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And yet the wealthiest bits of the Roman Empire (by the end of the 3rd century constitutional crisis, it was clear that the core was the east and the periphery was the west, but this was the politics coming to reflect an economic situation that predated the rise of Rome) are now basket cases under Islamic rule, whereas the bits which stayed Christian are "Western Civilization". This requires explanation.
As a quibble, the Shiites largely operate in former Persian territory, not former Roman territory. Until the Khomieni regime repudiated the Persian inheritance in favour of pure Islam, Shia Iran made a big deal out of its claim to historical continuity with Achaemenid and Sassanian Persia - i.e. explicitly not Rome.
The bits that stayed Orthodox Christian are also basket cases. Look no further than Ukraine and Russia. Nations that only stay relevant due to fossil fuel reserves.
Actually Shiites largely operated in Egypt under the Fatamid dynasty in the medieval period. Iran was actually overwhelmingly Sunni before the rise of the Safavid Empire in the Early Modern period. They weren't Shia before that.
Your claim is laughably bad.
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