My family left our country of Iran due to persecution by the representatives of Allah. Iran was the country where the first declaration of human rights was written by Cyrus the Great.  It was where the mail system was invented. Iran is the country that is filled with myths, legends and a rich culture. It was a country where many European thinkers would escape persecution to.  It is a country where many philosophies and ideas were born and even some often the modern ideas such as socialism can be traced back to previous Iranian thinkers such as Mazdak. The Iranian culture is rich with music, dancing, poetry, an amazing literature and a humor to die for. Our people were duped and my family was banished from our home.  We were able to find safety in your shores. To that I am forever thankful and I am now a grateful citizen of this great country. Unfortunately we Iranians  forgot who we were. We took for granted all that we had and threw our identity out the window. In exchange we took on an identity of darkness and superstition in a revolution that makes today’s Iranians weep. Slowly but surely our country went into the gutter. The followers of Allah were so eager to make him happy that women were looked upon as nothing but cattle. They were forced to wear rags to cover themselves and the economy was totally destroyed. We are talking about Iran, the country that is the third richest oil nation.                 As I and many Iranians lament the destruction of our country, when our fathers blindly handed it over to the conservative religious elements thinking that they were  genuine and care for the people because they are religious. Unfortunately that mistake poisoned all of our lives. I feel that Americans are about to make the same mistake that will take America in the wrong direction in the 2008 presidential election and will be very similar to what happened in Iran. Iranians were duped in the name of God, if you’re really care about your country please do not let it happen to you.Wafa Sultan, a former Muslim activist from Syria was asked about what America has done for her she replied “America has made me realize my humanity.”  I would like to echo the same sentiment, because core American secular values have opened up our minds to see the actual and realistic world that we live in. It was in America that I learned the art of critical thinking. I saw a video of Governor Sarah Palin claim that the American invasion of Iraq was a task from God. We all may have our own ideas about the war, but to claim that it was a task form God scares me and it should scare all of you. Is that not what the Islamofacists say when they commit mass murder, that it was a task from God?Bringing religion into American politics is treason against the American constitution, one of most magnificent document in the history of mankind.  If Sarah Palin or people that have convictions like her get into the white house, the laws will be interpret it in accordance with the Bible. They will do what they wish and just say that it was a task from God. Instead of approaching issues rationally they will impose their belief system on all of us. When religion and politics converge, it brings society to its knees. Please look at the example of Iran. God was only a Trojan horse to climb the ladder of power and the country was plundered by lunatics and charlatans. I do not want the American people lamenting and regretting later the loss and the decline of their country. Handing over your country to religious minded people will only bring decline of this beautiful land  and will retard progress, making America second world country and possibly a third world country. Do you want that? I sure don’t, that would be a tragedy. I love this country just too much and I tear up every time this possibility comes to my mind. Please vote wisely this November with the future of your nation on your mind and please do not repeat the same mistake that Iranians made back in 1979. I personally do not believe in God, so I can’t get myself to say God bless America, but do go to bed every night thinking of how grateful I am to be a citizen of this nation and if there is ever a national emergency where I might be needed, even if it is war, I am ready to do what is needed to defend this nation.