# Will Egypt Have an Iran-Style Revolution? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 30, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520 "2011-01-30T16:48:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/101 "2011-02-03T20:56:03Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Frankly, I’m confused that you feel this way. > I thought you were a leftist. Politics makes for strange bedfellows. > [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > If you think most Iranian-Americans support the Shah you know even less about them then you do about Iran. It’s interesting… my home town was, IIRC, the second largest community of Persian Jews in the US. I don’t think I ever, ever heard anybody speak at all well of the Shah, even once. On the other hand, I did learn at a very young age that “kosh kesh” was a very popular insult among young teens. 😃 > [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’m sorry, but you’ve made the extremely foolish decision that because for a brief period in 2006 there was a large amount of good will for the Hezbollah amongst Lebanese Sunni and Christians. Not to mention that there was recently [a narrowly averted civil war](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7385733.stm) when [Hezbollah tried to take over Lebanese telecommunications](http://www.haaretz.com/news/report-hezbollah-can-intercept-calls-in-lebanon-thanks-to-iran-1.245220) and [set up an Iranian network](http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZW20101205000083/WikiLeaks%20Documents%3A%20Lebanon%20Shocked%20At%20Hezbollah%20Telecom%20Network/) to[link Iran’s military proxy forces in the region](http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/150105). But Hezbollah fought Israel and the US. So they’re good. I guess. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/102 "2011-02-03T21:14:08Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > Heh, it seems that the rioters in Egypt are set on re-inventing medieval warfare. > > [Battle of Tahrir Square | Anti-government protesters test a … | Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/photos/aljazeeraenglish/5412200591/in/photostream/) Oh, yeah?! Well, Mubarak has crossbows! And even some experimental arquebuses! ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/103 "2011-02-03T21:25:26Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Oh, yeah?! Well, Mubarak has crossbows! And even some experimental arquebuses! If he can research Artillery, he’s in good shape, but he may lose the Pyramids to China. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/104 "2011-02-03T22:14:23Z")
I’d go for the Great Wall, and then push my research to get gunpowder and eventually tanks. When you get tanks you are in the driver seat. What he should really do is take a few of his workers off of his resource squares and put them into entertainment, and then build or buy a Colosseum and a circus, assuming he’s got either horses or elephants in the bounds of his capital… -XT ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/105 "2011-02-03T22:17:02Z")
Well, we know he has horses, he already tried using them to decrease unhappiness. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/106 "2011-02-03T22:20:39Z")
Yeah, but he was doing it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/107 "2011-02-03T22:46:52Z")
At this point, the most unhappiness-reducing use for those horses would be to butcher them and give away the meat. Ejyptianz iz hungwy. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/108 "2011-02-04T02:03:07Z")
Of course some leftists support anyone whose opposed to America be they communist, socialist, Islamist, or whatnot. I’ve seen leftists call for the invasion of Israel while at the same time condemning the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as “imperialist” ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/109 "2011-02-04T02:26:39Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I also suspect the new Egyptian government won’t sever ties with Israel but will probably put a lot of pressure on Israel to make more concessions. Because the Sinai Desert wasn’t enough. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/110 "2011-02-04T03:01:11Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > I’ve seen leftists call for the invasion of Israel while at the same time condemning the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as “imperialist” Never happened. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/111 "2011-02-04T03:08:29Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Never happened. Here: [http://www.revleft.com/vb/do-you-support-t118258/index.html?t=118258&highlight=Israel+Invaded](http://www.revleft.com/vb/do-you-support-t118258/index.html?t=118258&highlight=Israel+Invaded) ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/112 "2011-02-04T03:24:58Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Never happened. Why on Earth would you claim such a thing as a fact? What, nobody on the left has ever said something stupid? ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/113 "2011-02-04T03:38:43Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Here: [http://www.revleft.com/vb/do-you-support-t118258/index.html?t=118258&highlight=Israel+Invaded](http://www.revleft.com/vb/do-you-support-t118258/index.html?t=118258&highlight=Israel+Invaded) Imagine what kind of crazy claims one can support citing SDMB. Some Dopers are even trade marked so royalties will be collected 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/114 "2011-02-04T03:58:19Z")
Qin Shi: Digging up a reference like that and suggesting it speaks for the left certainly explains your unreasoned fears. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/115 "2011-02-04T11:40:27Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Why on Earth would you claim such a thing as a fact? To goad the poster into supplying a cite. If there is no cite, it never happened. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/116 "2011-02-04T15:45:05Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Oh, yeah?! Well, Mubarak has crossbows! And even some experimental arquebuses! > [@jayjay](#): > > If he can research Artillery, he’s in good shape, but he may lose the Pyramids to China. > [@xtisme](#): > > I’d go for the Great Wall, and then push my research to get gunpowder and eventually tanks. When you get tanks you are in the driver seat. What he should really do is take a few of his workers off of his resource squares and put them into entertainment, and then build or buy a Colosseum and a circus, assuming he’s got either horses or elephants in the bounds of his capital… > > -XT > [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Well, we know he has horses, he already tried using them to decrease unhappiness. > [@FinnAgain](#): > > Yeah, but he was doing it wrong. I’m now imagining a version of Civilization where your information is based on lies passed on to you by your subordinates: “Yes, sir, the Great Pyramid will be ready next turn” next turn rolls around “Sir I regret to report to you that sabateurs have infiltrated the Great Pyramid project and set us back by four turns. Would you like to come over for dinner at my fabulous new house?” ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Dastardly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Dick\_Dastardly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dick_Dastardly)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/117 "2011-02-07T18:19:39Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Well, if you want to continue digging a hole for yourself by saying that the Iranian regimes support for Hezbollah had nothing to do with Khomeini’s beliefs and was simply a desire to strike back at Israel and the US you can but no serious expert on Iran or Lebanon will agree with you. > > To anyone who thinks he’s right, I’d recommend reading up on Khomeini and read both his writings and speeches. > > I’m sorry, but that is an asinine argument. You think the “counter demonstrations” which were organized by the government are “proof” of how popular the Mullahs are. > > By that standard than the Shah was even more popular since his regime had much larger “demonstrations” supporting him. > > Now, just so we’re clear, you think that the Mullahs are better than the Shah despite the fact that the Mullah: > > **A.** During the 80s put ten to fifteen times as many political prisoners in jail as the Shah ever did. > > **B.** Stoned women to death for adultery. Something the Shah never did. > > \*\*C. \*\*Set up and gave law enforcement powers to the Committee for the Prevention of Vice and the Promotion of Virtue and gave them the authority to set up sting operations to catch, torture, and execute Iranians for being gay. By contrast, Iran of the 60s and 70s under the Shah was far more gay-friendly than the US of that time period. > > \*\*D. \*\*Caused virtually all of Iran’s Jewish population flee and then forbade the remainder from leaving and took dramatic steps to prevent them from doing so. Occasionally locks up various Jewish leaders on trumped up charges of being spies. Also dramatically cracked down on Iran’s Christian minority. This is a dramatic reversal of the Shah, where Jews and Christians were treated much better. > > \*\*E. \*\*Aggressively has tried to hunt down and persecute every member of the Bahai faith, causing them to have to go into hiding lest they be murdered. While the Shah hardly treated them equally, he was never remotely this horrible. > > **F.** Has imposed a number of morality laws on the Iranian people dramatically restricting their personal freedom. The most famous of which has been laws requiring women to wear the Chador. The Shah never did anything remotely like this. > > Now, with all of that, you have the gall to claim that the Mullahs are “better” than the Shah and you’re only evidence for this is the “counter demonstrations” that occurred during the Green Revolution. This despite the fact that those “counter demonstrations” were smaller than similar ones the Shah had. > > Frankly, I’m confused that you feel this way. > > I thought you were a leftist. > > Leftists generally don’t like governments that stone women for adultery, hunt down and execute gays, persecute religious minorities, require women to cover their hair and throw hundreds of thousands of political prisoners in jail. > > Why are you giving Iran such a pass and saying it was better than the previous regime which did nothing of that(except for the political prisoners, except in that case it was far, far fewer). > > Please list me what horrors the Shah inflicted on the Iranian people that weren’t inflicted on them by the Islamic regime. > > If you think most Iranian-Americans support the Shah you know even less about them then you do about Iran. For starters, the Iranian Jews of Beverly Hills and other parts of LA are lots of things, but they’re not going to be enthusiastic supporters of the Shah. The same is true for Iran’s Armenian expatriates. > > Moreover, most Iranian-American Muslims aren’t fans of the Shah. My father hated the Shah and left Iran with myself and my mother before he fell. > > I’m sorry, but you’ve made the extremely foolish decision that because for a brief period in 2006 there was a large amount of good will for the Hezbollah amongst Lebanese Sunni and Christians. That’s comparable to assuming that because the IDF was popular among the Lebanese Shia during the initial Israeli invasion in the 80s they’re popular now. > > Now, since you’re a big believer in polls, you might want to check out polling done by the Pew Research organization just a few months ago. > > **It found that 84% of all Lebanese Sunnis and 79% of all Lebanese Christians had unfavorable views of Hezbollah.** > > Sorry, but your information about “the mighty Hezbollah” is grossly outdated. > > I would recommend talking to actual Lebanese Christians and Sunnis before foolishly assuming you know how they feel and assume they view the Hezbollah the same way you do. > > By “the thing they do best” do you mean kill Jews or intimidate anyone who disagrees with them? > > Anyway, fair enough, you freely admit that you don’t care about them being a violently bigoted organization. > > I’m sorry that I assumed you were an opponent of bigotry. You seem to be indicating that you have no objection to bigotry. My mistake. I’m not digging any holes. Obviously a bunch of Shiite fundamentalists in Iran are going to support a bunch of Shiite fundamentalists in Lebanon, and they’re going to have similar views on things! But on the practical side of things Iran aren’t going to be able to create any kind of Shiite or any other Muslim state in Lebanon. No one sect had any remote chance of dominating the others in Lebanon – Iran knew this for certain in 1980 as the vasrious Lebanese factions had just put on a five year practical demonstration, with guns and bombs and everything. I’m no expert on the size of demonstrations. I don’t think that the mullahs are better than the Shah was, what I’m saying is that they still have a degree of popular support. I honeslty don’t think the Shah had any level of popular support other than the small number of people who were doing OK under his rule, his security forces etc. There are plenty of pro-Shah Iranians in Beverley Hills. The kind of people who were doing really well under his regime and had to flee for their lives. The kind of people who supported his son until recently. And I’m not going to listen to claims about what Hezbollah may or may not have on their website or howe bigoted they are. To believe them I want to see translations of what Hezbollah people said that didn’t come via US or entity outlets. They may be as guilty of having something bigoted on their website as [moveon.org](http://moveon.org) were with the Hitler thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/118 "2011-02-07T19:13:21Z")
> [@Dick\_Dastardly](#): > > There are plenty of pro-Shah Iranians in Beverley Hills. The kind of people who were doing really well under his regime and had to flee for their lives. The kind of people who supported his son until recently. I did not realize that in addition to being an expert on the views of the people of Lebanon, you were also an expert on the views of Iranian Americans. Now yes, I’m sure you can find some “pro-Shah Iranians” in Beverly Hills, but the overwhelming majority of the Iranians living in Beverly Hills are Jewish who are most certainly not “pro-Shah”. > [@](#): > > And I’m not going to listen to claims about what Hezbollah may or may not have on their website or howe bigoted they are. To believe them I want to see translations of what Hezbollah people said that didn’t come via US or entity outlets. Well, I’m glad you’re now admitting that Hezbollah is wildly unpopular among the Sunnis and Christians of Lebanon and are no longer insisting that “the mighty Hezbollah” is beloved. I also had to laugh when you demanded evidence of Hezbollah “bigotry” that didn’t come from the US or “entity outlets”. I’m guessing you didn’t think I’d be able to produce any, but there’s quite a lot. I’d recommend reading Vali Nasr, an Iranian scholar, who’s documented plenty of Hezbollah bigotry and Fouad Ajami who’s documented even more. Moreover, let’s not forget that it was a French Court that refused to allow Hezbollah’s TV station, Al Manar, to broadcast in France after it claimed that “the Jews” were trying to spread AIDS throughout the world. Wouldn’t you agree that blaming “the Jews” for the spread of AIDS is anti-Semitic? Anyway, since you’ve made it clear you’re a huge enemy of bigotry, I assume you’ll drop your support. ---
**Author:** ![Dick\_Dastardly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@Dick\_Dastardly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dick_Dastardly)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/119 "2011-02-08T19:44:05Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > 1. > > I did not realize that in addition to being an expert on the views of the people of Lebanon, you were also an expert on the views of Iranian Americans. > > Now yes, I’m sure you can find some “pro-Shah Iranians” in Beverly Hills, but the overwhelming majority of the Iranians living in Beverly Hills are Jewish who are most certainly not “pro-Shah”. > > 1. > > Well, I’m glad you’re now admitting that Hezbollah is wildly unpopular among the Sunnis and Christians of Lebanon and are no longer insisting that “the mighty Hezbollah” is beloved. > > I also had to laugh when you demanded evidence of Hezbollah “bigotry” that didn’t come from the US or “entity outlets”. > > I’m guessing you didn’t think I’d be able to produce any, but there’s quite a lot. > > I’d recommend reading Vali Nasr, an Iranian scholar, who’s documented plenty of Hezbollah bigotry and Fouad Ajami who’s documented even more. > > Moreover, let’s not forget that it was a French Court that refused to allow Hezbollah’s TV station, Al Manar, to broadcast in France after it claimed that “the Jews” were trying to spread AIDS throughout the world. > > Wouldn’t you agree that blaming “the Jews” for the spread of AIDS is anti-Semitic? > > Anyway, since you’ve made it clear you’re a huge enemy of bigotry, I assume you’ll drop your support. 1. **Tehrangeles** is a [portmanteau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portmanteau) deriving from the combination of [Tehran](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran), the capital of [Iran](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran), and [Los Angeles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California). It is used when referring to the large number (estimates range from 700,000 to 800,000) of former [Iranian nationals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_people) and their descendants residing in the Los Angeles metropolitan area; it is the largest such population outside of Iran… Immigration to the area increased several-fold due to the events surrounding the 1979 [Iranian Revolution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution). > **[Tehrangeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehrangeles)** > > Tehrangeles (Persian: تهرانجلس) (or Little Persia) is a portmanteau deriving from the combination of Tehran, the capital of Iran, and Los Angeles. A Persian community developed in Westwood, Los Angeles, after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 prompted thousands of Iranians to flee to the United States. It is a shopping, eating and gathering place for the large number (estimates range from 500,000-600,000) of Iranian-Americans and their descendants residing in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, th... 2. You’ve mentioned two guys who are members of the US foreign policy establishment, which of course is solidly pro-entity and virulently against anybody threatening US/entity interests. Ajami is a neoconservative nutjob who was one of the guys who said we’d be welcomed in Iraq with sweets and flowers. He has a wingnut welfare job at one of the right wing bullshit factories. It’s exactly because so much nonsense is writtten about the mighty Hezbollah by clowns like them that I can’t take anything they say seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520/120 "2011-02-08T20:05:44Z")
> [@Dick\_Dastardly](#): > > 1. **Tehrangeles** is a [portmanteau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portmanteau) deriving from the combination of [Tehran](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehran), the capital of [Iran](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran), and [Los Angeles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles,_California). It is used when referring to the large number (estimates range from 700,000 to 800,000) of former [Iranian nationals](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_people) and their descendants residing in the Los Angeles metropolitan area; it is the largest such population outside of Iran… > > Immigration to the area increased several-fold due to the events surrounding the 1979 [Iranian Revolution](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution). > > [Tehrangeles - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tehrangeles) Ok, first of all it’s hilarious that you are so paranoid about the use of sources that you won’t accept information from US or “entity” sources, but you apparently think wikipedia, the on-line encyclopedia that anyone can edit is reliable. Thanks for posting that, because you just made my day. Beyond that Los Angelos is not the same as Beverly Hills. The vast majority of Iranian-Americans who live in Beverly Hills are not Muslims they are Jews. Beyond that, nothing you’ve quoted suggests that they are fans of the Shah. > [@](#): > > 1. You’ve mentioned two guys who are members of the US foreign policy establishment, which of course is solidly pro-entity and virulently against anybody threatening US/entity interests. Ajami is a neoconservative nutjob who was one of the guys who said we’d be welcomed in Iraq with sweets and flowers. He has a wingnut welfare job at one of the right wing bullshit factories. It’s exactly because so much nonsense is writtten about the mighty Hezbollah by clowns like them that I can’t take anything they say seriously. You think Vali Nasr is “a clown”? He is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on the Shia. Please explain to me why you’re a better authority on the Shia, either or Lebanon, Iraq, or Iran than him. Do you even speak Arabic? Anyway, if you want others, I’d recommend Trita Parsi who’s written of Hezbollah’s anti-Semitic statements. As I’m sure you know from his name, he’s Iranian as is Hamid Dabashi. Finally, I notice you chose not to address the fact that France shut down their TV station for claiming that the Jews were responsible for the spread of AIDS. So, let me ask you again and this time do me the courtesy of answering, do you think it’s anti-Semitic to claim that the Jews were responsible for the spread of AIDS? Finally, I noticed you conveniently [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-egypt-have-an-iran-style-revolution/569520.md?page=7)