I recall speaking with an iranian after the Shah was disposed and the mullahs began their reign of terror. It was a one on one conversation. This person (a male) said he had wanted to be with his Iranian citizens to have helped dispose of the Shah but because of finances he had not been able to return to iran during the time of the *revolution*. Said his religion was islam and he was proud of his countrymen and women for having disposed the Shah and brought the mullahs to power. I think of him often and wonder what he is up to these days.
I knew quite a few Iranians at that time. About 1/3 were apolitical, 1/3 were communists assholes (and would have been hanged on returning home) and 1/3 were primarily nationalistic, for whom the mullahs were sort of the embodiment of Iranian nationalism.