I'm having some trouble choosing which language to program my backend in. I'd like the backend to create a user profile folder which store locations and messages. Which backend language would benefit me in creating my ideal database?
Also I have to use a SOAP web service instead of a RESTful web service, would SOAP benefit me more for what i'd need to store the data?
If your iOS app is to communicate with your backend through a web service, then the choice of the language, should be up to you, unless you have requirements to your project making that choice more constrained. Python, is a good choice as any, if you're fluent in it and/or like it. It's also suited for rapid prototyping, so as to make it quickly clear for you whether your design is sound or not.
As to SOAP vs REST, you can find benefits and disadvantages in both, depending on your use case and requirements. That being said, RESTful services are becoming more and more the de facto choice of implementation, these days.