SHA’ABAN 28, 1429 A.H.
FRIDAY AUGUST 29 2008
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Re: Mesage to Tehran
By Hamisu Gumel
"If Tehran becomes the Geneva of Eastern countries, may be the destiny of the Earth is changed." - Iqbal Lahori.
In his column in the Sunday Trust of 24/8/2008 on page 28 titled "Message to Tehran," Buhari A. Gabari appeared somehow vague in his effortr to portray the Iranian leadership as been arrogant and faulty in their current non-compromising stance in their dispute with the United States of America and the West over the latters' uncivilized behaviour towards the Islamic Republic.
The columnist berated the Iranian president, Mahmud Ahmadinijad afor daring to challenge the world superpowers and then advised the country's leadership to abandon their 'hardline stance and co operate with the west on their uranium enrichment issue in order to avoid repercusion from the "all-powerfull" west and America. But I was surprised to see this coming from someone who claimed to be an expert on International politics and diplomacy especially as regards to Asian continent.
Mallam Buhari shoulld have known that the genesis of the current rift between Iran and the western world is not as he claimed, due to so-called uranium enrichment by Iran. No, that is only a ploy, the issue is much beyond that. It is about Iran's chosen ideological path and her lack of dependency and servitude to those self-aclaimed masters of the world.
As per as my knowledge is concerned and as rightly stated by Buhari, the animosity of the west and America toward Iran did not start only recently, it started since the culmination of Islamic revolution in that country in 1979 and the subsequent adoption of Islamic system as their system of governance. From then on, Iran entered into the black books of these countries and they have, in the course of yeares, been plotting the overthrow of what the termed "regime of the mullahs" through various method including the instigated terrorist attacks, the hostage rescue operation which turned into a fiasco and the eight-year imposed war with neighbouring Iraq, but failed to achieve their objective - of topling and reversing the people-oriented erevolution.
The leadership in Tehran, which Buhari eemed to be pitying and advising against crossing roads with the "mighty" America and co, are well aware of the dangers and the imminent repercusions their stance might draw on them, but do they have any choice? This is because they know, more than anyone of us here, that even if they surrender and abandon the uranium enrichment the U.S. will never leave them alone and will continue to thre4aten them with military action as long as Iran continue to hold Islam as the driving force of it's government.
Uranium or no uranium, the U.S. is bent on destroying Iran to facicy the zionist state.
The west and Israel feel threaten by the growing power and influence of Iran in the region, that is the point. So what do you want the Iranians to do in thos situation? To bow to America's pressure only to be humiliated and obliterated at the end like the Saddam's Iraq? I think this should be a lesson to not only Iran but those nations who think the only way to be safe from America's aggression is by dancing to it's tune. For, Saddam Hussein, despite fully co perating with them in the issue of weapons inspection and destruction among all manners of humiliation in order to appease them, did not escape their wrath.
So, isnt it more appropriate and deserving to die while trying to depend one's honour than dying on the enemies gallows while still begging for his mercy? And what made the columnist to think that European coalition forces can destroy Iran? I am afraid the image of their power he seemed to conjure before us is not as it is when put to test. After all, propaganda - instilling fear in the enemy - is a significant part of conventional warfare. If they are as invincible as he would like us to believe, the U.S. wouldnt have suffered defeat in Vietnam or there wouldnt be any resistsnce against the coalition forces in Afghanistan.
And dont forget, acquiring latest technology of weapons is meaningless in a war without the correlating human faith, determination and sacrifice. This is the very reason why highly-equiped and well-trained Israeli forces suffered humiliating defeat in the hands of tiny Hezbollah in Lebanon.; The Iranians had sacrificed alot to achieve their well deserved Islamic revolution. They also stood doggedly in defence of their cause and nation in the face of aggression by all the world powers through their lackey in Iraq at a time when Iran was weak after emerging from a tremenduous revolution. So there is no doubt, they will again rally to safeguard their ideology - the very root of their existence - fired by spiritual passion and emotion which the west and America are lacking.
Contrary to Buhari's remarks, it is not a question of arrogance on the part of Iranian leaders, if he and brother Mu'ammar Gaddafi (whom he has quoted) really understands the meaning of the word. It smacks of hypocrisy and double-speak if Gaddafi, the agitator of the concept of "Hurriyyah" (freedom) could turn around and accuse Iranian leaders for daring to stand up for their freedom against the overbearing and domineering west.
The truth is that, the leader of the Great Jamahiriyyah isnt as intelligent as Buhari thought him to be, rather a coward, who even the west knows cannot match his rhetorics with action. When some European medics intentionally injected innocent Libyan children and the country's apex court sentenced them to death, Gaddafi chose to avoid the anger of the west and freed the culprits, harmless, to the detriment of his country's citizens as if the lives of the latter were worthless. Where is the hurriyyah slogan? Iran's "arrogance" (if we can put it that way) to the intollerant west is helping alot, for it has been the source of inspiration, courage and succour to the many oppressed nations and organisations across the world; to the Palestinians in their survival struggle against the zionist entity, and to the Chechens in their quet for independence from the hegemonic Russia.
Today, the independent-minded leaders - in Iran, Cuba, North Korea and Venezuela - who defy the imperialists' bravado, despite the seeming danger of doing so, are the source of hope to the peace and freedom seekers in every nook and crannies of this world. They serve as balance equation in today's lopsided world of aggressors.
You see, with the "nuclear" Iran nearby, it is sure the impunity of Israel's aggressions will be minimized! It is therefore, obviously clear that uranium enrichment or even building a nuclear bomb is not their sole concern, their grudge stems from Iran's refusal to embrace western system and values at the cost of that of her peoples' thereby becoming a slave and marionette. Leaders like the former Pakistani dictator, Pervez Musharraf, who brutalized their people, turning them into fugitives in their countries of ancestry and turning themselves into surrogates, have done so in order to avert the wrath of the imperialists.
But now as he has served his purpose, when the table was turned against him, they were not there to help him remain in power. Such is the lesson: their might has a limit, and God helps the steadfast who spread no mischief in the land. If Mallam Buhari really admires Iran as he claimed, he could as well admire their extraordinary courage and being uniquely exceptional in refusing to be leaning willows in a world full of hypocritical cowards.
*Hamisu Gumel writes from Limawa Quaters, Gumel, Jigawa State.
