Iran

[Arpa]

Is "Iran" a four letter word?

 

Don't ask me.

 

Remember?

 

I am only an Armenian, an heir of a people who are experts in being reduced from a glorious past of a world power, an empire of yesteryear to the state beggars of today.

 

It seems like Iranians and Armenians are closely related in more ways than one. It has been said that genius and insanity are at either end of a circle and a hair away from one another. As if we were not insane enough, we both had to abandon our own native heritage and subscribe to foreign and alien religio-cultures. Not only that, we both had to assign ourselves the champions of such. Did I say idiocy and genius are elements of the same material?

 

It has also been said;

 

"Those who deny their own native religion are doomed to eternal damnation".

 

Who said that?

 

You heard it here first!

 

How does one get from this;

 

http://www.art-arena.com/iran.htm

 

To this;

 

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/m...ran/history.htm

 

Over the next 30 years, there was a build up of resistance to Reza, who had adopted the title of Shah, and his regime of repression and modernisation. As the economy went from bad to worse under the Shah's post oil-boom mismanagement, the growing opposition made its presence felt with sabotage and massive demonstrations. The Shah's responses became increasingly desperate and brutal, US support wavered, and he finally fled on 16 January 1979. A couple of weeks later, the acknowledged leader of the Shah's opponents, Ayatollah Khomeini, returned from exile to be greeted by adoring millions. The Ayatollah's fiery brand of nationalism and Islamic fundamentalism led to the efficient establishment of a clergy-dominated Islamic Republic, where the USA was styled as the 'Great Satan' and Israel fared not much better.

[Iran01]

http://tahavol.free.fr/Before-After.htm

[bellthecat]

I was travelling in Turkey with a big group of Iranian Armenians for a few days earlier this month and found them all to be very charming people. But maybe too interested in having massive picnics at every site we visited.

 

What was interesting was the wide variety of individuals taking part: young and old; male and female; academics, quite wealthy professionals, and ordinary working people.

 

And how the much the men drank in public, and how the younger women wore less and less clothing as the tour progressed and Iran and its social restrictions got left behind.

 

Steve