I have re-read the letter. I want my readers to take a moment and read the letter, slowly.
The letter is a document of war. A declaration. The letter is an outline, an explanation, for Iran's planned attack(s). It addresses a litany of America's crimes against humanity (Israel among them.)The letter is a document for the historical record.
The president of Iran has sent us a surrender letter. It is written by an overlord. He says democracy is in decline; he says our intelligence is infiltrated (possibly, he hints, by Iran); and he asks Mr. Bush if he wants to flock to the Almighty God 'like everyone else', knowing full well that Bush is a religious man, and that he can only be referring to Allah (propeller beanie upon him.) This is no invitation to negotiate, or even talk, this looks to me like a "you have til sundown" moment. Has this been considered?
Indigo Red points out Islam requires that an enemy state be given the chance to convert to Islam before being attacked and killed. The letter has been mistranslated by changing Allah to God; equating G*d and Allah is misleading.
Ahmadinejad lays it all out. The secret prisons in Europe (thank you MaryMcCarthy and a left wing liberal press), Guantanamo Bay, and he makes the case for the world. He actually speaks on behalf of the world.
Here for the Middle East;
As you are well aware, I live amongst the people and am in constant contact with them --many people from around the Middle East manage to contact me as well. They dot not have faith in these dubious policies either. There is evidence that the people of the region are becoming increasingly angry with such policies.
Here for Latin America and Africa;
Don’t Latin Americans have the right to ask, why their elected governments are being opposed and coup leaders supported? Or, why must they constantly be threatened and live in fear?
The people of Africa are hardworking, creative and talented. They can play an important and valuable role in providing for the needs of humanity and contribute to its material and spiritual progress. Poverty and hardship in large parts of Africa are preventing this from happening. Don’t they have the right to ask why their enormous wealth – including minerals –is being looted, despite the fact that they need it more than others?
And the of course, he speaks of his own country's case for attack;
The brave and faithful people of Iran too have many questions and grievances, including: the coup d’etat of 1953 and the subsequent toppling of the legal government of the day, opposition to the Islamic revolution, transformation of an Embassy into a headquarters supporting, the activities of those opposing the Islamic Republic (many thousands of pages of documents corroborates this claim), support for Saddam in the war waged against Iran, the shooting down of the Iranian passenger plane, freezing the assets of the Iranian nation, increasing threats, anger and displeasure vis-à-vis the scientific and nuclear progress of the Iranian nation (just when all Iranians are jubilant and collaborating their country’s progress), and many other grievances that I will not refer to in this letter.
And finally, the declaration.
How much longer can the world tolerate this situation?
Where will this trend lead the world to?
How long must the people of the world pay for the incorrect decisions of some rulers?
How much longer will the specter of insecurity – raised from the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction – hunt the people of the world?
How much longer will the blood of the innocent men, women and children be spilled on the streets, and people’s houses destroyed over their heads? Are you pleased with the current condition of the world? Do you think present policies can continue?
He continues on a religious Islamic rant;
We also believe that Jesus Christ (PBUH) was one of the great prophets of the Almighty. He has been repeatedly praised in the Koran. Jesus (PBUH) has been quoted in Koran as well;[19,36] And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serves Him
There's more, much more "islamic teachings" but I'm not running it.
Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals ofhumanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems.
And finally, the call to arms;
Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things.
Vasalam Ala Man Ataba’al hoda
Mahmood Ahmadi-Najad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
11 comments:
"The letter has been mistranslated by changing Allah to God; equating G*d and Allah is misleading."
Well said!!!
This is one of the major traps (along with taqiyya) that Muslims set for well-meaning moonbats and liberals who support interfaith dialog.
Whatever Allah is, he is NOT the G_d of the Bible. He may be a meteorite, the moon, a symptom of Mohammed's schizophrenia, or some altogether more sinister entity. But he is not G_d.
More people need to be made aware of this.
There was an interesting post a couple of years ago on Dhimmiwatch about the dangers of confusing the Judeo-Christian G_d with Allah-the-brothel-keeper:
From http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/002463.php
Why aren’t there more Muslims, who see the evil they are perpetrating in the name of Allah the angry-moon-meteorite god? This man has had a clearing out of his former hateful beliefs and replaced them with the Christian loving-forgiving-moral god. Nothing could be more of a switch, but why so few? The answer is they are afraid for their life; apostates get killed for openly leaving Mohammed’s death cult.
I believe that Islam is deliberately designed to keep its people from ever advancing their society forward. For if someone thinks or writes something heretical, he is threatened with death. That is because as soon as someone challenges the regimented thought boundaries of the Qur'an, the Sharia and Ahadith. He is silenced. He is silenced by men who are full of religious certainty, and follow the cruel and horrible dictates of what in Islam passes for religious scripture.
The Qur'an is nothing like the Judeo-Christian bible. There isn’t any personal relationship with god, no forgiveness, and no striving to become a moral person. They don’t love life like ordinary people all over the world do. They cherish death because it’s what Muhammad told them that is what Allah the angry-moon-meteorite god wants. All they have is an omnipotent, unforgiving, blood-thirsty, cruel being, who glorifies Jihad and Martyrdom. An ordinary Muslim who doesn’t die in Jihad, may or may not enter heaven, it is all up to fate.
We must not give up the struggle to enlighten our fellow men to the true danger that Islam presents to the world. This is one Kafir who won’t act like a Dhimmi, bowing and scraping at the feet of the self-important Muslim world. I spit on you and you prophet Mohamed.
Now that I've read the entire letter. I see it as the Islamic requirement:
Islam requires that an enemy state be given the chance to convert to Islam before being attacked and killed.
For years upon years, our educational institutions--and even some churches--have taught that the God of all religions is the same. In fact, if you ask the typical high-school student to definte Islam, these are the words you most often hear: "Islam is just another religion."
Sometimes, when I try to explain just how dangerous Islam is to the Western way of life, I get this: "But we can't do anything against Islam. After all, Muslims have freedom of religion, according to the U.S. Constitution." Most with whom I've spoken just can't see the ideological similarities between Islam and political totalitarianism.
Furthermore, Muslims believe that Jesus and His disciples were "reverts" to Islam. Jesus is certainly not viewed in Islam as the Son of God.
That letter could have been writen by the usual leftists a part from religious rhetoric.
"Why aren’t there more Muslims, who see the evil they are perpetrating in the name of Allah the angry-moon-meteorite god? This man has had a clearing out of his former hateful beliefs and replaced them with the Christian loving-forgiving-moral god. Nothing could be more of a switch, but why so few? The answer is they are afraid for their life; apostates get killed for openly leaving Mohammed’s death cult." AOTW
True, so true. It is very hard to talk with serious threats pending, or with a knife under one's neck or under one's children's neck. I sure would keep quiet or move.
However, the ordinary folks in Islamic nations, with who I talk regularly, seem to understand that distinction between their Allah/God and the jihadis/Islamists Allah. Those I know, bloggers or not, love life just like us, they have the same dreams, the same decency and the same emotions.
If we put all Muslims in the same bag, we are not getting closer to a dialogue with decent folks but further. So, dear Religion of Pieces, "behead me" ;-) - but respectfully, I won't budge and won't show the other cheek neither.
Not all Muslims are idiots, jihadis and Islamists, just like not all Christians are idiots, some Christians in the US do scare the hell out of me with the idea that "all is God & Jesus Christ, and nothing else". Honestly!
Although, we know and see that that these few angry and fierce Christians don't have the tools that their peers in Islam do: a fat and well fed propaganda machine, Islamic dictatorships and a bloody holy book. I am not making any equivalency between the religions, but simply just referring to plain human beings who are behind the scene.
One question: Why write God that way "G*d" ? Won't he get annoyed, if he sees his name written half way?
Diane
The letter was from one fundamentalist to another. They share at least this much: belief in an apocalypse.
The letter is a come-on. A 'bring it on, bitch', line in the sand, up yours invitation to the rapture.
Both parties are salivating for the beginning of the end.
Fuck all religion.
I spell G-d this way out of
R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
No need to get your back up Pastorius, DC's flippancy is merely ignorance.
IMHO (and I'm not a scholar of Islam) there is precedent from the life of Mohammed for letters to Infidels demanding conversion, submission or death. Remeber the letter by Mo to the Emperor of Rome in 628 AD. There is also the letter by Khomeini to Gorbachev (http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Area=sd&ID=SP46303).
I think one thing to keep in mind about Mahmoud is that he may be a tool* of the clerical establishment (esp. Khameni [http://www.khamenei.ir/EN/home.jsp]), which has been trying to make Iran the regional power for at least a decade through WMD acquisition, support for terrorism, funding Islamic orgs in Central Asia and Lebanon, alliance with Syria, etc.).
It well be interesting to see whether and how this letter causes cracks between the US and its allies and within the US.
Iran is W's big test. If he eliminates their chance of being a regional power by the end of his term then he's a big success. If he only takes half measures he is the James Buchanan of the 21st century.
* Of course its always possible that the tool can or may already have escaped the control of its masters. I recall an article (possibly Ledeen) discussing how Mahmoud has put his supporters in key positions (internal security).
And while Bin Laden did submit a letter he was not a head of state with a country to lose. He was a well funded sandworm in a cave who could become a world player and cause celeb by pursuing the path he did.
There was an awful lot of references to Jesus, the teaching of Jesus, peace be to him and what would he think of your (Bush's) dastardly deeds...come around to be right with Jesus.
Or not. I don't know. What difference does it make? We can't act preemptively with just this, even if it's true. At least I know we won't. They have to unfortunately act first and then we respond. You know the drill. In the meantime, we proceed to put the screws to them.
Oh dear, I love you too. Ignorance, yep, I have lots of that, at least I know that! ;-)
I must also explain myself.
I am very sorry, misunderstanding here.
First, I did not want to tease Atlas, I was not aiming at Pamela. I admire her and often mentioned her to Canadian friends as an example of a strong and much loved and respected blogger. I never attack any blogger anyway and try avoid fights and insults, religiously. Insulting others is not my style, but I can still make honest mistakes. So, I am very sorry that my words were received as insulting and I take responsibility. I admit that I was teasing a little with that bold French Canadian humour, Religion of pieces. We do that with friends here as a mark of affection, big cultural difference I noticed with my American peers, and often in writing it looses its quality, no smile no intonation, etc. I did not realize either that Atlas had written it as well, I would have not said a word, if I had noticed. Sigh. Anyway, I know why people write God this way, for respect. I just tend to think that there might be some old roots of the fear of God, which is too bad, I think. I don't even want to discuss that, what matters is that it was my mistake, teasing on God is out. My sincere apologies to Atlas and to Religion of Pieces. I will know better.
On the other items, it might be easy to be don't be fooled by the awkwardness of the French writer. My words might sound to you ignorant and so strong. They are plain as I write wityh difficulty. Learned to write in English on my own, reading blogs 3 years ago, this does not allow me much eloquence, it sucks sometimes. I am ignorant there too. Back then, I was as I am today, in full support of Americans and BUSH with nada support here, as a full time job, not making a cent painting US Marines and Iraqis in mass graves, while I was reading every day how all Canadians were a lost cause and a bunch of idiots and trolls... So, I learned a bit. :-)
If you read my words, "I am not making any equivalency between the religions, but simply just referring to plain human beens/beings (I don't know anymore?) who are behind the scene." There is no equivalency between Christianity and Islam. And the crusades were good, we had to. Ok. I know that.
If I may, Pastorius, I am well aware that some people put all Muslims in the same bag, it is all over the blogs. This seriously concerns me although, I understand well why, they are fed up to the bones. There is a big difference between an Islamist and the simple Muslim who is like you and me. Dr. Rudolf Rummel was actually making the same point I was trying to do with my limited means, but he went much further. This was discussed else where. Many good Muslims, not enough I know, are fighting on our side, our side is their side, let's not forget that, let's encourage them, I say. I want them to read the blogs in which we work so hard, I guess, that is why, I make a statement like this once in a while.
Christ might even agree with that in his own way that there is a place in the soul of any human being, that is the same. This is where God resides, since we are all his children and God is bigger than religion anyway. So, whether, we are Christians or something else, the soul is potentially there for most in the human specie.
As a teacher, I tend to believe that generally, people are better than worst, most disagree with that. All I was stating, nothing else was that lunacy or cleverness is not exclusive to one group when we look at the individual level, history and accute observations in real time will show that too. Fascism is a plague, whether it hijacks religions or some other organizations and there is plenty of fascism in the Koran, it is a piece of trash. I did not miss that. As for history, I understand a little how it goes, I don't pretend to know history as an historian, very far from that, and I care for the truth as much as you do.
Anyway, if we want Muslims to be able to reject their anti-human cult along with some of their dark roots; well, on our own side, we must be able to hear one another when we respectfully disagree on our own religion, even if our religion is tolerant and Islam is not, but that is only my humble opinion. I find your faith beautiful even though it is different than mine. Maybe I am just a reformed Christian and who cares, but I do understand my own roots and I respect you, your views and your American roots. As I might have mentioned it before, people and friends matter to me more than my ideas.
As for the quest for truth/ interest for words and history, we have had an overdose of toxic relativism in the past three decades or so, (thanks to Derrida) and this will fade with time since it has proven to be dangerous for our societies. I hope so.
Sorry that was so long.
Thank you Pastorius and again my apologies to Atlas, Religion of pieces and all those who were offended.
Sincerely,
Diane
I am so glad that this point of the Letter is getting out. It is so very important to not dismiss the rantings of a madman as the rantings of a madman.
I have expanded on my first comments at Atlas Shrugs in a post at Further Adventures of Indigo Red.
DC,
I'm sorry I "got my back up" as Atlas put it.
I agree with you that blogs, including our blog, destroy any opportunity to forge bonds with decent Muslims by virture of the fact that many of us do not believe there are decent Muslims.
I have met them, so I know they exist. I rode home from LAX in a cab recently with a Muslim from Afghanistan (very religious guy, I watched him pray on his rug, in the lobby of the facility, before he got in the car) who was a complete supporter of Bush and the War on Terror..
I know he was a true supporter, because I began by subtly bashing Bush and the war to see where he was coming from. I thought that if I made a negative intro, I would find out where he stood, and I did. He was a true supporter of our cause against Islamofascism.
Now, of course, there are many people here who would say that this means the guy is not a true Muslim because he is not following the Koranic way of Jihad. I say this guy and people like him are our only hope that Islam can be reinterpreted and become a peaceful religion which accepts separation of mosque and state, and lives peacefully with its neighbors.
If not, I can't see any alternative than to kill em all, and that doesn't seem like an option we would want to live with.
So, DC, I am on your side, buy I don't know what to do about it. I believe that the kind of strident language I use here at IBA is necessary in the times we live in. We need to make very clear to people how dangerous Islam is (as it is currently constituted) and how stark the difference is between Islam and the West.
I listened to a radio show yesterday, where the host read Ahmadinejad letter and person after person called in to say THEY AGREED with the Iranian President.
This is because people are ignorant of our values, and how they shape our system, and they are incapable of making distinctions.
Therefore, when I write, I write in black and white language, with big distinctions.
We live in a time when we can not afford the luxury of intellectual nuance.
It will be the death of us.
Our purpose in complete destruction of those who would use religious reasons to create racism based on religion, endless hate based on it and war should be SEEN to have been our cause. There MUST be no doubt of this in Riyadh and Mecca, and they must be made to feel this fear that we might do this to the utter end in their innermost selves. They must be made to wonder if they have been abandoned or that God is in our favor. They must wonder this at Al Azhar, at King Abdul Aziz U's School of Islamic Studies, and it must penetrate the pakistani hate madrassahs living on the Saudi purse of venom, and they must be saying it live on Al Jazeerah's hate shows of racist delight.
They must ask at the end, if the Kharjarite, Tamiyya, Qutb, Wahab path has lead them away from the Message, and that in this path have lost hold of the Rope.
Only then can there be a victory, and ironically can Islam be saved,
so that Qaradawi says on Al Jazeerah ..'God IS punishing us since he allows the americans to do such things'.
That IS your metric for victory
Atlas--you are 100% right on this one. These letters are almost de rigeur historically for Muslim leaders to send right before some kind of showdown. I don't have the notes with me to post a bibliography, but this is almost following the script perfectly. I did a Dhimmitude Tutorial on video today and I had to edit the hell out of it so I don't know if that made it in, but that is absolutely the crux of the letter's meaning, IMO.
I also HATE the translation of "allah" into God (sorry Pamela, I write it out, but understand your reasons) as I do not think that they can be equated. Furthermore, I want to learn a bit more Arabic, because "Allah" is specificly, in Islam, the god who is talking to MO. I don't know the linguistic finer points of any Semitic languages, and maybe you can help me here Atlas (you do know Hebrew, right? There are grammatical similarities...), but "GOD" as in THE GOD in Arabic is "ilah" as well as "allah. I REALLY want to check this out as to why the difference. "Ilah" is the one true God, yet the assertion going backwards in history is that "allah" is an ancient Arabian moon god. He becomes supreme. But does anyone know the significance of the difference between ilah and allah? I'm going to go do some diggng on this one.
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