The Emperors of Iran were the first secularists Mr Mattie Fein

Some people think they know about Iran's history. A good example is this one:

As with the shah's monarchy, the current dictatorship of the mullahs is an aberration from Iran's historical march towards secular democracy.

Where does Mr Mattie Fein think Iran's historical roots come from? They come from the Declaration of Human Rights by Cyrus the Great. That was the first secular move ever by any human being. And he got it by studying the Zend Avesta.

Left wing and Seyyeds against Iran secular nationalism

Media such as the Observer appeased the fanatic Islamists in the late 70's against USA, that led them to support the downfall of the sovereignty of Iran. Now I read this:

What was Britain hoping to achieve? How did a country under a left-of-centre government expect to influence religious rightists? Did it hope that a conversation with Foreign Office ministers would persuade them to repent and become converts to the noble cause of the emancipation of women?

It took them nearly thirty years to see what the Shahanshah of Iran called, "the alliance of red and black". Truly the naive left wing did not know what they were doing, and many still blindly support the Seyyeds against the US, just for the sake of being against the US, not that they really care about Iranian secular nationalism.