Quote:
Originally Posted by Skybird
That is correct, but these social classes are not "all over Iran". They are formed by an educated social middle class, that is quite bourgeouis and interested in european cultural influence. But that should not hide two facts: another part of the same middle class is very conservative, and even many of the "moderate" are for the most strictly Islamic. Also, they are not all over Iran, but are concentrated in the bigger citiesd and metropoles, especially Teheran of course. I must say I met some extremely kind and very - really: VERY - polite people there, and I know many Westerners who could learn better manners from them. But the rural places are dominated by strict conservatism and orthodoxy. I compare the situation to that in Turkey, where there is a similiar split between city and rural populations.
It's a bit paradox, because in the early history Islam focussed on controlling the cities and ignore the rural country a bit and ignore nomads as well as long as they payed their taxes. It was too difficult trying to control them completely.
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Or so you think. But the truth is many of them will say whatever makes them the least likely to have their head chopped off. There is no way you could get their real opinion while they have to sleep every night under the rule of someone who kills people for saying the wrong thing. If you walked around NK and talked to people you would think Kim was the greatest thing to walk the earth. Even from the people on the verge of starving to death as a direct result of his tyranny. If they ever do manage to ever throw the mullahs and establish a democracy you will find a majority of them would rather have a representative government.