Hundreds Gather to Protest Foreign Attacks

There is also a profound sense of national pride being reclaimed in the wake of the dictator's demise. Many Iranians have long felt that their rich, millennia-old culture was being held hostage by a narrow religious ideology that turned their country into a pariah state. The joy in the streets is, in part, a celebration of the potential return of a "normal" Iran—a country known for its poetry, history, and hospitality rather than for "Death to America" slogans and regional destabilization. The calls for a transitional government and the mentions of figures like Reza Pahlavi by some demonstrators highlight a desire to return to a national identity that belongs to the people rather than the clerical elite. For these citizens, the death of the leader is the first step toward reclaiming their flag and their future from a regime they felt was alien to their true values.