Sounds likie I need to do some studying, since I am rarely surprised twice in one day...I am truly surprised, and very confused, since I have tended to compare Iranian culture with Arab culture without really separating the two sufficiently. I won't be so glib next time...
As it has been noted before, Iranians/Persians are neither Arabs nor Muslims. Iran may be officially an Islamic country, but the same number of true believers in Islam in Iran, is about the same number of African-Americans in the U.S. The government is Islamic; the people, in general, are not.