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Friday
September 7, 2001

Amazed at Iranian attitutude

I have read with keen interest the raging debate regarding Israel. Let me say that I am not Iranian, but an American Jew and a Zionist. At the same time, I have great admiration for Iranian history, culture, food, etc. (Yes, one can be a Zionist and a "Persofile" at the same time!)

As a student of history, I have always been perplexed and amazed at Iranians' attitutudes towards Israel. I must say that I believe the reason for Iranians feeling the way they do about Israel comes down to one word: Islam. The Qu'ran is replete with hostile references to Jews, and anyone who is remotely familiar with history knows of the wars of Muhammad against the Jews culminating in the slaughter of the Banu Qurayza.

And this is the great irony. Iranians were the victims of what I consider to be one of the greatest catastrophies in human history: the Arab decimation and deracination of Iran in the 7th Century. The Sassanian Empire overthrown by a ragtag army of Arabs. And yet within a short while, the majority of Iranians would turn in Ahura Mazda for Allah and become thoroughly Islamized. (Not to mention the adaptation of the Arabic alphabet.) Qadasiyah and Nehavand were forgotten, but Karbalah is celebrated. Indeed, the embrace of Islam by the Iranians is an embrace of their own destruction at the hands of the Arabs!

At the same time, Iranians appear to harbor strong resentment (if not racist attitudes) towards Arabs. But it is the Iranians who are the greatest allies of the Arabs in their struggle against the Jews. Why? I can only say that it comes out of Muslim solidarity. I doubt that if Iran had a Zoroastrian majority that this would be the case.

However, to read on The Iranian, the sanctimonious and hypocritical views of self-described Sufis and Bahais really makes me amazed. A Bahai (of all people!) advocating an Iranian-Pakistani ["Pakistan?"] axis against Israel! Pakistan, with its Sunni-Shi'i murderous conflict and its killing of Iranian diplomats. To call Israel a "colonial remnant" is absurd.

Who have been the greatest colonists in history? Why, the Arabs, of course. Arabization and Islamization of the Middle East, genocide against the indigenous inhabitants, slavery, etc., was the lot for those who refused to bow to Allah. (Just ask the Parsis of India who had to flee Iran.) And even such a great writer as Ferdowsi must have had these things in mind when he had one of his Persian characters say (perhaps in not the exact words) "damn the Arabs for making me a Muslim."

In any event, I see Iranians' obsession with Israel completely hypocritical. Israel has two official languages: Hebrew and Arabic. Arabs sit in the Parliament. Judaism is *not* the official religion of Israel. (It is a secular state.) I do not hear of Israelis calling for Iran or for the Arabs to be wiped off the map (unlike Iran which seeks to destroy Israel). Is there one Arab country that allows for a non-Muslim to run for high office?

I would have much more respect for Iranians' hostile attitudes toward Israel if they were honest enough to admit that it is done in the cause of Islam instead of justifying it for other reasons. Even secular Iranians (and apparently some Bahais) cannot help but to be influenced by the Islamic anti-Jewish culture that they grew up in.

Iran would do better to speak out against real genocides such as the Russian rape of Afghanistan and Chechnya, instead of getting involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict. In the end, the Iranians will always be nothing more than "mawali" and "majoos" in the eyes of the Arabs.

Steven Simpson

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