Re: Response to Dhimmi No More

Submitted by Aymenn Jawad (United Kingdom), Feb 6, 2010 at 14:20

Hi Dhimmi No More:

Good to hear from you again. A few points:

how many suicide bombers or terrorists have we had that came from Iran? I cannot think of a single one

Sorry my friend but this is wrong: see Ali Alfoneh's essay on this subject: http://www.meforum.org/1059/irans-suicide-brigades. Also, note Dr. Pipes' article http://www.danielpipes.org/3450/sudden-jihad-syndrome-in-north-carolina.

opted to speak Persian and not Arabic and to become shi3a and not sunni.

The Persians did not immediately opt for Shi3a Islam. Till about the 16th century Iran was an important centre for Sunni Islam (e.g. I note that the compiler of Sahih Bukhari was himself Persian): the adoption of Shi3a Islam was merely a by-product of Safavid rule as the Safavid rulers were Shi3a. In fact, there were many precedents to Khomeini's tyranny during the Safavid dynasty. The claim that Shi3a imams have traditionally kept aloof of politics is simply false. For example, Muhammad Baqer Al-Majlisi's (the Safavid era equivalent of Khomeini) treatise 'Lightning Bolts Against the Jews' was the standard guideline for Safavid policy vis-à-vis the dhimmi. It wasn't until the rise of Reza Pahlavi in 1925 that the Shi3a clergy's power was finally broken and Iranians started reclaiming their pre-Islamic heritage.

I do believe that Iran can be a great ally if we work on it

Certainly: we can 'work on it' by bringing down the Islamic Republic. To this end, verbal and material support for the ordinary street protestors, support for Balochi insurgents etc. will help.

As for the issue of Iran's atomic bomb I do believe that if Iran would have to select between developing an atomic bomb v. being respected and treated as an equal it will opt for the latter

No: Iran's aim in attempting to acquire the atomic bomb is to become the pre-eminent power in the Middle East. That includes control of the straits of Hormuz and the region around the Gulf, which has traditionally been regarded by Iranians as theirs since the Safavid era. Also, it would be difficult not to take Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani's open calls for the destruction of Israel at their word, as well as Khamenei's statement that 'The reappearance of the 12th Imam will lead to a war between Israel and the Shi3a'.

Obama tries to please every one and this is one of his serious flaws and he just does not get it

I agree. He makes too many unfulfilled promises. Despite calling for fiscal stimulus (a concept I support in a time of recession), the US stimulus was full of petty corruption. He could have combined effective stimulus with long-term projects to develop alternative energy sources, but he didn't.

Kind regards,

Aymenn Jawad.

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