Consumed with a passion to change what he sees as the unconscionable oppression of Iranians, he has a deep knowledge of what he portrays vividly as a dire and dangerous situation in Iran today, one that threatens not only Iranians but citizens of the world as well.  Mr. Hassan describes in stark, unsparing terms how Iran, a country once well on the road to modernity, is being forced to live under the harsh rule of a clergy whose idea of government parallels that of seventh century Arabia.

The author says, "Although volumes have been written about the Middle East, Islam, and Shiite terrorism, most has been written by scholars. Regrettably, it seems scholars tend to write for scholars, studying materials that only reinforce predetermined ideas, which hardly requires getting off a comfortable chair. But I did not write this book from an ivory tower. Instead, I wrote a book that covers the ills and flaws that effect the day-to-day life of Iranians, from the perspective of the real world. I grew up with and understand the mentality of today's Iranian Shiite elite. A large part of my life was spent in practical day-in-day-out activities in Iran. I live in a realistic world, with daily news sent to me from those still inside Iran's borders, I have lost many close relatives, neighbors and classmates to Iran's Islamic firing squads in this world.

"Like most Iranian Shiites, I was taught and practiced the Shiite doctrine. It was preached everywhere, in school, in the mosque and on the radio. I also went to holy cities. But as I was growing up, a number of personal experiences made me curious about other religions, other cultures. With Khomeini’s Islamic revolution of 1979, and the crude medieval code that followed, which debased Iranian public life, I felt I had to explore what was happening to my country.

"Sorting out facts from fiction became my all-consuming goal, finding the truth about what Shiite Islam was doing, and what it meant to the Iranian people. Who were these awkward looking, turban-wearing men in Iran’s parliament? Were they truly Iranians? Or were they Arabs using Iran as their base? Why were they silencing the Iranian intellectuals? The oppressive nature of the cultural restrictions they enforced -- keeping women in a corner of the house, covered from head to toe, along with the torture and killing practiced against scholars and those of other religions -- witnessing all this inhumanity finally brought me to a place of renouncing this 'religion' to my devout father.

"Then as a young adult, while working as an interpreter for the American Army stationed in Iran, I had the best seat in the political arena. I had G-2 clearance and translated documents from Farsi into English and vice versa.”

Mr. Hassan goes on to speak of the personal experience he had with Islamic treatment of young women, one of the stark scenes that led to his questioning and ultimate renunciation of Islam. In the misogyny chapter in his book he writes:

"On a hot August afternoon in 1956, in the Arab section of my hometown I saw two very young Arab girls sitting outside their mud-baked home in a bed of ashes. The girls were naked from the waist down, looking traumatized and petrified, as if they were being punished. My driver Saleh, who lived in the same area, told me, ‘These girls have just been circumcised.’ This was genital mutilation, a barbaric practice Arabs still practice today, not just in Iran, but in Africa and other places."

Mr. Hassan exposes the devastating facts with integrity, gusto, clarity and common sense. His insight challenges all of us and any institution driving for better understanding of Iran and the Shiite enigma. Hassan offers compelling justification for his criticisms. He looks at evidence, accepts no excuse, and never rests.

An informative, provocative and lively speaker, George Hassan approaches one of the most important issues of our time head on, with clarity, vigor, and continuously updated information.