Lüders, M. (2017). Die den Sturm ernten. Wie der Westen Syrien ins Chaos stürzte.

Iranian classical dance as a subject for empirical research: An elusive genre

“…Some historical sources today claim that both the coup of 1953 against Prime Minister Mossadegh and the revolution against the Pahlavi Shah in 1979 were instigated by Western powers. [88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95] It is also important to realize that it is difficult to grasp the contradictory realities that exist today in Iran. There are documented facts about the past, yet some of these facts are often concealed or hidden under a veil of silence and denial because it is difficult to speak the truth when you perceive the truth as a threat to your safety, and that of your family and country.…”

“…Second, such criticism is feared by some to play into motivations to destabilize the country with military interventions (e.g., see Refs. [88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95]. And third, it can potentially cause harm to the career and even the physical safety of Iranian dance artists and academics, both in Iran and abroad, to voice such criticism [118,173].…”

“…A “West saves the Middle East” narrative has existed in other domains, and there is some evidence to suggest that such a mindset may in the past have influenced public opinion to support military interventions and wars in the region (e.g., the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria), leaving the countries targeted by these well‐meaning “savior” efforts of the West in disarray and, arguably, worse off than before (e.g., Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, etc.). Some historical sources today claim that both the coup of 1953 against Prime Minister Mossadegh and the revolution against the Pahlavi Shah in 1979 were instigated by Western powers 88–95 . Against this complicated backdrop, populations in the Middle East, including Iran, are not welcoming of what they see as Western influence.…”

“…Against this complicated backdrop, populations in the Middle East, including Iran, are not welcoming of what they see as Western influence. Given that some of such previous efforts have not brought about the promised positive change for the people in those regions,[88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95] Iranians remain skeptical of possible Western influences with regard to dance.…”