IRGC-Affiliated Journalist Urges Iraqis To Forsake Arabism For A Shi'ite-Iranian Identity - MEMRI

by MEMRI

In a March 14, 2015 article titled "The Unification of Iran and Iraq Is Inevitable," Hassan Hani Zadeh, an editor of the Iranian news agency Mehr, which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), urged Iraqi citizens to renounce their Arabism and embrace the true Islam, i.e. Shi'ite-Iranian Islam.
In the article, which was published on Mehr's website, Hani Zadeh recalled the deep religious and historical ties between the Iranian and Iraqi peoples, and then claimed that all of Iraq's troubles stem from one reason only: the racist hatred of the Arab countries towards the Shi'ites, and their opposition to Iraq's Shi'ite majority ruling over the Sunni minority in Iraq. He noted that no Arab general, whether Sunni or Shi'ite, has come to Iraq's aid in its war against ISIS, whereas Iranian forcesled by Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani rushed to the aid of the Iraqis, both Sunnis and Shi'ites. Hani Zadeh therefore advised the Iraqis to renounce their "primitive false Arabism" and embrace instead the "authentic Islam" of Iranian Shi'ites.
It should be noted that this is the second call this month by a prominent Iranian figureurging to unify Iran and Iraq. In early March 2015, Ali Younesi,an advisor to President Hassan Rohani, said that Iran is an empire and Iraq is its capital, and called for substantial cultural unityamong the peoples that comprised the Persian Empire, particularly the Iranian and Iraqi peoples.[1]
The following are excerpts from Hassan Hani Zadeh's article.[2]

Hassan Hani Zadeh (image: alaan.cc)

The Spread Of Terrorism In Iraq Results From "The Hidden Arab Hatred" Against Shi'ites

"It is time that the Iraqi people say their final word and choose between primitive Arabism and authentic Islam, and shake off the dirt of Arab disgrace. 

"There is no doubt that, throughout history, the Iranian and the Iraqi peoples have been bound by strong religious and historical ties, though these relations saw periods of conflict that had negative effects on the religious and social ties between Iran and Iraq. 

"Iraq, an ancient Arab country, has an extensive culture, both [pre-Islamic] and Islamic – but most Arab countries look at [Iraq] only from a sectarian point of view, which indicates the degree of racism prevailing in the Arab countries' [attitude] toward Iraq. In recent years, specifically since the fall of the criminal Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has gone through a difficult period, because, contrary to what was customary in [this country], the majority [there] managed to build a modern democratic regime that had not been known among the Arab countries. [But] the majority of the people of Iraq is known for its creedal association with the blessed family of the Prophet Muhammad [i.e., the Shi'a]. This is the main reason for the hostility of the Arab regimes, especially in the Arab countries surrounding Iraq, toward this country. 

"The events in Iraq and the spread of the terrorist groups that destroy the security of its people all result from this hidden Arab hatred against the followers of the family of the Prophet in Iraq. Iraq is not the only target of this rancor and hidden enmity. Rather, every Arab or non-Arab group affiliated with the school of the family of the Prophet [i.e., the Shi'a] is likewise subjected to this kind of hatred. Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen are among the countries that suffer harassment for sectarian reasons, and thousands of Shi'ites have been the victims.

"When speaking of Iraq, we cannot help considering what is going on in this country and what the Iraqi people – Sunnis, Shi'ites, Kurds and Christians [alike] – suffer at the hands of terrorist groups. These groups have spread throughout Iraq, especially in the north and the west, due to the demographic characteristics of those regions. It is the surrounding Arab countries that helped the terrorist groups to spread in the northern and western parts of Iraq, where these groups find fertile ground and from where they can expand to the rest of Iraq. The sectarian [i.e., Sunni] Arab view of Iraq is well known and does not require elaboration; the surrounding Arab countries do not want to see a government of the [Shi'ite] majority [ruling] over the [Sunni] minority in this country, because of the historic enmity to the [Shi'ites], which is centuries old.

"Because of the hidden Arab enmity towards the [Shi'ite] majority, Iraq has not enjoyed stability since 2003, and Iraqi statesmen must [therefore] adopt a new realistic policy detached from false slogans. Iraq needs to don new garb instead of the traditional Arab head-gear and robe; it should turn to a new culture without racism, one that is compatible with the demographic and religious reality in Iraq."

"All The Arab Generals, Sunni Or Shi'ite, Are Now In The Nightclubs Of Las Vegas. They Don't Care About What Goes On In Iraq"

"Iraq, currently in a very difficult situation from a security point of view, has not found any Arab general to save it from the harassment of the terrorist groups. All the Arab generals, Sunni or Shi'ite, are now in the nightclubs of Las Vegas. They don't care about what goes on in Iraq and they have not offered help or military advice. In contrast, the Iranian military leaders rushed to aid the Iraqi people, and more specifically [to the aid of] the people of Tikrit, whose [overwhelmingly Sunni] demography is well-known. By doing this they demonstrated to the whole world that Iran [unlike the Arabs] does not distinguish between Shi'ites and Sunnis and that all the religious groups are equal in its eyes.  

"A famous Iranian general risked his life and went to the most dangerous region in the world to offer his military expertise to the Iraqi army and the Popular [Mobilization] Forces in Tikrit [a Shi'ite militia], for the sake of the Iraqi people. Where are the Arab generals? Why don't they go to Tikrit to help their brethren in Arabism and Islam? In the past ten years Iraq has had a very bitter experience, through which it discovered the falsehood of the Arab claims and the dishonesty of the tears they shed for the Iraqi people. Now it knows who is an enemy and who is a real friend. Hence, the Iraqi people, and specifically the parliament, should work to unite with their true friends and shed the costume of false Arabism – because all the troubles of Iraq are caused by the Arabs who seek to do harm to the Iraqi people and do not wish it well. 

"How does Iraq benefit from being a nominal member of the Arab League, which looks at the Iraqi people with sectarian eyes? Why do the Arab countries of the Cooperation Council of the Persian Gulf [i.e., the GCC] not allow Iraq to join this group? Is this not clear proof that the six states of this wretched council do not consider Iraq to be an Arab country?

"Therefore, it is high time that the Iraqi people make a final decision and choose between primitive false Arabism and authentic Islam, and shake off the dirt of Arab disgrace."

Endnotes:

[1] See MEMRI Special Dispatch 5991, "Advisor To Iranian President Rohani: Iran Is An Empire, Iraq Is Our Capital; We Will Defend All The Peoples Of The Region; Iranian Islam Is Pure Islam – Devoid Of Arabism, Racism, Nationalism,"March 9, 2015.

[2] Mehr (Iran), March 14, 2015. It should be noted that Mehr published the article in both Persian and Arabic, but the Persian version was subsequently removed from the site. The translation presented here is based on the Arabic version.

MEMRI

Source: http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/8500.htm

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