Saturday, October 29, 2005
Muslim Canadian Congress: Iranian leader insults Islam
Oct. 29, 2005. 01:00 AMBy Tarek Fatah
The Toronto Star
http://tinyurl.com/9j6xf
Re: Iranian leader's racist rhetoric, Editorial, Oct. 28.
In demanding that Canadian Muslim leaders condemn the inflammatory remarks
made by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, you put an unfair burden on
us. However we recognize the spotlight in which the Muslim communities live.
On behalf of the Muslim Canadian Congress, we denounce Ahmadinejad's remarks
without reservation. Let me assure you that the MCC and many Muslims don't
consider the current dictatorial regime in Tehran to be a friend of the
Palestinian people.
The mullahs who control Iran with an iron grip merely use the pain of the
Palestinian occupation for their own advantage in diverting people's
attention from other pressing matters. They talk about wiping out Israel,
but in reality the only people they have wiped out are fellow Iranians by
the tens of thousands. After a reign of terror that killed thousands and
drove many more into exile, they have used torture, arbitrary arrest,
vigilante justice and murder to silence fellow Muslims in Iran.
Before President Ahmadinejad postures as the self-appointed guardian of the
world's Muslims, and feigns solidarity with Palestinians, he better answer
for the disappeared Muslims in Iran. He insults Islam by usurping it to
serve his own narrow political interests.
With friends like the Iranian ruling ayatollahs, the Palestinians do not
need enemies.
But let us also not get carried away and use his speech to make Iran into
another Iraq. While the Iranian mullahs posture about pan-Islamism and
display their racist, hateful view of the world, U.S. President George W.
Bush doesn't do any better. While Iran misuses Islam to oppress its people,
America abuses "democracy" to advance his agenda.
Next-door Iraq serves as a window of truth where both Iran and the U.S. have
helped destroy a nation.
With Bush and Blair on one side and the ayatollah-Osama bin Laden axis on
the other, Canada's Muslims are caught between the devil and deep sea. While
we unreservedly condemn the Iranian president, we cannot remain silent about
Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian territories.
We also condemn Bush for posturing as a deliverer of freedom while occupying
Iraq.
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Tarek Fatah, Communications Director, Muslim Canadian Congress, Toronto