Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi, second in line to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that and a number of other lovely things at an international conference on fighting drug trafficking held in Tehran:
Iran’s vice president delivered a baldly anti-Semitic speech on Tuesday at an international antidrug conference here, saying that the Talmud, a central text of Judaism, was responsible for the spread of illegal drugs around the world.
European diplomats in attendance expressed shock. Even Iranian participants in the conference, co-sponsored by Iran and the United Nations, privately wondered at their government’s motive for allowing such a speech, even given its longstanding antagonism toward Israel.{...}
The “Zionists” are in firm control of the illegal drug trade, Mr. Rahimi said, asking foreign dignitaries to research his claims. “Zionists” is Iran’s ideological term for Jews who support the state of Israel.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran will pay for anybody who can research and find one single Zionist who is an addict,” Mr. Rahmini said. “They do not exist. This is the proof of their involvement in drugs trade.”
Mr. Rahimi, who spoke after Mr. De Leo, told stories of gynecologists’ killing black babies on the orders of the Zionists and claimed that the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 was started by Jews, adding that mysteriously, no Jews died in that uprising.
He also said the Talmud teaches Jews to think that they are a superior race. “They think God has created the world so that all other nations can serve them,” he said.
A European diplomat said afterward: “This was definitely one of the worst speeches I have heard in my life. My gut reaction was: why are we supporting any cooperation with these people?”
Such views are far from uncommon throughout the Muslim world and that includes the Muslim enclaves in Europe, so I can't imagine why the Europeans were so shocked. They've heard this sort of thing and worse before.
What I wonder is why the Europeans (and a certain American president) still think the Iranians are rational actors and that 'engagement' with people who think like this is possible as they strive towards obtaining nuclear weapons.
That's a far more dangerous delusion than the ones commonly expressed by Rahimi and his friends in Iran...and it had better end quickly. Because the Ayatollahs aren't going to stop with the Jews.
the reason is because that is the way hussein thinks as well.
ReplyDeletethe only thing you didn't do is compare this guy with rev. wright.
Rob, I don't know much about the Talmud, but I have heard a few bad things therein said about Jesus and the "goyim".
ReplyDeleteI am a Christian and I know the Talmud is not an inspired book (or collection of books) but when a Jewish man sides with the Talmud as moral authority, he must answer for all of it.
But anyhow, good job and God bless.
Hello Lucas,
ReplyDeleteThe Talmud was written long before Jesus existed, at the time of the Babylonian Exile. It is, essentially, commentaries and discussions of the Torah and the Mishna (Judaism's oral law) so it can be said to be as divinely inspired as the Gospels, also written by men.
Obviously you been misinformed, and I suggest you read it for yourself.
Regards,
Rob
Essentially the reason that this stuff is tolerated and cooperation with the Iranian government is supported is because of the narrative on this conflict. As everyone pretty much knows, the narrative on this is as follows: "America with the help of its ally, Great Britain, overthrew the popular democratically elected governmnet of Iran in the early 1950s in order to steal Iranian oil. Then America supported the Shah who brutally oppressed the Iranian people so America and Britain could continue to exploiting, crushing, and abusing the Iranian people. America, as the leader in this action, bears most of the responsibility and must bear the brunt of the costs." With this narrative in place and, as long as it stays in place virtually unchallenged, any support for America is going to be tepid at best in any confrontation with Iran.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is many of these European diplomats, their leaders, and even a certain American president probably believe the narrative. As long as this narrative remains in place, we are simply not going to be able to get the kind of international support we are going to need to effectively confront Iran.
Essentially the world believes Iran has the right to punish America for its "crimes" against the Iranian people and, while the world may think Iran oversteps this right in some its rhetoric, it esentially has this right. As such, we can expect no real support from anyone here.
In order to reign in things like this, the narrative on this conflct simply must be confronted. In the case of Israel, the narrative on this is "Israel stole Palestinian land is brutally repressing the Palestinians." This is why this particular incident is tolerated.
I'm not suggesting I believe these narratives. The truth, as it were, is likely much more ocmplicated. The narratives simply must be confronted, if we are to have any chance of winning.
Finally, as I've long suspected, the Iranians may over reach. They may have done so here. If some European diplomats are finally waking up, this might be a silver linning.