Would anything be different if...
September 22,2006

JAKARTA – AP
A Christian suicide bomber walked into a market frequented by Muslims today, killing 7 and wounding 34. This is the third such attack in recent days since Iranian Supreme ruler, Ayatollah Khamenei spoke at a recent conference in Islamabad, Pakistan. The topic was the history of religious intellectualism. Khamenei referenced a 14th century Islamic cleric that said “The Pope in Rome has brought nothing but violence to his crusade of the Holy Land.”

Since this speech, the Christian world has been awash in violence. The Iranian embassy in Rome was firebombed and a prominent sheikh was stabbed dead while praying in London. Demonstrations were held from New York to Sydney as hundreds of thousands took to the streets. The Council of European Roman Catholic Bishops denounced the speech as “ignorant, and totally without regard for the true history of Christendom.” The most outspoken was American Reverend Al Sharpton who declared, “This is proof of the war being waged on all Christianity – the supreme ruler of Iran should have his throat slit."

The official word from Iran’s foreign ministry is that Khamenei “deeply regrets” any misunderstanding surrounding what was characterized as a “historical perspective on how violence is not compatible with religious belief.” The statement went on to say that Khamenei does not agree with the 14th century text and simply used it to “rationally examine the evolution of religious thought.”

Catholic and Protestant scholars across the West have dismissed the statements from Tehran. “This is not a true apology,” stated Colombian Bishop Eduardo Torino. “These words are deeply offensive to Christians. To say that the Pope favors violence is inexcusable and the Ayatollah needs to say this directly.”

Adding to this pressure are the annual ministerial meetings at the U.N. After Iranian President Ahmadinejad spoke on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair made his position clear. “This room still contains the stench of evil. The tyrants in Tehran, Damascus, and elsewhere will lose the power to corrupt the world. You are seeing a world willing to stand up and one day, very soon, the Islamic fascists in the Middle East will perish in a hell that they themselves created.”

A spokesman for Syrian President Bashar Assad said there will be no official Syrian statement and that the comments made by Prime Minister Blair “are not becoming of a head of state.” Iran’s Press Ministry released a statement that the “comical words of Prime Minister Blair warrant no response.”

The coming weeks will likely bring more tensions as the Security Council is continuing to examine possible sanctions against Israel. Since the U.S. and Israel issued a joint statement last year vowing to “wipe Iran from the map,” world leaders are questioning the purpose of a chemical factory just south of Haifa. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated “these chemicals have industrial purposes and we assert our right as a sovereign nation to pursue the manufacture of these chemicals.” Iran and Indonesia point to the fact that the chemical factory in question is under the direction of the Israeli military. The Islamic world is also concerned that this factory is being built at the same time long-range missiles are being tested capable of delivering chemical warheads to targets inside Iran. Efforts to provide Israel with non-weapons grade chemicals that would satisfy all their industrial needs have been rebuffed countless times.

The Christian fundamentalist group responsible for 9/17, The Shepherd’s Sword, released a statement supporting the “persecuted Christian brothers and sisters who will be avenged. We have warned the unbelievers and they will be converted or killed, God willing.”

Dr. Marwan al-Kanwi, sociologist at Tehran University, indicated that these tensions with the West could not have come at a worse time. As Iranians commemorate the anniversary of the 9/17 terror attacks, al-Kanwi fears these additional threats may exacerbate an already tense Iranian population. “It started with the simultaneous bombing of our embassies in Amsterdam and Brussels. Then our warship was bombed while being refueled in Venezuela. Now, just as we begin to heal from the 2,000 that died when our trains were hijacked and derailed in the mountains, we have to deal with these new threats. These fanatics don't just criticize our policies or our governments -- they want to kill all of us in the name of Christ.”

“I just hope our people wake-up and take notice before it’s too late.”

|

 

Home|epinion|Purple People Eater

Feedback@PurpleThink.com

©2006 PurpleThink.com