Dehumanization and Demonization: The War Has Begun AGAIN!
In 2003, in a secret memo to the U.S. government, Iran offered to make peace with Israel, oppose attacks by Palestinian groups on Israel within its 1967 borders, and pressureHezbollah to become a peaceful political party. The Bush Administration refused to respond and continues to assert publicly that Iran wants to destroy Israel and sponsor terrorist groups. The offer, which likely still stands, directly contradicts those statements. Below is some press with more details. The episode calls into question the Administration’s truthfulness and motives with regard to Iran…
— Iran , Just Foreign Policy, Accessed October 1, 2006
Iran’s position is clear and Iran on principle believes in a world free of nuclear weapons. Iran is hopeful that negotiations on North Korea’s nuclear activities can go ahead in the interest of both North Korea and the international community.
— Mohammad Ali Hosseini, October 2006, Iran Responds to North Korea’s Nuclear Weapon Test , quoted by Carah Ong, October 10, 2006
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Setting aside the blathering demonization even further, what exactly did President Ahmadinejad say? Did he actually say he wants to wipe Israel off of the map? The answer is an unqualified NO! One word might be quite familiar to most people: rezhim-e. It is the word "regime" pronounced just like the English word with an extra "eh" sound at the end. Ahmadinejad did not refer to Israel the country or say anything about any map.
"The Imam said this regime occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time".
Word by word translation:
Imam (Khomeini) ghoft (said) een (this) rezhim-e (regime) ishghalgar-e (occupying) qods (Jerusalem) bayad (must) az safheh-ye ruzgar (from page of time) mahv shavad (vanish from).
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly made attempts to show his human face to those who would be his enemies. In addition to countless personal interviews, he has written long and heartfelt letters to President George Bush and the American people, but few have read or heard his words. Why is that? Interviewers have treated President Ahmadinejad with offensively blatant rudeness and disrespect even though he always manages to maintain his dignity and composure.
Iran cannot be blamed for the defeat and failure of the empire to subdue Iraq. That act of aggression was doomed to failure from the outset and no amount of scapegoating others will change that fact. Inhuman perverse sanctions and naked brute force against Iran and its people should be rejected by all freedom loving people. It is time for truth, dialogue, diplomacy and genuine understanding to prevail before the dogs of war are unleashed on a great cultured and civilized nation and people.
Lisa KARPOVA
PRAVDA.Ru
USA/CANADA
