My ex/late father-in-law spent quite a bit of time in Iran during the early '70s, as an engineer with Boeing. This was all before the sh*t hit the fan during the hostage crisis of the Carter presidency, of course. As much as he tended to ramble at times, I always enjoyed listening to his stories about the Iranian culture and people, and what a beautiful, spotlessly clean & well-mannered place it was to be.
Like anywhere else, there were definitely some "bad" sections that should be avoided, but overall, he said he always felt as safe if not more so than he did here in the U.S. (particularly since he'd grown up in Brooklyn, NY). Of course, the Shah still reigned then, and the Shah's boys "didn't play."
Times have changed, obviously, but all politics aside, I hope everyone at least realizes that this area of the world is indeed the Cradle of Life, and can at least respect the ancient cultures & heritage that began here. Hopefully it can be preserved, so that we or our kids may all see it for ourselves someday.
