Talk:Iran/Archive 15

Government of Iran
UCaetano It's better not to over-describe the political system of Iran, let alone the government. A more practical description is that Iran is an Islamic Repubic; not whatever you describe it as. As far as Iran is officially concerned, it is an Islamic Republic. --Vormeph 22:08, 29 October 2015 (UTC)
 * I agree with UCaetano. The pre-edit war version more accurately reflects the position. Vormeph has offered no real explanation for their change. DeCausa (talk) 22:53, 29 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Firstly, there is bias in the wording. Using the word 'some' immediately implies sarcasm, which means bias. Because the entire wording was long and too descriptive, it wasn't appropriate at all to be included. The government_type of Iran is Islamic Republic. That's essentially that, and set in stone by Iran's own constitution, whatever you, or I, or UCaetano might say. Heck, it's even on the motto, so I have no idea why you're refusing to accept that. The fact I've been reported under these grounds (under the exploit and pretext of the so-called 3-reverts-rule) shows much irony in that a dispute between me and UCaetano has somehow been elevated by you which means that clearly you are refusing to honour the edits I make. As far as I know, you yourself are also an edit-reverter, and we encountered each other on the Kids Company page. You gloriously rage-quit that article, bravo! --Vormeph 23:39, 29 October 2015 (UTC)
 * There is no sarcasm implied in "some", but I'm ok with replacing "some form of" with "a form of" if that makes you happy. Government type is not as simple as that, and "de jure" clarifies that: while the government is labeled as a "islamic republic", in practice it is a republic system subject to a theocracy. I see no reason to move away from the original description before your change. And PLEASE stop edit warring. UCaetano (talk) 09:50, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * A more appropriate phrase is some variant of. Iran is indeed an Islamic republic, but it is not 100% a theocracy, but it's not 100% a full democracy/presidential republic either. It's therefore illogical to say that Iran is a de facto Unitarian presidential republic (considering the fact the president doesn't have as much power as the Supreme Leader). Hence, to avoid this discussion as to what government Iran is, it's better to just label it as Islamic republic and accept whatever government Iran says it is. It's not in our place to decide what kind of government Iran is; we're just editors, not politicians. This issue has been politicised enough following my referral to the administrators. My point is clear wherein Iran has a government whereby it is a variant of theocracy (or rather an amalgamation of theocracy and democracy). You could argue that Islamic republic is too broad since there are various Islamic republics unlike Iran. But as far as I'm aware, it is still more practical to use that term than what you've prescribed. -Vormeph 10:59, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * In my opinion, it's better for us to describe that amalgamation in as much detail as possible than to simply omit it for the sake of meaningless brevity. Rwenonah (talk) 11:02, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Agree that the word "some" can be omitted but otherwise the text should remain as it wss before the edit-warring. No need to dumb down, for, as Rwenonah says, meaningless brevity. DeCausa (talk) 12:37, 30 October 2015 (UTC)

Rebooting the spacing. you first said the "some" is sarcastic and introduces bias, but now you say "some" is a better phrasing? Iran isn't a "de facto" unitarian presidential republic, it is "de facto" an unitarian presidential republic subject to a Theocracy. Wikipedia isn't here to say exactly what governments want to be said, it's here to present a NPOV. If Iran starts claiming tomorrow that the sky is green, or that there is no such thing as gravity, none of that will matter for gravity or the colour of the sky. You're mistaking keeping a NPOV for NOR. There are plenty of sources listing Iran as a theocracy or theocratic republic, and we should make that explicit. UCaetano (talk) 14:08, 30 October 2015 (UTC)


 * Wherein, we approach the argument that sources should be cited ere we derive a conclusion as to what kind of government Iran is. There are many sources out there that can give contradicting viewpoints. Some may say Iran is simply a theocratic republic; or even an Islamic democratic republic; or even just simply an Islamic republic, which as I said earlier is simply an amalgamation of the former two mentioned. With regards to the word 'some', it's my bias that stands there, but it's one bias that should not be mentioned through my writing on an official article. Our position is this: we find sources of whichever side of the argument, and we come to a conclusion agreed as to what government Iran is. Vormeph 14:14, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * No, it's not our role to "come to a conclusion agreed as to what government Iran is". The previous version, before your edit war, was the long standing consensus, and everyone here objects to your change and edit war. We need to keep a NPOV and, when relevant, show multiples sides of a question. You want to over-simplify and simply show the self-declared official position of Iran's government. Please stop trying to push you POV. UCaetano (talk) 14:50, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * It's not my POV, it's Iran's. Let's take another country as an example: Britain is a constitutional monarchy. But according to your logic, Britain could also be a republic or some other government instead. In truth, I am only upholding what the original government is calling itself: that's not bias, that is just fact. Iran is an Islamic republic because its government says it is. North Korea, objectively isn't a democracy despite the name it has, but that doesn't mean you can change the name of the country to reflect the lack thereof. Remember, you gotta accept whatever reality there is; and we as editors simply have to abide by that, regardless of what the consensus is. Just because a majority of people disagree with the context of a government doesn't mean that context or government is correct by the name prescribed. I still stand by my argument that Iran is an Islamic republic and that the government's type is inscribed not only onto the name of the country, but also onto the motto, anthem and even in other places related thereto. It's more a case that you are advocating what you feel is correct. Just because there's been a long-consensus on something doesn't mean it's the right one. Hence, the current modifications as yet are decent as they are truthful, despite the sarcasm in using 'de facto' and 'de jure'. Vormeph 15:04, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Iran's POV is being noted in the description box, but remember that WP aims to keep a NPOV, showing 2+ sides where necessary. That's why there's both "de jure" (what the government claims to be), and "de facto", what is generally agreed as being factual. regarding Britain, take a look at the United Kingdom page, Government is listed as a Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Plase stop strying to push your POV that the POV of Iran's government is the only one that matters. This is not the case at WP. It has nothing to do with what I feel is correct or not. UCaetano (talk) 15:34, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * @Vormeph, Absolutely not. Reflecting "Iran's POV" is not what we do and contravenes WP:NPOV. And we don't call North Korea "democratic" in its infobox. DeCausa (talk) 15:38, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * &, for what it's worth, as it's controversial what the government of Iran is, it's better for us to actually cite sources pertaining to it. And what's more ironic, Mister DeCausa, is that you reported me based on that edit that you now quoting me on. I am not pushing anyone's POV here, but clearly there's an elite that wants their own POV upheld. If Iran isn't an Islamic republic, then what is it? Some banana republic with a cherry on top? Vormeph 17:46, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Please cut out these absurd personal asides. I have no interest in this imagined feud you think you have with me but which is only in your mind. We had one minor exchange several months ago which I can barely remember. You breached 3RR, which is the only reason I reported you - nothing to do with the edit itself or anything else. The answer to your question at the end of your post is the text which you tried to edit-war out of the article. It seems to me (I didn't write it) a reasonable summation of the WP:RS on the topic. We don't reflect any particular POV and certainly not that of the subject government. We follow WP:NPOV which states that we must represent "fairly, proportionately, and, as far as possible, without bias, all of the significant views that have been published by reliable sources on a topic." That summation, in my view, does just that. DeCausa (talk) 17:56, 30 October 2015 (UTC)


 * You know, I respect you for what your conscience dictates to be right; but what we deem as right is indeed questionable. The reason being is that an edit as controversial as what made is controversial enough. Interestingly enough, we just have to learn to get along with one another as wiki-buddies because otherwise we're just going to tear up each article in the name of wikipedia. At its end, you have to understand that we're not always seeing things eye to eye, but it's important that we both look to each side of the argument. The fact of the matter is that I'm satisfied with the current edits I personally made to the article and am happy to leave it at that if all editors herein do agree as well. I did talk about Iran perhaps being an amalgamation of theocracy and democracy, wherein it can be explained within a section herein or another place. Regardless, I'd appreciate it if  had more convenience in respecting the decisions of others. We don't have to be foes. I forgive you for reporting me (which if you must be humiliated to know, was just a waste of time since it made no change whatsoever) but we can't be at each other's throats for any longer, especially now that I've landed in this article with a firm purpose of contributing. Vormeph 19:14, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Wikipedia doesn't work like that. You may be "satisfied with the edits I personally made to the article and am happy to leave it at that" but have you noticed that no other editors who have posted in this thread are happy with what you have done? Read WP:CONSENSUS. DeCausa (talk) 20:33, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * In my opinion, User:Vormeph has obviously made this more about inciting some kind of personal conflict with User:DeCausa than actually contributing - thus the fact that 95% of his post is about the latter editor and not the article. I don't care about the backstory Vormeph refers to, if it exists - he's harming the article with WP:BATTLEGROUND behaviour. Wikipedia isn't a place to fight idealized conflicts with other editors. I'm not satisfied with the edits he's made, and nor is anyone else, so ... there's no reason for it to stay up. Again, there's no reason to omit the major aspects from the info box except some goal of arbitrary brevity, which I see no reason to support. Rwenonah (talk) 20:49, 30 October 2015 (UTC)

I therefore call on all editors to cite where appropriate, and thusly prove, that Iran is a Unitary presidential republic OR an Islamic republic. It makes no sense that we have to go through this quarrel and government. The reason that has a problem with me is because he wants everyone to think he is most credible for editing and not some other editor. I know he likes what I have to say here, but the guy is clever and very subtle in the way he does things. We must be careful, and I call on all editors to take heed and ensure that Wikipedia is not infected by false alarms and false facts that are being advocated on an epic scale by editors who think that a country ought to be what ought not to be. It's not in their place to decide that a country is democratic or not; it's not in their place to decide whether a country is a country or not. This is Wikipedia, not a political arena for discussion. It's silly enough that I've been reported; and it's stupid that this article has been locked because of it. If anything you have only to blame for causing this mess which otherwise would have been solved peacefully and with dialogue. I can't believe that people are pointing the finger at me while he is roaming free and causing so much trouble. Just take a look at this talk page, and the archives thereof. I was even about to put sources to cite besides what I had edited erewhile. It's amazing that despite my efforts to contribute to the article, people continue to hold the view that I am disrupting the whole process thereof. I'm sorry if this sounds like I'm attacking people, but I'm really not; I'm only upholding what I hold dear for the sake of the article and for Wikipedia in general. I'm honestly astonished by what's happened in the past 24 hours and those responsible should be ashamed of themselves. I even created this section within the talk page to resolve this issue. Vormeph 21:23, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * You were reported for violating Wikipedia rules. It's frankly narcissistic to think it occurred because of bias against you. To say that Iran is a "unitary presidential republic" utterly fails to do justice to the complexity of Iran's governance, in which the president is only one facet of a government controlled largely by Islamic clerics and heavily influenced by the military. It's an inaccurate oversimplification. Islamic republic is a meaningless term which can be interpreted in virtually any manner and provides no information to the reader. Moving on, "thusly" isn't a word. Finally, I'd ask that you not drag your obvious vendetta into otherwise stable articles; if you feel the need, address it through appropriate channels like WP:AN/I. Rwenonah (talk) 22:02, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Firstly, I never advocated the use of Unitary presidential republic as the government of Iran. But I used Islamic republic as a means of simplifying any concerns that there may be regarding Iran. I don't want there to be an entire description devoted to the government thereof, just beause we can't abstract a few things. It's silly to call me a narcissist beause I am not, but I am very forward in the way I think so I can see why you would call me that; but it's better not to judge me in such a way. Sorry if I gave off that impression. Vormeph 22:34, 30 October 2015 (UTC)
 * Please do not portray this conflict falsely by saying "an edit as controversial as what UCaetano made". That is a blatant lie. You are the one who made a controversial edit. I reverted and you engaged in edit warring. If you really insist on this point, why don't you open a WP:RfC? Every single editor in this discussion disagrees with your proposed change. Stop trying to push your POV, you failed to do it by edit warring, and you failed to convince any other editor of your POV. UCaetano (talk) 15:06, 1 November 2015 (UTC)


 * On the contrary I have acted with a firm Conscience insofar I can attest. The fact of the matter is when it comes to comparing


 * de jure Islamic republic
 * de facto some variant of Theocracy: Unitary presidential republic under absolute islamic sovereignty


 * with simply Islamic republic, Reason agrees that the latter is more correct. The former isn't because it's actually incorrect. In Iran, Islamic law (Sharia) doesn't have the final say in constitutional matters; in Iran it is only there for guidance to ensure that laws are as Islamically-correct as possible. That doesn't mean Iran is under so-called 'absolute Islamic sovereignty'. Mind you, you lowercased 'islamic' which shows your utter disrespect towards other religions. Note also that Iran isn't completely a unitary presidential republic because the President doesn't have complete power over what happens in the country, it's the Supreme Leader. Iran is not a variant of theocracy because it never preached theocracy to begin with; like I said earlier Iran doesn't hold Sharia in full absolutism; if it were then Iran wouldn't have a constitution to begin with! One can safely say that Iran is an Islamic democracy, which is an amalgamation of Islam and democracy. Much like Christian democracy, they are simply fusions of a religion and democracy. That doesn't mean a country like Iran is a theocracy. There's a very well-drawn line between a theocracy and a religious democracy. The Islamic state is a theocracy, and an extremist one of that. That's how wrong you are. Do some reading first before you throw complete nonsense into Wikipedia. Vormeph 15:20, 1 November 2015 (UTC)

Vormeph, your ill-informed opinions are not suppoted by WP:RS. You say that Sharia does not have the final say in constitutional matters. Yet says the exact opposite. You say Iran is not a variant of theocracy yet, , all say the exact opposite. Most of the time it's hard to understand what you are saying because you mix in so much personal invective (are you aware of WP:NPA?) but when you do try to say something that's on topic, it's invariably based on nothing but WP:OR. DeCausa (talk) 17:15, 1 November 2015 (UTC)


 * You know, ignorance has no measure. I have the Constitution of Iran right in front of me and I have read it and it says nothing about it being a theocracy, and it says nothing about Sharia law being above Iranian law. In fact the opposite is true; Iranian law supercedes Sharia. As you are a lawyer, I think you should be better accustomed in interpreting this. It's very ironic that despite you being a lawyer you cite sources, yet not the origins of them all: the actual constitution! Go read it and then decide whether Iran is a theocracy or not. If Iran is a theocracy then it wouldn't have a constitution. Saudi Arabia is a theocracy because it uses the Qu'ran and Hadith to justify its decisions. Despite the first article of Iran's constitution, there's no real harm in it as the constitution actually asserts what the Iranian government does, rather than what God expects thereof. Iran is simply an Islamic democracy. I draw that from the actual constitution, with the amendments. You know, Britain can actually be dubbed as a Christian democracy because it still has Christianity as that state religion since our monarch is legally tied to the church of England. Would it be correct then if I say our country is also a theocracy despite the fact every morning Christian ceremonies occur within parliament? And that still we discriminate Catholics pertaining to our monarch? Indeed, it's hypocritical to preach theocracy there, my friend. Take that into account. Vormeph 18:52, 1 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Voremph, read WP:PRIMARY. Your personal interpretation of the Iranian constitution is utterly irrelevant in the face of a reliable secondary source pubished by, for example, Harvard University Press. Sorry, but this is how Wikipedia works. All we do is just reflect what reliable secondary sources say, right or wrong. It's quite limited really, and doesn't suit everyone. We're not the place to challenge what secondary sources say from our own analysis of primary sources. We're not even a forum to express our personal views. We're also not a place to get into anything personal with anyone else. Maybe another website would suit you better. DeCausa (talk) 19:22, 1 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Sorry to disappoint you; this guy will not be leaving any time soon. For what it's worth, rules can be broken if there is an imbalance between context and Reason. The sources you provide only describe one viewpoint of Iran, and for what it's worth it's pretty flawed because they are not experts of Iranian law: valid objections, of course. But neither are we experts at Iranian law, and we simply deduce a conclusion based on what Iran says and what Iran does. There is no mention of Sharia in the Constitution; but the fact of the matter is that Iran's Majlis passes laws that are to be compatible with Islam and the Constitution. That doesn't mean Sharia is above the law: quite the contrary. In fact, Sharia is actually a component, and it is only used when an interpretation of Islam vs. and interpretation of the Constitution can not confer on a certain argument. At any rate, just because Wikipedia is 'limited' doesn't mean people can't contribute based on anecdotal evidence, videos, pictures and all sorts which describe events that occur worldwide. Information travels at a much faster pace in our world today, it is trivial and cumbersome to look in books (or ebooks) to find evidence of something; hence we now have social media, online news articles, blogs, pictures and videos that all describe and reveal current events as they really are. Interviews are also a given in this regard. What I am saying is that maybe this is just the website that requires the compilation of all such media, which by itself creates a fair and just environment for research and learning for everyone. I'm not stupid; telling me to politely f off isn't professional. The funny thing about you though is that whenever I talk with you at a personal level you bring up a Wikipedia rule like a cover to justify your shield. Instead lower it, and talk without citing such. I'm not here to hurt people, but more to enlighten them as they unto me. The fact regarding the government's name in this article is that it was incorrect and didn't reflect Iran. The argument still stands: Iran is not a theocracy. It's a democratic Islamic government: an Islamic republic. Vormeph 19:52, 1 November 2015 (UTC)
 * WP:TLDR. I skimmed your post to see if you cited any sources. Predictably you don't, so you don't warrant a substantive reply. I did spot that you are here "to enlighten" us, which was entertaining. DeCausa (talk) 20:00, 1 November 2015 (UTC)


 * I did not know lawyers skim read text as they do their meets when they see it. Come come, it is clearly obvious you are more comfortable in talking to legalised text than a sinful art! Vormeph 20:16, 1 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Please read WP:RS. Your interpretation of the Iranian constitution is irrelevant here. Rwenonah (talk) 21:55, 1 November 2015 (UTC)


 * That's a lie! You never edited it to that, no sir! You put:


 * de jure Islamic republic
 * de facto some variant of Theocracy: Unitary presidential republic under absolute islamic sovereignty


 * And I initially put


 * Islamic republic


 * Simply because it makes sense as it is a type of government, and valid too. Remember that a government_type doesn't mean every government ought to follow how that type ought to be. France and Russia are both presidential republics but they function extremely differently. Likewise, Iran isn't completely a Unitary presidential republic. But because I was being reported, threatened and harassed on my own page I had no other choice but to compromise with the government_type current on the page as of this date. I'm the one who's creating problems here? I'm the one who's trying to resolve the problems! You're the one creating problems by falsely putting information about Iran and then reverting all edits made. Even before I arrived you were already liberally reverting any edits you didn't agree with. It just so happened that I've planted my feet on this article firmly and I ain't moving and I'm gonna continue editing. And trust me, we're going to have a brilliant working relationship together. That I can certainly assert with confidence. Vormeph 15:28, 1 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Support long-standing consensus version prior to Vormeph's edit-warring on 29 0ctober (although I have no objection to constructive tweaking such as the removal of the word "some"). The essential issue is that Vormeph wishes to reduce the description to "Islamic Republic", and particularly to remove the reference to "theocracy". His/her reasons are that we should abide by the Iranian government's POV and, per WP:OR, it is his/her reading of the Iranian constitution.. Whilst Iran describes itself as an "Islamic Republic" the reliable sources describe it as a nuanced mix of theocracy, democracy and presidential republic albeit subject to the ultimate authority of Sharia.. The current wording is a reasonable summation of this nuanced mix. Vormeph's version fails WP:NPOV and does not reflect the WP:RS. DeCausa (talk) 22:03, 1 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Support long-standing consensus, per DeCausa. I have yet to see a valid issue with it pointed out. Rwenonah (talk) 22:57, 1 November 2015 (UTC)


 * & The term theocracy doesn't make sense; if Iran were really a theocracy then that implies any country with a state religion is also a theocracy. It also implies Britain is a theocracy because the clergy still have a say in political and legal matters here. Heck, we even got clergy in the House of Lords! We even have a state religion. Britain, however, isn't a theocracy; but simply a religious democracy albeit more secular. Iran is also a religious democracy, and it evolves according to the will of its people. At any rate, I am satisfied with the current edits made, despite the flaws in using de facto and de jure. Iran is an Islamic republic; it may not be secular, but that doesn't mean it's theocratic. Religious democracy is more the best of both worlds in this regard. Thus, it boils down to having either Islamic republic or Unity presidential republic. Either are fine because both of them apply to Iran. But the rest of the drivel that I had to remove because it was biased and lacked a logical foundation. Just because some sources from outside Iran claim the country is a theocracy doesn't mean it is one. I've read countless articles about the USA being a very Christian nation, but that doesn't mean it's a theocracy. But anyway, it's all down to having the Iranian government either as:


 * A. Islamic republic


 * B. Unitary presidential republic


 * They are short and to-the-point. Vormeph 00:29, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * You're displaying a serious lack of understanding about Iran's government. A cleric is the head of state, controlling the military and possessing primacy over the secular President. Iran's system of government is based on rule in both secular and religious matters by religious jurists. Thus, a theocracy - "government of a state by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided ". Islamic republic is a meaningless term that has been used by numerous different, wholly different states, from Pakistan to Afghanistan to Iran. It's like people's republic - it's a term that is too broad to have meaning to the reader. Iran factually isn't a presidential republic, either, since a cleric ultimately holds supreme power, which contradicts the basis of republicanism. It's fallacious to compare Britain and Iran, given that British people are one of the most sceptical about religion worldwide and almost totally support a secular state. Ditto for the US - there's a massive difference between being a religious nation and being literally governed by clergy. In short, there's no reaosnw e need to choose your cherry picked, truncated options when we can give a full, neutral description based on reliable sources. Rwenonah (talk) 01:04, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * The Supreme Leader doesn't have control over everything literally. The Supreme Leader is only in charge of overseeing that Islamic law is enforced, rather than Iranian law. But the fact of the matter is that secular elements do exist within Iran, but it's moreso on the President and Parliament's side, not the Supreme Leader's nor the clergy. For what it's worth the Guardian Council is composed of 50% clergy and 50% secular lawyers. If Iran were really a theocracy, there would be no option for such an arrangement. Iran can be safely described as an Islamic democracy because it is in fact democratic (even the Supreme Leader is elected). Logically speaking, Iran's law supercedes Islamic law (Sharia); but the Hadith (regulations) and Sunnah (traditions) are simply advisory and are only consulted if a disagreement is found; in most cases Sharia is used as well if there's a need for it. It's dependent in the end. Thus, Iran is constitutionally not theocratic; but simply wants to get the best of both worlds in being secular and Islamic. I assure you. The term Islamic republic was used to describe a certain political system whereby Islam can function within a democracy. Just because the clergy are in power, doesn't mean that it's theocratic. Our monarch is Head of the Church of England; but that doesn't mean the UK is functionally theocratic. Every MP must swear allegiance to that monarch (and thus the Church); that doesn't mean the UK is theocratic, but it's just customs there. I think some people are overusing the term 'theocratic'; not only that but are also comparing theocracy to oppression/strife/extremism. The Holy See is a theocracy, but as far as I'm aware it doesn't oppress its adherents, not outdoors anyway. Vormeph 01:28, 2 November 2015 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vormeph (talk • contribs)


 * The Supreme Leader is the head of state and most influential part of the Iranian government. He appoints the judiciary, which is overwhelmingly based on clerical interests. So obviously the clergy has a significant amount of power with in the government, probably to the point of being the most powerful element.


 * But more importantly, your entire post illustrates how Iran is infinitely more complex than simply "theocracy" or "Islamic republic". No one here is saying Iran is an absolute theocracy; it includes elements of theocracy and democracy. It certainly isn't a democracy - all candidates for any positions are vetted by the Guardian Council, which incidentally is wholly made up of Islamic jurists, meaning that the people get relatively little choice. Nor is it a state wholly governed on religious principles or wholly by clergy. The question is, does "Islamic republic", your preferred choice, illustrate this best? Or does "de jure Islamic republic, de facto some variant of Theocracy: Unitary presidential republic under absolute islamic sovereignty" better illustrate this complexity? I think the answer is evident. Rwenonah (talk) 01:44, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Hence, Islamic democracy. If you want, we can amalgamate all this and dub Iran as: Islamic democratic republic. In doing this, we:


 * 1. Acknowledge that Iran is a Republic;
 * 2. Acknowledge that Iran is democratic: BUT
 * a. is governed by Islamic law
 * b. not all positions are democratic: AND
 * i. it is ruled by Islamic clergy
 * ii. Sharia/Hadith/Sunnah are cited but not always used


 * It spares having to use all the descriptive factors pertaining to Iran neither being completely a presidential Republic or a theocracy. But I still disagree with the notion that Iran isn't an Islamic republic because, well, it is, no matter how flawed it may be. At any rate, this is the only compromise I can think of which is not only neutral but also truthful to what Iran is currently. You can't say that Iran isn't democratic because that's illogical. In fact, all political positions in Iran are in some way elected either directly or indirectly by the people. The general idea is that the democracy in Iran represents what the Iranian people want. It may not be what we want due to our secular ways, but the culture in Iran is different. Know this, because we need to stop looking at countries from our own point of view, but instead view them objectively from the top-down. That said, the compromise I have offered is something I have forwarded. It is either Islamic democratic republic or the current edits that have been made, which are simplification of the bias that was introduced to the article for a while now. Vormeph 01:55, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * So you agree that Iran is a de jure Islamic republic. You seem to agree it is some variant of a theocracy since it is ruled by Islamic clergy. You seem to agree it takes the form of a unitary presidential republic. I'm not sure if you agree that it is under absolute islamic sovereignty, but that's hard to dispute since its founding doctrine is "absolute guardianship of the jurist". So where do you have issue with that description? You want to include something that supposedly better describes those elements but is shorter and more vague? I'm confused. Francis Fukyama calls it "a mixture of theocratic and democratic elements" - that's the best way for us to describe it, and in line with, as far as I know, preponderance of reliable sources.


 * Now, let's clarify something. It's not "either Islamic democratic republic or the current edits". It's whatever consensus decides. Islamic democratic republic is worse, since it not only implies that Iran is a republic, which it de facto isn't, since supreme power is exercised by unelected authority, but also calls it democratic, which it isn't for the same reason. Viewed objectively, Iran isn't a democracy or a republic - it includes bits of both, but also theocratic and oligarchic elements. The more we describe that, the better. You need to prove why we have some obligation to be brief rather than simply describing it in detail. Rwenonah (talk) 02:07, 2 November 2015 (UTC)

Can we please keep the ongoing discussion in the other section, and leave this space open for other editors to comment? I'll move the discussions to the other section. UCaetano (talk) 09:40, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Ok, moved the discussion back the the according section. Vormeph, please see for yourself, the current consensus about the Gorvernment Type was added about a month ago by an IP, and nobody has objected (change diff here). You changed (here) to "Islamic Republic" only, which we all objected, and I reverted (here), while you proceeded wage an edit war. You're the one who made controversial changes, and the burden is on you to convince other editors. UCaetano (talk) 10:03, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * What do you mean? They are elected you know! The Supreme Leader is elected by the Assembly of Experts and can be removed at any time by the said Assembly. The people elect who is part of the Assembly of Experts. That's democratic; it is very much just that. Do some research first. Vormeph 11:56, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * The Assembly of Experts is wholly made up of Islamic theologians, voted on from lists of candidates vetted by the Guardian Council, which is itself selected by the Supreme Leader. A system where a group chosen by the leader chooses who supervises the leader is obviously not democratic. In fact, the Guardian Council vets all candidates for all elected positions, so the Supreme Leader controls who can be elected. I'm not sure if you're just ignorant about how the Iranian government works or trying to pretend it is democratic for some other reasons of your own, but that's obviously not the case. Rwenonah (talk) 12:19, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * The Guardian Council consists of 50% secular lawyers and 50% Islamic lawyers. The duty thereof is to ensure candidates are adherent to either the Constitution or Islamic law and values. Naturally this is what's to be expected from an Islamic republic. The point here is that Islam isn't being held in absolute Sovereignty but rather it is being used as a prerogative to ensure colleagiality between the executive and the legislature. It's ironic you call me ignorant, while the ignorant never answer questions but only ask them. Iran is a variant of democracy, and it does so by fusing it with Islam. No matter what you nor I think, that is the case with Iran. It's not in our interests to randomly put new labels under the government_type. Iran, whether you are willing to suck it in or not, is an Islamic republic which at its core means a republic that is governed by Islam. The other alternative, is to talk about Iran being an Islamic democratic republic. As far as I'm aware, the people in Iran haven't risen up against the system which shows that they are satisfied with it. You know, currently under Britain's government_type it says constitutional monarchy, but that term constitutional monarchy is too broad as well. Literally, there are countries that call themselves constitutional monarchy like Kuwait or Norway yet they totally different functioning systems. Maybe I should go to the Britain wikipedia to address this vile hypocrisy? The more this debate continues, the more hypocrisy I see from the editors here. It only makes me more right in the changes I made to the Iran page in that it is an Islamic republic despite the varying differences among countries' use of the term; likewise Britain is a constitutional monarchy despite the broad term for it. The fact you are discriminating Iran under the pretext that Islamic republic is too broad is hypocritical as opposed to what other countries have as their government type. What do you have to say now? Vormeph 14:00, 2 November 2015 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vormeph (talk • contribs)

Very well sourced (from Harvard Law School) and accurate. What do you think? UCaetano (talk) 14:35, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Why should we use sources that are written by people who have no relation to Iran whatsoever? At any rate, I've found something very troubling: an anonymous edit was made to Iran's government_type which changed it from its previous name to the one that I opposed. Here is the link: old_version of Iran page. What that means is we cannot verify the integrity of absolute Islamic Sovereignty or that variant used in the old version. The second description would be accepted, but it's too wordy. Instead, it should be:


 * Islamic Unitary presidential republic


 * You can cite as much as you want under the relevant sections pertaining to the government of Iran, arguing that the Supreme Leader has sovereignty etc, provided there is a reference (which you have). Like I said, it acknowledges that Iran is an Islamic democracy (be it as it may, despite how controversial it may be), and with all other tokens appreciated. Vormeph 14:47, 2 November 2015 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vormeph (talk • contribs)
 * "Why should we use sources that are written by people who have no relation to Iran whatsoever?" This point is absurdly irrelevant. Iran has SOME elements of a democracy, but that does not a democracy makes. Ancient Rome was a Republic, run by an elected senate, but wasn't a democracy. There is no "it should be" we. Please stop trying to push your POV. UCaetano (talk) 15:06, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Good find: I support that wording. I have to say it: you are hopelessly clueless when it comes to Wikipedia. Firstly can you learn to indent properly (and sign your posts). Read WP:INDENT. Failure to indent posts on a talk page properly is disruptive. Secondly, what do you mean that the edit was "troubling" because it was by an IP and we therefore "cannot verify the integrity of 'absolute islamic sovereignty'". Are you serious? We don't verify the integrity of an edit in that way. You need to read WP:V. Thirdly, "why should we use sources from people who have no relation to Iran whatsoever?" Because that's not criteria you are entitled to use in Wikipedia. You need to read WP:RS. You are revealing some quite basic misunderstandings of how Wikipedia operates. I don't believe you have read and understood any of the key policies, and because of that you are wasting our time. DeCausa (talk) 15:09, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * You are right, but Wikipedia guidelines are essentially just that: guidelines, not rules. At any rate, it boils down to what I have proposed and what has proposed. Vormeph 15:13, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * No, you've got that completely wrong. We have guidelines and they are called "guidelines". We have rules and they are called "policies". You really are wasting our time. DeCausa (talk) 15:16, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * No time is being wasted. Put aside our differences and let's just think this issue through. It wouldn't make sense to call Iran theocratic because the term 'theocratic' is too broad and can be applied in any sense. It's better to use the term Islamic rather than Theocratic which implies that Iran is specifically an Islamic country (whether theocratic or not). We do away with the de facto and de jure labels because they over-complicate things. I'm willing to have a side-note which references this Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists article. Thus:


 * Islamic unitary presidential republic


 * We not only clarify that Iran is under guardianship of Islamic jurists, but is also a unitary state and a presidential republic. (With no mention of Iran being democratic or not). How does that sound? Vormeph 15:44, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * No. That's now how it works. You have to abide by Wikipedia policies. Have you read any of the policies I've linked to? You didn't even read WP:INDENT because I've just had to correct your indentation yet again. Please please please at least read WP:OR. Nothing can go into a Wikipedia article which is just your own analysis and knowledge of a topic. That's all your post is. It has no value in Wikipedia terms. If you want to put a solution forward, it has to be on the basis that it reflects what the WP:RS say - and please read that. This is what UCaetano has done with his/her proposal. This is the basics have how Wikipedia works. It's about all about secondary reliable sources. If you put forward secondary sources to support what you want, then the discussion to what it should be - a comparison of the sources - rather than what you're doing now which will be ignored. DeCausa (talk) 16:29, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * I am not even using any sources. I am attempting at compromise based on what you, want. I am taking into account what  has also proposed. It is also something that  has also argued. The argument is that Iran is governed by Islamic jurists. Fine. But that doesn't mean absolute Islamic sovereignty. Thus, we don't have to use secondary sources, because the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists article already has the references for us. Before you raise your shield with your references to Wikipedia guidelines, I'd like to remind you that a consensus is about to be reached regardless of what Wikipedia guidelines have to say. But the topic at hand is not Wikipedia guidelines, so please sit down and let us not derail the topic through these fallacies. It's high time that we ended this. Tomorrow the lock will be lifted, and I don't want the page to be locked over this issue because of all this drama. We need a mediator for this to gather what has been acknowledged and what ought to be proposed, if we can't hit a mark. It's interesting but, there are subjective interpretations of Democracy and Theocracy.


 * I am proposing that the government_type be reworded to avoid bias. The first step is by removing de facto and de jure since it makes no sense in having them. A country can't be de facto and de jure otherwise that implies there are disagreements as to what a country is, even though the officials therein are the only most responsible and accurate to give an exact description. First condition is that those two terms be removed forthwith. Second condition is that the term 'theocratic' isn't used to describe the government because the term theocratic is too broad and can refer to any religion. Replace theocratic with Islamic. Vormeph 16:44, 2 November 2015 (UTC)

You're doing exactly the opposite: adding bias, and by the loads. "de facto" and "de jure" are extremely relevant here, when the government for is extremely complex. Islamic means nothing in this context, it simply redirects to Islam, which again means nothing in this context: it could be cultural, religious, etc. Take a look again at my proposal, it shows both what the government calls itself and what scholars agree that it is in practice. You're trying to oversimplify while adding a very strong bias towards "republic" and "democracy" in a government which, while having aspects of each one, is in practice neither. No other editor so far has agreed with your proposal, and all have agreed with mine, shall we end the discussion then? And PLEASE indent your posts accordingly and sign them. UCaetano (talk) 17:05, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Fine, but I was not emptily referring to Islamic but rather Islamic. The latter link is different. So, removing de facto and de jure we can attest:


 * theocratic-republican hybrid: unitary presidential republic subject to an Islamic Supreme Leader


 * We rename theocratic to Islamic. The latter links to the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists article and relates to how Iran is currently governed. Plus it removes ambiguity surrounding the term theocratic and makes it more specific that Iran is a country governed by Islamic law, specifically pertaining to Islam rather than just any religion.


 * Because republic is already used more than once, there's no need to repeat it. Thus the government can become:


 * Islamic unitary presidential republic


 * The reason I removed hybrid is because it states the obvious. Iran is a hybrid, and the reader can assert that from what is read from the above description. I also removed references to Iran being a democracy and ommitted some as agreed by DeCausa. The latter part of the description subject to an Islamic Supreme Leader is also not needed because it's more suited to being part of a section explaining the government Iran has, rather than it being part of a government type. Because the Supreme Leader is Islamic, there's no need to use it anyway, especially now that we've replaced theocratic with Islamic. We've made it up to here, and the reader will be redirected to the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists page which talks about the system's purpose within Iran. There's no mention of it being theocratic, but that's because Iran is constitutionally not theocratic. All arguments aside, this is the result of such a compromise:


 * Islamic unitary presidential republic


 * Why would one object to this phrasing? It not only satisfies both sides of the argument but it also avoids bias and has no mention of democracy in it. Vormeph 17:38, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Why? Because it's something you just made up and isn't based on any of the sources raised in this thread. DeCausa (talk) 19:02, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * I think the question is why bother to try to achieve brevity when we can simply describe everything fully? 's proposal is more specific and accurate (Iran's government is much more complex than simply unitary presidential republic") and more in line with scholarly opinion. Rwenonah (talk) 19:37, 2 November 2015 (UTC)


 * How does theocratic-republican hybrid: unitary presidential republic subject to an Islamic Supreme Leader solve our problems? It has many problems because there are broad terms used. Like I said in the above, I do not accept this change and I will remove it if I see it in the Iran page. The fact is, it's not appropriate to call Iran theocratic. The proposal I have made is the most suitable and neutral.  Vormeph 23:20, 2 November 2015 (UTC)
 * "Solve our problems"? We don't have any problems. You have a problem because you won't follow Wikipedia policy (the "rules"). The protection on the article ends to today. Any editor is entitled to revert the article back to the pre-edit war version. If you revert again I'm going to take you straight back to WP:AN3. And by the way, any change doesn't require you to accept it, a consensus amongst other editors is sufficient. DeCausa (talk) 07:37, 3 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Vormeph, here are the issues with your proposal:
 * Islamic isn't clear in this context. We don't want the users to be redirected to another link and read an entire article to understand. Theocratic is completely different from "Islamic". It is (again) oversimplifying, and also deceptive.
 * It claims that Iran is a republic. It isn't. It's a republican system operating under a theocracy.
 * Now what's the issue with my proposal? Your only reply so far is that "Why should we use sources that are written by people who have no relation to Iran whatsoever?", but it is clear, referenced and unambiguous, not requiring any further readings: Iran's government is a mix of republic and theocracy, having an elected republican government subject to a Supreme Leader who must follow Islam. UCaetano (talk) 09:18, 3 November 2015 (UTC)


 * I will not accept any consensus that is advocated by a man who threatens me. was the one who intervened without a good cause and got the article locked. He harassed me on my own page, and threatened and reported me which resulted in this page being locked. And now you guys want to accept his proposal? NEVER. He will not be heeded. If DeCausa were more diplomatic, I would be willing to accept his proposal; but unfortunately his conduct has made it impossible for me to accept any solution by him. It's hypocritical because he accuses me of making up terms while he himself made up one just now that you guys are willing to accept.


 * You're right that Theoratic is different from Islamic; the latter is more specific and has more context behind it. That page Guardianship of the Jurists has relevance and it relates to the governship of Iran. I will not accept any change without a link that is provided to that page. Sorry people, but DeCausa cannot be credited with resolving this problem while he was the only one who created it by reporting me, especially now that he has threatened to report me if I dismiss his edits. It's very sociopathic and narcissistic of him, and he deserves no sympathy in what he does. Vormeph 09:29, 3 November 2015 (UTC)
 * I haven't made a proposal. UCaetano has. DeCausa (talk) 10:54, 3 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Because we have very little time. I propose that we roll back the article before the appearance of absolute Islamic Sovereignty came into being. The government then would be:


 * unitary theocratic presidential republic


 * It has been used on the article and was in place for a while now, without the de facto and de jure elements. This is not my own edit, it is an edit that was put in place before any of us deliberated upon it. All in favour? Vormeph 11:03, 3 November 2015 (UTC)

"I will not accept any consensus that is advocated by a man who threatens me" That's irrelevant to this discussion, if you have a problem with another user take it out of here, file a complaint or whatever. This is not the place for this type of behavior. "I will not accept any change without a link that is provided to that page". You clearly don't understand how WP works, and are essentially filibustering any consensus to push your POV, please stop. It's not up to you to "accept" any changes, you're the one who introduced the changes everyone else disagrees with but you keep on trying to push you POV. But taking your point in account, here's another alternative: Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists is a general and broad concept not exclusive to Iran, and the way it applies in practice is the Council of Experts, so the Council of Experts should be in there, not the Guardianship. Happy? If not, let me know and I'll open a request for mediation or arbitration by a 3rd party. This discussion has gone too far and you show absolutely no willingness to compromise. UCaetano (talk) 11:08, 3 November 2015 (UTC)
 * So,, , , what's the verdict? Do we have agreement? UCaetano (talk) 16:02, 3 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Agreed. With a good source. DeCausa (talk) 16:12, 3 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Agreed. Rwenonah (talk) 02:46, 4 November 2015 (UTC)
 * I've skim read over Governance of the Jurist by Imam Khomeini and have found nothing to support an argument on my side. What I thus suggest, as a means of ceasing all this, is to use the government_type as prescribed in this version of the Iran article: old_version. The fact that the government_type has been constantly edited means there is an underlying problem which ought to be fixed. As far as I'm concerned the government_type used in this older article Unitary theocratic presidential Islamic republic can be used, or simplified to just Theocratic unitary presidential republic. Let's not try to make the government_type too descriptive since that should be devoted to a section in its own right. If we can accept the government_type of how it was before it was tampered with by an anonymous user, then I'm happy to accept that change. Vormeph 21:37, 3 November 2015 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vormeph (talk • contribs)
 * , you don't agree then? Shall I open a mediation request? UCaetano (talk) 09:19, 4 November 2015 (UTC)


 * As far as the logs are aware, I've made more compromises than anyone else here. That requires further compromise and initiative in that your title lacks cohesion in what it's supposed to advocate. I recommend a mediator, but we don't have to go that far as a short-term fix is to simply use the government mentioned in the older article I linked. Vormeph 21:47, 4 November 2015 (UTC)


 * The original one isn't accurate, and that's why it was changed. Iran isn't a republic, it's a mix of a republican system operating under a theocracy. You can't simply call it a republic, do you agree with that? UCaetano (talk) 11:49, 5 November 2015 (UTC)
 * Also, I reverted the description to the previous consensus according to WP:BRD. This doesn't mean that the discussion is over, let's reach a new consensus and then change the article to reflect it, ok? In the meantime we keep the previous version. Thanks! UCaetano (talk) 12:00, 5 November 2015 (UTC)


 * As far as I'm aware, it's hard to classify what Iran is; but that's why it's important to explain the various elements that govern Iran's leadership. Hence, your proposal that Iran is subject to the Supreme Leader and Council of Experts is partly correct; Iran is also subject to various other councils. In which case, it might as well be supervision by various councils as well as the Supreme Leader. Vormeph 00:00, 6 November 2015 (UTC)
 * That's false; the Supreme Leader is the ultimate authority and the entire government is technically subject to him. Rwenonah (talk) 01:10, 6 November 2015 (UTC)
 * I agree that it's hard to classify what Iran is, but it is really easy to classify what Iran IS NOT. It isn't a democracy: laws and rules are made without the people influencing (either through direct or indirect voting); it isn't a republic, as the supreme power in the country isn't held by elected representatives. Ira has some aspects of a democratic system, and some aspects of a republican system, but in fact, it is neither. UCaetano (talk) 09:45, 6 November 2015 (UTC)


 * It's complex because jurists who are proactive in Islamic and Iranian law decide on the outcome of anything within the country, including who becomes the Supreme Leader. Iran functions more like a legal Republic whereby governship is done by thsoe who are lawyers, jurists etc. Vormeph 10:26, 6 November 2015 (UTC)

Sorry, there is no such thing as a "legal republic", that's a completely made up concept. It's like saying that the Vatican is a "catholic democracy", because the decisions are made by an elected cardinal. That's why we need the info box to be clear, descriptive and accurate. Sometimes it is better to use more words to avoid confusion. As you said yourself, it's complex, so the infobox should make that clear. UCaetano (talk) 13:38, 6 November 2015 (UTC)


 * I never suggested the term be used. Although, I think this underlying issue as to what to name Iran's government is more to do with Wikipedia's rigid policies in that we can't produce an interpretation that editors can agree on. To an extent, your suggestion in that Iran's government is a hybrid, although has a citation for its theocracy, technically wouldn't be promulgated according to Wikipedia's own policies. It's more a case that Wikipedia ought to allow editors to be their own historians in ascertaining what ought and what ought not to be according to discussion. At any rate, I think we can reach a verdict that Iran is at least some sort of hybrid. So, hybrid Republic? Vormeph (talk) 16:33, 6 November 2015 (UTC)
 * "technically wouldn't be promulgated according to Wikipedia's own policies"
 * What do you mean by this? And this is where you're getting things wrong: I'm not NAMING the government of Iran, I'm DESCRIBING it. The government NAMES itself an "islamic republic", while the source I gave DESCRIBES it as a "a theocratic-republican hybrid":
 * {| class=wikitable width=410 align=center


 * The annual revolutionary celebrations provide an occasion to look at how the Islamic Republic’s political system, a theocratic-republican hybrid, has evolved since 1979.
 * }
 * You keep pushing for two things:
 * calling it a "republic"
 * omitting the term "theocracy" or a varian
 * Neither make sense in this context. Iran isn't a republic, and the presidential system is subject to a theocratic power. UCaetano (talk) 19:15, 6 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Okay, I can compromise here. I'm willing to accept a label of theocratic or Islamic aganist any description of Iran's government. But as far as we're concerned no republic is perfect, and ultimately the term means that a monarchy was abolished; although mentally the clerical elite behave as one. Suffice it to say that we can accept your description, but in the comments section (not visible in the article) make a mention of this discussion and that it should not be changed without further discussion. In the meantime, I move a vote of confidence in favour of your description so long as the comments therein are honoured. Vormeph (talk) 20:59, 7 November 2015 (UTC)


 * Thanks you for taking the higher road and conceding on this issue. I'll make sure I'll mention the very long discussion. And thank a lot for keeping it civil here despite the controversy, that's what makes wikipedia move forward, when despite our disagreements, we can still keep the dialog open. I'll make the changes, have a nice day :) UCaetano (talk) 18:55, 8 November 2015 (UTC)

Can you please explain why you have modified the edits I made in the intro? Iran is technically governed under the idea of Welayat fagih so what's the problem? Vormeph (talk) 22:41, 30 November 2015 (UTC)


 * We use English on English Wikipedia. Sometimes we use a foreign word or phrase if it is commonly used in English which is not the case here (the linked to article title is in English per WP:COMMONNAME). We also sometimes do it if there is no direct equivalent in English, but here, as you noted on your own talk page, "you do realise that Welayat Faqih and Supreme Leader of Iran are the same thing". DeCausa (talk) 07:40, 1 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Supreme Leader is what it is referred to in official texts. It is used in Iranian media as well. There is no debate needed in that case. Rye-96 (talk) 10:02, 1 December 2015 (UTC)


 * I'm aware of that. Fair enough if it's a foreign term, but we all have to address things somehow. Vormeph (talk) 17:30, 1 December 2015 (UTC)

Elements of Bullying and Indiscretion in the Article herein
Can you please explain why you are removing edits I'm making in the Cuisine section? This is despite it having zero references before I edited it. By removing my edits, you also removed citations. Vormeph (talk) 22:28, 2 December 2015 (UTC)
 * You're using blogs for citations, adding "DO NOT REMOVE EDITS WITHOUT CONSULATION ON THE TALK PAGE, ping|LouisAragon" to the article, and opening article talk page threads headed "elements of bullying and indiscretion [sic]". That you have no understanding of Wikipedia policies or any apparent competence in editing Wikipedia is not your fault. That you arrogantly assume you do, is. Stop behaving so aggressively and listen to what everyone else is telling you. DeCausa (talk) 23:39, 2 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Couldn't have said it any better myself. Simply too much lack of competence, and simply too much of a disruptive user on virtually all fronts. Plenty of resilience has been shown however from various parties towards the user. - LouisAragon (talk) 23:56, 2 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Me too, I honestly can't believe how arrogant some people are that they remove my edits with the sources too. Those sources I've researched and read through and there is no indication of bias in them. I have very good eyes and I take extra care to ensure quality in the sources that I include. I mean, the source I included before it was removed contained a reference to snakes and lizards! Vormeph (talk) 01:21, 3 December 2015 (UTC)
 * That's fine, but we still don't use below-standard sources like blogs; if it's a legitimate fact, then a legitimate source can be found. There's probably o need to say Iranians don't eat lizards and snakes; that's true of most countries' cuisines and doesn't need especial mention in my opinion. Don't add warnings not to remove edits on the page. Just a final note on grammar; if you say "in the article", "herein" is superfluous. Rwenonah (talk) 02:15, 3 December 2015 (UTC)


 * I can't believe how arrogant some people can be that they expect people on "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit" not to remove or change their edits when they don't find them appropriate according to policy. If you keep getting reverted by multiple people, perhaps you should start asking yourself some questions, eh? Maybe before you get in further trouble, because this has gone on for a bit too long now. Seriously, do you expect to insert comments saying "DO NOT REMOVE MY EDITS" inside the article and not stir up trouble? LjL (talk) 02:43, 3 December 2015 (UTC)


 * "Those sources I've researched and read through and there is no indication of bias in them." Your opinion of the accuracy or lack of "bias" in the website you cited is irrelevant. Read WP:UGC. DeCausa (talk)

Images in the section of Classical antiquity
The file Cylinder Seal, Achaemenid, modern impression 05.jpg has been frequently added to the section of Classical antiquity by a user who claims that the file contains an image representing a leading information. It was previously removed due to the lack of conceptual relativity to the paragraphs, the lack of visual considerability, and also the overuse of images into the targeted section. It was replaced by an image of the Gate of All Nations in which we have a view of a remained scene from the first Achaemenid capital, a consideration for a symbol of the concentration of the conquered nations under the Achaemenid rule, and also a view of the integrated architecture used at the site; but the image had been removed, without any explanation, among the numerous recent edits. The image is now reverted, replacing the Modern impression of Achaemenid cylinder seal. Please avoid repeating the editions, and to expose your criticism, participate in this conversation. Thank you for your cooperation. –Rye-96 (talk) 22:30, 30 November 2015 (UTC)

OK. Firstly, the text gives insufficient emphasis to the fact that the Achaemenmids supplanted the Mesopotamian Neo-Assyrian and Neo-Babylonian empires, which between them had been the dominant powers in the region for around four centuries from the late tenth century until 539BCE, a date which is not mentioned at all in the text as it stands, but which is usually regarded as marking the end of the Neo-Babylonian period and the beginning of the Achaemenid period. I propose that I edit the existing text with a few minor changes and the addition of about two lines to reflect this.

I propose, additionally, and once again, to reinstate the cylinder seal image, which had been in place for a year or two, and to which, so far as I can see, only user Rye-96 has taken exception to. The image depicts a contest/master-of-animals scene which was a characteristic part of ANE iconography for several millennia. This particular variant shows an Achaemenid king, in typical Persian dress, subdueing two Mesopotamian Lamassu figures. I don't think the relevance of that needs further elaboration, but I should be happy to oblige if requested. Furthermore, seals with this image were probably exclusively used by the Achaemenid royal administration, and cylinder seal impressions in general (and going back way earlier) were probably why reliefs (much in evidence at Persepolis, and illustrated in this article) became an important art form. I could go on... — Preceding unsigned comment added by Phalanthos (talk • contribs) 18:26, 2 December 2015 (UTC)

...by the way, I've no problems with the Gate of All Nations image and never have had. It wasn't me who removed it!

Please could you let me know here if you are happy for me to make the changes I suggested yesterday?


 * The leading topic of this section is the foundation of Iranian nationality, which began by the emergence of Medes and strengthened by the rise of the Achaemenid Empire. There is no impediment to include further information on the dismissal of Mesopotamian and Assyrian empires, but yet the intended image is not a vital item, where it certainly doesn't offer a remarkable visual portrayal in this article. This article has already considered the art of these periods, and the typical dress of Achaemenids is already presented in the image File:Medes and Persians at eastern stairs of the Apadana, Persepolis.JPG. The details that you are referring to should be included in an exclusive page with the related subject. Thank you for your cooperation. Rye-96 (talk) 21:42, 4 December 2015 (UTC)

Thank you for your response. The cylinder seal image succinctly portrays the transition from the Neo-Babylonian period to the Achaemenid, and I think the "visual portrayal" is, indeed, "remarkable" in characterizing that transition. The image, as used by the administration of the Achaemenid period, serves to illustrate and legitimize their conquest, and its relevance to "the foundation of Iranian nationality" is precisely the reason it should be included here. More so, I would suggest, than any one of the other images which currently illustrate the section...

I am in no way proposing that the image is presented simply as illustrative of Achaemenid dress as such, but just that what the king is wearing is distinctively Achaemenid, in the same way as the Lamassu are distinctively Mesopotamian.

Since it would appear that Rye-96 and the present writer are at loggerheads on this issue, perhaps someone else would be kind enough to comment? Phalanthos (talk) 01:12, 5 December 2015 (UTC)

Here is the image in question:

Phalanthos (talk) 16:01, 5 December 2015 (UTC)

Demonym
Once again, regarding this ungrounded wikilinking in the demonym tab by user "Vormeph";

The name of the country is Iran, and all of its citizens are therefore "Iranians".(Merriam Webster) Just like people from America are Americans, and those from Canada are Canadians. This should not be erraneously linked to the article Iranian Peoples, which is merely about those ethnicities that happen to speak one of the numerous Iranian languages, and nothing else. Iranians as in the citizens from the nation of Iran and this ethno-linguistic group (the latter which should always be mentioned as Iranics in my opinion in order to avoid confusion) are two totally distinct things from each other.

The same goes for the demonym Persians. This does not equal to the ethnic group known as the "Persians", namely those people whose native language is Persian or one of its derived dialects. Prior to 1935, the country nowadays politically known as Iran was known as Persia, and therefore all its citizens were citizens of Persia, thus, Persians. Regardless of being actually ethnically Kurds, Georgians, Azeris, etc, they were all known as Persians, aka citizens fom Persia. Has nothing, I repeat nothing to do with the Persian ethnic group, that comprises the speakers of the language known as Persian. Regarding that fact, its also the reason as for why Azerbaijanis from Iran are also known as Persian Azerbaijanis, and were always mentioned as such prior to 1935 by the then contemporary Western sources. Heck, in the then contemporary Russian sources, Azeris are even called Persidskii, aka, Persians, but this doesn't mean theyre half Persian or something. In 1935 Reza Shah officialy changed the name of the country to Iran, as that was how the natives have always called it (the name "Persia" doesn't even exist in Farsi). During the reign of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in 1959, both demonyms (Iran and Persia) were officially made to be used interchangebly, and thats how its still being used in academics, historical, and cultural matters, for there is no difference between the entity prior to 1935 and post-1935, other than used namings by various peoples.

- LouisAragon (talk) 14:08, 9 January 2016 (UTC)


 * You are persisting that we should not include a link to Iranian peoples nor Persian people in Iran. Denonym refers to people, not citizenship. In the United Kingdom Wikipedia page, the denonym of the respective area has links to British people which shows that they refer to the ethnicity/people therein, not citizenship. My edits are not disruptive but uphold the majority. I should not have to make this post over a small matter, but as I see you already have problems with other people the cause against you will only mean I have to support it. I am sorry that you are not bright enough to enlighten yourself. Vormeph (talk) 15:09, 9 January 2016 (UTC)


 * I thoroughly explained what the case is with the inclusion of sources, while you have not, and keep changing content based on your personal opinions. The first line of the British people article tells; "British people are the citizens of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, Crown Dependencies; and their descendants" The demonym given on the United Kingdom page obviously refers to this line. As you just debunked your own case yourself, furthermore, what does this example of yours in any way have to do with linking a nation/its citizens, the latter whom are hailing from diverse ethnicities (Azeris, etc. etc.), to an ethno-linguistic group which are two totally separate things? Since when are "British people" an ethno-linguistic group like Iranian/Iranic peoples? Second, you still unfortunately show what seems to me a lack of knowledge regarding numerous WP's. Regarding that persistent issue, none of your edits sadly have uphold any "majority" here, though you claim they have. Where did you get this rather hilarious notion from? From the fact that about every edit so far of yours have been reverted by numerous users? One can take a simple look at the discussions here above to see that users in the double digits have had (and continue to have) tons of issues with your editorial conduct (or your talk page), so I won't need to further comment on that either. Iranian as in the people of the nation Iran, does not equal to the group of peoples that comprise the speakers of Iranian languages, known as Iranian/Iranic peoples, I repeat. They are two totally separate things, and therefore it should not link to that article. - LouisAragon (talk) 15:26, 9 January 2016 (UTC)


 * What's even more funny ladies and gentlemen, is that the user here in question who uses the fairy-taleish sentence stating that his edits "uphold the majority", some little time ago on this very same page told that the "voice of the majority should be screwed". - LouisAragon (talk) 16:43, 9 January 2016 (UTC)


 * You're speaking in an empty theatre. Anyway, my point is why the links to Iranian peoples and Persian people are being removed. Persian isn't a citizen, but Iranian is. Denonym isn't actually referring to citizenship; and that is where you are wrong. Denonym is quite generic in that it either refers to nationality or ethnical background. In many other country Wikipedia pages, denonym is used as a means of linking to other pages pertaining to either of the two; e.g. American people or British people. These are valid. I understand that you are very stubborn, but I will not debase myself to have this argument with you. Either your lack of friends can give you sympathy, or your only friend can leave you now. Vormeph (talk) 00:13, 10 January 2016 (UTC)

Incorrect ethnic and language information
The information for percentages of population speaking different language and information for the percentage for ethnicity are incorrect. CIA fact book is cited for these information which is not supporting the claimed percentages. Also Gilaki and Mazani are considered as Persian languages which is not correct.--F4fluids (talk) 01:42, 18 January 2016 (UTC)

Edit request on 31 January 2016
A protected redirect, Persia needs a change of redirect category (rcat) templates. Please modify it as follows:


 * from this:


 * 1) REDIRECT Iran


 * to this:


 * 1) REDIRECT Iran

The This is a redirect template is used to sort redirects into one or more categories. When pp-protected and/or pp-move suffice, the This is a redirect template will detect the protection level(s) and categorize the redirect automatically, so there is no need to apply R protected manually. (Also, the categories will be automatically removed or changed when and if protection is lifted, raised or lowered.) The Persia redirect was the result of a page move and has a fairly long editing history. Thank you in advance!  Paine  02:29, 31 January 2016 (UTC)
 * WHEN YOU COPY & PASTE, PLEASE LEAVE THE SKIPPED LINE BLANK FOR READABILITY.
 * ✅ — xaosflux  Talk 02:59, 31 January 2016 (UTC)
 * Thank you very much, Xaosflux! Be prosperous!  Paine   19:47, 31 January 2016 (UTC)

Population of Karaj according to the national census 2012
Karaj's population according to the national census 2012 is 1,614,626 not 1,967,005! Thus, it is the forth largest city in Iran. Moreover, in 2013 the city of Khvorasgan was incorporated into the city of Isfahan. Henceforth, Isfahan's population is officially reported to be 1,908,968. Please correct information! I, myself can not do this as the page is semi-closed. Thanks Jafar64 (talk) 09:35, 4 February 2016 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 6 January 2016
Infobox, Demonym: Please remove "Persian" or clarify it. Because it's confusing and misleading. It was a demonym for all Iranians before 1935. Now it's obsolete as a demonym. Persians now only is an identity for all ancient and medieval Persian-speaking peoples or current Persian ethnic groups (Iranian Persians, Afghan Farsiwans, Tajiks and etc). Persian is not limited to Iran and Iranians. It's an identity for all Persian people. See Avicenna, Rumi, Rudaki and many others. They were not born in current Iran but they're Persian.

188.159.245.192 (talk) 17:04, 6 January 2016 (UTC)


 * ✅: The Persian demonym is now qualified by "formerly".  Be prosperous!  Paine   00:10, 31 January 2016 (UTC)


 * ❌: It seems that this has been previously discussed as noted by of several subsequent edits and the edit in your request.  You will need to garner a consensus for this edit if you want to pursue the change.  Assume good faith!  Paine   05:33, 10 February 2016 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 22 February 2016
you should remove this sentence from Ethnic groups section: "regardless of whether they compose 16% or 30% of the population." because 30% azeri is a claim by ethnic nationalists and the sentence is biased and gives reader wrong info. see references. only correct part is "the largest population of Azerbaijanis in the world live in Iran". it should remains.

114.149.14.87 (talk) 05:29, 22 February 2016 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: The references make not of the possible inflation. You also failed to provide sources.  Eve rgr een Fir  (talk) Please &#123;&#123;re&#125;&#125; 19:49, 22 February 2016 (UTC)
 * i'm sorry but you didn't understand my request. i ask another editor check it. the referenced sources obviously mention those exaggerated numbers (30%) are based on ethnic nationalists' claims. Just read them. so you should remove that nonsense sentence from the article. it's against neutrality of wiki. all notable sources estimate something between 16 to 25.--111.255.15.203 (talk) 01:44, 26 February 2016 (UTC)


 * Looking at the issue from another perspective, I noticed that the only factual statement that was being made was that the majority of them live in Iran, with the "regardless" part merely sounding like a polemic remark to "grumble" about the fact that some people exaggerate the estimates one way or the other. Whether or not the figures are valid, that clause is simply unneeded and, really, undesired; the actual numbers are covered in better detail in the previous sentence, anyway. So I removed it. LjL (talk) 01:51, 26 February 2016 (UTC)

Human Rights?
There are lots of reports about human rights in Iran by international NGOs but somehow editors managed to avoid them ! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 46.240.65.154 (talk) 03:33, 1 March 2016 (UTC)

Problems of Pictures
Some pictures in the article are not suitable. I listed them below. Also, Mhhossein can help us.
 * In the Government and politics section, the text speaks about the Supreme Leader of Iran but the picture show face of Brazil's president and profiles of Ali Khamenei. I suggest this picture.


 * In the Demographics section, I added two pictures from famous place in Iran. Mashad and Qom are important place in Iran and Muslim community. So, two pictures must add in this section (this and this).


 * In the Foreign relations section, the current picture has POV problem and is not suitable photo for explaining of Iranian foreign relation. I suggest better picture that describe relation of Iran with other countries. The Iranian nuclear talks is suitable subject for explaining.Saff V. (talk) 07:21, 5 March 2016 (UTC)


 * The proposed revisions are excessive and vandalizing (WP:VAN), and contain derivatives from political, personal and ideological orientations. (WP:TE, WP:JDLI) The revisions are not applicable, with regard to the standards and regulations at the Wikipedia community. Rye-96 (talk) 10:10, 5 March 2016 (UTC)
 * I pinged LouisAragon, why you answer? Also, why my suggestions are VAN? Introducing an important place is personal and ideological orientation? I prefer to wait for answer of LouisAragon.Saff V. (talk) 10:41, 5 March 2016 (UTC)


 * I don't see why you shouldn't use those pics; they're quite suitable. It's not uncommon for LouisAragon to suddenly enter a period when an edit is made without his agreement; he acts as though he owns the entire article. I wouldn't worry about it; you have my backing. By all means. Vormeph (talk) 00:30, 7 March 2016 (UTC)
 * There's already a picture relevant to the Iran nuclear deal there, so no need to add another one. The Supreme Leader picture currently there is way more illustrative than just a portrait, in that it shows that the Supreme Leader wields de facto power. And finally, photos of places have no logical connection the "Demographics" section, which is by definition about people. Rwenonah (talk) 02:31, 7 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Thanks for pinging me Saff V.. Regarding the photos I think Rwenonah's right when he says "The Supreme Leader picture currently there is way more illustrative than just a portrait" and I agree that the photo of khamenei and Putin da Silva is far more relevant than any other possible choice . However, I think photos like this and this are what the article needs. By the way, what are your suggestions for "Foreign relations section"? Mhhossein (talk) 06:02, 7 March 2016 (UTC)
 * Saff V.: I suggest to add a photo of Khamenei and Putin if there's any. As you know Putin met Khamenei some months ago. Mhhossein (talk) 06:50, 7 March 2016 (UTC)

Unification events?
Why Pahlavi dynasty is mentioned as a 'unification' event along with Safavid? Iran/Persian was unified before Pahlavi, it was just a transfer of power. True, there were some separatist movements before Pahlavi, which Reza Shah put down, but I don't believe it's a unification event to be mentioned here. The last unification event was Safavid, since then the country has been unified. Pahlavi dynasty must be removed from this section. BrokenMirror2 (talk) 00:24, 18 March 2016 (UTC)

Wrong GDP numbers
I check Iranian economic numbers from time to time and it seems there are some suspicious activities trying to distort economic fact about Iran. Would you (anyone) please fix GDP numbers in the first column of the page (up Right side) according to the source pages they are linked to?

The official data for GDP numbers are normally linked to these two pages and normally the highest numbers are put into the country summary but what we are seeing now in IRAN page summery is that somebody changed GDP numbers while the linked sources are saying something totally different.

Please somebody fix IRAN's page economic data summery (up right side of the main article) according to its linked sources:

The links are:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita

Thanks for your help

Typing Error in GDP (PPP)

The GDP (PPP) erroneously says "$1,357,028 million." I think this is obviously supposed to be "$1,357,028 billion." Can somebody please amend this as I cannot edit locked articles yet.

Thanks. Nutty 0-0 Professor (talk) 06:42, 27 March 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 2 one external links on Iran. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive http://web.archive.org/web/20121101160814/http://www.presstv.ir:80/detail/2012/08/26/258180/iran-urges-joint-bids-to-promote-peace to http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/08/26/258180/iran-urges-joint-bids-to-promote-peace/
 * Added archive http://web.archive.org/web/20120830041459/http://presstv.com:80/detail/2012/05/26/243242/ahmadinejad-new-world-order to http://presstv.com/detail/2012/05/26/243242/ahmadinejad-new-world-order/

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true to let others know.

Stick to sources!  Paine  21:03, 14 April 2016 (UTC)

Cheers.—cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 10:32, 27 February 2016 (UTC)

Iranian Languages-Ethnics
1- I removed this line in Language part "which are classified as either a dialect of Persian" Because Gilaki and Mazandarani are indo-european languages of caspian branch and nobody but those who are completly illiterate can call them "a dialect of persian!!!!!" Here: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/IndoEuropeanTreeDielli1.svg

2-Persians, Which here means "Fars People" do not include Gilaks, Talyshs and Mazandaranis. They are different from "Persians" like Kurds, Lurs and Baloochs are. I don't know who changed CIA's World fact book here, and "included" Gilaks to Persians! Coldasicefire (talk) 21:04, 24 April 2016 (UTC)


 * Alright; fair enough. I'm not debating on this issue anymore. Please calm down, and don't forget to sign your posts. Rye-96 (talk) 20:27, 24 April 2016 (UTC)

RfC: Inclusion of "Persia" in the Lead as a common alternate name
Should the Lead contain the statement "also known as Persia"? Bromley86 (talk) 21:53, 5 May 2016 (UTC)

Please see the Name Order section above for a summary of the references used by advocates to support it's inclusion. There's another section The name "Persia" that pre-dates it which you might also want to look at, but it's long and unfocussed. Bromley86 (talk) 21:56, 5 May 2016 (UTC)

Iran - the dictatorship?
I have added the fact that Iran is a dictatorship under the form of government. Wikipedia's article on dictatorship states a dictatorship is a form of government where a country is ruled by one person or entity. According to the constitution of Iran the country has a Supreme Leader who is the ultimate authority in the country and therefore it meets if not exhibits the definition of a Dictatorship. If anyone can come up with an argument that disproves Iran being a dictatorship, I am willing to hear it. Olowe2011 Talk 10:53, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
 * Comment - For those who practically have intercourse with sources here you go:
 * 1
 * 2
 * 3
 * Pesaran, M. Hashem. "The system of dependent capitalism in pre-and post-revolutionary Iran." International Journal of Middle East Studies 14.04 (1982): 501-522.

And a number more that I will leave you to find for yourself Olowe2011  Talk 11:03, 5 May 2016 (UTC)


 * Lets have some more reliable sources establishing this to the extent that it goes in the infobox, rather than as a possible mention in the Body. As the editor wanting to add the information, you need to make the case rather than the other way around.  Also, WP:BRD, so please don't add it back in until we've had a stab at the D. Bromley86 (talk) 11:14, 5 May 2016 (UTC)


 * Bromley86, I am working on the principle of WP:IAR so that quote for a guideline will not adjust my logic. I've proided sources and you are in effect removing / blanking sourced content from the article. The sources provided are also reliable. However, if you would like more here they are:
 * Halliday, F., 1979. Iran: Dictatorship andDevelopment. Harmondworth: Penguin Books.
 * Amjad, M., 1989. Iran: from royal dictatorship to theocracy (Vol. 242). Greenwood Pub Group.
 * Irfani, Suroosh. Iran's islamic revolution: popular liberation or religious dictatorship?. Zed books, 1983.
 * Cronin, S., 2003. Modernity, change and dictatorship in Iran: the new order and its opponents, 1927-29. Middle Eastern Studies, 39(2), pp.1-36.
 * Wintrobe, R., 1998. The political economy of dictatorship (Vol. 6). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Olowe2011 Talk 11:19, 5 May 2016 (UTC)


 * And what do they have to say on the subject? Bromley86 (talk) 11:22, 5 May 2016 (UTC)


 * All the above sources stipulate in one way or the other that Iran is a Dictatorship. Olowe2011  Talk 11:32, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
 * Then use them as cites, with reference to where they actually say it. Incidentally, re. the 3 cites you initially supplied here.  (1) is not a RS, (2) does not make your case ("slide towards", not "is a") and (3) is just a book name, not a reference.  You need to show that it is commonly accepted to be a dictatorship, with things like CIA Factbook (no), EB (no),, BBC (no), etc.
 * I will not allow your edit to remain (IAR works both ways, although I suspect using it as a defence against 3RR might go badly!), as you have not satisfied me of the validity of your position. Rather than edit warring, would you like me to ask for a 3rd opinion?  Bromley86 (talk) 11:44, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
 * As I suspect we won't see eye-to-eye on this one, I've requested a WP:3O. Bromley86 (talk) 11:53, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
 * Comment- Bromley86 you can do what you like. If you are satisfied by pedaling Iran to be a religiously excused dictatorship (i.e. a "theocracy.") So be it. However, you know that you're lying by calling it something other than a Dictatorship. So let it be that Wikipedia's readers are misinformed by sources that are politically motivated (CIA and the BBC.) Strangely, both these sources are controlled by the governments which aided in the so called Iranian revolution and both would have no interest in saying that they'd been a part of creating a dictatorship. So yes, do what you like but I don't think you're any better of a man to defend knowledge and its truth than those in the Iranian establishment, good day. I am out of this political nonsense. Olowe2011  Talk 11:57, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
 * 3O unrequested as we seem to have resolved this. Bromley86 (talk) 12:40, 5 May 2016 (UTC)

, This discussion is ironic since Iran recently hosted runner-up parliamentary elections which are also for positions in the [Assembly of Experts]], the council that elects/supervises/removes a Supreme Leader from power. Iran is not a dictatorship since it does host elections; but its democracy isn't perfect. That again does not support a ground that Iran is a dictatorship. The issue regarding government type was resolved last year following an agreement between me, and others. If you want to stipulate that Iran is a dictatorship, then you should consider referring back to the archives. I'm surprised that you hold a rather impartial view towards this matter since you have it on user page to claim otherwise. I think everyone here will agree that branding Iran as a dictatorship out of the blue is vandalism. Vormeph (talk) 14:05, 5 May 2016 (UTC)


 * And who, pray tell, appoints members of the Assembly of Experts? Oh gosh let me think... oh waits its the "Supreme leader of Iran." The infallible oh so great Supreme dictator who with the grace of his words managed to inspire the legal authorities of Iran to arrest a (oh guess what?) a member of this "elected" Assembly of Experts. Please, before calling me impartial or bias attempt to get your facts about the topic at hand and read the sources provided... thank you. Olowe2011  Talk 14:10, 5 May 2016 (UTC)


 * Members of the Assembly of Experts are elected. Sources:


 * * http://presstv.ir/Detail/2016/05/04/463919/Second-round-parliamentary-elections-Iran/


 * * https://faculty.unlv.edu/pwerth/Const-Iran%28abridge%29.pdf


 * It's better to research a few things before asserting a point without much knowledge. :-) Vormeph (talk) 14:15, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
 * And further to this the fact that you appear not to know what Iran's constitution says about the "Supreme Authority" is concerning given your zealous contributions to this article and discussions. By having a simple quick skim of the Iranian's constitution it mentions in its own words that the leader of Iran is the "Supreme Authority." What is there to argue about? This alone satisfies the definition of a dictator and be it by admission of unreliable sources who contributed to the countries current state or not it remains a fact. I have no more time for this political nonsense for which i'm debating with someone who has absolutely no idea what they are talking about, finally, again - good day to you. Olowe2011  Talk 14:20, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
 * You did not just direct me to a Iranian state ran television news source when trying to make an argument as to how Iran is not a dictatorship. I am absolutely done with this childish discussion. Take your nonsense and preach it somewhere else or read what you preach. Bye Olowe2011  Talk 14:25, 5 May 2016 (UTC)
 * & On a final note, WP:TELLTHETRUTH. Thanks.  Olowe2011  Talk 15:46, 5 May 2016 (UTC)


 * Iran is indeed under a dictatorship. --HistoryofIran (talk) 23:09, 5 May 2016 (UTC)