Iranian Satellite Alarms West, Arab Neighbors
Iran put a satellite into low earth orbit on Tuesday, in honor of the anniversary of the revolution that brought the Islamic Republic to power in 1979.
US, German and other Western officials expressed anxiety that the same technology used in the launches could also be used to develop an Iranian ballistic missile.
Iran insists that it is developing the delivery technology for peaceful civilian purposes.
It is striking that Western anxieties about Iran often depict the regime as "medieval," but what they are really afraid of appears on the contrary to be Iranian modernity.
Aljazeera English reports on the anxiety in the Arab world about Iran's increased power..
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posted by Juan Cole @ 2/04/2009 12:44:00 AM
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13 Comments:
Ah..yes... The Sputnik success amid ongoing US failures and the Space Race, soon to be Missile Gap.
I agree entirely with the Iranian cleric in the Jazeera report. The US-client dictators of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have been doing their utmost to poison the atmosphere with all this nonsense about a Persian-Shia crescent. Since when have Mubarak and the two Abdullahs been defenders of Sunni Islam or Arabism? What they are really afraid of is that resistance rather than submission is popular among their own people.
http://pulsemedia.org/2009/02/02/sectarian-rabble-rousing/
"It is striking that Western anxieties about Iran often depict the regime as "medieval," but what they are really afraid of appears on the contrary to be Iranian modernity."
True, but it also appears that Iranians, Arabs and other persons of ancient heritage are quite concerned about the West's repressively medievalist attitudes. Of course, they have reason to be concerned. "Operation Infinite Crusade." I rest my case.
Thank you Professor Cole, and for the record,I think your blog should be required reading in high schools. Just researching the questions raised by not being able to reconcile your blog with the corporate misinformedia would constitute a program of study in history, ethics, and critical thinking. Obama, are you listening? (Memo to self, create a program of study ...)
I know some will always look at every new advancement as a threat. I suppose that is part of human nature. I suppose when we first learned to walk on two legs, there was resistance because the two legged walking people had an advantage. I can almost believe as languages evolved that there was resistance by those who feared "bad words" would be said and destroy mankind. Hey, they are still doing that...and you know, they are right.
If you demonize a nation effectively enough with your words, you can then destroy them.
Essentially what we find are Egypt and Saudi Arabia becoming client states of Israel or America in terms of fear- and war-mongering over Iran and over Gaza and Hamas for that matter. When I find reports from Saudi and Egyptian sources, I am startled at the open bias which is never questioned by American reporters or analysts.
Iran will not kneel or stay in the dark ages. So, Western powers are intent on destroying them.
James-Speaks recognizes the West's "repressively medievalist attitude". Is it not obvious that when the West shows concern about "medieval" Iran acquiring developing or acquiring advanced technologies that it is their medieval attitude that is the concern. Otherwise the concern would be illogical.
Isn't it obvious that Iran has been pushing for a Shiite influenced Crescent? First of all, why is that a bad thing? Second, look at Hamas, Hezbullah, Syria, and the Shiites in Iraq and you can clearly see Iran's influence in an already present crescent. The funny thing is that a friend of mine who is a leading Palestinian journalist told me that there's absolutely no working relationship between Hamas and Iran because Hamas is Sunni and Iran is Shiite. Clearly this video implies otherwise and shows that more moderate Arab leaders like Abbas do have legitimate concerns.
Yes, we are threatened by medieval thinkers in Iran.
As we are threatened by medieval thinkers in the US.
It's not US v. Islam.
It's normal people v. those who oppose The Enlightenment.
Describing unpopular pro-US dictators as those in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia as "moderate" or "Sunni" is a mistake of analysis.
Abbas in Palestine is not a moderate. His pro-Israel position is as unpopular in Palestine as Richard Reid (the shoe bomber)'s anti-Zionist position is in the United States.
Abbas, Mubarak, Abdullah (SA) and Abdullah (J) are pro-Zionist radicals who would probably have to go into exile if their countries were to ever get democratic governments.
This fact seems very hard for Americans to wrap their heads around. These subordinate leaders say they are worried about Iranian influence just to say something. The alternative is to say they try to do whatever the Americans tell them to do, which is true, but how could they admit that?
Abbas is
1) NOT a "leader", but an Israel/USA puppet
2) NOT "moderate" but simply Israel/USA puppet
3) NOBODY (he was elected till 010909 - his term is over)
So Abbas CANNOT have any "legitimate concerns".
Arnold Evans
Just wanted to say Bravo to your comment . you got all the facts right , the So called Moderates are only repeating what the whitehouse and Tel Aviv wants them to say , they are true US puppets and the strength of israel only strenghten their thrones because if we truly had Honest fair elections , they ll be the first to be kicked out and no one wants them in their Arab country.
Abbas Lost his popularity a long time ago , He is no longer a president according to the Palestinian constitution , he is despised because of his security cooperation with the shin bet and israeli army and his years of peace talks only increased more checkpoints and illegal settlments in the westbank and East jerusalem. he knows he is no longer popular that s why he sent his security men to threaten journalists and anyone who critizes him including the resistance and Hamas members in the westbank
Why is Iran extending it's influence a bad thing....
First, it's crazy to me that so many of us want to normalize relations with Iran yet call Arab leaders puppets if they attempt some "normal" relations with Israel or the US.
Abbas must work with Israel and Israel must work with him because of the situation they're in. So I guess any Arab leaders that make peace with Israel are automatically puppets?
Most importantly, I would say that Hamas receiving funding from Iran and implementing Sharia law in the West Bank like they already did in Gaza is definitely a legitimate concern to all Palestinian Christians and to secular Muslims like Abbas, that doesn't make them co-conspirators.
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