The End of Iran's Ayatollahs
The Guardian / Martin Amis
17-Jul-2009 (2 comments)

"There exists a subterranean world where pathological fantasies disguised as ideas are churned out by crooks and half-educated fanatics [notably the lower clergy] for the benefit of the ignorant and superstitious. There are times when this underworld emerges from the depths and suddenly fascinates, captures and dominates multitudes of usually sane and responsible people, who thereupon take leave of sanity and responsibility. And it occasionally happens that this underworld becomes a political power and changes the course of history."

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alexarjomand

I am glad you enjoy...

by alexarjomand on Mon Jul 20, 2009 05:35 AM PDT

...and agreed that that is a brilliant quote! 


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hamsade ghadimi

kudos alex

by hamsade ghadimi on Fri Jul 17, 2009 01:47 PM PDT

alex, i've noticed that you usually have good news source recommendations. at least the articles that you recommend are more to my leaning!

amis writes in a genuine and unfiltered style as if he's in the room talking to you.  he also tries to give the 'big picture' and scans the history of iran and other historical facts that are relevant to iran's history. One of my favorite quotes in the article:

"What remains, then, you might wonder, as you deplane at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport, and enter a city where no cab-driver will stop for a cleric – what remains of the legacy bequeathed by the Father of the Revolution, or alternatively by "that fucking asshole", as he is reflexively called, in English, by the youth of the cities of Iran?..."


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