I needed to try and isolate out the whole religious angle, because I don’t understand it, and its just not an easily digestible to my audience (such as it is).

What I know about societal issues comes from a sort of triangulation between cultures created by living in China for such a long time and coming to identify, to some extent, with Chinese values. But religion is not a big factor over here (although there are many religious people and churches and temples and all, at least in Shanghai).

I do not disagree with your analysis, in general. We have seen the harmful side of religious fervor over the past decade plus, and those people are deeply sinful by about any definition, with their selective vision and vapidness. I do feel sadness for those raised in such repressive, deeply hypocritical environments.

But Iran is the cradle of an ancient culture, and the lens they have always had is through religion. Their system of social representation is through religious figures. Presumably this will result in a more secular system, with less autocracy and more personal freedoms, but I do not see the system changing in all respects. Iran is already a well-educated society with advanced systems in place, and you don’t want upheavals to disrupt those too much.

Oh and thanks, you just reminded me to add in an update on this post.

Happy New Year from the US.