Ever since US decided that the Shah of Iran was the right ruler for Iran, US has been wrong about Iran. He was a despot, a torturer and a cruel man who seemed nice to westerners because he wore suits well and spoke good English. The Islamic Revolution was more about the Iranians asserting their rights than it was about Islam. Unfortunately it also brought the theocracy of Imams.
Iran is basically India, if India had less diversity. It has a rich heritage going back thousands of years. They are proud inheritors of the glory of Persia, and feel threatened by their neighbor to the west. Arab world loathes Iran with a passion, and their religious differences makes matters worse.
The Persian Gulf is the largest source of natural wealth in this world. It has enriched states that were primitive till recently. Sheikh Rashid, the father of the current president of UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi, recalls that as a child they used to survive in fish caught from the ocean and cooked on hot rocks. They had nothing to make fire with, and didn’t know what to do with the irritating black substance that kept oozing from everywhere. Americans and British companies taught Arabs to drill and refine oil, and made them rich and powerful.
Iran used to be the cultural pillar of Middle East, the country and culture all envied. Even the Mughals, who were from Mongolia, spoke Farsi to sound posh. But Iran found itself quickly surrounded and overshadowed by its Arab neighbors, and the West chose the wrong side. Iran can only sell to a few nations now, (including India, fortunately), and all overseas accounts of Iran that US can find, it freezes.
America chose to partner with the Arab dictators and cruel Kingdoms. The result is an oppression that resulted in Islamic fundamentalism as we know it. Iran, not Saudi Arabia, was declared as part of the axis of “evil” by America. Iran faces sanctions that limited its ability to grow and prosper. Iran was deliberately impoverished in the hope that they will throw their rulers and accept a “true democracy”. And inevitably, a relatively open society was pushed further and further into the clutches of oppressive regimes by making it a pariah.
For a change, America has done something right about Iran. Obama administration recently made a pact that puts a lot of constrains on Iranian nuclear program and in turn removes the barriers to trade. This deal allows Iranians to prosper, provided they swear off nuclear weapons.
The biggest opposer of this move is Saudi Arabia. That in itself makes it look like a good move. Add the opposition of people like Netenyahu and American conservatives and we have a sure sign that this must be really good for harmony. This deal means that Iran can now more directly take on the threat of ISIS. ISIS is helped by Turks and funded with Saudi money. It is predominantly an anti Shia force. And it is intent on capturing Iran and Shia parts of Iraq.
Anyone joining to fight against ISIS is good news for the world. This deal also empowers the people of Iran by making more trade and money flow there. The overblown threat of empoweiring Iran will also die a natural death as it becomes clear that Iran is no worse than the Arab players, and may actually be better in some ways.
Now Iran is going to have resources to fight the Arab extremism, and provided america stays neutral, this is going to get really tough for ISIS and their Saudi sponsors. Keep watching. This will get big. Regan had his Irangate scandal, Obama has his “Iran with open gates”
I really liked the way you forget to mention Israel as another big threat to this peaceful pact. And I know why you forget to mention Israel.
Good article.Iran will sober down Sunni extremism. It would have been better if author had taken up reasons for Israel and Iran hatred.