Maysaloon - ميسلون

"Reform, I soon found out, was not a euphemism for regime change - it just meant more respect for the rule of law and human rights, in order to preserve the Islamic system of government, not overthrow it."

You see for somebody like Frances Harrison, it is an Islamic government which is the problem, not that somebody had been attempting to reform it. Another Orientalist lamenting the Persia of the history books, "This is not a culture where anyone says anything directly - and it can sometimes be infuriating for a foreigner. " You know what? An Iranian friend of mine was shocked about how direct people are here in the UK. In fact, when immigration noted his surprise after they asked him directly for his passport, they smiled and said "you must be Iranian? It's ok, here in England we are always direct and to the point."

Imagine if a BBC correspondent wrote the following about the United States:

"Reform, I soon found out, was not a euphemism for regime change - it just meant more respect for the rule of law and human rights, in order to preserve the liberal capitalist system of government, not overthrow it."