You’re 36, you’re beautiful, and you’re mine!

by Abu Dharr February, 2015 The Islamic revolution in Iran turns 36 this month. To survive in a cruel world dominated by greedy barons and vultures is a remarkable achievement. Islamic revolutions don’t come easy. Islamic revolutions are not the products of political negotiations. And Islamic revolutions are not cheap. This basic understanding has escaped the aging leaders of Islamic movements in Arab and non-Arab countries. This has been a difficult lesson to learn. What attests to this are the past four to five years of upheavals, internecine warfare, and mass arrests and detentions of Islamic activists from the Islamic sunrise in Indonesia to the Islamic sunset in Morocco and Algeria. Libya is a failing state; Somalia is a failed state; Tunisia is an unfulfilled state; Egypt is a frustrating state; Sudan is a fledgling state; Turkey is a fluctuating state; and Iraq and Syria are factionalized states. We can go on and on describing such states as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria just to name a few. But there is one state that stands out; and that state is the Islamic State in Iran. This Islamic resourceful ingenuity has withstood the test of time. Enemies came at it from all directions. There were the internal seculars and sectarians, there were the external Zionists and imperialists; there were wars and assassinations. You can say that the same forces that have been at work against the Islamic movements in Egypt (the deep state), in Tunisia (the secular parties), in Libya (the combination of seculars and sectarians), in Turkey (the military), etc; all these and others were busy hatching their plots and deploying their forces to defeat the Islamic Revolution in Iran and they were all defeated, hands down!

Even the sanctions and economic warfare could not change the course of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The Islamic Revolution continues to build its infrastructure not giving in to shoddy upper class lifestyles or to the gratification that comes from the contemptible consumerism across the Gulf in Dubai, Doha, Dammam and other markets of materialistic acquisitions and indulgences. Granted, there are individuals and even identities within Islamic Iran who want to “break loose” from the distinct discipline and societal self-restraint that are requisites of an Islamic practical paradigm. The Qur’an and the Prophet (pbuh) teach us that every society shall have its malcontents, mutineers, and munafiqs. The Islamic Revolution in Iran triumphed over the large-scale threats it endured from them with patience and purpose. Not only was the Islamic Revolution successful in affixing Islam to Iran, it went a step further and secured a forward Islamic base in Lebanon. Hizbullah is the natural extension of Islamic Iran onto the borders of occupied Palestine. For anyone who is not afraid to listen to the truth, Hizbullah — the projection of the Islamic Revolution hundreds of miles away — is the only force that has put the fear of God into the Zionist occupation. Zionist civilian and military personnel are scared stiff of Hizbullah and the Islamic resistance. Some of us may need a memory boost: prior to the Islamic Revolution and Hizbullah, the Arabian regimes and their client, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), were flourishing failures who limped from one setback and defeat to another. Then came the no-nonsense Islamic combatants, hailing from a history that understands martyrdom and jihad to show the cowards of Zion midday stars and nocturnal nightmares.

When the Arabian rulers were sleeping at the wheel, these re-embodiments of the sacrifices of Badr and Uhud, Siffin and Karbala’ engaged and gripped the Zionists hiding behind their technological military with a fierce and uncompromising military confrontation that eventually kicked the Israelis out of Lebanon (in 2000), and sapped their morale and arrogance in the heroic defense of Lebanon (in 2006). Imam Khomeini (may he be engulfed in His mercy) as is Imam Khamenei would be proud of these Muhammadi-Husayni warriors who have inflicted serious psychological and military blows upon the Zionist felons and Israeli brigands — those who stole the Holy Land. The spirit of the Islamic Revolution lives on in the valiant warriors and fearless fighters of Hizbullah and the Islamic resistance. The Israelis in the past month after their premeditated attack that killed several brave Hizbullahis near Quneitrah, Syria are worried as they for sure remember Sayyid Hasan Nasrullah’s words from last year when he said that the Golan shall become another confrontational front against the brutal Zionist occupiers. These Hizbullahi personnel were not at the front line of confrontation to “shoot the breeze.” They were there — as they previously were in South Lebanon and Ghazzah — to work out a plan that will draw the snobbish Israeli military into a bleeding confrontation. Thanks to the Hizbullahi legacy of shahadah, the self-admiring Israeli military is mired in bewilderment as to how, when, and where the response of Hizbullah will be?! Last summer, the Israelis were confounded when they saw the fighters of Hamas pop up from beneath the ground and open fire on them from behind, and from one side or another. What if Hizbullah fighters were to pop up from their tunnels beneath the Lebanese-Palestinian borders and commence guerrilla warfare in al-Jalil (the Galilee)? The Israeli head-honchos are particularly alarmed and petrified to have killed an Iranian general who was in the company of those Hizbullahis. Little do the Israelis know, but they are — through their meddling in the internal affairs of Syria and Iraq — setting the stage for a massive people’s war against their military occupation of Palestine. Syria as a civil society has been destroyed. Iraq as a civil society has been devastated. There is no sturdy infrastructure left in either Syria or Iraq. Over 60 million Syrians and Iraqis, due to Zionist inspired policies and strategies, no longer have a society to speak of. The Zionist/imperialist strategy is turning into a stratagem. The unintended consequence of turning Syria and Iraq into failed states will rebound in militarizing their populations. Why would the Syrians and Iraqis, after the virtual destruction of their societies, want to rebuild them when the source of all their problems — the Zionists — can and will destroy them all over again. The virtual destruction of Syria and Iraq is the first step toward the liberation of Palestine. We know that behind the scenes, the Arabian regimes are cheering for Israel. They can’t tolerate an Islamic victory over Zionist aggression and occupation. A pathogen dwells deep down inside their inner-self: it is called chronic failure and spasmodic defeat. They make up for their failures and defeats by rank hypocrisy and insipid statements. We address ourselves now to the Arabian officials borne of defeatism and surrender: 1. Hizbullah is a godsend, betrothed to an Ummah that is still feeling its way. 2. The reputation of Hizbullah is excellent, first rate, and exceptional (don’t allocate a media budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars to extinguish the light of Allah – swt). 3. We remind you, as your red-light-district nights may have taken a toll on you, that Hizbullah kicked the rear of the Zionists and their foot-soldiers out of Beirut in 1982. Hizbullah liberated Lebanon from Zionist occupation in 2000 and Hizbullah incapacitated your idol the Zionist offense force in the Summer of 2006. What did you — the night creatures of Riyadh and Dubai — do for the Lebanese when they were occupied? And for the Palestinians when they are still occupied? What are your accomplishments: Camp David? Oslo? Or is it your pleading and begging the Zionists and imperialists to protect you from Islamic Iran? 4. The Islamic Revolution and the Islamic resistance are noble followers of Imam Husayn (a) who fought the tyrant Yazid. Whose side are you on? Since Karbala’ we have endured persecution, discrimination, and all types of innuendo. Even today you officials in Arabia — high on Zionism and imperialism — never tire of accusing us of “bid‘ah,” “dalalah,” and even “kufr”! We have no time for your nonsense. There is an enemy who has occupied al-Quds and the Holy Land. We dare you to stand with us against that enemy. 5. Was it not we, the followers of the Prophet, the supporters of Imam ‘Ali, and the champions of Imam Husayn (a) who channeled missiles to our Palestinian brothers through Sudan into Egypt so that our Sunni brothers in Hamas and Islamic Jihad are able to defend themselves and potentially go on the offensive against the Zionist military muggers and civilian criminals? Where were you when all of this was happening? In the hotspots of southern Spain? The casinos of Europe, or the red-light districts of Bangkok and Singapore? 6. If this “Sunni-Shi‘i” bug is so entrenched in you, then go ahead and initiate your equivalent of Hizbullah who will take on the Zionist occupation. Or are you beholden to the Zionist interest and are incapable of even accommodating the thought? The Islamic Revolution gave us Hizbullah. The Saudi volition gave us takfiris. Hizbullah fights the Zionists; the takfiris fight the Muslims. Go figure. Thirty-six years is enough time for anyone to wake up; wouldn’t you say? “Then, let all compete as [are willing to] compete for things of high account…” (Qur’an 83:26).

Islamic revolution at 36

by Zafar Bangash February, 2015 How the Islamic revolution in Iran has survived for 36 years despite unrelenting aggression from imperialist and Zionist powers is inspirational. It is the commitment of the people of Iran to Islam and the taqwa of its muttaqi leadership. Given so much turmoil in the world, especially in the Muslim East (aka the Middle East), there is one country in the region — Islamic Iran — that stands out as a beacon of light and stability. Despite decades of illegal Western-imposed sanctions that are still in place, external invasion and massive internal sabotage, it is truly remarkable that the Islamic State is not only standing but making good progress. Other countries would have collapsed long ago. What accounts for Iran’s stability and progress? It would be wrong to assume that just because it is endowed with huge oil and gas wealth, it is able to weather the storm. After all, other oil producers — Iraq, Libya, even Syria and Saudi Arabia — are gripped by turmoil. Iraq has been devastated by repeated invasions and sanctions. Islamic Iran, too, has been subjected to this kind of aggression, ironically even from Iraq, yet it stands strong. Libya is completely broken; there is no government to talk of. Syria is engulfed in a war instigated and financed from abroad. It has been able to withstand this grand conspiracy thanks to the support it has received from Hizbullah (Iran’s ally) and Iran itself. And the artificial Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, despite being described as an “island of stability” by US President Barack Obama (January 28) — Saudis beware, remember Jimmy Carter’s fateful words about declaring the Shah’s regime as an “island of stability” in late 1977 — is teetering on the brink. Its survival is no longer assured and it is not only because it just lost a king or that the new one is also old and suffers from dementia. Its internal contradictions are catching up.

What accounts for Iran’s stability and progress? It can be summed up in one word: Islam. Iran has embarked on the Islamic path to address the needs of its people as well as establish a system in which the downtrodden and the oppressed are treated fairly. True, Islamic Iran is not perfect; there never has been or will be a perfect state but it is far better than almost all others. Unlike Saudi Arabia or Pakistan, Iran’s adherence to Islam is not superficial. There is a genuine commitment to live up to Islamic ideals. It is evident in the simplicity of its leaders, starting with the Rahbar, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei, that trickles down all the way to the lowest level. Taqwa (the active self-consciousness of Allah’s (swt) power-presence) flows from the top; when the leaders are muttaqi, they inspire those below to emulate their example. And wealth is not concentrated in the hands of a rapacious few at the top. In every other Muslim society, taqwa exists largely among the poor, downtrodden masses (or whatever their understanding of it) but it does not spread to those at the top. Instead, there is concentration of wealth in their hands at the top. This creates resentment and, therefore, instability in society. It is not surprising that few Muslim societies have any stability; Turkey and Malaysia can be cited as exceptions but in a limited sense.

Two other remarkable aspects of Islamic Iran are its total independence from foreign influence or interference, and no external debt. Measured on any scale, these are absolutely outstanding achievements. Western predatory powers do not tolerate any country exercising independent judgment; they use their massive military muscle to beat the recalcitrant country back into line. They have tried this with Islamic Iran as well for nearly four decades but have failed miserably. Similarly, by not being part of the international financial system — Iran is not a member of the Bank of International Settlements, an institution dominated by international banksters and thieves — it has skillfully avoided the capitalist financial fraud perpetrated regularly to impoverish others while accumulating wealth in the hands of the few. Only adherence to true Islamic principles enables people to withstand such pressure. Iran is the embodiment of such values and a model for other Muslims to emulate, if only they can take off their sectarian blinkers.