It's Time To Be More Confrontational Toward the Mullahs

August 10, 2009

Hossein Askari

Western commentators question the Iranian regime’s commitment to democratic values, a thing of no importance to the mullahs. The mullahs don’t claim democratic values, something they label as Western and irrelevant. It is Islamic legitimacy that they claim and they justify their acts of repression by labeling their opposition anti-Islamic and at war with God. If Khameini and his illegitimate regime is to be totally discredited in Iran and in the Muslim world and isolated as never before, he must be confronted for his un-Islamic policies, and the fraud and the disgrace he is bringing to Islam and to Muslims the world over. This confrontation by the United States (government, academics, media) and by NGOs should be in every forum and by every means on three interrelated questions: Is justice at the core of Islam? Is their rule just? And is it the duty of Shia Muslims to confront an unjust ruler?

Regarding the first question, the answer is clear, supported by many verses from the Quran and from the widely acknowledged traditions of the Prophet Muhammad. One of the paramount duties of humans is to establish just rule on this plane of existence, a fact that the mullahs cannot deny.

As to the second question, Islam preaches the Unity of Allah’s Creation and is a rule-based system. At Islam’s core is walayat, or reciprocal love—mankind’s love of Allah and Allah’s love of mankind, reflected in the love of humans for each other. A Muslim shows his love of Allah by service to other humans. To harm, much less kill, a single human is a crime against humanity. A central duty of humans and society is to establish justice, which includes good governance, the eradication of corruption and poverty, the creation of a level playing field for all humans to develop, and caring for those who cannot care for themselves. Opulent living for the few alongside poverty for the majority is unjust. Allah has by design given humans the freedom of choice, in part to choose their leaders and their government.

An examination of the facts would confirm that elections have not been free. The regime disqualified hundreds of candidates for no good reason. The people had no voice in the selection of their supreme leader. The regime has savagely killed peaceful protesters. The regime maintains its hold on power with thugs and the barrel of a gun. It has mismanaged the economy. Corruption is all-pervasive. Income and wealth inequality is evident. The ranks of the poor and of the unemployed have swelled, while the regime’s cronies live a life of luxury. Volumes could be written chronicling injustice under the reign of the mullahs. This is an unjust regime.

As for the third question, what about collaboration with an unjust regime? Faced with injustice and unjust rulers, it is the duty of a Shia Muslim to oppose an unjust ruler. The mullahs preached the same to overthrow the Shah. If Iran is an “Islamic” republic, then it is the duty of all Iranian Shias to oppose the regime. Shia Muslims firmly believe in the Prophetic saying that on the Day of Reckoning the oppressor, the oppressed, and the person(s) who stood by and observed the oppression will be called upon to answer: the oppressor for the oppression, the oppressed for not resisting the oppression, and the bystander for not assisting the oppressed.

Three demands must be made of the regime—stop human rights abuses, permit free elections, and allow Iranians to revisit their constitution (if they want to shed the yoke of the mullahs who have abused religion to subjugate them).

To support the people of Iran in their quest for freedom, the United States should simultaneously adopt five measures to bring direct and indirect pressure on the illegitimate regime in Tehran: (i) enforce existing US laws and tighten financial sanctions on Iran to initiate a run on the Iranian rial, (ii) pressure and compensate Dubai to cut off economic and financial relations with Iran, (iii) pry Syria away from Iran, (iv) expose the foreign bank accounts of the regime insiders, and (v) stop touting Iran’s importance for US policy as the regime cannot be trusted to do what it says. This is the West’s best opportunity in thirty years to support the people of Iran. Yes, a good crisis must not be wasted! Not for short-run expediency but for solidarity with the brave people of Iran to affect real change. As a result the people of Iran will suffer even more in the short run, but these actions and global solidarity with their cause may at least give them a fair chance to shed their yoke of oppression.

There will be those who will reject this approach as interference in internal Iranian affairs and confrontational, and will instead recommend dialogue to secure Tehran’s assistance in the peace process, in Afghanistan, in Iraq and in preventing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. But these notions of effective Iranian collaboration are wishful thinking. It should by now be clear to any realist that the mullahs will not give up their quest to master the nuclear fuel cycle, allowing them to build the nuclear bomb quickly. Nor will the mullahs give up the support of their surrogates, such as Hezbollah, in the region because they need them to pressure the West for support of their regime. The US must for once chose the honorable course and side with the people of Iran and confront the mullahs with all its powers, excluding military force and covert operations.

Hossein Askari is the Iran Professor of International Business and International Affairs at the George Washington University.