Meet the Heideggerites and the Popperites, the representatives of two strains of thought that have been fighting for dominance in Iran since the mullahs took over.
The Heideggerites, after the anti-Semitic German philosopher Martin Heidegger, represent the virulent Islamist. The Popperites, named after the philosopher Karl Popper, represent a more moderate strain, though they still believe in a theocratic society. The election of Ahmadinejad puts the Heidegger camp on top.
As Amir Taheri points out in the article, neither group is aptly named. Sort of like a Star Trek episode in which a group of aliens gets a hold of a Bible and bases their whole culture on it. But half the pages are missing and a lot of the words are blacked out. So "Though Shalt Not Kill" becomes "Though Shall Kill."
No wonder the place is so screwy.
Also see "The Last Shah of Iran" about life before the mullahs.
Thanks to Stuart for the link.
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