Not a Theocracy but a Thugocracy

The American Thinker ^ | June 23, 2009 | Bruce Walker

[Scanian]

The last eight years well intentioned people of different political beliefs, different religious faiths, and different cultural perspectives have been quietly asking themselves some vital questions. Is Islam a religion of peace? Is the goal of Islam violent global conquest or rather the persuasion of non-Moslems that Islam is the true religion? There are many good Moslems in our world, but is that because of Islam or in spite of Islam?

These questions will be answered in Iran. There is no question (or there should not be) that the Iranian people -- actually, the different peoples of the nation of Iran, which includes Arabs, Kurds, Baluchi, and other groups, as well as Persians -- are not bad human beings. Before the mullahs, religious minorities like Jews, Zoroastrians, Christians, and Ba'hai lived in relative toleration under the Shah, and the Shah was a Moslem and a Persian.

The revolution thirty years ago which threw out the Shah, who had focused on the greatness of Persian civilization much more than on Islam, was a religious rebellion -- an Islamic rebellion -- against a ruler who was considered not to take his faith seriously enough. The revolutionaries got their wish. Iran is called the Islamic Republic, just as China is called the People's Republic. Islam itself is on trial before the world.

It would be one thing if the Guardians (the mullahs who really run Iran) had announced that, whatever the voters in Iran thought, that adherence to Islam required that Ahmadinejad must be re-elected President of Iran. The world might have thought that mistaken, but it would have been honest. That is not what has happened.

The mullahs are not insisting that Ahmadinejad stay in power whether or not he got most of the votes.

[SolidWood]

Islam is an arabic religion forced upon Iran, which had a culture and civilization superior to the arabic conquerors. Indeed most of what is attributed to "islamic civilzation" are achievements copied by the arabs from subjugated nations.

Everything positive and progressive (in the old meaning) about Iran and Iranians, which they pride themselves in, those things they still pride themselves in, which set them apart from their Arab and Afghan neighbours, are in spite of islam. The glory of Iran are it's pre-islamic culture and the Westernization of the last century.

The reforms and progress brought about by Iranian intellectuals and the two Pahlavi Shahs within almost eight decades were made in defiance of islam. Women's rights, secularization, modernization, nationalism, industrialization, Western culture etc. they all were acts of resistance against the role of islam and it's arabic trappings in Iran.

Not even the Islamic Revolution 1979 was able to eradicate the Westernization (gharb zadegi) of Iranians.

True patriotic, educated Iranians are secularists, nationalists and have a deep disdain of arabic-islamic "culture".

On another note even before the 20th century Iranian culture was trying to resist arabic islamism. Chiefly to mention is the Bahai religion, which is a pacifist, progressive and syncretic religion which formed in Iran in the 19th century. They are seen as heretics by Shia islam and severly persecuted (not at least because the Bahai center is in Israel, where their prophet died). Secret Bahais are much more numerous today in Iran than admitted by the islamic regime.

The entire "islamic world" must again strive towards westernization and secularism.

[2ndDivisionVet]

“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy.

The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.

A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.

Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it.

No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”

— Sir Winston Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 [London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899]).

[SolidWood]

BTW Let me quote from the great Iranian intellectual Ahmad Kasravi, one of the greatest Iranian minds of the last century. Kasravi was a staunch anti-islamist and although a proponent of democracy, he acknowledged the postive reforms and modernization which the Pahlavi Dynasty brought for Iran.

In 1942 a young Khomeini refuted Kasravi in a pamphlet point for point, but Kasravi's view exemplifies the dominating mindset of Iranian nationalist-modernists.

Kasravi was heinously murdered by islamists in 1946 for insulting islam.

In 1942 Kasravi said in his book "Dar Piraamoon e Eslaam":

I have spoken many times on Islam. I would like to speak once again on this subject, and I hope that this will be the last time I do so. I am writing this in order to leave no room for excuses for anyone. As for those who will not accept what I have to say, I have nothing else to say. Let God be the judge.

Today, there remains no country called Islam for you to rule. Today, Moslems of every ethnic group have separated, and each has created a country in the name of that ethnic group. In Iran, people live as Iranians, not as Moslems. That is why they consider the Iraqis, Egyptians, Jews, and Zoroastrians who live in Iran to be one of them. Besides, for many years, Western laws have been practiced in Iran, and Islamic laws have been set aside. Is this not proof that Islam has been eliminated?

[SolidWood]

See post 4.

[Mr. K]

"well intentioned people idiots in the media [...] have been quietly asking themselves some vital questions. Is Islam a religion of peace?"

There... fixed it

[Mr. K]

Arab world speak about their great advancements to science and knowlege, but I believe those occurred BEFORE they becam Islamic, and nothing of significance sine- except death and horror.

[Biggirl]

It is time for Islam to CLEAN ITS OWN HOUSE UP and get with the 21st century, as the freedom fighters in Iran ARE DEMANDING.

[newfreep]

Churchill is always worth repeating!

“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy.

The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.

A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.

Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it.

No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”

— Sir Winston Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 [London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899]).

[Biggirl]

In other words, when PBO had given his “Cario speech” on June 4th, he was in other words, doing a LOT of BS-ing not only to the Muslims world wide to make them feel good, but to the non-Muslims, including this country as well about all those advancements.

[Biggirl]

....And what we are seeing is a generation that has said: “enough”.

[jws3sticks]

Why are we not screaming in the streets like in Tehran?

[SECURE AMERICA]

The last eight years well intentioned people of different political beliefs, different religious faiths, and different cultural perspectives have been quietly asking themselves some vital questions. Is Islam a religion of peace?

Anyone that is still asking that question has to be deaf dumb and blind.
Try reading
Try listening.
Try looking.
You will see that Islam is the religion of oppression, hate and death..

[metmom]

Thanks for the ping. Good for the Iranians who are trying to throw off the yoke of islam.