By now, most Americans understand this line of reasoning: "The US went to war in Iraq on the basis of flawed intelligence. Mistakes were made."
Whatever your opinion of the heft of that argument, it cannot be denied that when you recognize that "mistakes were made" in the past, the only rational course of action is to make every effort not to repeat the same mistake going forward.
As an advocate for a moral and rational US relationship with Iran, I have participated in several teach-ins and rallies behind the CASMII -- Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran, banner:
Ignorance, Not Iran, Is the Enemy
The antidote to ignorance is knowledge, and the antidote to demonization is the humanization of the people of Iran. I have tried to learn about Iran by traveling in that country, encountering her people, studying Iran's history and culture, and working with members of the Iranian-American peace community.
In this effort I also support the work of NIAC, the National Iranian American Council. Some weeks ago Dr. Trita Parsi, President of NIAC, and Roi ben-Yehuda collaborated to write and publish on the Iranian.com website and in Haaretz an essay titled, The enemy has a face.
Parsi and ben-Yehuda wrote,
The looming Iran-Israel confrontation has a seemingly deterministic quality to it. Listening to the politicians, one gets a sense that powers beyond our control are pulling us toward a 21st-century disaster. Yet a great deal of the force propelling us into confrontation is fueled by ignorance and dehumanization.
I have seen many of the faces John McCain and Sarah Palin are willing to destroy -- de-face -- in the name of American "national security" or "support for America's allies." I do not believe they have adequate knowledge to support their proposals, but the information is readily available: Ignorance is NO excuse, certainly not an excuse to threaten or permit the threats upon, sanctions of, or destruction of a sovereign nation and its innocent civilians. It is the responsibility and obligation of a leader to act on the basis of knowledge, not ideology, when so important a matter as the destruction of a people is at stake.
Therefore, Sarah Palin, I would like to introduce you to a few of the people and places in Iran.
Which of them do you think should be bombed?
Number 1.
This young Iranian family is relaxing on the edge of Zandayah-rud, that runs through the center of Isfehan. Notice how Father attends to his Wife while protecting his Child. You support family values, don't you, Gov. Palin? What will you do to ensure that American foreign policy does not destroy the family values evident in this Iranian family?
Number 2.
These schoolgirls in Naishapur reflect respect for their teachers (in dark hijab) as well as openness to us Americans. How would you encourage their continued gestures for a peaceful relationship with the US, Gov. Palin?
Number 3.
These Iranian schoolboys are clambering over the tomb of Ferdowsi, author of The Shahnamah, Iran's national epic. Members of many of Iran's ethnic groups are represented in this bundle of energy: Persian, Arab, Turk, Kurd, Loor, Bedouin and Baluchi. Sure, they squabble among themselves, but they are united around their Iranian national identity, just as Americans wish themselves to be united around their Constitutional principles. Do you believe the world would be a better place if a McCain-Palin administration adopted policies that resulted in the shattering of the Iranian national identity?
Number 4.
This man and his donkey guard the gate to the Tower of Silence, an ancient Zoroastrian burial site in Yazd. Are you aware, Gov. Palin, that Zoroaster is the precursor to both Judaism's monotheistic and ethical concepts, and to many of Christianity's most important tenets? What will you do to ensure that the ancient Iranian roots of Judeo-Christianity are respected and preserved?
Number 5.
Iranians find their daily needs for meat, rice, vegetables, fruits, pots and pans, and fabric for their clothing, streets lined with small shops, like this one in Shiraz. Gov. Palin, are you aware that the Congress of the United States, strongly influenced by Israel, is intent on driving these shopkeepers into bankruptcy, in an attempt to induce those very same men and women you see shopping to riot and topple their government? What would you do if the Canadian Parlaiment enacted legislation whose goal was to attempt to bankrupt all the banks and business owners in Alaska, in a bid to overthrow you as governor? What is your understanding of the Golden Rule?
Number 6.
These women live in the remote village of Keng, north of Mashad. Look carefully at the door behind them: notice remnants of photos. They are photos of young men from Keng who died in the Iraq-Iran war of 1981-1988. The United States encouraged Iraq to wage that war in a bid to restrain Russia; and Israel profited from that war by selling millions of dollars in weaponry to Iran. Iran was able to cover its war debts; Iraq was not, and in a move to force Kuwait to contribute toward its massive debt, Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991. Surely you know the rest of that story, don't you, Gov. Palin? Or do you? Wars have consequences far beyond your cheerleaderish statement to Charlie Gibson,
No way, not Americans. We do not have to stand for that.
I see dignity in these women from Keng, Iran, Gov. Palin. Do you have the capacity to bring to the international arena wisdom and understanding that respects their dignity?
Feast on this photo of the site that the Islamic Republic of Iran has dedicated for the burial of Dr. Richard Frye, in recognition of Dr. Frye's scholarship and dedication to studying, preserving, and disseminating Iranian culture and history. The mausoleum is on the banks of Zayandah river, in Isfehan.
Number 7.
You ARE aware that many American leaders, like Dr. Frye and, before him, W. Morgan Shuster, have enjoyed long and mutually respectful relations with Iran, aren't you, Gov. Palin?
Finally, here's a picture that too many -- including you, Gov. Palin -- seem to think of as THE picture of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Number 8.
If you've got a beef with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as it appears you do, take it up with him, not with the innocent civilians of Iran. But do so in accord with the Rule of Law that Americans subscribe to: based on facts, not talking point fed to you by Israelis; get Iran's side of the story from Iran, not from biased third parties; be respectful of the rights and dignity of the opponent; test facts based on evidence and logic, not ideology.
And don't, Sarah Palin for god's sake DON'T think that threatening Iranian families, children, businesses, old men, old women, religious traditions in any way makes America safe, or reflects American moral values or Constitutional principles.
note: The photos in this Diary are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the copyright owner.