I'm not fond of Islamic theocracies either, pdq, but I am aware that the USA and Britain conspired to bring down a popularly elected government in Iran in 1953 and replace it with absolute rule by the Shah.

Yes, his government was secular (as was Saddam's for most of its tenure), and that's fine with me. Yes, it was progressive in the sense that it encouraged certain forms of liberal modernization or "westernization" of society. Fine, I've no problem with that. It was not the least bit progressive in democratic, it was absolute rule by a police state in service to the interests Britain and America, and the Iranian people eventually threw it out.

Here's a quote from an article about that:

"In 1951 elections returned a popular nationalist government under Mohammed Mossadegh. His most controversial commitment was to nationalise the Anglo-Iranian oil company. It went ahead to great popular acclaim, but in August 1953 Mossadegh's government was violently overthrown and replaced by a dictator called the Shah, and, with the assistance of economic aid from America and a brutal secret service, ruled roughshod over Iran for 26 years.

Who was behind the coup? Until very recently most people blamed the US State Department and the CIA which, then as always, were determined to keep their puppets in control everywhere on earth.

But now comes a book and a report of another conspirator in the coup: the British government, led by that doughty champion of democracy, Winston Churchill. A newly released secret CIA document backs the claim in Stephen Dorril's recent book about MI6 that the Foreign Office and its "intelligence" arm played a crucial role in stirring up the disturbances which toppled Mossadegh.

The reason was simple. Until then British companies had established what they regarded as a God-given right to make profits from Iranian oil, a right that Mossadegh dared to threaten. Leading the charge against the popular Iranian government on behalf of the very unpopular oil companies was MI6 loony GK Young who later became a merchant banker in London and a racist campaigner of the most virulent variety. Until he ran out of money and had to go begging for more from the CIA, Young concentrated on subverting the Iranian media, planting false stories, bribing editors, and playing all the other dirty tricks necessary to uphold the principle of the freedom of the press."

And here is a website upon which you can read all about the history of Iran until you turn blue in the face:

http://www.parstimes.com/Iran_history.html

Get back to me when you've read all of it... ;-D