And wasn’t there some kind of coup the U.S. was involved in, back in the Fifties…?
The ones I know are average people that fled during the revolution and travel back to see family every few years.
Can you expand on the “types of Iranians” that you think these might be?
Having lived in the Mid East and visited Iran, I would second the above poster who said Iran is the most American-like country in the region. Persians are much more Western in their thinking than most Arabs… at least this hold true in my experience.
Some elements of the novel have been left out in the movie, obviously, nut not too much.
I highly recommend this movie.
Even though the characters aren’t run-of-the-mill Iranians. They’re a well-off and well educated family, with a high interest in politics. However, I guess that this depiction probably surprised many readers or viewers who had a much more caricatural view of what Iran and Iranians could be like.
I’m firmly convinced that Iran is by far the middle eastern country with the greatest potential, and the best able to turn into a stable, democratic and advanced country. That’s despite having had every possible hurdle sent its way (western nations messing up, dictators, wars, mullahs,…) during the 20th century.
Some elements of the novel have been left out in the movie, obviously, nut not too much.
I highly recommend this movie.
Even though the characters aren’t run-of-the-mill Iranians. They’re a well-off and well educated family, with a high interest in politics. However, I guess that this depiction probably surprised many readers or viewers who had a much more caricatural view of what Iran and Iranians could be like.
I’m firmly convinced that Iran is by far the middle eastern country with the greatest potential, and the best able to turn into a stable, democratic and advanced country. That’s despite having had every possible hurdle sent its way (western nations messing up, dictators, wars, mullahs,…) during the 20th century.
The education level is high, technical capacity good, concepts like limited rights for women aren’t nearly as entrenched as in others middle eastern countries, the appeal of democracy isn’t foreign to Iranians, and there’s a strong feeling of national identity, contrarily to many other countries of the region.
May I recommend The Ayatollah Begs to Differ by Hooman Majd?
Allow me to toss out there what most of my Iranian contacts stress to me. They insist that, despite being an islamic nation and located in the middle east, Iran is not an arab country. It owes far more to central asia than to the arabian world.
Relatively rich and ‘westernised’. As well as obviously opposed to the revolution by default.
After 9/11 the Iranians apparently offered friendly overtures (over-flight) to the USA to help them zap Afghanistan. Note: Al Qaeda and most of Afghan is Sunni, while Iran is primarily Shia.
Ahmadi-nejad is a later development.
In about 1974 I was told by a very informed source that the USA Middle East policy was to lock it down with a triangle of Israel, Egypt and Iran (technology, labour and cash providers respectively).
Somehow I suspect that some Iranians are aware of that.
The other reasons posted earlier also add up to a compelling reason for caution, especially for ‘revolutionaries’ - although if I were Iranian my beef with the USA would have been the limpwristed support from Carter et al when the Shah was ill and having to contend with dissent at home. SAVAK were pussy cats compared with the Mullahs.
Assuming this isn’t a whoosh, posts 10 and 15 mention the coup.
Also posts 8 and 14. Yes, it was a whoosh.