Iran in the spotlight: some views and news

di Tehseen Nisar

Iran in the spotlight: some views and news

di Tehseen Nisar

Iran in the spotlight: some views and news

di Tehseen Nisar

Recent developments concerning Iran’s continued hostility towards the West particularly the US viz a viz the issue of acquisition of nuclear weapons technology has aroused tremendous International attention and furor at the same time. In the midst of a situation of intense accusations and counter accusations it becomes imperative to shed some short light on the nature of this intensely complicated and intricate issue that has been at the lime light over the last couple of years.

The reactionary and oft repeated Anti-Western rhetoric of President Ahmadinejad has gained him both Kudos and austere criticism at the same time. The fact that for some he is a hero and for the others a villain speak volumes about the extreme opinions of his personality which more so also depicts the position of his country in a larger perspective. Contemporary left wing historians and political scientist believe that Ahmadinejad belongs to an old reactionary and extremist die hard conservative school of thought offering only an Us versus them approach to Iranian politics which has reaped nothing to the country than animosity. On the other hand, many on the other side of the spectrum look at Iran from the view point of a modern Islamic theocratic state patterned on the edifice of a Republic and having a rich Shiite Islamic tradition in its state polity.

A more closer  glance of the Iranian society narrate that it still corresponds to the vestiges and legacy  of traditional Persian civilization in art, culture, architecture, literature etc and holds proudly its world renowned writers and intellectuals like Firdousi, Farabi, Umer Khayyam, Shamsuddin Shirazi etc.

For some, Iranian regime is not synonymous with the larger lot of the Iranians and more so with the popular appeal and public opinion that does not favor the anti-quid pro quo attitude of the regime. The Green movement is a perfect example of the resistance that the people of Iran have been allying their cause for opposition of the atrocious and repugnant regime. The movement has been a success story so far as gathering the support of the working class for Iran. It is composed of all the progressive elements of the Iranian Society composing of the students, poets, peasants, intellectuals, writers, artists and academicians etc.

The current scenario in Iran reveals essentially that the spirit and galore of the 1979 Iranian revolution is not yet over. Eminent scholars writing on Iran like Fled Halliday is of the opinion that even though the revolution was hijacked by the Islamic retrogressive class led by Imam Khomeini yet it was never over and the struggle for keeping the hold of  progress of the moderates and the forward looking element of the society is a not a far cry.

Nevertheless, in today’s Iran, the new generation of youth have had a totally different orientation towards issues. Probably majority of them do not subscribe to the blatant outright and outlandish anti-Western rhetoric of the current government. Far from it the recent developments of Western reaction against Iran marked by International sanctions, has furthered the isolation of the country which is played havoc with the political economy of the country. Iran is a net exporter of oil and gas but its continued belligerence in the eyes of the West has lambasted it with and the UN sanctions furthering volatility in the region.

To add fuel to the fire, The western diplomatic tradition of favoring one against the other and  using the carrot and  stick approach as to what is called as gun boat diplomacy is a ploy full of rapacity and should  have no room for legitimacy and be no more be acceptable in the 21st century. Such an approach is horrendous and will substantiate disastrous consequences for the prospects of peace in the region.

It is often said and believed that the West has its double standards towards the acquisition of nuclear weapons capability by anyone but the states belonging to the Islamic Bloc. Not to mention here the fact that the socio political and economic realities in the Muslim world should not in any way indicate the excessive amount of expenditure on defense in the name of national security where the human indicators are marginally low with record low Human Development indexes.

Iran’s quest for the acquisition of the nuclear capability seemed short of its claim not to develop nuclear weapons. The controversial nuclear facility at Natanz,the site where Iran enriches its supplies of uranium remain contentious for the West.The renewed claims by Iran to prove its unwillingness in order for developing a nuclear weapons based technology has fell on deaf years for the West.

The question remains for many as to why the inevitability for one is the non-acceptance for the other? That is to say if the West is so uneasy with Iran’s so called call for action then why the hypocrisy on the other hand towards Israel which is a fait accompli none declared nuclear weapons state. If the only answer is that of being a Western stooge or for that matter a pariah, the stink of Western double standards will continue to persist and will even complicate the matters in longer run as far as understanding the gist of the matter!

Definitely it is a non- starter to expect the fact that the West will acknowledge that a country like Iran, proximate to Israel should be given a go ahead to possess the nuclear capability. Not to mention the general perception within the Muslim world of the imbalanced and unequal and often a times parochial treatment that the US with its European allies render to Iran deemed nonsensical to  the notion of keeping a blind eye towards the story of David and Goliath as in case of  a comparison of Iran with that of Israel.

Marred by economic sanctions to the complete awry and beleaguered scenario in line with its diplomatic row with many European states, Iranian economy has reached its precipice. The burden on the volatile currency has been exponentially conspicuous characterized by its magnanimous devaluation. The social conundrum is abysmally horrific and the cost of further alienation and isolation will be detrimental. Retrospectively in the current scenario there remains an utmost and dire need to convince and pressurize the International community to further the dialogue with the existing Iranian regime and guarantee the transparency and accept the non-in viability of nuclear regime in the country.

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