That make me feel lucky to be an American Woman in the 21st century.. I tell you what...

Perhaps you can tell us why any of your analysis or conclusions regarding Iran, or the state of women in Iran are any better than Carrot-Tops?

I do not know your resume, so maybe I am very mistaken.

Are you Iranian? Do you speak Farsi? Was the speech in English? What is your academic background in Iranian history or culture, or women's studies in Iran?

I congratulate you for reading two articles about Iran, but you have not shown why you think one article more clearly represents Khameni's views better than the other.

I am not saying you are wrong, just that there is no reason to consider your opinion to be of any more value than my, very ignorant, very uninformed opinion.

This criticism runs throughout much of what you write on Broadsheet. It's just not clear to me that you have anything of value to say, apart from a knee-jerk reaction to something you've read in the news.

This may be why so many people here think you have nothing of value to say.

Just saying,

Best wishes,

...think about how different the world would be if, instead of fomenting a coup against a modern, secular, popularly elected leader in Iran in the 1950s, and putting the Shah in power, and propping him up for 25 years, we had supported Mossadegh, who knows? It wouldn't have been a perfect solution, but Iran would be a very different place now, that's for sure.

In a sense, we have no-one to blame for people like Khamenei but ourselves. We made the islamic revolution in Iran possible with our blind support of the Shah, who apparently could not see the risk right in front of him. Neither could we.

There is, of course, some evidence to suggest that Mossadegh was removed by the coup because he planned to nationalize all of Iran's oil. And that was unacceptable to the trans-national oil companies, who, even then were enormously powerful.

Case closed everyone go home now the secret has been exposed.

it's never America's fault. It couldn't possibly ever be America's fault.

Let's look at the immutable, indisputed word of God, shall we?

Quran 4:34 "Men are meant to be righteous and kind guardians of women because God has favored some more than others and because they (i.e. men) spend out of their wealth. In their turn, righteous women are meant to be devoted and to guard what God has willed to be guarded even though out of sight of the husband. As for those women on whose part you fear ill-will and nasty conduct, admonish them first, next separate them in beds and last beat them. But if they obey you, then seek nothing against them. Behold, God is most high and great."

The problem is spelled I-S-L-A-M, but you all knew that already, right?

Golden Boy

PS For how long will the British tolerate a Prime Minister who has directed that the word "Muslim" not be used in reference to Muslim terrorism? Ah well, back to sleep everyone.....

No you're wrong it always is. In fact I got some spoiled chicken salad yesterday. I blame America. Damn those Americans. Why do they hate mayonnaise? Is it their freedoms?

It's odd though. You DO know that in Iran today the litany of capital crimes is legion. If you're raped and you accuse your rapists, if you bring dishonor on your family, if you're gay, if you molest a child, if you're in a porn movie, if you're a mouthy wife. They hang you from a crane in the town square. Age 13 and up. You do know that when Khomeni swept into power his first act was to execute thousands of people he thought might be opposed to him.

But why should we hold people responsible for their own atrocities? What's the fun in that when you can blame the good old godless USA. Ok that works for me.

Just check your chicken salad, because well you can never be to sure. Those Yanks, they can pop up anywhere and mess with you.

HAS FUCKING NOTHING TO DO WITH US. Whether they export weapons does. Whether they have strict islamic law does not. Nobody gives a shit about feminism in Iran. Nobody. Get over it. We have much larger issues to address. Healthcare in America. Alternative energy sources and improved fuel efficiency. The budget deficit. The Trade deficit. The problems associated wiht non-enforcement of the current immigration laws. Povery and education in America. Nobody gives 2 shits about feminism in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Japan, China or any other fucking place.

Make that 3 shits.

Everything is interconnected, systemic, and there is no way you can separate out women's rights from any of the other problems we on earth have.

Okay, maybe in the short term, but not the long term.

Anyway, singling out a topic as 'unworthy of being discussed because it's happening in other countries' only unhelpfully propagates the notion that too many Americans still have of being above the rest of the world, beyond the rest of the world.

How ironic considering we are in an increasingly codependent relationship with the rest of the world (a world that increasingly owns us!).

We are not above the rest of the world, we are part of it. What happens there ultimately affects us.

And additionally, we are part of nature not above or beyond nature.

Sorry if I'm taking this off topic in responding to another post, but I can't help but feel that - the sooner people in this country get their head on straight regarding the Ultimate Context in which our nation's problems unfold the better.

What happens in the rest of the world matters. Period.

Humanity could exterminate superstition and make laws based on logic, science, and reason.

There's not just some evidence that Mossadegh was removed due to his insistence that Iran's oil belong to the Iranians. There's abundant evidence.

Then get on a plane, go to Iran and do something about rather than engage in the typical female handwringing and carping. You opened your piehole, do something or shut it.