Juan Cole: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Iran

Neser Boha · Oct 2, 2009

The top ten things you didn't know about Iran | Salon

1. Belief: Iran is aggressive and has threatened to attack Israel, its neighbors or the U.S.

Reality: Iran has not launched an aggressive war modern history (unlike the U.S. or Israel), and its leaders have a doctrine of "no first strike." This is true of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as of Revolutionary Guards commanders.

2. Belief: Iran is a militarized society bristling with dangerous weapons and a growing threat to world peace.

Reality: Iran's military budget is a little over $6 billion annually. Sweden, Singapore and Greece all have larger military budgets. Moreover, Iran is a country of 70 million, so that its per capita spending on defense is tiny compared to these others, since they are much smaller countries with regard to population. Iran spends less per capita on its military than any other country in the Persian Gulf region with the exception of the United Arab Emirates.

3. Belief: Iran has threatened to attack Israel militarily and to "wipe it off the map."

Reality: No Iranian leader in the executive has threatened an aggressive act of war on Israel, since this would contradict the doctrine of 'no first strike' to which the country has adhered. The Iranian president has explicitly said that Iran is not a threat to any country, including Israel.

4. Belief: But didn't President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threaten to "wipe Israel off the map?"

Reality: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did quote Ayatollah Khomeini to the effect that "this Occupation regime over Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time" (in rezhim-e eshghalgar-i Qods bayad as safheh-e ruzgar mahv shavad). This was not a pledge to roll tanks and invade or to launch missiles, however. It is the expression of a hope that the regime will collapse, just as the Soviet Union did. It is not a threat to kill anyone at all.

5. Belief: But aren't Iranians Holocaust deniers?

Reality: Some are, some aren't. Former president Mohammad Khatami has castigated Ahmadinejad for questioning the full extent of the Holocaust, which he called "the crime of Nazism." Many educated Iranians in the regime are perfectly aware of the horrors of the Holocaust. In any case, despite what propagandists imply, neither Holocaust denial (as wicked as that is) nor calling Israel names is the same thing as pledging to attack it militarily.
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Just quoted 5 out of Cole's 10 points. To read the full article, click on the link above.

Si modo · Oct 2, 2009

Juan Cole?

CrusaderFrank · Oct 2, 2009

It reads like he's Obama Middle East adviser. Amazing.

Nothing about how Iran is supplying IED to the Iraqi Insurgents and killing US soldiers. Nothing about how Iranian proxies tried to grab Basra.

It's like Jimmy Carter all over again.

The Rabbi · Oct 2, 2009

Don't mention Iran's support for Hezbollah....

Si modo · Oct 2, 2009

The Rabbi said: ↑

Don't mention Iran's support for Hezbollah....
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No surprise.

Sunni Man · Oct 2, 2009

Forgot to mention that Iran has the largest Jewish population in the middle east outside of Israel.

The Iranian Jews where offered cash and various incentives to immigrate to Israel.

Almost everyone refused the offer, stating that they were perfectly happy and safe living in Iran.

Iran even has jews who are repesentaves in their parliment, and are specificly protected by the Iranian constitution.

Neser Boha · Oct 2, 2009

Yeah, Iran's support of terrorist organizations is disturbing. However, most countries, including the US, have a long and rich history of doing the same.

The Rabbi · Oct 2, 2009

Sunni Man said: ↑

Forgot to mention that Iran has the largest Jewish population in the middle east outside of Israel.

The Iranian Jews where offered cash and various incentives to immigrate to Israel.

Almost everyone refused the offer, stating that they were perfectly happy and safe living in Iran.

Iran even has jews who are repesentaves in their parliment, and are specificly protected by the Iranian constitution.
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Oh yeah. Forgot to mention these little facts I guess:

Iran's official government-controlled media often issues anti-Semitic propaganda. A prime example is the government's publishing of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a notorious Czarist forgery, in 1994 and 1999.2 Jews also suffer varying degrees of officially sanctioned discrimination, particularly in the areas of employment, education, and public accommodations.3

The Islamization of the country has brought about strict control over Jewish educational institutions. Before the revolution, there were some 20 Jewish schools functioning throughout the country. In recent years, most of these have been closed down. In the remaining schools, Jewish principals have been replaced by Muslims. In Teheran there are still three schools in which Jewish pupils constitute a majority. The curriculum is Islamic, and Persian is forbidden as the language of instruction for Jewish studies. Special Hebrew lessons are conducted on Fridays by the Orthodox Otzar ha-Torah organization, which is responsible for Jewish religious education. Saturday is no longer officially recognized as the Jewish sabbath, and Jewish pupils are compelled to attend school on that day. There are three synagogues in Teheran, but since 1994, there has been no rabbi in Iran, and the bet din does not function. 4

Following the overthrow of the shah and the declaration of an Islamic state in 1979, Iran severed relations with Israel. The country has subsequently supported many of the Islamic terrorist organizations that target Jews and Israelis, particularly the Lebanon-based, Hezbollah. Nevertheless, Iran's Jewish community is the largest in the Middle East outside Israel.
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Jewish population 1948:100,000
Jewish population 2004: 25,000
It's the largest outside Israel because all the other Arab states killed off or drove off their own populations. That includes Iraq. Yemen seems to be only place still friendly. And Morocco, although it's the other side of Africa.

Shogun · Oct 2, 2009

Which is why they told israel to fuck off when lured with cash to move TO ISRAEL FROM IRAN, eh buttmunch?

I dare you to challenge this, zionist bastard.

Sunni Man · Oct 2, 2009

Rabbi, most people aren't aware that Israel bribed the bulk of jews in other middle east countries with money and free houses if they would come to Israel.

Then later, Israel issued false propagada, saying that the Jews had been driven out of their countries and had fled to Israel for safety.

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