Part 4: Iran And The Revolution

Part 4: Iran And The Revolution

Rafsanjani The Moderate

After Khomeniis death, the existing organizations will try to change the country, each in a different way. The people are aware of this, and the United States will support any government that restores freedom and democracy."70 These are the words of Ronald Regan. After reading this, it is easy to analyze where the current regime of Iran is headed.

After Khomeniis death, sure enough Hashemni Rafsanjani became the president. He is the current president. Although, according to the Iranian Constitution, a president can only serve two-4 year teens. But, since Rafsanjani is paving the way to moderation", the Iranian Majlis is in the process of changing the constitution so that Rafsanjani to can become president for a third time. Rafsanjani has maintained contact with the Americans since the revolution. For' example, back in December of 1986, "the Heritage Foundation mentioned a prospective rapprochement with the Khomeini regime on four points, which also served as the basis for relations between Rafsanjani and George Bush. They were: organization of the oil market, stabilization of the regime, the release of political prisoners, and the end to the Iran-Iraq war as an investment in the American elections 1988.-71

Just three months after Khomeini's death, the newly elected President Hashemi Rafsanjani moved swiftly to end Iran's political and economic isolation. He excluded from his Cabinet former Interior minister Ali Akbar Mohtashemi, the chief patron of anti-Western terrorist in Lebanon, and hardline former Prime Minister Mir Hussein Mouisssvi. We'll have more surprises now, says; R.K. Ramazani, an Iran expert at the University of Virginia.72 A big surprise did come during the Gulf War, when Iran declared its neutrality in the war. When Iraq flew its cream of the Iraqi air force to Iran. Even American General Norman Schwarzkopf was surprised. No clear explanation came from Tehran. iRat:sanjani did assure the US-led coalition, however, that the decision to provide sanctuary to some of Saddamis most sophisticated French and Soviet fighters and most of his SU-24 Gencer bombers would not affect Iran's neutral status. The planes, Iranian officials said, will be impounded and held until hostilities end. They also insisted that no deal had been cut with Baghdad in advance."73

From the beginning of l~is presidency iRafsanjani has worked quietly to improve ties with Washington... So fa~, Rafsanja'~i l~as seceded on one major front: he has shed much of Iran's ultraconse~ ative i~nage and upgraded or restored time with many European and Middle Easte~n countries as well as Canada. ~74

Raisanjaniis ai~n is to ~nake Iran into a "moderate" state. His policies seem to be working. As Newsweel~ ~-eported, ~ ln Teheran, peeling slogans have been scrubbed off the walls... A capitalist-st~le stocl; n~arl;et is booming, children snap up Ninja Turtle toys and "Dancing with Wolves" is tl~e ilrst Hollywood movie to be screened legally in years."75

What about all the anti-American slogans we hear all the time from the various leaders in Iran. ~Anti-American rhetoric bv Isla~nic extremists in Tehran is not be taken seriously. eIt is for domestic, anti-i~nperialist consumption that the so-called radicals shout war mongering slo~rans against the Americans,'says an Iranian political scientist living in Paris. 'Even the~lranian revolutionary Guards are in no mood to join the hostilities."'76 Rafsanjani is known as the epragmatisti and a emoderatei, even if it means that he will abandon Allahis laws, he will do it. He is known to have eliberalize social codes). He il1as not actually called for a reversal of strict Islamic injunctions, but in oblique ways he is si~aling that he favors a more relaxed approach, especially in theenforcement of Hijab. In a m~cl~ publicized sennon last November, for example, Rafsanjani chided fellow clerics ~l~o make a virtue of 'austerity' and argued that 'appreciating beauty and seekin~ e~nbellisl~nent are serious feelings. To fight them is not God's desire."77 Ralsanjani als~' said, ithat young people were being asked to deny the esexual urged for too ion=, and tl~e ete~nporary marriage,~ (a Shiiite institution endorsing sexual liaisons for fi.xed ~eriods of time) ought to be more widely accepted. "78

Besides his eliberali anti-lslamic views, it is clear that RaLsanjani has been maintaining trade relation with the United States, despite calling it the eGreat Satan~. Shortly after hostage affair, Washington loosed r estrictions on trade with Tehran, and the US companies were allowed to sell Iran hardware. In March, 1991, American Mitac Corporation of Freemont CA., shipped $28 million worth of computers to Raymeh Saz Engineering Co. in lran. Anotl~er computer firms, Modular Computer Systems Inc. Of Fort Lauderdale, Fl., was given a license to ship $1.3 million worth of computer to the Iranian Chemical Co. Siemen, tl~e German electronics f~rm, received US approval to sell Iran's RaLsanjani industrial C o~nplex $241,000 worth of computers in 1991. It also sold Iran Telecom~m~nications Corp. $276,000 worth of electronic equipment that year. Rockwell Internatic~nal sold ~l ehran helicopter gear and electronics worth $533,000. Otl~er contracts went to Apple Computer, Sun Microsystems, Honeywell, NCR and AST Researcl~. Each sale was approved by the Commerce Department after consultation with other ~overnn~ent agencies. 79 Even after 1992 Iran-Iraq Arms Non-Proliferation Act, wl~icl~ forbids iany transfer to Iran or Iraq of any goods or technology that cold be r~sed to mal~e advanced weapons~, the trade with the US hascontinued. The trade only dropped hom $747 million in 1992 to $616 million in 1993.80

Conclusion

After reading tllrougl~ tl~is paper, l~ow can anyone claim that Iran is an Islamic State. Those who still insist, need to re-read tl~e following Ayat of the Qur'an:

Take not Jews and Christian as yor~r Aulyat....

Just mear seeking aid and protection from the Jews and Christian would make us 'one of them' (a non-Muslim). S~rely Allah will cr~rse the person whoactively is working to undermine and mix-represent Islan~, with the help of the Kuffar.

Again, Iran was chosen j.rist as an example to show how the Imperialist powers still manipulate the Muslim Ummah. Tl~e sih~ation in all of the other 'Muslim' countries in no different. May Allal~ protect the Mr~slims Ummah from the conspiracies of the West and bring back the true Islamic State, so tl~at this Ummah can rise up to its proper place and establish j~stice for not j~'st tl~e Mr~slims, but also for the non-Muslims.

70 Bani Sadr, My Tun1 To Speak, page 219.

71 Bani Sadr, My Turn To Speak, page 212.

72 Business Week, September I 1, 1989.

73 Time, Michael Serrill' February I 1, 1991.

74 Time, May 6, 1991.

75 Newsweek, April 27, 1992.

76 Time, February I 1, 1991.

77 Time, May 6, 1991.

78 Time, May 6, 1991.

79 US News & World Report, November 14, 1994.

80 Ibid.

Source: http://islamicvideostube.blogspot.com/2010/08/part-4-iran-and-revolution.html