In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent,
the Merciful
IRAN’S NUCLEAR
AMBITION
[Shamim A Siddiqi, New York]
The Islamic Republic of Iran is
consistently and persistently defying the “wishes” of nuclear monopolistic
powers to keep away from its ambition to develop the nuclear technology in
spite of the fact that it is giving repeated assurance that it would be used
only for the peaceful purposes. The issue has become the hot-ball of world
politics since its young and energetic President Dr. Ahmadinjad started showing
his determination to carry it out and has now removed the seal and locks of the
laboratories where the experiment to enrich uranium was stopped some time back
after a compromised understanding between Iran and EU countries - Germany, UK and France. Both sides are
adamant and EU countries in collaboration with the USA
are planning to bring the issue to the Security Council to impose some
sanctions for her defiance against the policy of nuclear nonproliferation. It
has made the situation very alarming as well chaotic with so many evil effects
in its aftermath. Hence, the issue must be evaluated by peace loving people of
the globe in its true perspective. In fact, there are many aspects of this
issue and I will, Insha Allah, discuss each in the briefest possible way.
1. In the world of
nationalism and democracy, the rights of a nation howsoever weak or small must
be respected by others and the UN. As such, every nation must have the right to
develop the nuclear technology for medical and other peaceful purposes like
producing cheap energy for its industrial development. Had the case been so,
there would have been no row against nuclear ambition of any country at all and
the treaty of nuclear proliferation could easily be enforced. But, unfortunately,
the fortunate “big-five” have monopolized the nuclear power by “chance” in the
wake of Second Great War when the world was in turmoil and their monopolistic
“mentality” dictates that none else should have this monstrous power. India,
Pakistan are the other two fortunate countries that developed it out of
their “rivalry” and Israel possesses it in “disguise” as the most favored
nation of the “big-five”. The rest of the world, in their estimation, is rouge,
if any country slightly expresses her desire to have it even for peaceful
purposes. This is totally immoral and
world conscience should never allow having it by a few while denying to others.
This is injustice and SC must remove this anomalous situation first if it wants
to maintain peace on earth.
2. What is the guarantee
that the USA
will not use its nuclear power never-ever? Who is going to trust it if it
cannot trust two Muslim nations like Iran and Pakistan who not only “Trust in
God” but also feel accountable to Him
more than the “five” secular nuclear countries plus India. The matter
becomes more serious when the USA
has already resolved to use it in emergencies. William Rivers Pitt in his
recent article: “Attack on Iran: A
Looming Folly” writes on January 9, 2006: “In the worst case scenario, the newly-minted American Order of
Battle requiring the use of nuclear weapons to rescue a surrounded and
imperiled force could come into play, hurling the entire planet into military
and diplomatic bedlam”, if the American forces face a serious situation in Iraq
[or Afghanistan] and are found surrounded by enemy combatant forces of Iran and
Syria.
[Ref:WWW.truthout.org/docs_2006/0109061.shtml]
3. The “big-five” nuclear powers should have ignored Iran
and let it meet its legitimate desire to be the nuclear power as they are
“conveniently” ignoring Israel
out of their legendary “mockery”. They should have realized that the situation
of Iran is
quite different than that of South Korea,
Taiwan, Singapore,
Brazil or South
Africa. They should have realized that Iran
is a growing Shiia “super-power” on its own merit. From the oil-rich Eastern
Saudi Arabia upto Zahidan bordering Pakistan
and from Bahrain
to Lebanon, there
is a surge of “Shiia-nationalism”. The secular west could check Arab-panism
through “enticement and intimidation” but they cannot stop the growing “Shiia –
nationalism” form expansion, consolidation and emerging as a block of countries
fighting for their supremacy with enormous geopolitical importance, abundance
of raw material and energy resources of gas and oil, the dire need of
oil-hungry Europe and America. It would be in the better interest of the
developed nations of the world to recognize the growing importance of Iran
and its dominant role in the Middle East and world
politics in very near future. The current leadership in Iran
knows its potentials very well and that is why it is facing its adversaries
with courage, determination and a bit air of vanity.
4. The USA
and its allied forces jumped into Iraq,
after conquering Afghanistan
by dint of their arrogance and false “pride” of military might, forgetting
altogether that they have entered into a lion’s den. They even never cared for other religious and
ethnic forces in the region to balance their position. The lion is now fully
awake and the allied forces are in its “total” grip. “Ideologically”, there is
no border between Iran,
Iraq, Syria,
Kuwait, Bahrain,
Lebanon, Saudi
Arabia and beyond. The die-hard opponents of
occupied forces come and go from Iraq
at will. No military vigilance can catch them. If America
or its mercenary forces of Israel
attack Iran,
the war of insurgency in Iraq
will bogged down the American forces in a “cage” and their stay in Afghanistan
may become miserable too. Iran
can play havoc at both the places. In consequence, the armed men of the USA
may face the same situation in Iraq
as Pakistani forces encountered in East Pakistan in December
1971. Its further repercussion need not be described but can be well imagined. The topography of the ME may see another
change and America
may lose its vital interest in the region along with that of Israel.
Its centuries-old game plan of Greater Israel may face a catastrophic end. The
change of party by Sharon was not meaningless.
In fact, it was the change of his strategy to attain his cherished goal. It is
the planning of Allah and you know “He is the best planner.”
5. Muslim world as it stands
today will be just a silent spectator. No King, President or Sheikh will come
to the rescue of the USA.
In the wake of Shiia “revolution”, Muslim masses elsewhere in the Arab world
and North Africa will get impetus to fight against their
despotic rulers and try to come out of their tutelage. The rising forces of “pan-Shiiaism”
may help the suffocating Muslim population in their fight for “freedom” and in
turn, the Muslim Forces may come to help the “Shiia-Panism” in making the
region free of foreign influence altogether.
6. Europe and the USA
must read these warning signals that are being markedly written on the
firmament of the ME and, therefore, they must not be impatient on tall and bold
statements of the President of Iran. He is speaking with the force of Iman in
his heart, the support of his people and that of the region and the force of
favorable circumstances that have surrounded the Middle East
out of the follies of Washington,
London and Israel.
If Bush and Blair really want peace in the world, they should better keep
“quite” and let Iran
meet its legitimate nucleus ambition “silently” in the better interest of peace
and security that is becoming a nightmare of Bush-Blair-Sharon. Even if Iran
becomes a nuclear power, heaven will not fall on earth. World will then be a
more peaceful place to live without the impending threats that are pouring in
day and night unnecessarily from Washington,
London, Paris
and Bonn.
Shamim Siddiqi
January 15, 2006