IRAN-an inside look at a nation of religious people

The beginning statement of this film is: "Some people say that America is going to go to war with Iran... but before they do... they'd better listen to a story... A story that begins in a desert: Long ago, Hussein, the grandson of the prophet Mohammed, was cut to pieces by soldiers of the cruel tyrant Yazid. For Shia Muslims, Hussein became a Martyr, the master of martyrs, sacrificed in the eternal struggle of free men against opression. For centuries the Shia people of Iran have been tought to see the world in terms of this battle; an ancient story that still shapes the way iranians react to threats from outside, and if America does attack Iran, the story of Hussein might well shape the lives of all of us... " Starting from the pilgrimage to the sacred Shii town of Kerbala (allegedly the burying place of martyr Hussein, in Iraq) of a few iranian citizens, this documentary takes us through the religious institutions of Shia (the biggest muslim branch after sunnism), by far the biggest religious community in Iran. Shia is by definition of the apology of martyrdom (the glory of dying for a religious cause, for your country, for your people...). The story and culture of today's religious Iran is based on the death of Hussein the Martyr who died fighting against the oppression and usurpation of Islam's heritage. A documentary that even taken out of the context of a possible war for gas and oil, brings to "western" people a very valuable look at understanding a culture that is miles away from freedom; plunged into religious manipulation for centuries by its leaders. If every american soldier's parent watched this docu, there would probably be no possible invasion against Iran.