Iran and the West

 One thing I learned about Iran was when its name was changed from Persia. From what I read those who lived in that land never considered it Persia. It was Iran from its historic past and only Persia to the Greeks and the West, in the Bible as Persia. I guess the people are regarded as Persian but not their country, which goes back to the 6th century BCE and the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus the Great.The Achaemenid dynasty, with leaders like Darius I and Xerxes, put Persia into history – Persia became known for its military might and artistic magnificence.

 

 from Stencil

 

The name change to Iran came in 1953 after what is known as the CIA Coup, which put the Shah into power to restore the monarchy over what had been ruling the land. The Shah aligned with the West and the United States. He changed the name to what he felt was more in line with its history. He set about modernizing the country and maybe the beginning of the Iranian people coming to resent the United States, since the Shah was an autocratic dictator and brutal in how he ruled. When he tried to change, it was basically too late.

 So, with the US connected to that when the Iranian Revolution came along in 1979 to install, Khomeini as the nation's leader, religious as well as political. the US was not seen favorably by him (the Great Satan) as well as many of the people.

That led to the hostage crisis, those who had been in our embassy (444), which lasted over a year with the last 52 hostages not released until Reagan was inaugurated.  

Some of this is, of course, historic. The US did 'bad' things, but some is religious. In Islam there are two versions (what I read), but to Iran's leaders, only one is valid. Their desire is not just to get rid of Israel, which they regularly declare, but to make all the nations follow the correct version of Islam, Shia. While many Muslims regard Sunni also as acceptable, not so for the leaders in Iran.

Where the US doesn't dress its women properly or follow the correct laws, it is a good example of evil in the eyes of Iranian leaders-- at least the ones so far. Our tendency to interfere with countries, where we disapprove of their laws, especially Sharia Law, has added to disdain for us and a feeling its spiritual to rid the world of us.

Is any kind of joining together possible with those viewpoints? Seems unlikely though clearly many Iranians share a different view, by how over 30,000 were killed when trying to demonstrate for what they want to see.

Will a war change anything... ???