Zakaria needs to learn about Iranians

It doesn't appear the three forces are all pointed against the Iranian government. Democracy is certainly working against the regime, but is religion? It's unclear. Iranians don't like theocracy, but they are religious, and clearly (President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad got the votes of the more rural and observant masses. As for nationalism, neither side can truly claim it.

Again, like Taheri, Zakaria claims he knows about Iran, when he statements are assumptions. The people of Iran put Nowrooz above Islam, and he should know that. Finally the reason that Mr Mousavi had so many people with him, was that the nationalists came out and voted for him.

Amir Taheri of Iran does not know the word Gozineshi found in the Avesta

Taheri points out that until the end of the nineteenth century neither Farsi nor any of the other main Muslim languages had words for republic, let alone democracy.

Sometimes in life, the problems we have become so clear. The world thinks that Mr Taheri knows it all. Moreover a number of journalists, typically of Moslem origin, think they know it all. Well they are wrong. The oldest book in the world The Zend Avesta speaks of free will and choice with words like gozineshi.

Maybe that is why Iran is stuck in these doldrums. Learn about the Zoroastrian or ancient philosophy of Iran.