NationStates

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Frievolk wrote:Nah, I'm just anti-Arab on a Middle Eastern geopolitical debate and prefer that their influence (and presence) is limited to the Arabian Peninsula, preferably not even there. And yes, I do mean Arab as in "a State that is a member of the Arab League".

Where are you from, btw, if you don't mind me asking.

Iran, where else? (And did the "Iranian Nationalist" not give it away? )

Frievolk wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:Where are you from, btw, if you don't mind me asking.

Iran, where else? (And did the "Iranian Nationalist" not give it away? )

That explains the anti-Arab stance, I guess. Well, even though our ancestors were enemies and rivals in the ancient past, I have a lot of respect for Persian civilization.

Frievolk wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:Where are you from, btw, if you don't mind me asking.

Iran, where else? (And did the "Iranian Nationalist" not give it away? )

I take it from your pro-Israeli stance that you're no fan of the current Islamic Republic regime?

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Frievolk wrote:Iran, where else? (And did the "Iranian Nationalist" not give it away? )

I take it from your pro-Israeli stance that you're no fan of the current Islamic Republic regime?

Those two aren't necessarily related

Frievolk wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:I take it from your pro-Israeli stance that you're no fan of the current Islamic Republic regime?

Those two aren't necessarily related

But nonetheless true?

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Frievolk wrote:Iran, where else? (And did the "Iranian Nationalist" not give it away? )

I take it from your pro-Israeli stance that you're no fan of the current Islamic Republic regime?

Many Iranian nationalist are not. The current regime has focused on Islamic identity and deliberately attempted to undermine pre Islamic Iranian identity.

Novus America wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:I take it from your pro-Israeli stance that you're no fan of the current Islamic Republic regime?

Many Iranian nationalist are not. The current regime has focused on Islamic identity and deliberately attempted to undermine pre Islamic Iranian identity.

Are you Iranian too?

Novus America wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:I take it from your pro-Israeli stance that you're no fan of the current Islamic Republic regime?

Many Iranian nationalist are not. The current regime has focused on Islamic identity and deliberately attempted to undermine pre Islamic Iranian identity.

And that's a shame. Iran has a very rich history and culture prior to the Islamic Conquest of the Sassanid Empire. I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that the Islamic Republic regime dethroned the Shah, who was always referencing Iran's ancient past. Am I far off?

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Novus America wrote:
Many Iranian nationalist are not. The current regime has focused on Islamic identity and deliberately attempted to undermine pre Islamic Iranian identity.

Are you Iranian too?

No. But I am aware of some of the issues regarding Iranian nationalism.
Also the regime killed a lot of nationalists.

Novus America wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:Are you Iranian too?

No. But I am aware of some of the issues regarding Iranian nationalism.
Also the regime killed a lot of nationalists.

Because they supported the Shah's regime, right?

Frievolk wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:I take it from your pro-Israeli stance that you're no fan of the current Islamic Republic regime?

Those two aren't necessarily related

In your opinion, would it have been better if Shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi hadn't been overthrown in the 1979 Revolution? Would Iran have been better off under the Shah?

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Novus America wrote:
Many Iranian nationalist are not. The current regime has focused on Islamic identity and deliberately attempted to undermine pre Islamic Iranian identity.

And that's a shame. Iran has a very rich history and culture prior to the Islamic Conquest of the Sassanid Empire. I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that the Islamic Republic regime dethroned the Shah, who was always referencing Iran's ancient past. Am I far off?

Certainly that played a role. The Shah tried to recreate an Iranian identity less dependent on Islam and the Islamists opposed that. It also is based on the fact that many Islamist consider pre Islamic society inherently immoral and inferior and also the Iranian regime also wants to expand beyond Iran, it wants an identity that applies across Shia Islam, not just Iran.

The “Iranian Republican Guard” does not actually use Iran or Iranian anywhere in its name which is actually “the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution”.

They have pan (Shia mostly) Islamic leanings.
Iranian Nationalism is contrary to Pan Islamism.

Novus America wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:And that's a shame. Iran has a very rich history and culture prior to the Islamic Conquest of the Sassanid Empire. I'm guessing it has to do with the fact that the Islamic Republic regime dethroned the Shah, who was always referencing Iran's ancient past. Am I far off?

Certainly that played a role. The Shah tried to recreate an Iranian identity less dependent on Islam and the Islamists opposed that. It also is based on the fact that many Islamist consider pre Islamic society inherently immoral and inferior and also the Iranian regime also wants to expand beyond Iran, it wants an identity that applies across Shia Islam, not just Iran.

The “Iranian Republican Guard” does not actually use Iran or Iranian anywhere in its name which is actually “the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution”.

They have pan (Shia mostly) Islamic leanings.
Iranian Nationalism is contrary to Pan Islamism.

Interesting. Do these Iranian nationalists have any ambitions to integrate former regions of the Persian dominion?

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Novus America wrote:
No. But I am aware of some of the issues regarding Iranian nationalism.
Also the regime killed a lot of nationalists.

Because they supported the Shah's regime, right?

Not all nationalists supported the Shah’s regime.
The Islamists killed, jailed and exiled many opposed to the Shah.
Anyone they though could be a threat to their regime.

They treated other anti Shah groups just as badly as pro Shah ones.

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Novus America wrote:
Certainly that played a role. The Shah tried to recreate an Iranian identity less dependent on Islam and the Islamists opposed that. It also is based on the fact that many Islamist consider pre Islamic society inherently immoral and inferior and also the Iranian regime also wants to expand beyond Iran, it wants an identity that applies across Shia Islam, not just Iran.

The “Iranian Republican Guard” does not actually use Iran or Iranian anywhere in its name which is actually “the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution”.

They have pan (Shia mostly) Islamic leanings.
Iranian Nationalism is contrary to Pan Islamism.

Interesting. Do these Iranian nationalists have any ambitions to integrate former regions of the Persian dominion?

I am sure some do, but probably most do not.

It is something like the relationship between the Soviet Union and Russian nationalism pre Stalin.

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Frievolk wrote:Those two aren't necessarily related

In your opinion, would it have been better if Shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi hadn't been overthrown in the 1979 Revolution? Would Iran have been better off under the Shah?

Literally anything would've been better than what we got. Even a Marxist Leninist takeover.

Frievolk wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:In your opinion, would it have been better if Shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi hadn't been overthrown in the 1979 Revolution? Would Iran have been better off under the Shah?

Literally anything would've been better than what we got. Even a Marxist Leninist takeover.

Didn't that almost happen?

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Frievolk wrote:Literally anything would've been better than what we got. Even a Marxist Leninist takeover.

Didn't that almost happen?

Not really. Despite its loudness and despite the fact there were a lot of Marxists (and I do mean Marxist-Leninists and Islamic-Marxists, rather than the more libertarian sorts), they never really had a chance.

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Novus America wrote:
Many Iranian nationalist are not. The current regime has focused on Islamic identity and deliberately attempted to undermine pre Islamic Iranian identity.

Are you Iranian too?

I have an Iranian friend who’s against the current regime and it’s erasure of Iranian history in favor of the more recent Islamic side.

He’s said just about the same thing as Novus.

Sicaris wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:Are you Iranian too?

I have an Iranian friend who’s against the current regime and it’s erasure of Iranian history in favor of the more recent Islamic side.

He’s said just about the same thing as Novus.

In hindsight, the ideal situation for the Middle East would've been the survival of the Byzantine Empire, the Persian Shahdom (with God knows what dynasty), and the Russian Empire. A 3 way, alliance of Monarchs to keep out Western Powers and stop the Caliphate at the same time.

The wife of Vice President Mike Pence is being criticized for... (shuffles cards)... teaching at a Christian private school?

Sorry, the media prefers to call Christian schools anti-LGBT.

Hakons wrote:The wife of Vice President Mike Pence is being criticized for... (shuffles cards)... teaching at a Christian private school?

Sorry, the media prefers to call Christian schools anti-LGBT.

lmao

Hakons wrote:The wife of Vice President Mike Pence is being criticized for... (shuffles cards)... teaching at a Christian private school?

Sorry, the media prefers to call Christian schools anti-LGBT.

Why am I not even surprised at this point?

Nea Byzantia wrote:

Sicaris wrote:
I have an Iranian friend who’s against the current regime and it’s erasure of Iranian history in favor of the more recent Islamic side.

He’s said just about the same thing as Novus.

In hindsight, the ideal situation for the Middle East would've been the survival of the Byzantine Empire, the Persian Shahdom (with God knows what dynasty), and the Russian Empire. A 3 way, alliance of Monarchs to keep out Western Powers and stop the Caliphate at the same time.

No.

Hakons wrote:The wife of Vice President Mike Pence is being criticized for... (shuffles cards)... teaching at a Christian private school?

Sorry, the media prefers to call Christian schools anti-LGBT.

Hmmmmmm

I'm on the fence about that school.

Frievolk wrote:

Nea Byzantia wrote:Didn't that almost happen?

Not really. Despite its loudness and despite the fact there were a lot of Marxists (and I do mean Marxist-Leninists and Islamic-Marxists, rather than the more libertarian sorts), they never really had a chance.

Why not?