The Persian Abyss: Our dying Islam

Well written analysis.

America appears to be preparing to exit Iraq, and it seems that Saudi Arabia and Iran will be left to fight for the spoils. Perhaps the end of extremist Islam is closer than we think.

I for one am sick to death of hearing about the so called overwhelming majority of Iranians who hate the regime and yet do absolutely nothing. Perhaps the best thing would be to send 30 million hatchets to Iran and let them sort it out in the way they know best.

I hope it is true.

The Mullahs seem to done everything possible to maintain their power. I imagine it would be extremely difficult to overthrow them. Anti-Mullahs comments are often reported to the authorities as spies are spread among the public to seek out dissenters. In sddition, the Mullahs have learned from the Russian Revolution against communism have taken precautions to make sure the same series of events do not occur in Iran. I appreciate your optomistic thoughts, but I think we are stuck with this bunch of Autocrats for a long time. I hope I am wrong.

I don't think Marxism and Islam are as different as you say. On the contrary, they are very similar. Both are offshoots from Judaism. Both have a heroic founder, whose books are regarded as containing ultimate truth. Both generate thousands of books full of "scholarly" comment and expansions of the original teachings. Both claim to embody the true principles of governing a country.

Both involve suppression of a class of "others" - in one case, based on religion and in the other on class. Both are hostile to free creative work in art, music and literature.

Quite interesting post by Reza Zarabi. What I would like to ask though is what is the appeal of Islam? No offense meant here, but at the moment it seems that virtually all the wars and attendant horrors in the world are caused by Islam. Islamic history is one continuous string of conquest. It appears to be nothing but a supremicist religion. A cultist "religion" willing to kill anyone who disagrees. No one is responsible for what they are born into, but look around - to pretend it is anything but what I described is denying the obvious. Again, no offense is meant, but I just don't get it.

Wow! As a former citizen of the Soviet union i can attest to the veracity of those statements. 100% true. Hope it applies to Iran as much as it applied to the Soviet Block.

Trying to Equate Iran to Germany is like trying to equate a diamond to coal.

It just isn't the same thing.

That is interesting. The failure of an ideological goverment became the failure of an ideology. That exactly what happend with the communism, hopfully will happen with islam.

The analysis is based on the assumption that both Islam and Communism are ideologies and hence can be equated. But that is not true. Islam is a religion, with a God who will Punish the believers if they deviate. Muslims have suffered economic hardships during the several centuries but that did not make them hate islam. Prophet Mohammed was a brillaint strategist who had a very deep understanding of the Human Psychology. He knew how to control the mind of people. Therefore the above article is stupid and unrealistic.

An excellent article. The simularities are striking with one exception. Islam is far more dangerous. When someone can be influenced by his faith to detonate himself into oblivion and take the lives of others because he will be eternally rewarded that faith has reached the bottom. With Iran's president calling those who do such things as "our dear martyrs" the world has yet to see the full terror to be unleashed. Imagine thoughtful Germans banding together and standing against Nazism. It could have saved the lives of 50 million. Thoughtful muslims have been beaten into submission for centuries and I don't believe their intervention will ever occur. They are the most frozen with terror. The world is at the brink of the most serious threat to humanity since WWII and strong action by free thinking people is needed now more than ever.

Funny, so many opinions and only one possible Iranian. You folks spout off at the mouth as if you know of the situation in Iran firsthand. You speak as if what you are being fed through your media isn't propaganda. What you learn of Iran today is mostly lies and twisted bits of fact. I am not muslim, and not religious at all but I try to follow Zoroastrianism. I believe Muslim extremism is equal to Zionism. Zionism kills just as many people as Islamic extremism.

Iran has always been one of the most important and influental nations the world has ever witnessed. Iran will overcome this religious fanaticism that benefits a few. Sounds quite similar to the Administration in power in the US right now. The struggle of many will only benefit a few. But, this monster was created by America. The Shah was NOT a dictator, he was THE KING. The King has the right to make decisions for his country. Now look at the world without our King. Our King who had taken Iran back to her former Glory and was benefitting everyone from the poor to the rich. He was taking from the rich and giving to the poor. But today he is demonized in America, he was a "dictator" who brutalized his people. This isn't so much about Islam as what you have created. Islamic Extremism came about with Jimmy Carter turning his back on the Shah and supporting Khomeini behind closed doors. I know I've bounced all over the place with this response, but in conclusion I'd like to say that The Islamic Republic of Iran is quite similar in power structure to the current government in America. There is just as much dissent in America than in Iran. Just as many Americans (%) have strayed from religion. Just as much propaganda emanates from America through her media. The only difference is the freedom of speech.

Latest news:

Former Saudi ambassador to Washington Prince Turki al-Faisal scolded Iran, however, saying that the predominantly Persian country had little to do with Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

"It's an Arab issue and should be resolved within the Arab fold," he said.

It should have said: "It is a Semite issue and Aryans should butt out and that includes Americans and Iranians."

Arabs and Israelis are Semites. Iranians are Aryans. Iranians just want their old freaking empire back which included all of these lands they are shamlessly interfering in behind the guise or Islam. What else can be? They should be reminded of their OWN imperial roots and not be so hasty to label American as hegemonists.

Arabs and Israelis should wake up to the fact as a Semite race they have had Aryans and Turks taking advantage of their divisions and making life miserable for them. Semites have a rich spiritual heritage whereas Aryans and Asiatic Turks have always been interested in worldly power and imperialism.

From Shahyad: "The only difference is the freedom of speech"

What the #*(%)? ONLY! OK. There is also no freedom of assembly in Iran. If we just leave these two relatively inane rights out, Iran is just like America..minus the technlogical backbone of course...that's also rather insignificant...don't you think?

very well written and interesting.

You hit the nail on the head excellent analysis for a western point of view, Middle Easterners probably will not agree with your analysis especialy the radical element. The only thing that can save Islam is mainstream Muslims have to put up a stand against the radical militant groups that pop up all over the place. that give the Muslim religeon a bad image.

Great point of view. What I don't see in the world of politics is the presence of cultural anthropologists. These are people who study cultures, sort of like doctor do for the human body.

We are also evolving as humans, some faster than others, and some suffer in the process.

Ultimately there has to be a road map for the human race. Religion has been misused to manipulated the poor and the uneducated for a few in self interest. That is why extrimisim flourishes in economically challenged times or areas of the world. So as a human race we need to solve our basic needs for ALL people, i.e. food and shelter.

It is a task, but achievable if there is will among all nations.

I'm not a religious person, but I think anyone who is, the first thing in their book should say "respect Gods creation, and respect freedom of choice including other religions. Not seeing everyone as your equal should be the number one sin or blasphemy.

Look up in the sky at nights, and see our purpose is to populate life in the universe, that is the gift as well as an opportunity and honor, that has been given to us to grow the gardens of God. Focusing on solutions of the human race rather than problems are the only ways to get on the right path.

May the One from Whom all blessings flow fulfill all of the promised prophesies soon and in our own time.

Yes what a blog and perhaps one of the bes I've seen. One thing I want to point out is that in reality here are no races ... frankly race is a myth and until one understands this basic tenet there can be no moving ahead for humanity. There are no Arabs or Jews or Blacks or Whites and such conceptions are rediculous. All humans who exist on the planet share a biologial origin with a female who existed in Africa about two-hundred thousand years ago and she is our mother. If we had to place a name on the people of the world we would or should be called Africans because that is our homeland. Under the skin we are all African. Iran will pass away as will my country, The United Staes of America, as a series of major convulsions grip the planet and force human populations to recognize the basic oneness of huamnity. Islam and Christianity will eventually become simply a footnote within a dusty old lexicon and future scholars will marvel at the historical combination of both beauty and inherent visciousness of these forms of worship. Both of which were divinely inspired, yet, alas, as the spiriual winters were set upon them they became sullied and immersed in veils of dogmatism through greed and arrogance from which they can NEVER be extricated.

One Universal Faith sits untarnished and every human has the spiritual resposibilty to shed their veils and earnestly search out that promised Order to which all divinely inspired faths anticipate. Man is one and capable of reflecting the divine attributes, yet the first step is the recognition of this essential oneness of mankind and without the acceptance of this basic tenet there is no movement possible except backwards. We, as a species, are about to be tested.