As an ordinary American citizen, I read your letter to President Bush with great interest. The President dismissed it of course, as he should, but you asked many questions and, while those questions are narrowly designed to elicit the responses you desire, they do provide an ordinary American the opportunity to explain our outlook to you. For it�s clear that you do not understand America.
I would not expect that you would. You live in, and were �elected� in, a country where people are told who they may vote for by religious leaders who claim to know the will of God. Dissent is not allowed in your country. You speak lovingly of your people, of the common citizens who�s will and wishes you claim to know, but clearly you only refer to those countrymen and women who adhere to your government�s positions, which you say are God�s positions. Dissent is not allowed. Do you deny this?
We understand why you act this way. Because you are certain that you understand God�s Will and Purpose, as your letter clearly demonstrates, and because you cannot tolerate any opinion that runs contrary to yours (His). Are there not women who would like to dress differently or act differently than what you will allow? Are there not many Iranians who would wish to vote for candidates that your religious masters deem unacceptable? You say that you speak for your people, but in fact you only speak for that portion of Iranian citizens who agree with your vision.
It must be difficult for you to understand a nation like America, where dissent is not only allowed, it is celebrated. You encourage us to follow God�s path, implying that you�and you alone-understand where that path lies. Americans, of every political persuasion, find that attitude terribly arrogant.
We are, overwhelmingly, a God-fearing nation, as is your country. But we believe in a different sort of God than you. We believe in a God who grants all of us the gifts to discover this path in their own way, who respects and revels in the power of the individual. You believe in a God who will tolerate no freedom of thought or mistakes. We ask many questions. You believe you have all of the answers. That is the difference.
And, because you are certain that you have all of the answers, a nation full of questions and divisions seems unfathomable, corrupt and perhaps even evil to you. Many leaders before you have made that mistake, believing that our obvious divisions make us vulnerable. Nothing could be further from the truth.
You say that the US-led invasion of Iraq was ill-conceived. There are many in this country who would agree with you. I am not among them, although I would not be free to publicly disagree with your opinion if I lived in Iran, would I?
You say that �no WMDs existed to begin with.� This is a curious statement for the leader of Iran to make, for it was your nation that was most victimized by Saddam�s chemical weapons. Iran, more than any other nation, knows that Saddam had WMD and the evil will to use them.
Did he have such weapons at the time of the invasion? Perhaps not, but he clearly retained the capability to produce both biological and chemical weapons, at a moment�s notice. The production facilities were discovered, as you are surely aware. Why would you want to subject your citizens to the threat of a neighbor who could not only produce such weapons, but who had shown that he would use them against you?
You claim that the people of Iraq are unhappy with the west�s so-called �occupation.� If this is so, why do millions of Iraqis turn out to vote and why do hundreds of thousands bravely volunteer to rebuild the nation�s military, knowing terrorists will attack them, given half a chance?
America and our allies pour billions of dollars into Iraq to rebuild it, to help Iraqis reap the benefits of the nation�s vast wealth. You believe we do so for our own benefit. Will you issue a retraction when the last American troops leave the country and the vast oil reserves of the nation continue to be sold solely for the benefit of Iraq?
You have said, publicly, that you doubt that the Holocaust occurred and that Israel should be destroyed. You must know that America cannot abide such an attitude and that we will do everything in our power to prevent Iran from fulfilling your fondest wish�to destroy Israel.
�Students are saying that 60 years ago such a country (i.e., Israel) did not exist�, you wrote. Indeed, this is true. But why freeze history six decades past? What makes three score years so unique?
If we go back a bit further, we will find that Iran did not exist either, nor did Iraq, or Yemen or Saudi Arabia. Should we find a point in history where the nations we don�t like had yet to be created and use that as an excuse to destroy them? If that is your position, one can justify the destruction of Iran, the United States and practically every sovereign state on the planet.
The state of Israel is a reality, as much of a reality as are the states of Iran and the United States. Instead of accepting and working with that reality, radical organizations like Hamas petulantly choose violence over dialogue. Such is their right�and it�s the right of the Palestine people to support Hamas. But it is also the right of Israel, the United States and Europe to refuse to support Hamas. That�s democracy. You choose your path and, if that path is disagreeable, no one can be forced to support it.
You find it �unbelievable� that the US refuses to help Hamas. We would find it unbelievable if our nation willingly supported an organization bent on the destruction of another country. Support is a privilege, not a right.
We understand that you wish to expand your nation�s nuclear capability. You say it�s for peaceful purposes. Quite frankly, we don�t believe you. If that were true, you would have accepted the deal that would have Russia provide you with fuel-grade material, rather than trying to produce nuclear fuel internally that can be used for weapons.
You have said that you want to destroy Israel. If you purify your own nuclear material, you will be able to do so. It�s not very difficult to understand. This is not an issue of �scientific research.� This is about war. If you expect us to believe anything else, you are terribly naive.
You may ask why the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Israel, India and the other nuclear powers should have such weapons and you should not. It is, of course, a matter of responsibility. None of these nations have used nuclear weapons to destroy another, or have said that they were built for anything but defensive purposes. Even at the height of the Cold War, the United States and USSR, bitter enemies who then possessed the largest nuclear arsenals ever known, managed to put humanity in front of animosity. Your public statements reveal that your priorities are exactly the opposite.
You might, of course, point to Hiroshima and Nagasaki�as many do. �The United States is the only nation to use a nuclear weapon in anger� you might say. This is true. Yet, can you not recognize the difference between using a weapon to end a war and using such weapons to start one? My country did not destroy Japan. Indeed, we spent billions to rebuild it and to help create a thriving, independent democracy. Are these your aspirations for Israel? Clearly not. We sought to end the killing. You hope to justify it.
It is well that you recognize the teachings of Christ and Moses, among other prophets (to use your words) included in the text that guides your every thought. Yet, there are billions of people who adhere to the teachings of other prophets you do not mention. The words of Bhudda the tenants of Hinduism, the B�Hai faith, and those of many other religions are equally inspiring�divine voices for peace, love and tolerance.
They are not part of your vision, are they? Why do you avoid mentioning them? Will these people be subject to your vision of divine vengeance as well? If not, why do you not declare that they are equally just? Can it be that your religious masters will not allow it?
Given free reign, one can only wonder how long it would be before the rest of the �heathen� world suffered your cleansing wrath. The B�Hai population, in particular, has suffered terribly at your government�s hands.
Hindus have fallen victim to many a Muslim fanatic as well. Why is this? A Hindu and a B�Hai are free to worship in peace in my country. Why can�t they do the same in yours?
You claim that the United States and the west have robbed the poorer nations of the world. You cannot really believe this. Are you that naive, or are you that ignorant of economics?
Consider Nigeria, for example. That African nation has been blessed with some of the world�s largest oil reserves, yet most of its citizens live in terrible poverty. Can you seriously blame this situation on the United States? No American, or western, companies profits from the sale of state-owned Nigerian crude. That money goes to the Nigerian rulers, who keep it for themselves as their populace starves.
How is this possible? The answer, clearly is because the people of Nigeria have no voice in their own government. If they did, if they had the power to remove corrupt rulers, they would be enriched not exploited.
It is a lesson we have learned time and again, and one you refuse to recognize. Where the people have gained a voice, in nations like Brazil, Argentina and South Africa, their lives have been uplifted. When their voice has been ignored in Rhodesia, Venezuela and many other nations, the people suffer. Why would you be surprised that we strive to foster democracy whenever we can?
You say that democracy has foiled. We disagree. The people of Poland, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine, South Korea, Taiwan and dozens of other countries who have had the opportunity to compare the blessings of self-rule with the evils of tyranny would disagree as well. The sweet fruit of freedom is far preferable to the bitter taste of absolute authority, even when it believes it has a direct conduit to God. Democracy, as America�s greatest President, Abraham Lincoln observed, is mankind�s �last, best hope.� Democracy offers the bright light of discovery, even though it be tinged with mistakes. Your path offers only the dark night of subjugation, where creativity and expression are punished, not celebrated.
You quoted the Holy Book time and again, believing�as you clearly do�that it should be the only source of wisdom�that people are not capable of achieving more wisdom as well. As a Christian, such a position decries one of our Bible�s most important lessons, the parable of the talents, but perhaps you missed that one. We believe that all of God�s gifts should be honored, not just His Word, but our individual talents and skills as well.
�The Almighty God sent His profits with miracles and clear signs to guide the people and show them Divine signs and purify them from sins and pollution.� Indeed, this has been written.
If you believe this, as the vast majority of us do, would you not agree with all of the teachings of the man whom you recognize as one of the greatest of God�s prophets?
�The most important of my Father�s commandments is this: love your neighbor as you love yourself,� Jesus said. You have expressed your fervent wish to destroy Israel time and again. Is this how you would love yourself? You claim to follow God, but in fact you only follow those portions of God�s teaching that you find convenient to your purpose.
We fight in Iraq to return that nation to its people. You abhor our role, not because it�s not what the Iraqi people want, but because you cannot abide another nation that chooses self-determination over your personal set of beliefs.
You seek to subjugate and destroy. We try to rebuild and empower. That�s the difference and, no mater how many righteous phrases and Divine supplications you use, you are a fool if you believe that we will ever see it any other way.
Over 70 years ago, another dictator, �elected� by a minority of his nation�s voters, claimed that he had divined a similar holy purpose. Adolf Hitler said that the Jewish population of the world deserved destruction, that he was guided by Providence and that democracy had failed. He was, as you are, sure that he was right.
Hitler failed in all of his evil purposes, albeit not with exacting a terrible price. You will fail as well, although you may exact a kind of misery and destruction that your Nazi brothers could have only dreamed of.
We will pay the price. And when this next battle is over, the Divine Principle will have been proved once again: God exerts his will through the billions He created in His own image, not merely through the words that angry people choose to manipulate for their own selfish ends.