Indeed you did! My apologies for my error.
And thirty years later - because the GREAT Jimmy Carter - rectified that and brought about, over time, what we have today. The Shah was an SOB but he was OUR SOB!
The pragmatic truth in almost all the Mideast, and the muslim world, is it takes a firm, cruel authoritarian to govern those people.
Some people have worked to get them into democracy. GWB and the purple fingers.
Today in Iran the religious police enforce veils for women. I believe they have been known to bury people, stone people, etc.
Almost my entire adult life has exposed me to people from the religion, from several religions including islam. Very few risk being "political" or to speak freely once they get to the US.
Because there are people over here, that will send signals back home, to take steps against somebody's family.
So the safe thing is to keep quiet, thank your lucky stars you are in the US, I have seen it over, and over. I have asked people about it, and they just nod yes.
I have known Jews, Christians, muslims and Bahai from Iran; Christians from Egypt, Christians from Jordan, Christians from Syria, Jews and muslims from Israel, muslims from Oman, etc.
Generally they are guarded, not open. I think it is regional and cultural, as well as religious. Don't want to be publicly on the record, should the power change hands. Safe instead of sorry. They tend to not have uprisings to throw off bonds. Too risky.
