Left alone, Iran could become a democracy

The Herald UK, published the following letter. Here a few excerpts

In the late 1970s I was conducting seismic surveys relating to the stability of two sites, near the cities of Isfahan and Hamadan, for nuclear power plants. ...

In those places I was the only non-Iranian. On a personal level I was made welcome. The ordinary Iranians have the same aspirations as we do, namely, to have a reasonable standard of living and to raise a family. Like us, they are mostly a generous people. As with us, there is generally a lack of religious fervour and, like us, very many are pretty disgusted with their system of government. ...

There are two basic problems in Iran. The first is a general lack of real organisation in the country, although it manages to operate reasonably well. The second is the two-tier form of government.

After 25 years of the ayatollahs, their popularity has waned, especially after the last rigged election to the parliament. ...

My colleagues – most were Muslim but they included several Armenian Christians – are confident that, left alone, Iran will develop into a working democracy. But everyone said that, if Iran were attacked, they would unite around whoever would defend them, even if that had to be the ayatollahs. If the neo-conservatives in the White House believe that they could reimpose another Shah on the Iranians, they really are living in another world.

John Scott Roy, 19 Blenheim Court, Kilsyth.

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