Our media has repeatedly informed Americans that the Shah was overthrown due to the Shah entertaining a Western culture and idea for Iran. From the information provided was your thought the people of Iran did not repudiate western culture by overthrowing the Shah. Is there additional information which you would share regarding your thoughts of the overthrow, of the Shah, was not a repudiation of the West and western culture, or is the point, there is a large percentage of Iran's people wanting and willing to embrace Western culture? If there is a percentage of people willing to embrace western culture, do you have an estimate of the percentage who would embrace western culture?
It isn’t about accepting or rejecting Western culture. Western culture is acknowledged & is considered influential by many Iranians. In fact, many Iranians have always known more about Western culture, than most Westerners about Iranian culture (not Islamic one).
My point was that most, more than 80% of Iranians (my guesstimate) would welcome & embrace modernisation. Some would equate modernisation with westernisation. Not necessarily a correct equation. Even the Shah, IMO, never intended to fully “westernise”. Politically, he had *Western policies*, but, mostly, wanted to Modernise inside Iran.
Modernisation means moving with times, adjusting to and *evolving* with times, technologically, socially, culturally, politically, economically, even in choice of food, fashion & entertainment, thinking, etc... But, Iranians, despite adapting to the mentioned, are not noted for losing many aspects of their own, even ancient culture. Even the forced Islamisation & Arabisation of Iran couldn’t *fully* achieve that complete change. Rather it found a blend or fusion, based on their choice.