Thursday, July 30, 2009

Young Turks Website: Ahmadinejad Should Be Supreme Leader

Young Turks
We have a new label to add to the Iranian political lexicon: "pragmatic." That's right... as if it weren't enough that we have annoying terminology like "reformist" and "moderate," we now also have "pragmatic."

Who's the "pragmatist," you ask? Well, we already know that Mousavi and Khatami are the "reformists" and Rafsanjani is the "moderate." That "pragmatist," as it turns out, is Khamenei. But what do these labels mean? I'll tell you. A "reformist" is somebody who wants to give Iranians more civil liberties at the expense of the Islamic system. For example, some "reform-" minded Iranians believe that Iranian women should have the right to dress how ever they want, even though Islam requires that a woman cover herself. A Muslim woman is only allowed to reveal her face and her hands (and her feet according to some Muslim scholars).

A "moderate" is somebody who is willing to sit down at the negotiating table with the United States and compromise over issues that are of vital interest to the Iranian nation. For example, some "moderate-" minded Iranians believe that perhaps Iran should (at least temporarily) halt uranium enrichment if it brings an end to US sanctions. A "pragmatist" is someone who is too afraid to attack Israel even though it is an Islamic duty to defend the Palestinians and Lebanese when they are being harmed. For example, some "pragmatic" Iranians feel that the liberation of Jerusalem (home to Islam's third holiest site) is not important enough to risk Israel's wrath.

Here is why I like Ahmadinejad: he is none of these things. Ahmadinejad is not a "reformist". Instead he believes passionately that the spread of Islamic values throughout the world can bring peace, harmony, justice, and brotherhood. Ahmadinejad is not a "moderate." Instead he is willing to defend Iran's rights and aspirations when the rest of the Iranian population appears willing to sell Iran's rights away. Ahmadinejad is not a "pragmatist." And this is what this post is all about. While it is true that so far Ahmadinejad has only offered words to the Palestinians, this is not his fault. He is not the Supreme Leader. So he does not control Iran's foreign policy nor its defense policy. Khamenei controls both as well as the Revolutionary Guards.

There are signs that the Revolutionary Guards sympathize with Ahmadinejad more than Khamenei. This may be because Khamenei's "pragmatism" leads him to take a less confrontational approach towards Israel. If given the order, the Revolutionary Guards would gladly bomb Israel's nuclear facility in Dimona. These are Islamic warriors we're talking about. They are not afraid of Israel. But Khamenei, ever the "pragmatist," does fear Israeli retaliation against Iran. And this is why Khamenei forbade Hezbollah from firing any rockets at Tel Aviv during the 2006 war. Hezbollah's Katyusha rockets went as far as Haifa (an Arab city, unfortunately) and they could even have gone as far as Tel Aviv. This would have paralyzed life in Israel's capital.

These rockets have tremendous psychological impact even though they don't cause many deaths. But it was the "pragmatic" Khamenei who was worried that Israel might attack Tehran if a Hezbollah rocket fell on Tel Aviv. It is this "pragmatism" that leads me to believe that Ahmadinejad would make a better Supreme Leader than Khamenei. Obviously the Iranian Constitution would have to be amended, but this has been done before. Before the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini passed way, he was dissatisfied with the choice of clerics that were to succeed him. At that time, it was necessary for the Supreme Leader of Iran to be a Grand Ayatollah (which is the highest spiritual authority for Shi'a Muslims). Khomeini liked Khamenei but Khamenei was not an Ayatollah. So Khomeini amended the Constitution so that a lower ranked cleric like Khamenei could be Supreme Leader.

In order for Ahmadinejad to become Supreme Leader, the part that mandates that the Supreme Leader have religious qualifications would have to be removed from the Constitution. Ahmadinejad would take a far more confrontational stance vis-a-vis Israel. And he would have the full support of the Revolutionary Guards. Khamenei's "pragmatism" led him to remove Yahya Rahim Safavi from his position as Chief Commander of the Revolutionary Guards. The reason for this was that Safavi shared Ahmadinejad's belief that Jerusalem must be liberated by military force. This was something that Khamenei would not allow so he removed Safavi. It is this sort of "pragmatism" that allows Jerusalem to remain under Jewish occupation when it should be under Islamic administration.

The other thing that bugs me about Khamenei is that he has always refused to allow a Sunni mosque to be built in Tehran. Sunni mosques can be built anywhere else in Iran, just not in Tehran. There is not one single Sunni mosque in Tehran. I find this to be unacceptable. Muslims are obligated to pray the Friday prayer in congregation at a mosque. So a Sunni in Tehran would have no other option but to pray in a Shi'a mosque. Sunni religious tradition differs from Shi'a religious tradition. A Sunni should not be forced to pray like a Shi'a, and a Shi'a should not be forced to pray like a Sunni. Khamenei is a violating the Islamic principle of religious freedom. In a real Islamic state, Jews should be allowed to worship freely at their synagogues, Christians at their churches, and Muslims at their mosques.

Ali Khamenei rightly criticizes the anti-Shi'a bigotry prevalent among some in the Wahhabi clergy in Saudi Arabia; but how can Khamenei have the credibility to stand up for Shi'a religious freedom in majority-Sunni lands when he is restricting Sunni religious freedom in a majority-Shi'a land? Former President Khatami (when he was running) had made a campaign promise that he would erect a Sunni mosque in Tehran, but Khamenei did not allow him to fulfill this promise. I respect Khatami for this even though I don't agree with him on all the issues. I think it's time for Khamenei to go. He has outlived his usefulness. Mahmoud Ahmadinjad ought to be the Supreme Leader of Iran.
I've been reading about allegations of fraud in the Iranian election. Iranian protesters in Dubai did silent protests out in front of the Iranian consulate. Their placards had things like, "Where is my vote?" written on them. While I sympathize with these disgruntled anti-Ahmadinejad fanatics, I believe they are breaking the law. The Dubai police should arrest them for belligerence. You cannot have a political protest in the UAE without getting permission first. These Iranian protesters are disrespecting the UAE even though the UAE has given them refuge and a comfortable after they (probably) fled Iran (for their un-Islamic sinful activities). These sinful Iranian extremists are really enemies of Iran, and they should be deported. President Ahmadinejad will know how to deal with these so-called "reformists."

There were "pro-reform" protests in Toronto as well. The Iranian-Canadian community seems to have overwhelmingly voted for Mir Hossein Mousavi. Sorry, haters. Your guy lost. Deal with it. Ayatollah Khamenei, in a disappointing move, allowed an investigation into the allegations of a fraudulent election. Although it's a smart move, I still disapprove of it. First, let me tell you why it was smart. The public anger over this "stolen" election is so great that people will not accept anything less than an independent investigation... except it won't really be independent. Ahmadinejad's guys are still in power so they're the ones who conducted the investigation. And what conclusion did they come to? President Ahmadinejad was declared the winner... again! So again, I say to the Mousavi-supporting, reformist, extremist, law-breaking, criminal, radical enemies of Iran, "Sorry haters. Your guys lost. Deal with it."

Now I'll tell you why I disapproved of Khamenei's decision to allow the investigation. I think he was caving in to the enemies of Iran. I'm willing to concede that Mousavi was supported by about 54% of the Iranian electorate (so I kinda have mixed feelings about referring to them as enemies of Iran) but they really are enemies of Iran because they oppose Islam and they disrespect by the Islamic Revolution by voting for a "reformist" candidate. Anti-Ahmadinejad protesters have been yelling, "Ahmadinejad is not my President." Well, legally he is. He won. I don't for a second believe that he won 60% of the vote like it's been claimed. He probably won around 39% of the vote. But 39% is nothing to scoff at. That's 39 % of the Iranian public. Do they not matter? Do their votes mean nothing? 39% of 68 million Iranians is a lot of people... it's millions of people.

And do we really need one more pro-US government in the Middle East. Puh-leaze! By the way, was the election in Lebanon really "free and fair?" Wasn't it fraudulent of Joe Biden to threaten the Lebanese people? Doesn't that threat qualify as voter fraud? Why isn't anybody raising a ruckus about that, eh? The double standards, man! And didn't Saudi Arabia, France, and the US support their man Hariri by giving him millions of dollars? Isn't that unacceptable interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation? Politicians like Hariri have no shame. They will do anything for money. Some would probably even sell their own mothers for some sweet dough. Hariri is only after money and political power. He does not care about Lebanon. He is a puppet of the US, France,... and since he's also a puppet of Saudi Arabia (which in turn is a puppet of the US), this makes Hariri the puppet of a puppet. Seriously, why would anyone be the puppet of 3 goddamn countries??? Isn't one enough??? Hariri, dude, where is your self-respect???

Here's a point of view I do agree with: there has been a coup in Iran. It's too early to tell whether it's just a coup or whether it's a revolution. If it's a revolution, then it's the second Islamic Revolution Iran has had in about 30 years. In 1979, the Shah of Iran was ousted by the clerical estblishment led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. In 2009, the clerical establishment may have been ousted by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards who favour Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. See, here's what's happened: after 30 years, the clerics who carried the revolution forward have become rich, fat, and corrupt. Nobody represents the FatCat clerical elite more than Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the richest men in Iran. They have enriched themselves at the expense of Iran's poor for decades. And people have finally had enough.

During the election, Ahmadinejad supporters were shouting "Death to Hashemi!" Ahmadinejad is a populist. He wants to redistrubute Iran's wealth in such a manner that the poor will benefit rather than the rich. The clerics want to hoard all of Iran's wealth like they have for 30 years. This is why the "moderate" Rafsanjani was supporting the "reformist" Mousavi. These people want the status quo... they want everything to remain the same. The rich get richer, and the poor gets screwed. And hey, Mousavi is not really a "reformist." He was prime minister when Ayatollah Khomeini was the Supreme Leader of Iran. Would Khomeini have allowed a "reformist" prime minister? I don't think so. This election was more about hating Ahmadinejad than about loving Mousavi. It reminds me of the US election in '04... which was more about hating Bush than about loving Kerry.

Mousavi gets a lot of credit for his handling of the economy during the 8-year Iran-Iraq war. Does he really deserve this credit? Don't people know that wars create jobs? The Iran-Iraq war benefited the Iranian economy just like World War 2 benefited the US economy. The US was a superpower by the end of that war, for cryin' out loud! And Ahmadinejad does not deserve all the blame for messing up the economy. We're in the midst of a global economic crisis. Every economy in the world performing badly... if not badly, then at least worse than before. So it's unfair to blame Ahmadinejad.

Ahmadinejad's most important constituency is the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They are the most zealous Islamic revolutionaries in the world. God love 'em! They want Iran to go in a different direction than the clerics. See, the clerics are enjoying the high life... they're rich. They don't want no war or confrontation with the US. They don't really care all that much about the Palestinians either. But the Islamic Revolutionary Guards care a lot about the Palestinian cause... a whole lot! That is why they have thrown their support behind Ahmadinejad (who is also a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard). The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (gosh, I'm getting tired of writing the whole thing... I'll just use the abbreviation IRGC henceforth) are the most powerful institution in Iran... because they got the guns and the bombs and the tanks. So if this is a coup by them, they really won't face much resistance... unless the losers from the "reformist" crowd want their balls blown off!

So now what we have is a less democratic Iran. But hey, I'm not complaining. Democracy ain't right for a nation like Iran where the majority of the population defies Islam and defies God by voting for a candidate who could not care less about liberating Jerusalem, the third holiest city in Islam. If you believe (like I do) that the liberation of Jerusalem is the most important goal for Muslims, then Ahmadinejad is your guy! He has my full support. With him at the helm, Iran will probably be more confrontational with the US, and will probably try harder at shaping a Middle East that is more just. Justice is what it's all about. How refreshing is it when a Middle Eastern leader does not hobnob with the President of the United States!

If Iran were to go "moderate" or "reformist," who would support the Palestinians in the face of the Israeli onslaught? Who would support the Lebanese as Israeli missiles rape Lebanese toddlers? Nobody, that's who. Iran may not be a democracy, but is the only country in the whole entire world that has a government that gives a voice to the countless voiceless people in the Middle East who have had enough of US hegemony but either live in states that aren't democratic or live in states that are democratic in which the majority is so clueless that they vote for the puppet of a puppet. Ahmadinejad may not be a saint, but he's a thousand times better than any of his fellow Middle Eastern leaders. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad totally totally totally rocks!

Source: Young Turks -
http://www.theyoungturks.com/story/2009/7/28/105350/032/Diary/Ahmadinejad-Should-Be-Supreme-Leader
H/T: Weasel Zippers

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