The Story Begins: Iranians Blame Ahmadinejad
“It’s enough Mahmoud!”, By Nikahang Kowsar, Rooz.
The story of the British sailors ended happily, after they left Iran with backpacks full of presents from Ahmadinejad and the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (Sepah), the same body who had arrested them. The fact is, the story has just begun for Ahmadinejad.
The conduct of the incident by the Islamic Republic was so bizarre that it almost overshadowed many important events, including the arrest of two activist women, who were subsequently transferred to the infamous Evin Prison. Especially, Ahmadinejad’s reference to “Islamic compassion” as one of the reasons for the release of the Britons was considered rather embarrassing by many bloggers.
Nahid Keshavarz and Mahboubeh Hossein Zadeh were arrested a few days ago on accounts related to fighting for women’s rights.
Haji Kensington asks why the compassion did not apply to the detained activists. Jomhour finds Ahmadinejad’s remark embarrassing when he responded to the question whether the sailors were traded for an Iranian diplomat (who was released yesterday) by saying “if we were to trade, we should have traded them for a hundred thousand people”. Maryam asks what the final outcome of all this has been for Iran. She uses the title “Fifteen-one for the UK”. Mahjad feels pity for the people who protested in front of the British Embassy, asking for a harsh fate for the sailors. He writes “this proved that we do not bow to what we do not like unless it is too strong”. To him, it was all “a silly soap opera“. Yaghi goes further and asks if this has not been a British plot to boost Blair’s popularity. Omid asks where on earth the highest administration figure shows up to say goodbye to a few detainees. Behrang compares this with the hostage-taking of the Americans about thirty years ago. He asks why what formerly was called “lack of dignity” is now addressed as “Islamic compassion”. Malakut finds Ahmadinejad’s comments silly, especially when he asked the British Government to not to prosecute the sailors for “admitting the truth”. Keyvan thinks what has happened is solely Ahmadinejad finding the chance to show up in front of cameras and journalists. Elnaz writes “when Ahmadinejad complained that a British mother has been sent to the front, the camera rolled on a female journalist’s face and she was smiling sarcastically”.
Nahid Keshavarz and Mahboubeh Hossein Zadeh with handcuffs on the way to prison (Farnaaz).
The conclusion is, the arrest of the British sailors brought about many results. Inside Iran, for many, the obvious outcome was feeling ashamed because of having such a president.
I don’t get it. Have humans became so intolerant that they have completely refused to give other humans the benefit of doubt even. Whatever has been said above, could be likely. However, if Ahmednijad called it an act of Islamic compassion and released them, there is actually a chance as well that he meant that. In case, he meant that, that is what Islam stands out for. Looking out for other human beings regardless of their religion.
And to those who question the presence of highest state official in a farewell, I ask them, when was it that Prophet himself did not take part in the forgiveness of prisoners. When was it that he did not take part in the building of a mosque or digging of a trench. If he treated himself as a normal human being, why are we ashamed if Iran’s president came out to bid farewell to prisoners himself.
Instead of following from the examples of Prophet Muhammad, we seem to have changed our standards to something much lesser.
This Iranian taking of British hostages is illustrative of some type of overt conflict going on inside Iran between Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards / Ahmadinejad
As Muslim liberal Irshad Manji says:
http://www.muslim-refusenik.com/news/philadelphia-inquirer-2006-05-18.html
Manji is a Canadian of Moroccan decent, I think. Fact that she’s a Muslim is irrelevant to the topic at hand unless she’s an expert in Iranian politics, but she is not.
Don’t know what that big quote has to do with anything. Can you clarify the significance of the blob u quoted with the topic at hand?
What Muslim liberal Irshad Manji describes is the background to Ahmadinejad’s mindset in provoking crisis .
Ahmadinejad wants to have an Apocalypse to hasten the Mahdi’s return. And maybe Iran’s nuke sites will be bombed as it now continues to increase its centrifuges used in uranium enrichment at Natanz,with Iran already in defiance of U.N. Security Council resolutions .Of course if Ahmadinejad relaliates by bombing Saudis/Gulf etc ,then he might see his wish of Iran being obliterated
PS A majority in 18 EU states would back attacks on Iran as a last resort to stop it acquiring a nuclear bomb, according to a poll released on Wednesday.
Also 71 percent in Britain - where 52 people were killed in suicide attacks by Islamists in London in July 2005 - agreed that Islamic fundamentalism is a threat to their country -
Majority of Europeans would back Iran attack - poll
Thursday, 05 April 2007
http://www.mrt.com.mk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2585&Itemid=26
If he wanted to provoke people, he wouldn’t have let those soldiers go, he would have executed them for some lame reason. If he wants apocalypse, he would bomb the Arabs anyways. If he wants apocalypse, he would give a dirty bomb (Iran can make these) to group to use it against Israel. If he wanted apocalypse, he wouldn’t discuss Iraq with the Americans or the Arabs. Ahmadinejad’s actions seem to be contradicting what Manji wrote or what you are claiming.
On the other hand I can say the exact same thing about Bush and his desire to bring about the end according to his religious beliefs. People will call me a conspiracy theorist if I say that even though he actually done more than Ahmadinejad ever could do.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh stop being Howie. Stick to the topic please.
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did an excellent PR stunt in addition to good ‘gesture’ based on what he said “following the model of the Prophetâ€.
When the Western world and western media expected ‘confrontation’ from the Muslim world, President Ahmadinejad gave them a shocking treatment – ‘let us play victim, pardon them and win’ and Britain will look bad if it says thank you or if it continues with its arrogant old ways.
He did such a tremendous action and build up new respectful image of Islam, and world’s perception on Islam as well.
Well, if there is one thing that I am now certain of in this world, it is the fact that Irshad Manji knows nothing of Iran or Iranians.
Thank you G, for making that so ever apparent…