Good Richards Almanac

December 1, 2006

Decomposition Of Ahmadinejad's Letter

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, religiously appointed figure-head of Iran, reaches out to Noble Americans. Judging by the content of the letter, I think he meant Ignorant Americans. To the unwitting, to the bleeding hearts, I'm sure the letter will warm their heart, or fill them with anguish for our support of Israel. Reasonable men, however, will reject the unfounded and deplorable insinuation of this letter.

Below is my decomposition and rebuttal of the fallacies of this letter. My comments in italics.

Noble Americans,

Were we not faced with the activities of the US administration in this part of the world and the negative ramifications of those activities on the daily lives of our peoples, coupled with the many wars and calamities caused by the US administration as well as the tragic consequences of US interference in other countries;

The activities of the US administration may indeed have negative impact on the peoples of Iran. However, this, by itself, does not indicate the reasonableness of those actions. The American people are resolved to take action which may have devastating consequences if those actions are deemed necessary to protect their interests.

Were the American people not God-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking, while the US administration actively conceals the truth and impedes any objective portrayal of current realities;

Unlike your country, ours provides for the freedom of religion. Your statement is indicative of the religious fervor that is used to oppress and abuse the noble peoples of Iran. Not all Americans believe in God. To imply such is dishonest. We're fine with that, because we believe such freedoms are necessary for a civilized society.

As for the objectivity of the U.S. administration, do you imply that some level of objectivity is required for diplomacy between nations? Should nations and the administrations which govern them submit to an arbitrary principle such as objectivity? Or should the administration serve as an advocate of the people they govern? I believe the answers to these questions are obvious. This letter is an example of your nonobjective advocacy of the Iranian administration's point of view. Mr. Ahmadinejad, you are disingenuous.

And if we did not share a common responsibility to promote and protect freedom and human dignity and integrity;

We may indeed share a common responsibility to promote and protect freedom and human dignity and integrity. If we do, then, why does your nation subject its people to the detestable Sharia law? If you have a responsibility to promote and protect freedom, why does your country support outlawing:
  • Music
  • Dancing
  • Football

It seems you're either shirking your responsibility, or are not protecting the freedom of the individual, but that of an authoritarian, tyrannical government.

Then, there would have been little urgency to have a dialog with you.

While Divine providence has placed Iran and the United States geographically far apart, we should be cognizant that human values and our common human spirit, which proclaim the dignity and exalted worth of all human beings, have brought our two great nations of Iran and the United States closer together.

Both our nations are God-fearing, truth-loving and justice-seeking, and both seek dignity, respect and perfection.

As I've already mentioned, a great many Americans do not believe in God.

Both greatly value and readily embrace the promotion of human ideals such as compassion, empathy, respect for the rights of human beings, securing justice and equity, and defending the innocent and the weak against oppressors and bullies.

I agree that both nations value and readily embrace the promotion of such ideals. I argue, however, the two nations have diametrically opposed ideas about how these ideals should be instituted and enforced.

The United States institutes these ideals through the protection of personal liberty. We enforce these protections via a judicial system built around the concept of a trial-by-jury. We believe this is the best system as it allows a group of your peers to assess the reasonability of criminal charges against you. With sufficient evidence you will be convicted. Without, you will not. The greatest of this system, however, is that our peers decide, in the context of their own lives, the definition of the term "sufficient."

Your nation institutes and protects these ideals through the oppressive implementation of the laws of Islam. You believe that a small group of men are selected by Allah to serve as judges. You believe a small group of men are given knowledge by Allah as to the interpretation of those laws. How reasonable is such a system to individuals who do not share the belief of the existence of Allah? Your system is, by its very nature, oppressive.

We are all inclined towards the good, and towards extending a helping hand to one another, particularly to those in need.
No one wakes up in the morning with intent to be Evil. Through ignorance, unwitting men perform Evil deeds. The road to hell is paved with Good intentions. Do not invoke such words as good and evil without an agreement as to their definitions.

We all deplore injustice, the trampling of peoples' rights and the intimidation and humiliation of human beings.

We all detest darkness, deceit, lies and distortion, and seek and admire salvation, enlightenment, sincerity and honesty.

I do not agree that all men, by their nature, detest these things. Any conscious human being understands the dichotomy of man. We all know of the fundamental struggle between good and evil in Man's heart. I therefore reject the basis of this statement.

The pure human essence of the two great nations of Iran and the United States testify to the veracity of these statements.

See my previous statement.

Noble Americans,

Our nation has always extended its hand of friendship to all other nations of the world.

How much would your nation extend a hand of friendship to another if Sunni and Shi'ite sects inside your nation cannot cooperate in a friendly manner?

Hundreds of thousands of my Iranian compatriots are living amongst you in friendship and peace, and are contributing positively to your society. Our people have been in contact with you over the past many years and have maintained these contacts despite the unnecessary restrictions of US authorities.

And a great many of them have rejected your nation to become American citizens.

As mentioned, we have common concerns, face similar challenges, and are pained by the sufferings and afflictions in the world.

We, like you, are aggrieved by the ever-worsening pain and misery of the Palestinian people. Persistent aggressions by the Zionists are making life more and more difficult for the rightful owners of the land of Palestine. In broad day-light, in front of cameras and before the eyes of the world, they are bombarding innocent defenseless civilians, bulldozing houses, firing machine guns at students in the streets and alleys, and subjecting their families to endless grief.

We are generally aggrieved by the ever-worsening pain and misery by both Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Because of the numerous concessions by Israel with no capitulation by the Palestinians, as with the Oslo accords, the notion that Jews, Israelis, or the fictitious group you call Zionists are somehow culpable for the violence in that region is unreasonable.

No day goes by without a new crime.

Palestinian mothers, just like Iranian and American mothers, love their children, and are painfully bereaved by the imprisonment, wounding and murder of their children. What mother wouldn't?

Why then, do they strap bombs on their children and send them to murder innocent people?

For 60 years, the Zionist regime has driven millions of the inhabitants of Palestine out of their homes. Many of these refugees have died in the Diaspora and in refugee camps. Their children have spent their youth in these camps and are aging while still in the hope of returning to homeland.

The land you speak of was judiciously conquered by Israel. If you believe Israelis should give the land back to the Palestinians, when will Iran give the land back to the non-Islamic Persians of the Sasanian Empire?

You know well that the US administration has persistently provided blind and blanket support to the Zionist regime, has emboldened it to continue its crimes, and has prevented the UN Security Council from condemning it.

There is no such thing as a Zionist regime. Your repeated use of this generality makes me question the intent of your rhetoric. Who are the Zionists?

Who can deny such broken promises and grave injustices towards humanity by the US administration?

I can.

Governments are there to serve their own people. No people wants to side with or support any oppressors. But regrettably, the US administration disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people.

You are out of line. The system which controls the formation of an administration over us is something we are very proud of. It is specifically designed with a high level of stability in mind. We do not want the policies of our government to change with the shifting winds, for if it did, a persuasive individual or group could easily take control of it. To think that a public opinion poll should have any impact on our governments policies is foolish.

Further, you're admission that "governments are there to serve their own people" is a direct contradiction with your previous statements about the lack of objectivity in the U.S. administration.

Let's take a look at Iraq. Since the commencement of the US military presence in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed or displaced. Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. With the presence of the US military in Iraq, nothing has been done to rebuild the ruins, to restore the infrastructure or to alleviate poverty. The US Government used the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but later it became clear that that was just a lie and a deception.

What has your country done to stop the flow of weapons and insurgents into Iraq?

Although Saddam was overthrown and people are happy about his departure, the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has persisted and has even been aggravated.

The pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has been aggravated by third parties such as Iran and Syria. Americans are bearing tremendous sacrifice for the improvement of Iraqis lives, while your country works to undo those improvements.

In Iraq, about one hundred and fifty thousand American soldiers, separated from their families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the current US administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or wounded and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American people and government.

In who's perception? The American presence in Iraq shows our resolve to fulfill our duties as we understand them. If such behavior is perceived as "tarnish," so be it.

Their mothers and relatives have, on numerous occasions, displayed their discontent with the presence of their sons and daughters in a land thousands of miles away from US shores. American soldiers often wonder why they have been sent to Iraq.

Please stop generalizing about the opinions of a great many people. No one statement of opinion can accurately represent the opinions of all soldiers or their families. There are many soldiers who take pride in their work Iraq. Many of their families share in this pride.

I consider it extremely unlikely that you, the American people, consent to the billions of dollars of annual expenditure from your treasury for this military misadventure.

We may not like it, but we bear the burden. As for the portrayal of our great successes in Iraq as misadventures, you are a dishonorable, disgraceful man.

Noble Americans,

You have heard that the US administration is kidnapping its presumed opponents from across the globe and arbitrarily holding them without trial or any international supervision in horrendous prisons that it has established in various parts of the world. God knows who these detainees actually are, and what terrible fate awaits them.

God knows whether these unverifiable charges are true.

You have certainly heard the sad stories of the Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib prisons. The US administration attempts to justify them through its proclaimed "war on terror." But every one knows that such behavior, in fact, offends global public opinion, exacerbates resentment and thereby spreads terrorism, and tarnishes the US image and its credibility among nations.

We needn't the support of nations who do not recognize our right to protect ourselves.

The US administration's illegal and immoral behavior is not even confined to outside its borders. You are witnessing daily that under the pretext of "the war on terror," civil liberties in the United States are being increasingly curtailed. Even the privacy of individuals is fast losing its meaning. Judicial due process and fundamental rights are trampled upon. Private phones are tapped, suspects are arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets, or even shot to death.

I live in the U.S., and my civil liberties are no more curtailed than they were before the war on terror began. As for charges of beatings or shootings, please provide examples with evidence. If these things have occurred, we will prosecute those responsible.

I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and indeed deplore it.

As in my previous statement, we haven't confirmed these things have occurred.

The US administration does not accept accountability before any organization, institution or council. The US administration has undermined the credibility of international organizations, particularly the United Nations and its Security Council. But, I do not intend to address all the challenges and calamities in this message.

These assertions are laughable. The United States actions in Iraq are enforcing the U.N. Security Council's resolutions regarding Iraq. By enforcing such resolutions, the U.S. buttresses the credibility of such organizations.

The legitimacy, power and influence of a government do not emanate from its arsenals of tanks, fighter aircrafts, missiles or nuclear weapons. Legitimacy and influence reside in sound logic, quest for justice and compassion and empathy for all humanity. The global position of the United States is in all probability weakened because the administration has continued to resort to force, to conceal the truth, and to mislead the American people about its policies and practices.

The U.S. administration is appointed by the people. It is the embodiment of the people's will. To separate the two, to denounce one despite the other, illuminates a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of government.

Undoubtedly, the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and they showed their discontent in the recent elections. I hope that in the wake of the mid-term elections, the administration of President Bush will have heard and will heed the message of the American people.

Again, you generalize the opinions of a vast electorate as a single opinion.

My questions are the following:

Is there not a better approach to governance?

Never in history has there been a better approach to governance, nor will there ever be.

Is it not possible to put wealth and power in the service of peace, stability, prosperity and the happiness of all peoples through a commitment to justice and respect for the rights of all nations, instead of aggression and war?

Not so long as governments are institutions of men.

We all condemn terrorism, because its victims are the innocent.

But, can terrorism be contained and eradicated through war, destruction and the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents?

The question is an example of an effective debate tactic. To portray the truthful response to it as being supportive of the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents. While I do not support the killing of innocents, as a reasoning, thinking man, I have to answer in the affirmative. It is possible to contain and/or eradicate terrorism through war. If all men are dead, terrorism will cease.

If that were possible, then why has the problem not been resolved?

So long as men live, evil exists.

The sad experience of invading Iraq is before us all.

What has blind support for the Zionists by the US administration brought for the American people? It is regrettable that for the US administration, the interests of these occupiers supersedes the interests of the American people and of the other nations of the world.

I've already asked, who are the Zionists? You've lost me.

What have the Zionists done for the American people that the US administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors? Is it not because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors?

I recommend that in a demonstration of respect for the American people and for humanity, the right of Palestinians to live in their own homeland should be recognized so that millions of Palestinian refugees can return to their homes and the future of all of Palestine and its form of government be determined in a referendum. This will benefit everyone.

Both Israel and the United States have made concessions as to the creation of a state for Palestine. Palestinians, unbelievably, have rejected the notion, insisting that the conflict will only be resolved when the Israelis are driven into the sea.

Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government, would it not be more beneficial to bring the US officers and soldiers home, and to spend the astronomical US military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and prosperity of the American people? As you know very well, many victims of Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness.

We must maintain a military presence in Iraq in perpetuity, to protect the National Security interests against regimes such as yours.

I'd also like to say a word to the winners of the recent elections in the US:

Figures.

The United States has had many administrations; some who have left a positive legacy, and others that are neither remembered fondly by the American people nor by other nations.

Now that you control an important branch of the US Government, you will also be held to account by the people and by history.

If the US Government meets the current domestic and external challenges with an approach based on truth and Justice, it can remedy some of the past afflictions and alleviate some of the global resentment and hatred of America. But if the approach remains the same, it would not be unexpected that the American people would similarly reject the new electoral winners, although the recent elections, rather than reflecting a victory, in reality point to the failure of the current administration's policies. These issues had been extensively dealt with in my letter to President Bush earlier this year.

I could point out the historical trends of sixth-year midterm elections, instead, I'll simply forgive your ignorance of American politics.

To sum up:

It is possible to govern based on an approach that is distinctly different from one of coercion, force and injustice.

I agree!

It is possible to sincerely serve and promote common human values, and honesty and compassion.

Your fading.

It is possible to provide welfare and prosperity without tension, threats, imposition or war.

You've lost me. If by "welfare" you mean the traditional definition of feeding the poor, the only way that can be done is by confiscating wealth from another individual.

It is possible to lead the world towards the aspired perfection by adhering to unity, monotheism, morality and spirituality and drawing upon the teachings of the Divine Prophets.

It is not possible to lead the world towards perfection. As communicated throughout my comments, men are both good and evil. So long as men live, some level of evil with exist. The best we can do is promote the good and manage the evil.

Then, the American people, who are God-fearing and followers of Divine religions, will overcome every difficulty.

What I stated represents some of my anxieties and concerns.

I am confident that you, the American people, will play an instrumental role in the establishment of justice and spirituality throughout the world. The promises of the Almighty and His prophets will certainly be realized, Justice and Truth will prevail and all nations will live a true life in a climate replete with love, compassion and fraternity.

The US governing establishment, the authorities and the powerful should not choose irreversible paths. As all prophets have taught us, injustice and transgression will eventually bring about decline and demise. Today, the path of return to faith and spirituality is open and unimpeded.

We should all heed the Divine Word of the Holy Qur'an:

Your oppression fails to cease, even in your pernicious, condescending letter.

"But those who repent, have faith and do good may receive Salvation. Your Lord, alone, creates and chooses as He will, and others have no part in His choice; Glorified is God and Exalted above any partners they ascribe to Him." (28:67-68)

I pray to the Almighty to bless the Iranian and American nations and indeed all nations of the world with dignity and success.

I pray to God to bless the people of Iran, and to give them the strength to overthrow it's oppressive Islamic regime.

Also...

Posted by Richard at December 1, 2006 7:14 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.goodrichardsalmanac.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/94

Comments

Good post, I like it!!! Amma-whuh? :)

Posted by: Fix4RSO at December 2, 2006 1:57 PM

Post a comment




Remember Me?

(you may use HTML tags for style)