By Aram Mirzaei
“They say we are a nation of tears, but with these tears we have overthrown an empire” – Imam Ruhollah Khomeini.
As the Iranian people are celebrating the 38th anniversary of the establishment of the Islamic Republic, Washington has recently installed its 7th president since that cold winter day of February 11, 1979. To many Iranians, the Islamic Revolution represented a defining moment in Iranian history, one where an entire nation released itself from the clutches of Washington and its puppet despot Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. This was the final time foreigners had the privilege to dictate the lives and destinies of Iranians.
Just like almost all revolutions in the past, the Islamic Revolution was hardly welcomed by foreign actors, who immediately plunged the country into a brutal eight long war with neighbouring Iraq in order to curb the newly established Revolutionary government. While the French, Russian and Chinese revolutions were marked by a radical departure from their respective historical pasts, the Islamic Revolution instead went back to the roots of the country, unifying five centuries of inseparable affiliation between Iran and Shia Islam. This unity between state and religion is still not accepted nor is it understood by the West.
As mentioned above, the Islamic Republic is the result of five centuries of affiliation between the people and Shia Islam. Ever since the days of the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736), Iranians have adhered to the Twelver branch of Shia Islam. The Safavids ruled Iran as a theocracy back then as well, with the powerful Ulema (clerical establishment) by their sides. This form of rule prevailed in Iran until the rule of the Qajar dynasty which came increasingly under the foreign influences of the Russian and British empires. From that era onwards, the Ulema became a strong source of opposition to the Royal Courts and were viewed increasingly as champions of the oppressed people of Iran.
Western pundits and politicians only understand Iran from a perspective of their own experiences and teachings, this makes Iran in their eyes a “theocratic dictatorship under the ruling of a clerical establishment”. What the Western policy makers and pundits have failed to understand is that their conception of secular rule is one that is hardly preferred by the oppressed people of the Middle East, as the people of the region first and foremost care about their own security amid all the conflicts that have been engulfing the region for the better part of the past two centuries. Another factor to take into account is that the Iranian people have seen what a Western style secular rule, approved by Washington is all about, it is the core reason as to why they even overthrew the Pahlavi regime from the first place.
For Iran, the experiment of secular rule began with the Pahlavi regime when Reza Pahlavi assumed power in 1925 and continued through his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s rule. Throughout these 54 years, they ruled Iran through a policy of Westernization in a bid to modernize the country. What both father and son Pahlavi failed to comprehend was the fact that any kind of modernization of a country must come from the people below rather than being the product of a foreign custom and culture, imported from a part of the world that has no ties to the country itself. Throughout their reigns, they both tried to culturally reform the country while failing to address the massive socio-economic issues, thus they managed to alienate the people as the Royal Court instead became more and more viewed as a distant palace of foreign decadence.
So, when both Shahs for example, attempted to implement Western dress codes as mandatory for all Iranians, instead of gaining the support they hoped for, they managed to turn the powerful Ulema against themselves.
Iranians tried to experiment with the concept of Western democracy in 1952-53, however Washington and its British allies, the so-called leaders of the free world would not allow this to happen. The elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh was overthrown in a CIA backed coup codenamed Operation Ajax in order to reinstate Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as Shah of Iran. What convinced the US and the UK to overthrow Mohammad Mossadegh was the was the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry, which had been under British control since 1913 through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.
The coup d’état was seen as a humiliation for many Iranians who finally came to understand that the Western powers are only interested in exploiting Iran for its vast natural resources and its geostrategic value. When the Pahlavi regime was finally overthrown by popular demand, US-Iranian relations went from amicable to abysmal and ever since then, Washington and its vassals worldwide have been on a rampant spree of spreading Iranophobia in order to isolate and contain Iran, to little success. The Islamic Republic still stands tall despite economic sanctions since 1979, support for Saddam with weapons and intelligence in his murderous 8-year-long war, several attempts at “velvet revolutions”, acts of terrorism and direct threats of war based on false accusations of Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program which has involved a massive demonization campaign aimed at spreading Iranophobia across the International community. As a matter of fact, despite the best attempts of the West to isolate Iran, the Islamic Republic is today recognized as a key player in the region, with some powerful allies backing it. Washington is fully aware of this fact and was thus forced to the negotiating table to carve out a nuclear deal with its enemy, despite the vocal objections of its key ally Israel.
Looking at Iran’s role in the Iraqi and Syrian crises of recent years, Iran has played a pivotal role in upholding these two countries in the face of a massive terrorist threat, sponsored and created by Washington and its allies. These regional conflicts which have essentially been ignited to target the Islamic Republic itself, in a bid to contain Iran and protect Israel, by destroying and overthrowing Iran’s allies, have given the Islamic Republic an opportunity to rise to the occasion and assume a moral authority in the face of the International community by leading the fight against terrorism. The Islamic Republic’s choice to join forces with Russia in Syria has not only managed to score numerous victories against terrorist groups rampaging across the country, but also to save the legitimate Syrian government and outmanoeuvre Washington to the point where it no longer has a role to play in the conflict. This itself is a testament to the resilience the Islamic Republic has shown to any kind of animosity directed towards it.
But Iran has also shown defiance in other aspects where it has been the target of harsh punishment for its resistance, for example Iran has advanced dramatically in the area of healthcare since the time of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and, as a result, not only has life expectancy risen from 55 to over 71, but also infant mortality has fallen over 70 percent despite the draconian sanctions placed on the country. Iran’s health care system, known as Integrated Primary Health Care (IPHC), has been so successful, that doctors in the American state of Mississippi, the state with the highest poverty rates and poorest healthcare outcomes in the U.S., looked to Iran for help in designing a cost-effective healthcare system.[1]
In the military field, the Islamic Republic has managed to develop a defence worthy of mention. Despite lacking the modern sophisticated military equipment its U.S allied neighbors possess, Iran’s military has been described as the Middle East’s “most powerful military force”. [2] On November 2, 2012, Iranian Brigadier General Hassan Seifi reported that the Iranian Armed Forces had achieved self-suffiency in producing military equipment, and that the abilities of Iranian scientists have enabled the country to make significant progress in this field. He was quoted saying, Unlike Western countries which hide their new weapons and munitions from all, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army is not afraid of displaying its latest military achievements and all countries must become aware of Iran’s progress in producing weaponry.”
Finally, there is the fact that Iranian women are far ahead of their counterparts in other Persian Gulf nations socially, politically, educationally and health-wise. Governmental policies, again stemming from the principles of the Islamic Revolution, support women by granting them six months paid maternity leave plus an extra hour of paid leave per day for eighteen months, maternity benefits that exceed International Labor Organization standards not to mention those in the U.S. and other Western countries. Furthermore, women constitute about 60 % of all university students in Iran, a figure exceeding those of western countries. Of course, the Western narrative only speaks of the “oppressed Iranian women who are forced to wear the hijab” and never mention these feats.
These positive gains in economic and social development in Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution stemmed from maintaining a strong unification of religion, daily life and government, and rigorously shunning the secular concepts of the West.
In the end, every day that the Islamic Republic continues to exist is an act of defiance to the Anglo-Zionist empire as it will continue to lead the struggle against Washington/Tel Aviv sponsored terrorism and geostrategic interests in the region. While the West is in a state of decline, especially on a moral level, people across the world are waking up to see that the Islamic Republic of Iran has never been an enemy of mankind, but rather, it has been leading the fight against imperialism in the Middle East.
As the Islamic Republic enters its 38th year, one can’t but think back to the words of Imam Khomeini: “They say we are a nation of tears, but with these tears we have overthrown an empire”
Fine piece fine people the only thing that bothered me was the mention of the US 7th president which happens to be the 45 president which is 4+ 5= 9 and the 38 Iranian revolution anniversary which is 3+ 8= 11, another 9 11 but this time the scenario is a dead president and the blame thrown on Muslims in general and Iran in particular. You never know but never assume it being impossible because one the Muslim Christian animosity shall increase and the reasons to attack Iran will be justified and no one will ask (removed. No caps. moderation rules.) anyways long live the Iranian Revolution and long live Iranian people.
are there alot of Christians in Iran ?
Hi Ann
Yes there are. And they are represented in parliament too. There is a sizeable Armenian Christian diaspora in Tehran. They have an Armenian health club in Seoul, Tehran that is only for Armenian. And an Armenian village and a beautiful church close to the club. There are, I have heard, even shops that sell pork but state at the entrance that it’s not for Muslims.
Historically, the Armenians were brought to Isfahan by shah Abbas safavi as artisans and traders.
Iran has better relations with Christian Armenia than it had with Shia Azerbaijan.
Keeps on doing a good job !
But do not expect any improvement in your relation with the Anglo-Zionist Empire and their European dominions. Trump concerning Iran will not be better than Obama, both are answering to Netanyhau.
Thank you for this piece. I had the fortune to be spending a couple of weeks in Paris that December, ’78, after an absence of some 18 yrs. My excitement at this personal fortune was intensified by the deep, palpable sense of pending Iranian revolution, noticeable everywhere in the city, in the groups of Iranians and polyglot supporters gathering on street corners and in the bistros, in the musicians busking, the graffiti, the posters and leaflets, the depictions of the commanding and slightly mysterious figure of the self-exiled Ayatollah. Iran under the Shah was in terminal decay by then, and a sense of the imminent departure of the large Parisian Iranian diaspora was everywhere, and most striking of all in the subterranean passageways, halls and platforms of the metro, shabby, bustling, startling, vibrant, uneasy, exciting.
Even with that foretaste, it still caught me by surprise just how soon afterwards it was, a mere five weeks or so, that the regime collapsed and leader in waiting triumphantly returned to Tehran and the newly liberated country. People little knew at that time just what severe tribulations the Iranians would face over the next four decades, thanks to the USA’s continuing delusions of grandeur. An interesting country and people, still being tortured gratuitously by the obsessive, arrogant American imperialists.
Everybody forgets to mention that USA is controlled by Zionist bankers,which have a hold on Trump and his Zionist cabinet, he ultimately toes the Netanyahu line, which is the neocon line, Israel must be the only nuclear power in Middle East, this is the bottom line of the issue.
For an insight into Iran before 1979
Daughter of Persia: A Woman’s Journey from the 1930’s through to the Islamic Revolution by Sattareh Farman Farmaian
A remarkable woman, and a remarkable insight into Iran in the years before the revolution from a woman who was familiar with both the people on the street, and the corridors of power pre 1979.
News all over the MSM Mike Flynn had issues acwsring to Iran for the ballistic missile launch
He had also attacked the Houthis liking them to Iran as a danger in the region
His words are actually shocking in their lies and twisting of the truth
The Trump administration shows that nothing has changed. Destabilisation and regime change.
This shows the Eason why they are seeking to neutralise Russia with fake overtures
Iran need to plan their defence.
The rhetoric has caused a spike in oil prices, with trader fears of problems in the Straits of Hormuz.
Iran has already poo-pooed the US navy presence.
I wonder if this is less about Iran, than China, who is amongst its biggest consumer of oil?
James,
I am getting less cool of this site. It seems people (maybe Russian decedents?) are incapable of thinking rationally. Trump seems can do nothing wrong here. Maybe it is a culture thing. If it is, one or two rational leaders can save Russia some time, but not all the time. We will see. I fear for both Iran and Russia.
I too am getting fed up with the cheerleading for Trump
Especially as it is well known that the US establishment on both sides hates Russia, and Iran
A few nice words and we are expected to believe things have changed?
It actually makes me very annoyed that all common sense has been suspended
– NATO is still on Russia borders firing warning shots German have deployed there too!!
– Ukraine war on Donbas has started and
– threats to Iran and China
– trump discusses safe zones with Saudi Arabia funders of jihadis!!!
And all this and people are still praising Trump??
As long as the US policy is linking to Saudi Arabia and Israel
Russia will not be safer
EU’s Mogherini says Iran’s missile testing is not a violation of the nuclear deal.
https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2017/02/01/1315354/eu-says-iran-s-missile-test-no-breach-of-jcpoa
Add that to Tusk’s recent claim that Trump is a ‘threat’ to the EU….
Not to mention Iran signing five MoUs with France – not their favorite Euroweenie.
Are we seeing globalism taking a hit in unexpected ways?
More: China and Iran have a 600billion trade deal on the table – with oil being a major component.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1234923
At some point people will start to recognize the importance of the Iranian Revolution – they just keep on succeding. A fine article, congratulations, and keep up the good fight!
Well, except that the actual driving force of the revolution was the left not mullahs. Like all islamists they lied to their allies, betrayed them, and finally executed most of them after their grip in power is complete; just a few managed to escape.
Iranian regime is as bad as any other autocracy and like all political islamists they have the blood of real revolutionaries in their hands.
Clearly, Iran standing against US empire does not make it any good. In fact, that was not their choice and they kept seeking reconciliation with the empire. The only good deed they have done so far is to help Syrian people which is, of course, not out of altruism.
What you are saying is largely correct. The Communists allied with Khomeini to take over the government. Unlike in 1917, the leftists did not have control of the street and the Mullahs liquidated them.
I was in Iran for several years until 23rd December 1978. I saw the Revolution close up. The people wanted Khomeini – not the Communists. The Communist ideology is not suitable for the Middle East – not just Iran. The people are family and clan-oriented – and these are relationships the Communists and Socialists always try to destroy.
Right now, we have remnants of the Communists who call themselves “Mujahideen Khalq” and who fought on the side of the enemies of Iran for decades being resettled by the Americans in Albania. What a farce. :)
“Iranian opposition group in Iraq resettled to Albania”
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-iran-idUSKCN11F2DB
These people would have been far far worse than the Mullahs.
Nonsense. Family ties have been or are extremely important in communist and post-communist countries, and far more so than in uber-capitalist systems. It is the capitalist system that breaks up the family (the so-called extended family) into tiny (unsustainable) units (the soc-called nuclear family).
If you know anything about family life in Russia and other FSU countries you’ll know that family bonds are tighter there than in the west. (Notwithstanding genuine troubles resulting from poverty and alcoholism caused by the USA-mediated Yeltsin years and notwithstanding such dissimulations in the western msm as the decriminalising family violence etc.) You find the same in many former communist countries.
Likewise China. It is the monetisation and concomitant urbanisation afflicting society there that is introducing fracturing and strains in the traditional family structures, which have persisted through 70 years of communism.
This is a picture of the little 8-year old American girl slaughtered by U.S. operatives during Trump’s bogus mission in Yemen.
http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/media/120994/yemen-girl.jpg?width=400.8859357696567&height=500
Several other civilians were slaughtered when U.S. Navy Seal commandos stormed a Yemeni village.
Today, Trump is gushing profuse tears for the Navy Seal killed; the little girl; not so much.
Trump issued a press release today threatening Iran via Mike Flynn. The press release is filled with lies and exaggeration blaming Iran for the Houthi attack on a Saudi vessel. Trump is alleging that Iran via the Houthi is threatening U.S. and allied ships. This is a bald-faced lie. Trump is also alleging that the attack on the Saudi vessel is a trial run to attack U.S. vessels. Now you have to ask yourselves this: why would the U.S. send billions in weaponry to Saudi Arabia in December to fight an impoverished people dying of hunger? Why also did Trump call the Saudis and recruit them for his Safe Zones plan for Syria AND Yemen.
Only one answer: Yemen is a proxy war designed to trigger war with Iran. Trump is gunning for Iran; and the Empire is taking over Syria and Yemen. Trump is the showman, as Engdahl put it: the dangerous deception. The mask is coming off and revealing a Cheney-like Neocon madman doing the bidding of his Zionist Masters.
Flynn’s bombast plays well with the kick-their-ass-and-take-their-gas crowd. To me, a peon in flyover country, it is not clear why the enemies of certain regimes in the ME are automatically America’s enemies. One can either chalk this rhetoric up to the Trumpsters consciously crafting a tough image as they enters the stage — or perhaps it is a harbinger of worse to come.
The trump regime threats against Iran today, along with what is unfolding to be their strategy, have convinced me these zionazi quislings plan to be as zio-gay as the zionazi quislings before them.
So that means “plan b” is in order. IE: play trump’s zio opposition against the regime, while at the same time encourage the regime’s exposing of the as fake news. Get them to kill each other off.
A permanent problem with Iran is precisely this “inseparable affiliation between Iran and Shia Islam”. More to the point the belief in the arrival of the Mahdi. Do Iranians take it ‘symbolically’ or literally? According to the Twelver Shia, the main goal of the Mahdi will be to establish an Islamic state and to apply Islamic laws that were revealed to Muhammad.
These beliefs could hardly ingratiate Iran with Christians and Jews and could hardly be the basis of an alliance (with Russia, which in the apocalyptic mythology shared by Iran, is the land where Yajuj and Majuj would come from).
In Islamic eschatology, Gog and Magog come from the north of the Caucauses, i.e, Khazaria, i.e, 90% of todays Jews.
Islamic eschatology also vaguely speaks of an alliance between ‘Ruum’, Byzantinium, i.e Russia and Islamic forces in the end times that will fight and destroy the ‘Dajjal’ i.e, West…U.S.
The Dajjal of course symbolically being the Anti-Christ.
Do Iranians take it ‘symbolically’ or literally? According to the Twelver Shia, the main goal of the Mahdi will be to establish an Islamic state and to apply Islamic laws that were revealed to Muhammad.
It is literal, not symbolic. Shias, not just of Iran, in mosques after the jamat prayers call on God to hasten the coming of the Mahdi. The example we are asked to remember is of Moses, that when the bani Israel called on God, Moses was sent to them sooner.
It is a Muslim belief, not just a Shia one. In fact most of the claimants of being the Mahdi have been Sunni ones. The last one was the one that took over the kaba in Saudi Arabia and was supported by Osama’s cousin.
The Shia belief is much more specific to his identity.
The Shias believe that the Mahdi will establish God’s kingdom on earth. And will also be the second coming of Jesus.
If the belief is of God’s kingdom on earth, and if Jesus were to back it, would it then not be something the Christians and Jews would choose to side with, rather than oppose
Another war crime by the US. Another bloody slaughter, just another day I. The almighty US of A.
I wish RT would do a documentary of all the war crimes of the US.
https://www.rt.com/usa/375995-yemen-civilians-likely-killed/?utm_source=spotim&utm_medium=spotim_recirculation&spotim_referrer=recirculation
I don’t think hijabs are mandatory either in Iran – they are popular and are very elegant…I love them and would wear them gladly if I could buy some nice ones and learn how to put them on.
also guys for those who are depressed about Trump – listen to this –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx9_paDhpQs
Jeff Rense interviews Catherine Austin Fitts – good show – interesting –
Wearing a headscarf is strictly enforced by so-called ‘morality police’ in Iran and has been since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Women who do not wear a hijab or are deemed to be wearing ‘bad hijab’ by having some of their hair showing face punishments ranging from fines to imprisonment.
Look up your nearest Middle Eastern store or buy hijabs online. You can also go to your local mosque and check things out, talk to people there Ann. Its really simple. And yes, I personally find a woman in a hijab as very elegant and classy.
The burqa is non Islamic but cultural, no where in the Quran does it state women should cover themselves head to toe. It speaks of modesty for men and women. And for men and women to ‘lower their gazes’. Respect.
Iran participated in
1. Overthrow of Saddam Hussein. Result is the Iraq quagmire.
2. Overthrow of Taliban by the corrupt Northern alliance. Result is CIA is back in the opium business
3. Keeping Assad and co. in power in Syria even though majority want him out. Result is the Syrian quagmire
4. Anti Gaddafi stance when it was being overthrown.
5. Destabilization of gulf kingdoms.
All its activity happens to be directed against sunni Islam.
Call it whatever you may but please don’t call it Islam. Iranian regime is not what they purport to be. Iran is the new Safavid empire – and the greatest achievement of the Safavids was the genocide of Sunni Iran and backstabbing the Ottomons at critical moments in their European conquest. As for as the great cultural achievements they have nothing to do with shia Islam or the safavids. Cyrus the great was neither Shia nor Safavid.
1.You may have “forgotten” that Saddam Huessin invaded Iran a few years before and oppressed the vast Shia majority in Iraq. So its not surprising that the Iranians were against him.
2. The Taliban was/is an extreme Sunni group that also oppresses the Shia minority in Afghanistan. Are you surprised the Iranians are against them too.
3. Assad is obviously supported by the majority of people in Syria, or the jihadis wouldn’t have had a problem overthrowing him.
4.The Iranians had no part in overthrowing Gaddafi. Whether they liked him or not doesn’t matter.They weren’t the ones that overthrew him.
5.The Gulf Kingdoms are a hotbed of anti-Iranian and anti-Shia propaganda and funding of jihadi terrorists. Do you imagine that the Iranians “wouldn’t” be against them.
Sunni Islam seems to be against Shia Islam,or at least the Wahhabi part of it is.Your entire argument in your comment is in support of that Wahhabi position.It is certainly “not” a popular position among people here. Until the Sunni stop supporting terrorism. And stop treating Shia as “non-Muslims”,then you can expect Iran won’t change its positions. I would suggest you examine your own faults in that trouble before blaming others.
Uncle bob know all
I am sunni sufi. Let us not hide behind the wahhabi boogey boogey every time.
1. Baathist Saddam invaded not sunni iraq.
2. Afghan Taliban are the genuine islamic movement of Afganistan. They are not wahhabi. They brought a semblance of law and order in the war torn country. Let us not hide behind plastic words and labels like ” extremist”. They succeeded in eradicating crime and eliminated the anglozionist opium trade.
3. Syria is 90 percent Sunni and mostly sufi sunni. Let us not help Assad the criminal hide behind the western and israeli sponsored multinational criminals conveniently
labelled Wahhabi
4.if Iran has the right in your opinion to support a criminal in Syria why cannot the gulf monarchies suppport the opposition. Keep in mind I am no lover of gulf monarchies
5. Just look at iranian newspapers and editorials when Gaddafi was being overthrown and you will see what i mean.
Iran is not what the saker community tries to make of it.
The discussion can continue ad infinitum but the fact is Iran has a deviant sectarian shia agenda far removed from Islam.
I’m reminded of the old saying “…..and by your words you will be condemned” when reading your comment. Its obvious you are anti-Assad,we are mostly pro-Assad. Its obvious you are pro-jihadi,we are almost all anti-jihadi.You are anti-Shia and anti-Iranian,while most here are neutral or pro-Iranian (we are split on the Shia part. Yet few are anti-Shia). Which begs the question why you come here.Unless its to sow disinformation.
Thank you Uncle Bob
Said it better and more efficiently than I could manage.
Dear Uncle Bob
Now dont you try to monopolize discourse and call it “disinformation” when somone does not have the same viewpoint as yours. Neither is this website meant for a certain viwpoint I believe. You have a label for everything. This time it is “Disinformation”. If someone does not agree with you he becomes “pro-jehadi”. Ask that of Hezbullah and Iranian operatives. I suppose they must be pacifists in your view.
Let us try to be accomodative. Maybe there is another viewpoint out there. Dont throw the baby out with the bathwater. Dont let Asad hide behind Russian geopolitical interests and especially not behind your hatred for anglozionists. Dont provide him a clean chit and a licence to wipe out genuine sunni popular resistance. He is a war criminal and hopefully will see the end as a warcriminal.
I know too many educated Syrians doctors intellectuals scholars and they hate the atrocious Asad regime. Now dont start labelling them extremist wahhabi pro-jehadi please. These are genuine voices. Syrians are stuck between Anglozionist sponsored criminals and the criminal regime of Asad supported by Iran and Russia. This is the reality. Russia is stuck in this quagmire for its geopolitical interests and Iran for its safavid legacy. The Anglozionists have found a nice playground for their greatgame under the circumstances.
The only solution was for Russia to support genuine popular sunni uprising and force Asad to abdicate. Russia could still be a player in Syria. If the Anglozionists can find international criminals to wage a war in syria why cannot Russia find the genuine Syrian opposition to support.
Let us face the truth. Before the maidan in Ukraine Russia was supporting the criminal oligarchs in Ukraine. So the Ukranians hate Russia. Now Russia is supportimg the war criminal Asad in Syria. Why do you suppose Russia is following this policy. Simple. Putin may be honest he may be popular he may a nice smile but he is one man. Russians are no different. Please dont be offended. I know you love Russia. Russia is still run by deeply entrenched oligarchs with parallel administrations and a US written constitution.
Now let me surprise you. I am neither Arab nor wahhabi nor anglozionist nor western nor Russian. I hail from India. I look at things as they are withput prejudice. Yes I am sunni muslim and i used to be an ardent supporter of Iran for ,any years till i analysed their policy over the years and came out disillusioned and with the conclusion that they are nothing but a bunch of shrewd sectarian shia with a historical safavid anti sunni agenda.
I fear you will find few people here that think your way. We don’t see things as you do.
I surely don’t. And I didn’t bother to read all of his last post — too much ranting. I’m still wondering how the Taliban can be so great when they destroyed those statues of Buddha some years back, which revealed their extremism. Indians can be rather extreme too, of course.
https://youtu.be/AbN3RIRAuo8
Please watch this four minute clip about backdrop of how Buddhist statues in bamiyan were destroyed.
I wish for wisdom for you.
He gve a lot of BS. I didn’t say the British, or the french who blew off the sphinx’s nose, were not barbaric, extremist, and murderous too. Bottom line is they blew up the ancient statues, and there is no excuse for it. It’s all intolerant, primitive, and uncivilized. If the UN would send money only to repair the statues and not for food, that shows the UN was not civilized, but the Taliban could have left the statues alone anyway. This just shows that religious believers are no better than anyone else and that religion is as full as prunes as any other irrational ideological extreme used by people to try to justify their inhumanity.
I wonder if the US was funding the Taliban, the way they fund ISIS (Al CIAda)?
After all, both groups practiced destruction of ancient architecture.
A Nazi tactic, clearly approved of and funded by both the USA and Israel for many decades.
I am thinking of Palmyra, Aleppo and Bagdhad, and all of the Middle East that the groups I mention have set foot in.
https://nsnbc.me/2017/02/02/taliban-killed-pregnant-girl-executed-another-one-for-refusing-to-marry-taliban-chief/
Taliban Killed Pregnant Girl – Executed Another One for Refusing to Marry Taliban Chief
[…]
We’ve seen many stories like this. One might question if the Taliban are even authentic Muslims, or just the extremist remnants of the the us sponsorship of the radicals they used to make war on Russia when it was answering the call for help from the Afghan government.
I’m a Sunni Muslim and I support Bashar, I support Iran.
Though others have replied, some points of yours are just plain lies
1 Iran remained neutral during the 2003 invasion, and even advised against the invasion. The only reason the Americans did not “finish the job” in 1992 was because Shia influence would be enormous, and the resources they would control would be huge. Your arguments are like those of muawiyah who blamed Ali for killing uthman. How history repeats itself.
2 Taliban delegation paid a visit to the us for pipelistan. I think you have your wires crossed. The Taliban, killed Iranian diplomats, it nearly led to war. It killed Shias in bamiyan . And is the Taliban not corrupt?
You need to be disillusioned some more
3 you call yourself Sufi Sunni? Which shrine has survived in Isis, nusra lands? Would the Zainab shrine still be signing. Open your eyes. No fan of Assad, but him any day over mad men.
4 Gaddafi killed Sadr. Had him bludgeoned to death. What sympathy should Iran show him. And even this, that Iran wanted him gone, sounds so unreliable.
5 Destabilize the guild kingdoms. I hope they last forever, and people who want them to remain stable to be under their boots forever. What is Islamic about any of them? Just because they call themselves Sunni.
Call it whatever you may but please don’t call it Islam.
If you change Islam with Muslim, you would be a takfiri
Selim the grim, Sunni ottoman captured Cyprus for its wine, the Ottomans prevented conversion to increase tax collection, they made slaves of conquered populations, their shock troops were Muslim zealots, are you educated?
The Persians have more civilization behind them and in them, than any Arab or turk. And I’m not Persian. Cyrus was what he was, the great. Talking about the Ottomans and their harems and their bigoted rulers.
“Selim the grim, Sunni ottoman captured Cyprus for its wine”
Get your facts straight. This, even if true, is said of Selim II.
Selim I, the Grim, captured the entire Middle East and was a very able ruler.
1. Iran did not participate in the overthrow of Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tirkriti; he was overthrown by his former backer—the U.S.A. Indeed, the result is the Iraqi quagmire.
2. Taliban was overthrown by their former allies or fellow travellers—the U.S.A.—soon after the Taliban clamped on opium production. The result of the those roughly 38 years of U.S. interference into Afghan affairs is the Afghan quagmire.
3. Iran keeps Bashar Hafez al-Assad in power in Syria even though the West-aligned enemies of Iran and Syria want him out, but 86 % of participating Syrian voters and 2/3 of Syrians want him in. The result is the Syrian quagmire
4. Indeed, Iran did betray Muammar Mohammed Abu Minyar Gaddafi, but the West-aligned Sunni traitors like Turkey, Qatar and United Arab Emirates actively participated in his overthrow.
5. Destabilization of gulf kingdoms??! Probably as much as the Polish destabilization of Germany during World War II.
which came increasingly under the foreign influences of the Russian and British empires
Rather coy?
We’re about to celebrate the centenary of the The Great Famine and Genocide in Persia, 1917-1919″. When Russia pulled out of Persia, the British took control. While they had food aplenty in Iraq and India, they decided not to ship it in, so they could free up more ships for the Atlantic.
While Persia was just plunging into famine, the British bought up a third of the country’s harvest. They had already withheld the (pitiful) oil royalties from the government. So the Persians could not afford to eat. Eight to ten million people died, while the British burned their surplus stocks.
The American diplomats were horrified, and the United States raised huge amounts of aid – American Jews raised huge amounts for Persian Jews. Yet few people know about this. Majd’s very short book draws heavily on State Department archives to construct a powerful indictment.
Britain, of course, managed to sweep the whole affair under the carpet. But the Iranians did not forget. In fact, the CIA coup was only successful because the Iranians were so grateful to the United States. They thought it would continue to support them against the British.
The influenza epidemic of 1918 made more victims worldwide than all the war. Iran was not exempt, the number of casualties was estimated at between 902,400 and 2,431,000. It certainly was not introduced deliberately by the perfidious Albion, neither had the famine been provoked by them. In 1919 Iran had an estimated population of 11 million and in 1924 of 10 million. The number of 8-9 million victims of the ‘genocide’ given by Majd means that the entire population of Iran was wiped out! It was based on a fantasist estimation of the population in 1914 (20 million, when in reality it was about 11 million).
Another competitor for the title of the greatest victims of Holocausts, Holodomors, Genocides.
@ Wiz
From your language, let’s have another jolly big war, and more genocides as well. since influenza or some other epidemic is likely to do the same job and do in a few more millions to spare!
And perfidious Albion is not averse at producing “natural” epidemics or famines; just ask the Irish, Indians, native Americans, Australian aborigines and Boers, just to name a few, not to mention the “opium epidemic” on China.
While not denying the well-documented malfeasance of the British in Asia, making highly exaggerated claims to demonstrate it and claim an unsubstantiated primacy in victimhood, does do more harm than good to the thesis. Pushing false claims, which smack of Islamic propaganda, would attract doubts on even true facts.
The British blamed the situation of the Russians and Turks (who were engaged in fights in Northern Iran- and the Turks were pushing into Iran to capture the oil facilities). In any case, the British did not requisition the wheat but purchased it. And here came into play phenomena common in all countries affected by the war: “the wealthy merchants who made large profits from selling grain to the British “but were unwilling to help save their poorer brethren” and hoarding.
The Spanish flu which made 50 million victims world wide was not ‘produced’ by the British (Britain and America have been as heavily affected).
Empire is as empire does… there is nothing else.
Back when the US sought to play the “we’re the anti-colonials here to help you card” (in order to woo Persia from Britain and Russia) the field reports from Persia that looked like this….
The Strangling of Persia / Schuster
https://archive.org/details/stranglingofpers001925mbp
Now it looks like this …
WHICH PATH TO PERSIA? Options for a New American Strategy toward Iran
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/brookings-institutions-which-path-to.html
Meanwhile, the Brit media is seen by Iranians like this….
“Iranian Social Media Activists Protest at BBC’s Role in 1953 Coup”
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13950530000788
But the same Brits now send a chicky babe recreating a 30s tour who says it really looks like this…
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2017/jan/29/motorcycling-through-iran-travel-lois-pryce-women-adventure
And the Russians? Nothing solid on Iran, always wobbly, and ending up half this or that.
The jew zios have no fear of the(removed MOD. Please watch the language) sunni ayrabs led by primitive wahabi arabia as they have a deal in place – sauds keep Mecca and we keep Jerusalem. What they fear is Iran and Russia stands in the way.
Iran is frequently smeared because of Iran’s (supposed) “lack of democracy”.
In fact, Iranian democracy has a complex and elaborate system of constitutional checks a balances which probably surpasses even that of the U.S.A.