Differing attitudes toward Iran

Submitted by Dean M. (United States), Jul 12, 2011 at 16:24

Bush's diplomatic efforts toward Iran were completely different from what Obama's are and have been. Bush saw the Iranian regime as one of the three axes of evil in the modern world. Not so, Obama. He has done nothing to stop or even slow down Iran's nuclear development. He would not speak out against the regime's crackdown on protestors to their phoney elections. He wishes them Happy New Year in their own language, extolling Iran's cultural contributions.

Shia Islam--the majority religion of Iran--offers both a leftwing and a Muslim identity to combine, as well as deception as a tool for the greater glory of Islam. Sunnis tend to be rightwing and do not approve of hiding one's Muslim identity. When Obama was elected, Shia Muslims in Tehran danced in the streets, calling Obama, "brother." Sunni clerics chastised and even threatened him for hiding his Muslim identity.

For Republicans to "mock" Obama for his way of handling Iran but giving Bush a pass for his diplomatic efforts--well, the two are not the same at all. Bush's efforts were not based on an attitude of favoritism toward Iran that we see in Obama.

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