Please Invade My Home: An Iranian's Plea To America
Things are slowly coming to a head over Iran. This past week, the nation of Iran opened talks with China and Russia in an effort to create an alliance against the West. They announced late last week that they had restarted their uranium enrichment program. And today Captain Ed Morrissey points to a UK Telegraph about Hossein Khomeini--the grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini.
The grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, the inspiration of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, has broken a three-year silence to back the United States military to overthrow the country's clerical regime.
Hossein Khomeini's call is all the more startling as he made it from Qom, the spiritual home of Iran's Shia strand of Islam, during an interview to mark the 17th anniversary of the ayatollah's death.
"My grandfather's revolution has devoured its children and has strayed from its course," he told Al-Arabiya, an Arabic-language television station. "I lived through the revolution and it called for freedom and democracy - but it has persecuted its leaders."
He also made clear his opposition to Teheran's alleged development of a secret nuclear weapons programme. "Iran will gain real power if freedom and democracy develop there," he said. "Strength will not be obtained through weapons and the bomb."
Mr Khomeini, 47, is a Shia cleric, but he believes that the holy men who have run the country since 1979 - to whom he dismissively refers as "wearers of the turban" - abused their power following the overthrow of the Shah.
The Dubai-based satellite channel's website spelt out his backing for armed intervention by America, a country excoriated as the Great Satan by his grandfather and Iran's current rulers.
It stated: "As for his call to President Bush to come and occupy Iran, Hossein Khomeini explained that 'freedom must come to Iran in any possible way, whether through internal or external developments.
If you were a prisoner, what would you do? I want someone to break the prison [doors open]'."
His approach is even more hardline than that of fiercely anti-regime Iranian exiles, who oppose military action while urging the US to back a domestic uprising.
It is the first time he has voiced his bitter opposition to the regime since Teheran engaged on its nuclear confrontation with the international community under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, its virulently anti-US president.
This is a surprise. As Captain Ed pointed out, this apple definitely fell far from the tree. And while we can sympathize with his stance and his frustration, the idea that the United States will invade Iran is extremely remote. Bomb it? More than likely, and at least their nuclear sites, but there will be no invasion. We would prefer that the Iranians rise up against their brutal masters and deal with their problem directly.
The Iranians, of course, are afraid to move against the mullahs and Ahmadinejad. They are especially fearful of the president. Recent student demonstrations in Tehran have been broken up by Ahmadinejad's feared basiji. They need help, at the very least. I am sure the United States would be willing to help them, but unless there is something dire that appears on our radar in regard to Iran, there will be no invasion. What is strangely interesting about this whole interview is the fact that Hossein is still free and alive.
As a 47-year-old cleric of the Shia version of Islam, there is no telling how much true power he may wield among Shia supporters. That could be the reason why Ahmadinejad has not moved against him, yet. Also, as the grandson of the late ayatollah, he is a difficult issue for the Iranian government to deal with. As he followed in his grandfather's footsteps, a great deal of Iranians--including those amongst the mullahs--have respect for the man. To round him up or have him killed could be the spark that provides the Iranians with what they need to begin fighting back. But they will need more than a martyr.
They will need powerful allies, and ones who are not afraid to help out in the most basic of ways. Weapons, training, and advice could be a boon to the people of Iran should they move to overthrow their current regime. Hossein could be a leader in that capacity, or his death could become the driving force behind those that do rise.
With an issue like this, it is difficult to speculate how things may go. However, it presents an interesting situation as things move forward on Iran. Perhaps instead of appealing to the West (which he knows will help out those who choose to take a stand), he should be appealing to the people to throw off the yoke of Islamic despotism that has plagued that nation for twenty-seven years.
Marcie
Things are slowly coming to a head over Iran. This past week, the nation of Iran opened talks with China and Russia in an effort to create an alliance against the West. They announced late last week that they had restarted their uranium enrichment program. And today Captain Ed Morrissey points to a UK Telegraph about Hossein Khomeini--the grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeini.
The grandson of Ayatollah Khomeini, the inspiration of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, has broken a three-year silence to back the United States military to overthrow the country's clerical regime.
Hossein Khomeini's call is all the more startling as he made it from Qom, the spiritual home of Iran's Shia strand of Islam, during an interview to mark the 17th anniversary of the ayatollah's death.
"My grandfather's revolution has devoured its children and has strayed from its course," he told Al-Arabiya, an Arabic-language television station. "I lived through the revolution and it called for freedom and democracy - but it has persecuted its leaders."
He also made clear his opposition to Teheran's alleged development of a secret nuclear weapons programme. "Iran will gain real power if freedom and democracy develop there," he said. "Strength will not be obtained through weapons and the bomb."
Mr Khomeini, 47, is a Shia cleric, but he believes that the holy men who have run the country since 1979 - to whom he dismissively refers as "wearers of the turban" - abused their power following the overthrow of the Shah.
The Dubai-based satellite channel's website spelt out his backing for armed intervention by America, a country excoriated as the Great Satan by his grandfather and Iran's current rulers.
It stated: "As for his call to President Bush to come and occupy Iran, Hossein Khomeini explained that 'freedom must come to Iran in any possible way, whether through internal or external developments.
If you were a prisoner, what would you do? I want someone to break the prison [doors open]'."
His approach is even more hardline than that of fiercely anti-regime Iranian exiles, who oppose military action while urging the US to back a domestic uprising.
It is the first time he has voiced his bitter opposition to the regime since Teheran engaged on its nuclear confrontation with the international community under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, its virulently anti-US president.
This is a surprise. As Captain Ed pointed out, this apple definitely fell far from the tree. And while we can sympathize with his stance and his frustration, the idea that the United States will invade Iran is extremely remote. Bomb it? More than likely, and at least their nuclear sites, but there will be no invasion. We would prefer that the Iranians rise up against their brutal masters and deal with their problem directly.
The Iranians, of course, are afraid to move against the mullahs and Ahmadinejad. They are especially fearful of the president. Recent student demonstrations in Tehran have been broken up by Ahmadinejad's feared basiji. They need help, at the very least. I am sure the United States would be willing to help them, but unless there is something dire that appears on our radar in regard to Iran, there will be no invasion. What is strangely interesting about this whole interview is the fact that Hossein is still free and alive.
As a 47-year-old cleric of the Shia version of Islam, there is no telling how much true power he may wield among Shia supporters. That could be the reason why Ahmadinejad has not moved against him, yet. Also, as the grandson of the late ayatollah, he is a difficult issue for the Iranian government to deal with. As he followed in his grandfather's footsteps, a great deal of Iranians--including those amongst the mullahs--have respect for the man. To round him up or have him killed could be the spark that provides the Iranians with what they need to begin fighting back. But they will need more than a martyr.
They will need powerful allies, and ones who are not afraid to help out in the most basic of ways. Weapons, training, and advice could be a boon to the people of Iran should they move to overthrow their current regime. Hossein could be a leader in that capacity, or his death could become the driving force behind those that do rise.
With an issue like this, it is difficult to speculate how things may go. However, it presents an interesting situation as things move forward on Iran. Perhaps instead of appealing to the West (which he knows will help out those who choose to take a stand), he should be appealing to the people to throw off the yoke of Islamic despotism that has plagued that nation for twenty-seven years.
Marcie
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 1:38 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home