From Tehren To Tony Blair
James Jones | 18.02.2007 22:28
British Prime Minister Tony Blair has written an article in Foreign Affairs published in the January-February 2007 edition.
When I started to read the article, at first I thought that he had accepted reality and changed his mind. However, the more I read, the better I realized that this was not the case. The article shows that he is under intense pressure from the opposition and has been trying to defend his policies, and his close friend, President Bush, over the past five years, which has been the worst time in human history since World War II.
Of course, there are many good points that may be interpreted as a change of mind, and I hope the world will see the concrete results of this change.
Mr. Prime Minister, you are right, it was a good decision to remove Saddam from power. But 26 years ago, after Iraq invaded Iran, Iran asked the international community to stop that madman and asked for his removal from power. At that time your government and many others not only did not 1isten but also provided the dictator any means necessary, legal or illegal, to attack the Iranian and Iraqi people. For nearly three decades, Iran has been supporting the same Iraqi groups that won the elections and are now in power. For over two decades you were afraid of them and prevented them from coming to power. Who is responsible for Saddam’s atrocities against the Iranians, Arabs, and Kurds during these years?
You are right. “Given the chance, people want democracy.” But who is against the people in the Middle East? Have you thought about the main obstacles toward democracy in the Middle East? Let me explain a little.
Which countries orchestrated the coup against democracy in Iran during the Mosaddeq period? Which countries supported the coup against democracy in Algeria? Which countries have supported dictatorships in Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, and other Middle Eastern countries over the past few decades? I am trying to believe that you have changed your policies. But your behavior does not show it. When Saddam was removed from power, you supported the quest for power of some groups that did not have a strong social and political base among the Iraqi people. If you really believe in democracy for the Middle East, why do you refuse to support the democratically elected government in Palestine?
When Iranians had the chance 28 years ago, the people chose democracy. Which countries tried to destroy this democracy by waging war and imposing sanctions? What kind of policy has Iran followed toward democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq? Sincerely speaking, by Middle Eastern standards, Iran is the first democracy in the Middle East. Whether you accept it or not, the Middle East has no other alternative but different versions of an Islamic republic. If your objective is democracy not oil, you have to accept this reality.
You are right that terrorists have killed many Muslims and non-Muslims. We also believe that the terrorists are against the entire world. However, we must differentiate between terrorists and freedom fighters. If those who fight to liberate their homeland from occupation are terrorists, who are the occupiers and their supporters?
Why were so many people killed in Algeria? Why have so many people been killed in Palestine over the past century?
You have asked, “Why are we not yet succeeding?” Your question is completely correct. You are not successful and you won’t succeed unless you accept the realities on the ground and avoid misleading yourself and others. The reason for your failure is hypocrisy not democracy. Over the past few decades, by supporting dictatorships and waging war, you have severely undermined the moderate forces and are still doing so. Waging war, imposing sanctions, increasing pressure, and imposing isolation have weakened the middle class as the driving force for democracy. Democracy is not like goods to be imported or exported. Democracy is a value and needs to be compatible with other values that a society believes in. Democracy is a universal value not a Western one. You can only persuade those who believe your policies are capricious by changing your mind and your behavior toward others. The West must show sincerity and put aside hypocrisy.
If you believe in justice, how can you allow people to be expelled from their own country and allow their land to be occupied for half a century? Whenever people live in fear with no prospect of advancement, everyone should be on their side, in solidarity with them, whether in Palestine, Afghanistan, or any other country.
The danger with the United States today is not that it is too involved in the world. The problem is its hypocritical behavior and narrow-mindedness. It may stem from ignorance. The world needs U.S. engagement and involvement, but a U.S. with different behavior. The U.S. must change its behavior and listen to others and stop practicing unilateralism. And the change must start from the minds of U.S. leaders. They have to change their mentality about Islam and Islamic civilization. Islam not only was a progressive religion at its advent but is still a progressive way of life.
As long as the leaders of the major powers are not ready to “eliminate the setbacks, shortfalls, inconsistencies, and hypocrisies that come with (their) practical decision-making in a harsh world”, the people of the world won’t accept their suggestions and won’t follow them.
The problem is that many in the Islamic world have lost confidence in your sincerity. The values that you have mentioned are good and global but you do not represent them anymore. First of all, you have to change your behavior toward those values. For example, by condemning those who do not agree with you on some historical issues, you are discarding global values such as freedom of speech and thought. In supporting the Israelis’ terrorist acts against the Palestinian people and their leaders and the occupation of the Palestinians’ homeland, you don’t represent justice.
Islam is not an exclusive religion but an inclusive one that shares many values with other religions. It is necessary for a Muslim to believe in some other prophets and their books, especially Moses (peace be upon him) and Jesus (PBUH). Common religious values will flourish and spread in a democratic world much better than in a totalitarian world.
When I started to read the article, at first I thought that he had accepted reality and changed his mind. However, the more I read, the better I realized that this was not the case. The article shows that he is under intense pressure from the opposition and has been trying to defend his policies, and his close friend, President Bush, over the past five years, which has been the worst time in human history since World War II.
Of course, there are many good points that may be interpreted as a change of mind, and I hope the world will see the concrete results of this change.
Mr. Prime Minister, you are right, it was a good decision to remove Saddam from power. But 26 years ago, after Iraq invaded Iran, Iran asked the international community to stop that madman and asked for his removal from power. At that time your government and many others not only did not 1isten but also provided the dictator any means necessary, legal or illegal, to attack the Iranian and Iraqi people. For nearly three decades, Iran has been supporting the same Iraqi groups that won the elections and are now in power. For over two decades you were afraid of them and prevented them from coming to power. Who is responsible for Saddam’s atrocities against the Iranians, Arabs, and Kurds during these years?
You are right. “Given the chance, people want democracy.” But who is against the people in the Middle East? Have you thought about the main obstacles toward democracy in the Middle East? Let me explain a little.
Which countries orchestrated the coup against democracy in Iran during the Mosaddeq period? Which countries supported the coup against democracy in Algeria? Which countries have supported dictatorships in Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, and other Middle Eastern countries over the past few decades? I am trying to believe that you have changed your policies. But your behavior does not show it. When Saddam was removed from power, you supported the quest for power of some groups that did not have a strong social and political base among the Iraqi people. If you really believe in democracy for the Middle East, why do you refuse to support the democratically elected government in Palestine?
When Iranians had the chance 28 years ago, the people chose democracy. Which countries tried to destroy this democracy by waging war and imposing sanctions? What kind of policy has Iran followed toward democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq? Sincerely speaking, by Middle Eastern standards, Iran is the first democracy in the Middle East. Whether you accept it or not, the Middle East has no other alternative but different versions of an Islamic republic. If your objective is democracy not oil, you have to accept this reality.
You are right that terrorists have killed many Muslims and non-Muslims. We also believe that the terrorists are against the entire world. However, we must differentiate between terrorists and freedom fighters. If those who fight to liberate their homeland from occupation are terrorists, who are the occupiers and their supporters?
Why were so many people killed in Algeria? Why have so many people been killed in Palestine over the past century?
You have asked, “Why are we not yet succeeding?” Your question is completely correct. You are not successful and you won’t succeed unless you accept the realities on the ground and avoid misleading yourself and others. The reason for your failure is hypocrisy not democracy. Over the past few decades, by supporting dictatorships and waging war, you have severely undermined the moderate forces and are still doing so. Waging war, imposing sanctions, increasing pressure, and imposing isolation have weakened the middle class as the driving force for democracy. Democracy is not like goods to be imported or exported. Democracy is a value and needs to be compatible with other values that a society believes in. Democracy is a universal value not a Western one. You can only persuade those who believe your policies are capricious by changing your mind and your behavior toward others. The West must show sincerity and put aside hypocrisy.
If you believe in justice, how can you allow people to be expelled from their own country and allow their land to be occupied for half a century? Whenever people live in fear with no prospect of advancement, everyone should be on their side, in solidarity with them, whether in Palestine, Afghanistan, or any other country.
The danger with the United States today is not that it is too involved in the world. The problem is its hypocritical behavior and narrow-mindedness. It may stem from ignorance. The world needs U.S. engagement and involvement, but a U.S. with different behavior. The U.S. must change its behavior and listen to others and stop practicing unilateralism. And the change must start from the minds of U.S. leaders. They have to change their mentality about Islam and Islamic civilization. Islam not only was a progressive religion at its advent but is still a progressive way of life.
As long as the leaders of the major powers are not ready to “eliminate the setbacks, shortfalls, inconsistencies, and hypocrisies that come with (their) practical decision-making in a harsh world”, the people of the world won’t accept their suggestions and won’t follow them.
The problem is that many in the Islamic world have lost confidence in your sincerity. The values that you have mentioned are good and global but you do not represent them anymore. First of all, you have to change your behavior toward those values. For example, by condemning those who do not agree with you on some historical issues, you are discarding global values such as freedom of speech and thought. In supporting the Israelis’ terrorist acts against the Palestinian people and their leaders and the occupation of the Palestinians’ homeland, you don’t represent justice.
Islam is not an exclusive religion but an inclusive one that shares many values with other religions. It is necessary for a Muslim to believe in some other prophets and their books, especially Moses (peace be upon him) and Jesus (PBUH). Common religious values will flourish and spread in a democratic world much better than in a totalitarian world.
James Jones
