spirit of Restoration: A Christian Perspective on Revenge
As an LDS Christian, I believe in the power of redemption, but redemption often requires confronting the darkness first. The Northman teaches us that revenge, when justly sought, is more than mindless rage; it is an act of restoration, a way to make things right. For too long, I have watched the ideologies of socialism and Islamism ravage not only my homeland but also the country I have come to love. And while I don’t seek violence, I do seek justice—a return to the values that once made Iran a land of culture and strength and that made America a beacon of freedom.
In the end, revenge is a deeply personal journey. For me, it is about more than my own satisfaction; it is about seeing a world where truth prevails over lies and freedom over repression. Seeing Trump take a stand was one piece of this puzzle, a spark of hope in the midst of despair. The next piece lies in seeing Iran freed from its shackles, allowing its people to rise once more, unbound by the dogmas that have held them captive.
The Northman resonated with me because it understood the essence of revenge as something that goes beyond personal vendetta. It’s a force that calls for restoration, demanding justice for the wrongs done not only to individuals but to entire generations. That is my hope for Iran. That is my prayer for America. And that is my commitment, as a Christian LDS Iranian-American, to see through the journey my ancestors began.
Citations
- The Northman. Directed by Robert Eggers. Focus Features, 2022.
- Tucker, Patrick. “Vikings and Norse Mythology: The Roots of Revenge.” Smithsonian Magazine, July 5, 2018. https://www.smithsonianmag.com.
- “Islamism and Socialism in Iran.” Middle East Policy Council, Vol. 15, No. 3, 2008. https://mepc.org.
- Radwan, Nadine. “Iran and Islamist Movements.” Middle East Quarterly, Summer 2021. https://meforum.org.
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