Overwhelmed by the mass influx of news regarding the so-called 'crisis' in Iran of late, I really feel I need to start a discussion on this important issue.
I think the current impasse regarding Iran and nuclear weapons/energy is completely ridiculous, biased and unfair. I'm not particularly inclined to defend Iran or any other country in the world, but this just stinks. I think the 'West' has been looking for an excuse to hawk over Iran for a long time; it is a country which, as a regional power, presents an alternative point-of-view which is often uncomfortable. It is often a 'straight talking' country that publicly speaks out on hot topics that are on the lips of people on the street. One of the regular topics is Israel.
Israel is a pivotal issue in this case. Again, I've no reason to talk against Israel more than anyone else in the world. Although it has become acceptable around the world for Israel to remain a legitimate state, some people still believe that they claim a state on land which was not theirs. Before any pro-Israelis take offence at this, I repeat that I have no problem with Israel existing, but if we as humans are to understand what's happening in the Middle East, we need to be frank and reflect honestly on the issues. Israel was created a long time after Palestine (in it's original form) was presented as a refuge for Jews worldwide; until Israel took the land for itself, the two groups (Palestinians & Jews) lived side-by-side relatively peacefully. Imagine how all the Arabs feel knowing that a country belonging to a brother people (i.e. fellow Muslims & Arabs) has been taken over by a people of outsiders.
How would every European feel if a bona-fide European state was taken over by a ‘foreign’ people? Perhaps France or Germany being selected as an appropriate homeland for Kurds? I know this is an example that is completely ridiculous and not 100% comparable, but you get the point.
Israel is also a difficult subject in Iran and many other Arab nations because other countries, like the USA support it outright without hesitation at the country’s policy. Israel has nuclear weapons, like it or not, and yes it’s a democracy but so is Lebanon, and so is Iran; should they have nuclear weapons? So when big powers approach the Middle East in a seemingly hypocritical way, is it any surprise when a country in the Arab region (in this case Iran) talks out? The latest round is the American/Anglo attempt at ‘democratising’ the region, without respecting that ‘democracy means different things to different nations’ as King Abdullah, a US-ally is quoted. They march in with their military might and without a real plan and expect every country to fall into line with their opinions of how democracy works. What if China invaded the USA with the intention of exporting its brand of democracy?
Then we can get down to the legality or illegality of what Iran is doing. As far as Iran has publicly said, and without lack of evidence on the contrary, we have to assume that the country is researching nuclear technology for the civilian purpose of energy provision. This is completely legal, and even encouraged internationally. In the UK, we consistently here that the best way to avoid future environmental damage is to build more nuclear power stations. That’s from Tony Blair himself. So why shouldn’t Iran have the same luxury which is guaranteed to them by international law? If the argument is that Iran might be seeking to build weapons, then why is that thought so unacceptable anyway? It’s not a comfortable thought, but in the near proximity to Iran countries like India, Israel & Pakistan are known to possess nuclear weapons. As a neighbour to France, I’m not particularly comfortable knowing that country has nuclear weapons. Russia also has nuclear weapons and China even, not forgetting the USA & Britain. What happens when one of these countries decides to use one of their weapons? An escalation in regional tensions could lead to this as a serious possibility, and not just in the Middle East. Many countries that are feeling threatened see that having a nuclear weapon can be a deterrent to potential aggressors, and a stick that can be shook when looking for rewards (like permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council for example). Why should countries like the UK & the US feel they have the right to dictate to other countries on issues like nuclear weapons? On nuclear energy, this right is even smaller.
Is it an ideological difference? Have we progressed so much as humans to feel that our way of thinking is better than someone else’s? Are the Western powers looking for an excuse to invade Iran? Remember that in the case of Iraq, the main excuses for invasion have since been retracted by the people that stated them (Tony Blair & George Bush); so whilst the world may be a better place without Saddam Hussein as a Head of State, our countries went to war on a false mandate. I know that publicly we are told that military force is not an option in the case of Iran, but that could change in the near future. George Bush recently said ‘we are not considering military action against Iran, but saying that we would consider all of our options’.
Kofi Annan said in 2005 ‘the rule of law safeguards against the rule of war’. I hope our democratically elected leaders remember this when dealing with countries like Iran, and learn from their mistakes with Iraq.
I look forward to responses.
