by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright May 21, 2006
All Rights Reserved.

ore dangerous than Iran's feverish pursuit of nuclear weapons is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's racist domination. Together with his chief lieutenant, the obedient President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, they have systematically purged any element of reform seen during the moderate regime of Mohammed Khatami. Since Ahmadinejad took over June 24, 2005, extremism and racial hate have swept Iranian politics. Now the Iranian parliament or Islamic Majilis, much like the Nazis, has passed a law requiring non-Islamic groups, including, Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, to be tagged like cattle. Under the new law, Jews are to wear yellow insignia called a “zonnar,” Christians red and Zoroastrians blue. Obsessed with radical Islamic regime's stubborn pursuit of enriched uranium, the United Nations overlooked the most dangerous human rights' abuses since Hitler's Third Reich.

      German Chancellor Angela Merkel was miffed at Hamas for sending Palestinian Minister of Refugees Atef Edwane to speak with sympathizers in Germany. Ahmadinejad has recently made statements denying the Holocaust, where an estimated 6-million Jews perished in Nazi Death Camps. While Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust, there's no denial in Germany, where Merkel expressed disgust over Edwane's visit. Germany has joined Euope in cutting off aid to the Hamas-led government. “The [German] government rejects any contact with members of the Hamas-led government because the organization does not fulfill the three criteria set by the European Union,” said a German Foreign Ministry spokesman. Hamas rejects all past Palestinian agreements and calls for Israel's destruction. Ahmadinejad's likes to appeal to anti-Semitism in Germany.

      Hamas's newly elected government can't recognize Israel or renounce violence because Palestinians find themselves jockeying for power with Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority. Whipping up anti-Semitism helps Hamas control the streets where chaos continues to flourish. Locked in a power struggle with Abbas, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Hanyeh seeks control of Palestinian militias hoping to consolidate his authority. With Hamas cut off from all Western aid, befriending Tehran serves a dual purpose: It gives Hamas a built-in ally against the U.S. and Israel and, at the same time, gives Tehran a smokescreen from its own domestic problems. Like North Korea, Iran has chosen the path of isolation, cutting off ties with the outside world. Banning Western clothing and establishing a uniform Shiite dress code, expands mindless obedience to Iran's supreme authority.

      Ahmadinejad sells the new dress code as an effort to de-stratify Iranian society, where rich and poor wear the same garb. Branding non-Muslims with color-coded labels falls one-step short of the Nazi practice of tattooing to identify Jews. Ahmadinejad sees nothing wrong with a brutal crackdown as long as it meets Khamenei's mandate of total Islamic control. Iran's nuclear issue has become the rallying cry against the West, viewed as suppressing the Islamic progress. There's no mention of Ahmadinejad's threats to “wipe Israel off the map,” raising genocidal concerns with Iran's “peaceful” pursuit of nuclear technology. Iran's threats, blustery rhetoric, and, now, attempts to label non-Muslim minorities raises the stakes when it comes to its atomic program. While President George W. Bush has remained quiet for now, there's growing concern about a confrontation.

      Passing laws to label non-Muslim minorities shows blatant disregard for past atrocities denied by Iran's current leadership. There's no denial coming from Merkel when she said the Hamas-led government was unwelcome in Germany. “Mr. Edwane is not welcome in Germany,” said German authorities, insisting that Palestinian officials accept Israel's right to exist, acknowledge existing accords and renounce violence. Like Osama bin Laden, Ahmadinejad has tried to hijack the Palestinian cause because it plays well on the street. Iran must keep up the diversionary tactics because it's heading toward a collision course with the U.S. over its nuclear enrichment program. No dress code or attempt to label minorities is going to distract the U.S. from taking Iran's atomic threat head-on. There's no disagreement with the U.S. and its allies when it comes to keeping A-bombs from Iran's mullahs.

      Iran's radical Islamic regime must be stopped before it's too late. Allowing Tehran to get the bomb would destabilize the Middle East and threaten the lifeblood of Western civilization: Oil. Energy independence is many years down the road, if ever. Before Ahmadinejad holds the U.S. hostage, it must not give in to coercion and inappropriate demands. For too long, the U.N. has sat idly by while Ahmadinejad defied the International Atomic Energy Agency and spewed genocidal racism. No U.S. president can let Iran turn into the next Nazi Germany. There's too much evidence of Iran's atomic plans to threaten its neighbors and disrupt the Persian Gulf. Forcing non-Muslims to wear color-coded insignias crosses the line, forcing the U.S. to take action. There can be no tolerance for any country that threatens its neighbors, boasts about enriching uranium and outlaws basic human rights.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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