Islamism vs Nationalism?

Printer-friendly versionSend to friendPDF versionManda Zand-Ervin Justifying the policy of continuation of dialogue with "Iran," some Middle East experts have finally arrived to the conclusion that nationalism is the reason for the Islamic regime's persistence on becoming a nuclear power. They argue that having the nuclear bomb is indeed a matter of national pride to the Islamic regime and the people of Iran. These statements have been passed on to Tehran by the Khamenei's lobbyists in Washington and in a sudden change of propaganda speeches, Ahmadinejad and other ruling clerics begin to talk to the rent-a-crowd chanting, "Death to America!" about their national pride in having a nuclear bomb. However, the facts do not support the assessment of nationalism in the Islamic world. Muslims are not citizens of any land or state; they are the Omma of Allah, meaning the servants of Allah, the only identity that a Muslim is allowed to have. A Muslim is only allowed to love the Allah and nothing else. The word Islam means "total submission." The Muslim countries' flags are all the flags of Islam, not their special country as the world likes to see them. Khomeini changed the Iranian flag from the symbol of Iranian nationalism to the symbol of Islam - the word "god" in Arabic language, Allah. Nationalism is a sin in Islam and the ruling Shiia clergies have been preaching to Iranians against nationalism for 500 years, generation after generation. Loving one's country is a sin that a Muslim can not repent; they are only allowed to love Allah in total submission. The American reporter asked Khomeini on the plane going to Iran, in 1979, "What are you feeling, going back to Iran, after all these years?" His response was, "Nothing." His feelings for Iran became obvious when he said in one of his sermons that Iran was only a platform for the promotion of the Islamic Empire and his Jihad against the corrupt and decadent infidels. When he was told that the people care for their nationality, Ayatollah Rohollah Khomeini said: "These issues that exist among people that we are Iranian and we need to do for Iran, is not correct. These issues are not correct. This issue, which is perhaps being discussed everywhere, regarding paying attention to the nation and nationality is not only nonsense in Islam it is against Islam. One of the things that the designers of Imperialism and their agents have promoted is the idea of nation and nationality." Ayatollah Khomeini was so adamant to create the Islamic Empire that proposed to change the name of the Persian Gulf to "Islamic Gulf." In 1979 Khomeini ordered to abandon the ancient Iranian Khayyamic solar system calendar based on Vernal Equinox, celebration of spring that has been the most important pre-Islamic Iranian heritage and identity. He was adamant to adopt the Arab's lunar system calendar because it is based on the Islamic history. Like the Taliban in Afghanistan, Khomeini ordered to tear down the remains of the Persapolice, calling it the symbol of atheism, but tens of thousands of Iranians traveled to the site from all over the country and sat down in the ruins for weeks. This was a show of national pride. Ayatollah Roohollah Khomeini said: "Those who say that we want nationalism, they are standing against Islam. . . . We have no use for the nationalists. Muslims are only useful for us. Islam is against nationality. . . ." The facts are that the large majority of Iranians are opposed to the nuclear bomb. In their demonstrations the Iranian labors who had not been paid for months chanted, "Yes to jobs, no to bombs." The placards held by the women and student movements are proof of their opposition to the nuclear program of the regime. FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing EditorManda Zand Ervin is a human rights activist for the Iranian women and children and the founder of the Alliance of Iranian Women.