[lit-ideas] Re: Ahmadi-Nejad's Letter to Bush

  • From: "Phil Enns" <phil.enns@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 11 May 2006 11:13:36 -0400

Mike Geary wrote:

"You know this culture far more intimately than I, but I've never been
convinced that they seek our destruction or conversion, only our
desistance in converting them to our model of modernity."

When I was in Iran, our group had an audience with Ayatollah Mezbah
Yazdi, the spiritual advisor for Ahmadi-Nejad.  He told us that he
recognized in the youth of the West a great dissatisfaction with the
lack of spirituality and frustration with the toleration of immorality
and injustice.  His message was that the People of the Book, i.e.
Christians, Muslims and Jews, needed to work towards a different kind of
society.  The message was clear: the West is corrupt and immoral, and
requires a spiritual revolution that only the People of the Book can
establish.  There was absolutely no sense that his concern was one of
having the West leave Iran alone or that it was a matter of two
competing but equal 'models'.  He was quite clear that there is only one
'model' and that the West represents a corruption of it.  Again, for
Mezbah, the issue is not a political one, but spiritual, so that the
abomination that Western society and political institutions represent
cannot be tolerated and allowed to continue.  I appreciate that for
those of us raised in liberal democratic societies, this way of talking
is quite alien, but understanding the difference is crucial to
appreciating why the conflict between Iran and the US seems so
intractable.  The Iranian authorities are not looking for a political
solution while the US administration, for all its talk of God, can only
think in terms of the political.


Mike continues:

"I am not well versed in Iranian history, but I haven't seen any
indications that would suggest they have imperial ambitions, either
politically or religiously -- not since the days of Persia, at least."

Virtually all the Arab states are terrified of the growing
aggressiveness of the Iranians.  The Saudis in particular are desperate
for a strong Iraq that can act as a buffer between them and Iran.  Only
Saddam was strong enough to hold in check the Iranians but he is gone
and without a strong replacement.  The Saudis are no match for Iran and
so they are quite happy to have US troops on two borders of Iran.

As for Iranian ambitions, I mentioned Mezbah's comments above and the
same theme comes through in Ahmadi-Nejad's letter:


"Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the
teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human
dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets?

Mr. President, History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do
not survive.  God has entrusted the fate of men to them. The Almighty
has not left the universe and humanity to their own devices. Many things
have happened contrary to the wishes and plans of governments. These
tell us that there is a higher power at work and all events are
determined by Him.  Can one deny the signs of change in the world today?
Is the situation of the world today comparable to that of ten years ago?
Changes happen fast and come at a furious pace.  The people of the world
are not happy with the status quo and pay little heed to the promises
and comments made by a number of influential world leaders. Many people
around the world feel insecure and oppose the spreading of insecurity
and war and do not approve of and accept dubious policies.

The people are protesting the increasing gap between the haves and the
have-nots and the rich and poor countries.  The people are disgusted
with increasing corruption.  The people of many countries are angry
about the attacks on their cultural foundations and the disintegration
of families. They are equally dismayed with the fading of care and
compassion. The people of the world have no faith in international
organizations, because their rights are not advocated by these
organizations.  Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been
able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts
have failed.  Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the
shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the Liberal
democratic systems.  We increasingly see that people around the world
are flocking towards a main focal point -- that is the Almighty God.
Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teachings of the prophets, the
people will conquer their problems. My question for you is: "Do you not
want to join them?"

Mr. President, Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating
towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will
prevail over all things."


The message of the letter is not a political solution to poverty,
injustice, and insecurity.  The call is for establishing religious
institutions in the place of Liberalism and Western-style democracy.
The Iranians are not fools and they understand that the Bush
administration will reject this but the message will echo for virtually
all Muslims.  The audience of this letter is not the Bush administration
nor the UN, but Muslims.  In standing up to the US, showing it to be
corrupt and immoral, providing an Islamic solution to the problem, Iran
establishes itself as leading the Ummah, the body of all Muslims.  The
ambitions of Iran lie far beyond having nuclear weapons, security within
its borders, or influence in Iraq, but rather gathering together all
Muslims against the structures and institutions of the West.  As
Ahmadi-Nejad writes, he understands his actions as part of faith in the
Almighty and instituting the justice and will of God over all things.
What is at stake is justice in the World, not Iran being able to do what
it likes within its borders.


Sincerely,

Phil Enns
Toronto, ON

p.s.  Welcome back, Mike.


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