By: Sara Akrami and Saeed Ghasseminejad
Founder and President of the Human Rights Activists Association at
York University-Canada
The Iranian leadership has always used the deaths of its nuclear scientists to weep copious tears and sputter outrage about the inequity of terrorism as a political tool. Terrorism has been one of the outreach tools of the leadership since the early days of the Islamic Revolution. Since religious fundamentalists gained power in 1979, they have continually instigated violence internationally. An immense weight of evidence and victims of various nationalities have made the Iranian government one of the significant sponsors of terrorism. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), especially its external branch, the Qods Force, plays an important role in achieving Iran’s foreign policy objectives. During the current uprising in Syria, the Iranian government has sent many rank and file members of the IRGC and the Qods Force including, members of the Basij, plainclothes security guards, and militia volunteers to Damascus to assist its main ally in the region, Bashar Al-Assad.
The key objective of the Qods Force is the promotion of the idea of Islamic Jihad. The reason that the external branch of the IRGC is called Qods relates to the sympathy and support of Iran for Palestine. Therefore, it is responsible to train proxy militants and promote a Jihadist ideology. Although many people in the West would deride the “Shia Crescent” belief, it is accepted in Iran and many members of the IRGC are willing to sacrifice themselves for this ideology. The Iranian government has always made efforts to be the center of gravity in the Islamic world in order to win allies against Israel and the West. Therefore, Iran has become the source of training Islamic radical groups in the region. Since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, hostility toward the United States and Israel has been one of the key components of Iran’s foreign policy.
Since the beginning of uprisings in Syria, Iran has been making tremendous efforts to help the Syrian dictator to remain in power. Iran has sectarian and strategic interests in the Syrian crisis, so it has planned to transform Syria into another Afghanistan. The Qods Force plays an indispensable role for Iranian objectives. Therefore, it is responsible to train proxy militants. Iran is planning for the day after the demise of the Assad regime. The Iranian government fears a political transition to a government with friendly relations with the West in Syria. Therefore, Iran does what it takes to keep Syria chaotic and will not acquiesce to any international calls to cease its meddling in the Syrian conflict.
Therefore, in lieu of diplomacy, the most significant tool for the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy in the Middle East is the Qods Force. Therefore, Iran’s major allies are organizations that are known internationally to have engaged in terror campaigns. The inevitable part of the battle against terrorism for a Middle East free of terrorism is wholesale transformation of power in Iran. It is high time for the West to help bring about such wholesale transformation.
“Terrorism has been one of the outreach tools of the leadership since the early days of the Islamic Revolution.” End of quote.
Speaking of terrorism, I must remind these two honorable writers, the US and the Apartheid community in state of Palestine jointly have secured the first place spot with no one else coming in distance second.
If Iran gets the bomb which they should be fools not to pursue considering all the hostilities it faces, it will be strictly for deterrence purposes while the US went for the bomb to use it deliberately and cowardly on civilians. The US could have easily dropped one on uninhabited Japanese soil and get the same results but it ignorantly, arrogantly and maliciously went ahead and mushroom clouded both cities with immediate casualties exceeding two hundred thousands lives and many more die with pain and agony thereafter.
I vividly remember during an after-class conversation I was having with my professor when I was casually schooling in Cambridge, MA in late eighties I asked his opinion about the President Reagan labeling the former Soviet Union as Evil Empire. After a momentary pause he responded by saying how peculiar of the US who is committing crimes around the world around the clock to be labeling others at all.
Finally but not lastly, I safely assume you two are expatriates whom like few other millions gave Motherland the ultimate insults by renouncing your citizenships when you decided to move abroad and start making incomparable contributions to your newly adopted country while five million plus Tehranians are suffering from medical syndrome, air-pollution, with absolute potential to pass it to next generation, only because a democratic government was not served you on a platter.
My motto is “ If you don’t like what you see happening in Iran why don’t you go back and take a lead on path towards the changes you would like to see taking place over there no matter how lethal of fate might await you?”
Faramarz Fathi
[email protected]
Daily news update on terrorism and threats to national security in South Asia. From South Asia Terrorism.