[kweks]

Check out the last sentence. In the context of Persian culture, Islam was forcefully introduced in the 650's. Iranian culture dates to 4500BC. From my experience (been through Iran 5 times..) - Islam seems to play a very minor / non-existant role in the majority of people's lives.

Naturally there's variation on this (Tehran vs. Qu'om / Mashaad) - but at least that was my experience from living and speaking.

[cm2187]

You suggest that what defines the current regime is a reaction to the West. I think this is completly missing the point. Islamism has been on the rise in every single muslim country since the 60s, and the current regime is before anything an islamist regime.

I am not sure what the fact that Iran is a thousand year civilisation has anything to do with it. China is a thousand year civilisation too, it didn't become less communist nevertheless.