UI – Part 540 – Should Iran be Attacked

Sunni vs Shiite

Suddenly Sunni factions in the Middle East are allying with United States against the Shiite leadership in Iran. Israel’s Netanyahu pointed out in early 2018 the many violations Iran has committed against the Obama nuclear treaty with Iran.  Now that Treaty is no more.  Thank Trump.  But what does that now mean?  Couple that with progress being made with North Korea, the regime of Kim Jong Un, towards a nuclear free North Korea and supplier of nuclear weapon materials to Iran, and potentially Syria as well, and a focus on revolution to overthrow the theocracy becomes more clear. What must be considered and what are the options.

One of the allies is Sunni Saudi Arabia.  They are friendly with the United States.  Their monarchy, The House of Saud, is led by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.  He has made overtures to modernize Saudi Arabia, to a limited extent, by granting women a few more freedoms, such as driving a car (while in full Burka), allowing citizens to have movie theaters, but as yet no new churches.  He is among the claimants that Islam believes in freedom of religion, yet has no churches while using Saudi oil wealth to build madrassas and mosques in the free world enabling Islam to proselytize.  Salman has spoken openly about accepting Israel, while there is no map of Israel on any Saudi airline.  All this is an act to garner support for maintaining Saudi’s hegemony in the Middle East and resisting Iran’s desire to overtake Saudi Arabia in the role.  

Iran financially supports Hizbollah in Lebanon, a Shiite faction growing militarily having Israel to its South as a target.  Iran supports Hamas, in Gaza, a militant organization whose leadership is not the same as Hizbollah’s.  Their presence does little for the impoverished people of Gaza, yet continues to arm itself and threaten Israel with continuous missile attacks from the South. Hamas will pay anyone that kills an Israeli; that may be their form of aide to Gaza’s citizenry.   Assistance to Syria, the Assad regime, provides Iran another platform aimed at Israel, through Jordan.  Iran openly hates Israel, the little Satan, and wants it removed from the Middle East.  Israel has proven the desert can be made productive as the Muslims of Palestine just waited for Allah to provide, and now Palestine wants what Israel has achieved.  It is their shame that causes them to hate Israel so, in addition to Muhammad the Messenger’s fatwa against all Jews made in the 7th Century.  Iran has been spending the significant funding Obama released to Iran for his potential legacy Nuke Deal to increase its military strength and presence in the Middle East, this at the expense to their people, their needs and their economy.  Iran’s activity is building support and military might to some day unite the Middle East under Persian hegemony.  Iraq has a large Shiite presence too, although mostly Arab Shiite’s and not Persian Shiites.  There is a difference, politically if nothing else.  

The Saudi’s are resisting the Houthis in Yemen, another Shiite faction supported by Iran. Feeling surrounded by Shiite aggressors Saudi is reaching out, holding hands, wherever it can to have backup to protect its monarchy.  Having Mecca and Medina, the two holiest sites for all Islam, on Saudi land gives the House of Saud status as protector of the faith, at least coveted locations, one of which all Muslims are to attempt to visit, a pilgrimage to the Kaaba in Mecca, their Hajj, as one of the 5 Pillars of Islam.  

A Sunni World

Islam worldwide is predominantly Sunni, the faction of Islam of the House of Saud.  About 85-90% of the world’s Muslim’s are Sunni, and only 8% or so Shiite.  But the Shiite dominance is in and around Iran.  Sunni has five primary subsets taught based upon schools with curriculums based upon their respective scholars of history’s interpretation.  The Saudi’s are of one of the more strident factions, the Wahhabis, or Salafi.  The Saudi’s are considered supporters of terrorism by some (many of the 911 participants were Saudi); it is the Wahhabis interpretation that dominates much militant logic of Al Qaeda, ISIS, the Taliban, and outliers, as well as the Muslim Brotherhood.  Yet, the Saudi’s denounce the Muslim Brotherhood declaring the views expressed by them as extreme. 

A Green Revolution

All this said, and with much on this blog-site about the history of Iran before and after the 1979 Revolution (just search for ‘Iran’ on this site), is the United States considering this is the time to finally, and I say finally, take action?   There have certainly been many opportunities lost since the Ayatollah theocratic takeover to provide direct military aide and support to the people of Iran to take back their Country from the inept Islamist hate-filled oppressive leadership under which multiple generations have been made subjects for the last 7 decades?  A Green Revolution was begun during the Obama administration and Obama instead of supporting the people, leaned in to the Ayatollah, as he did with the Russian President Medvedev, to provide assurances their power would not be threatened with America’s help.  America has a new leadership committed to supporting those wanting a free world, the ability to think independently, and to live where candidates capable of leading a tolerant, even secular society, are not eliminated by theocrats.

On our side is Israel and Saudi Arabia.  But there are others.  And if we make progress with North Korea and feel safe assuming their nuclear threat and arms trade have ended, possibly removing China, even Russia from coming to Iran’s side, will the Green Revolution finally be able to mount the forces necessary to take the losses and continue moving forward until the regime in place is no longer. This is not America’s battle to be won, but a battle for the people of Iran, once free, once modernized and western, to regain their momentum and progress to becoming a growing, productive, peaceful, travel safe, open, tolerant, world economy.  The people of Iran will nonetheless require significant support from outside their country.  There can be free elections, free choice, independent thinking, and even room for Christians and Jews among the more tolerant Muslims.  Iran once had a prime minister and an engaged Parliament.  Yes it was a monarchy under the Shah (Pahlavi family), but it can be a democracy with its Parliament and elected President (or Prime Minister) that is not required to cater and bow to the demands of self-appointed voices for Allah.  

The Ayatollah is not god, and not a leader for the people who are of the heritage of the once vast Sassanid Empire.  The Sassanid’s were not Muslims, Shiite nor Sunni. 

Grace and Peace