Just think of his lack of success then, and after 4 decades of the mullahs, now.
The Iranians who threw out the Shah in the 70’s were not liberals, they were a massive collection of different ideologies with the IslamoNazi element being the more forceful, and successful, of the lot, because in the end, they had the overall backing of the people. The same can be said of Turkey.
Iran Circa 1957: “Fossilized Unchanging Religion”; “The Bulk of the Population Unchanged by Reforms” Plus Ça Change…?
Just over four decades ago, Islamologist Maxime Rodinson (d. 2004) observed how Western academic treatment of Islam had devolved into reverent fetishism.“Understanding [of Islam] has given way to apologetics pure and simple,” Rodinson lamented.
The musings of the late Richard Frye, Aga Khan Professor of Iranian Studies Emeritus, epitomize the academic trajectory described by Rodinson. Frye who was dubbed “dean of the world’s Iranists,” passed away on March 27, 2014. His death elicited a hagiography from Iran’s current Foreign Minister Muhammad Zarif. The good Foreign Minister is perhaps better known for his role in manipulating international sanction for Iran’s “peaceful” nuclear program, and laying a wreath, in the midst of the P5 + 1 “negotiations,” at the memorial for jihadist mass-murderer of U.S. soldiers, and Israeli civilians, Imad Mughniyeh. Zarif opined about Frye,
I was deeply saddened to hear the news of Richard Frye’s death. He was a true friend and a great scholar of Iranian studies.
Indeed, despite the misgivings of so-called “Iranian hardliners,” Frye had wished to be buried in Isafahan—a request allegedly approved by former “hardline” Iranian President Ahmadinejad, in 2007. Ultimately, Frye’s family decided to cremate his body in Boston, June 8, 2014, after waiting more than 2 months, to no avail, for official Iranian permission to inter his remains in Isfahan.
Regardless of Richard Frye’s academic “evolution,” which mirrored prevalent apologetic trends, in 1957, he published a clear, concise, gimlet-eyed assessment of Iran’s modern predicament, which, sadly, still rings true. Frye noted how the secularizing administration of Reza Shah Pahlavi (d. 1944) initiated
a concerted drive against religion by the government. Dervishes were driven from the city streets, the beloved passion play and celebrations during the month of Muharram [i.e., which included the bloody self-flagellation spectacles commemorating the martyrdom of Hussein, and were often associated with violent attacks upon Iran’s non-Muslim minorities, especially Jews] were drastically curtailed, and in general the state interfered directly in religious affairs.
As I’ve posted before, Western policy since 9/11, has been to reduce the ME to rubble, creating a never ending series of wars. The hope is, that in the end, this will destroy Islam. Its not a bad policy, as it can be denied that we are waging war on Islam. And evidence that such is the policy, is that Western politicians deny vehemently that the West is waging war on Islam.
I cant think of any other policy, short of the banishment of Islam, that can get us out of the mess that our idiot politicians have created.
Carry on up the Nile.
Continue waging wars on ME countries, foment wars in Muslim or among Muslim countries, start a sunni/shia conflict, destabilise a Muslim country by demanding liberal democracy in place of a dictator. Destroy it by supporting one side or other, depending on circumstances.
Rinse, and apply the treatment repeatedly till the region is thoroughly deloused, poses no threat, is starving and thus docile/pliable at the point of a gun, and prepared to listen that Islam has been a very bad mistake.
There is evidence that some people in the ME are getting the idea that Islam has been a very bad mistake – Gen Sisi for one. He wouldnt have come out woth his statement on Islam, unless he knew that he was representing the views of a considerable number of Egyptians.
As for Iran, its best if they returned to the religion that made Persia a great empire. Islam has reduced a civilised peoiple to become slaves of a nomadic culture. Iranians are not nomads.