Mar 20, 2009

President Obama Appeals to Leaders of Iran, but Ignores Their End Times Theology

By Joel C. Rosenberg

“President Barack Obama told Iran’s people and leaders that the United States wants to engage with their country and end decades of strained relationship, but not unless their officials stop making threats,” reports the Associated Press. “Obama on Friday released a video message with Farsi subtitles that urged the two countries to resolve their long-standing differences. His video was timed to the festival of Nowruz (no-ROOZ), which means ‘new day.’ It marks the arrival of spring and is a major holiday in Iran.”

Excerpts:

  • “So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran’s leaders. We have serious differences that have grown over time. My administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community…..We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist….”
  • “You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right, but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization….”
  • “For nearly three decades relations between our nations have been strained. But at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together.”
What the President and his senior advisors are missing — and what I explain in detail in my new book: Inside the Revolution — is that the leaders of Iran have already made their choice. They believe the end of the world is at hand, that the Islamic Messiah’s arrival is “imminent,” and that the way to hasten the coming of the “Mahdi” or the “Twelfth Imam” is to annihilate Israel and the United States and destroy Judeo-Christian civilization as we know it. They fear the fires of hell if they “disobey” what they believe Allah has told them to do. The sooner Washington understands that, the sooner they can begin coming to grips with the fact that the regime in Tehran today is far more dangerous than the one we faced thirty years ago this spring when the Ayatollah Khomeini rose to power and we severed all diplomatic ties.

Related Links

In Overture to Iran, Obama Negotiates Without Leverage - FOX News
Report: Syria's Assad ready to mediate with Iran - AP
Iranian Leaders Ignore Obama's Outstretched Hand - FOX News