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Hey you may be right. But i do not look at it from the sectarian angle. After all Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was a Shia himself and a good friend of the US. It was only after he was sent packing by the Ayatollahs that there was a turn around in the US policy towards Iran. If anything, the west is wary of radical Islam. Maybe because they do not understand it. But, my friend, remember the famous quote, "Nations have no permanent friends or allies, they only have permanent interests." The US has been making overtures towards Iran lately. Do not be surprised if you see drastic changes happening. After all who was the greatest threat to Iran after Israel? Was it not Egypt? The middle East is quick sand, read the signs carefully.
Muslims actually created democracy.
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi was a Shia in name only, he was pretty much a secularist, & a close confidant to the US. It was after all, him that the US installed in Iran after helping to overthrow the democratic government of Iran. Mohammad Reza Pahlvi was overthrown by the Ayatollah in 1979, & that marked the Iranian Revolution, or you can also call it the 'Shia Revolution'. It established Iran's identity as the bastion for Shiism. Ever since then, the US has been at loggerheads with Iran. The West doesn't care about radical Islam: it has aided radical Islam before in Afghanistan, & in other parts of the Middle East when it was working in its favor. Now it feels threatened by the radical Islam spreading in Yemen & Saudi Arabia threatening to overthrow the governments there (in the form of the group AQAP, the biggest threat to Saudi Arabia & Yemen). It is also being threatened by radicalism from the AQIM in North Africa, & the Al-Shabaab in Somalia. But it has to do something as well to curtail the influence of Iran in the region, & Saudi Arabia needs to do that as well to maintain itself as the bastion of Islam in the Muslim world. Which is why the Arab Spring is so important for the US right now. The Arab Spring also helps target the threat from Al-Qaeda & radical Islam, so it is a win-win situation in the short run. In the long run, it might be a different story. Saudi Arabia maintains an influence in the region through the Arab Spring, & essentially, the US does as well, while containing Iran at the same time.
Yes, the west has aided the radicals where it suited them, but they have never dealt with radicalism. That nasty part was always left to the third parties to deal with. They have not bothered with the ideology of their allies. The aim was to incapacitate the adversary, be it the Soviet Union or the others. That is exactly why I do not think that this is a Shia vs Sunni thing. It may appears to be so at the present moment. BTW, have you seen the power equation in the middle east? As of now, it is Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran. the strongest Muslim nations in the middle east. All three are Muslim nations. And not one of them trusts the other. Do the words "Divide and rule" ring a bell? Iran will emerge stronger from this mess and Saudi Arabia will be cut down a notch or two. The only thing that unites all three is Israel. Israel will be under a lot of pressure too. That is the way I see it. Regards.
Yes, the west has aided the radicals where it suited them, but they have never dealt with radicalism. That nasty part was always left to the third parties to deal with. They have not bothered with the ideology of their allies. The aim was to incapacitate the adversary, be it the Soviet Union or the others. That is exactly why I do not think that this is a Shia vs Sunni thing. It may appears to be so at the present moment. BTW, have you seen the power equation in the middle east? As of now, it is Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran. the strongest Muslim nations in the middle east. All three are Muslim nations. And not one of them trusts the other. Do the words "Divide and rule" ring a bell? Iran will emerge stronger from this mess and Saudi Arabia will be cut down a notch or two. The only thing that unites all three is Israel. Israel will be under a lot of pressure too. That is the way I see it. Regards.
Mark my words when I say that Israel will never attack Iran despite the rhetoric. Because then the "divide and rule" policy will fail. If I am proved wrong, you can laugh at me and call me a fool. US will never wish to unite Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran.
The US has from day one used the monarchy in Saudi Arabia to establish its influence in the region, & whether it is interested in their ideology or not, Saudi Arabia is the bastion for Sunnism, & wants to maintain itself as the bastion of the whole Muslim world. Iran is threatening that with its counter Shiism. That's all.
Hey buddy, The US has used whatever it could lay its hands on. Monarchies and dictatorships are inherently weak because the lack popular support. For the monarch or the dictator, the support of a super power is essential to survive. Moreover, Saudi Arabia happens to have the worlds greatest oil reserves. It is also a fact that since Mecca and Medina are geographically located within Saudi Arabia, so the natural loyalty of most Muslims in the world lies with Saudi Arabia. These attributes have been exploited by the US. The fact that Saudi Arabia is Sunni is purely incidental.
I don't think Iran & Saudi Arabia can unite. Turkey is up for grabs.
Turkey is up for grabs? No way. They know which side of their bread is buttered. Turkey knows that Iran or Iraq is not the way to go. Turkey is too well integrated with Europe. Even without the EU membership. Turkey will become less secular than before but will never leave NATO. I have many friends in Turkey and when I ask them whether Turkey is in Asia or Europe, the answer I get is half Europe and half Asia.
Iran and Turkey are the only Muslim nations that can challenge Israel and therefore USA.
I think more than the natural resources, it is the fact that Saudi Arabia holds ultimate control over the Muslim world is what interests the US. Almost all of the holiest sites of Islam are in Saudi Arabia, so it holds a certain level of authority & control over the Muslim world. Almost all the history of Islam took place in Saudi Arabia. The natural resources is the other part of the story, an important side nevertheless. Saudi Arabia is the reason why Pakistan & the US have had such 'deep relations' & important strategic ties since its inception in 1947. Saudi Arabia is the gateway to the Arab Muslim world.
Yes Bilal. Now you see why the US will never abandon Saudi Arabia. Nor will it ever weaken Iran to the point that it becomes inconsequential in the affairs of the Middle East. As then, there will be no one to challenge Saudi Arabia. Why do you think the west has not taken any action against Syria so far. The EU is 'contemplating sanctions', that is all!!!