Message To The Mullahs
By David Yeagley
7-18-2002
Will America interfere once again with Iranian internal affairs? Journalists, commentators, and other spokesmen look at the recent student demonstrations in Tehran and report the Iranian people are calling for a new revolution.
The commentators say America is morally obligated to support a violent dismantling of the present “Axis of Evil” regime in Iran. Many American leaders hold Iran responsible for global terrorism, beginning with Iran’s creation of Hezbollah (“Party of God”) in 1982. Hezbollah, one of the first international terrorist organizations, was trained and supported by 1,500 Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Baalbek, Lebanon.
Americans are anxious to see change in Iran to end terrorism, and particularly Iran’s terrorism against Israel. But America’s frustration with Iran runs even deeper, going back to 1979, and the international embarrassment of being rudely ‘kicked out’ of the country during the Iranian Revolution.
I am an American with deep affection for Iranian people. I disagree with the American media’s popular fomentation of the idea that another violent revolution must occur. This exaggerates the recent student demonstrations, and also the recent resignation of Grand Ayatollah Taheri of Isfahan. American politicians and commentators show little understanding or care for Iranian people, but seem anxious to take advantage of what they think is a window of opportunity in Iran. Never mind the bloodshed.
But I have studied Iran, and I been to Iran, and I have numerous Iranian friends here in America. I write for, and serve on the editorial board of Persian Heritage Magazine. I traveled in Iran on a two week lecture tour in 1999. I visited Tehran, Masshad, Neshabur, and elsewhere. I associated with wealthy professionals as well as educated middle class and lower, common folk.
I have presented academic papers on ancient Persian-Jewish relations at the international Iranian Studies Conference in Bethesda, Maryland. I presented one in 2000 and most recently in May, 2002. I have published articles on Iran in FrontPageMagazine.com
I feel an affinity with Iranian people. I am a religious man, having studied religion at Yale Divinity School, and I understand something of the Islamic sentiment toward the Western world.
I am also a Comanche Indian. I can feel the history of Iran, and her fall from glory into foreign domination. All American Indians know the experience of being invaded and dominated by a foreign race, and a foreign religion. Indians know what it is to first have an independent culture, with self-conscious history, and then to be subsumed by a completely alien culture.
This is precisely the experience of Iran. Iran was Persia. She will always be Persia. Her profound influence on the history of Islam―the Arabic religion, shows how strong Persia has always been. The fundamental division within Islam, between the Shi‘ite and Sunni, was caused by Persians, and has existed since the days of Mohammad (blessed be he and his family) ceased on this earth.
Since Iran is Persia, she must take her cues from Persian history. The neglect of this Persian history accounts for deep seated ill will both within Iran and in the world.
The ancient Persian emperors were Zionists. The Achæmenid imperialists Cyrus (560-530 BC), Darius I (522-486 BC), and Artaxerxes (465-424 BC) all issued royal decrees that Jews should live in Palestine, and should build their temple at Jerusalem. (Ezra 4 & 6.) The final decree was Artaxerxes’, issued in 457 BC.
Modern Iran is but latent Persia. Iranian people are the genetic heirs of the Achæmenids, the first compassionate, beneficent globalists. Iran should be Persia again.
The Islamic religion (dominating Iran since 651 AD), however, is anything but compassionate. And, though Islam’s ideology and world influence is profound, it is not Persian, but Arabic. The culture is Arabic. To think that Islam transcends culture is naïve and erroneous. Islam always sets out to destroy whatever culture it invades, and the result is an Arabic culture of one version or another.
Nevertheless, the glorious Koran in no way justifies anti-Zionism, or even any too visceral an anti-Semitism. This aversion to Jews is Arabic popular sentiment, based on thousands of years of birthright envy. Isaac was Abraham’s heir, not Ishmael. (Genesis 21).
Iran must cease imitating this blind Arabic blood feud, and desist from irrational hatred of Israel. Iran must be Persian again. Iran must turn around and commit herself to the prosperity of Israel, thus to the peace of the world, as in the days of the Persian emperors, the greatest monarchs of the world.
Iran must lead Islam, not follow Arab culture.
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