Almost every country was like that during the Dark Ages.

Juche in North Korea has been rather devastating.

I went to grad school with a woman from Iran. Much like Americans...she loved her country but hated the abuse and idiocracy of its government. Get religion out of the way, and it becomes easier to see that most people in the world just want to live life and love their family. I hope both our countries wake up soon and start moving more to this.

Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Kurdistan, most of Europe and North America, religion brings suffering where ever it spreads a one time or an other.

That's happening in the USA right now too

The wonderful treasures of your ancient civilisations have been virtually destroyed. All wars are devastating for the people who have to endure them, but religious ones seem to be particularly destructive. Zealots of whatever religion always want to obliterate the previous cultures and impose their own ideas on everything and everyone. Your country was civilised when we in the West were still savages, the cultural revolution has swept away much of your heritage and treasures....so sad. I feel for you.

Is there enough resentment of religious intrusion that the people might overthrow it? I'm remembering Ataturk's success in creating a secular government for Turkey. I've wondered so often about the women of your county...how did they allow themselves to be tossed into such a repressive situation?

It is unfortunate how the government needs to make people fear. If they would listen to the people and work on a plan to preserve instead of destroy. I know several Persian people, all I know are very pleasant.

It's never a good thing when religion is used to rule a country