Even in Iran, young turn to advice gurus from America

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04146/321551.stm

Like many of Iran's Shiite Muslims, Babak Moradi has a "marja," a source of emulation who serves as life example and spiritual guide. But unlike many of his fellow Shiites, Moradi's marja is not a white-bearded ayatollah or a high-ranking cleric. He follows the lead of Jack Welsh, former CEO of General Electric Co.

"I read his books, and I read articles about him," says the 24-year-old student of industrial management. "It's very important for me that he's old. But his attitude is very young. He's very creative. He's a manager. But first of all, he's a coach."

Tired of the aging clerics who run the country, many of Iran's young people are turning to new sources of spiritual sustenance. They're buying up and listening to soothing meditation and yoga tapes. They're turning to self-help books and self-anointed gurus who promise success and happiness at pricey, well-attended seminars. They're seeking new role models, and they are often finding them in the West.

Maryam, a 22-year-old photographer who asked that her last name not be published, recently bought and devoured a Farsi translation of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's autobiography.

"She was a normal girl and I wanted to know how a normal girl like me could be successful, too," Maryam said. "She was not rich, she was not beautiful. But she became the wife of the president and one of the most successful senators in the U.S."

Young Persians want to recreate their country in the ideal of *America in the 1970s*!!

Is there irony in this world or what?