“I tend to favor a more limited interpretation of Guardianship.” With all respect, neither you are a Muslim nor an Iranian so you can’t tend to anything about this issue! Of course you are welcome to say your own Idea If you have knowledge enough! Haha, that is why I said this right before: "Suffice it to say that as a foreign non-Muslim, with all the authority that gives me to rule on religious issues in Iran (in other words, none)", So yeah, you are right but at least I can point to some Shia ulema and say "I like those guys!" I agree that if you believe in Islam, you obviously want a society that is in keeping with Islam. However, it is in my nature as an American to not trust the government. So I don't see having a secular ruler as keeping religion out of politics, I see it as keeping politics out of religion. But we can talk more about that another time, not to convince each other of anything, but just so we can learn more about where we are each coming from.
I don't know what information the US government really has about Iran's secrets. They aren't telling me. They seem worried, but there is still some optimism.
And yes, Iran has had a lot of foreign powers, including the USA, (and also the USSR) messing with it for a long time. It is a shameful part in American history. Hadi – While it is at times difficult to find correct information on Islam in general and Iran specifically in English-language media in the USA, we in fact have a very open environment that does allow me to quickly and freely research Iran with a little effort. Obviously, I have yet to travel to Iran, nor do I speak the language, but history is history. It is quite easy for me to look at copies of books and speeches and transcripts from Iran and the Islamic revolution, and check with Iranian authorities that these resources are correctly translated. And if I get something wrong, then I always have razzaghi to set me straight :) Our countries may be very angry at each other now, but I believe strongly that that will end soon. I believe that Iran and the USA ought to be good friends. Oh, and here are some things I know about Iran - It is the 18th largest country in the world. They make delicious pilaf. The Safavid Dynasty took power in 1501.
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