Iran and the right opportunity

Kowther Al-Arbash Al-Jazirah For 26 years, Iran has harbored ambitions about the Two Holy Mosques, and was waiting for an opportunity. Khomeini, before his death, said: “We will wash our people’s heartache by revenging against America and Al-Saud at the right time, God willing. We will fill their hearts with sorrow for this big crime. We will leave sweetness in the mouths of the martyrs’ families by holding a party to celebrate the triumph of truth and liberation of the Holy Kaaba from the hands of the sinners. We will liberate the Grand Mosque.” But Khomeini knew very well that what he called liberating the Two Holy Mosques could not be achieved by force of arms nor with this jesting. He knew very well that he couldn’t invade Saudi territories, surround the Two Holy Mosques and occupy them. He knew that his endeavor to defeat Saudi power would fail, and that he would never escape the anger and criticism of the Ummah (Muslim nation) and the world because he will not find a valid justification. So he had to find another weapon: harping on the sensitive strings of religion. It was necessary to camouflage the knife to appear as a rose, that is, to hide the ambitions of occupation behind religious issues that the public feelings — injustice, oppression, shirk (associating others with Allah) and others — to build a bridge leading to his ultimate goal of occupying the Two Holy Mosques. Khomeini passed away before finding the right opportunity, but the ambition is still there in the minds and hearts of Iranians. In 1987, Rafsanjani said: “If the Muslim ulema (scholars) in the world are not prepared to accept the responsibility of administering Makkah, then Iran is ready to wage a war in order to liberate this holy place.” The ambition did not die-off with time, but it remained dormant, waiting for the right opportunity. The stampede that occurred this Haj in Mina led to the death and injury of more than 1,000 pilgrims. Muslims from all corners of the globe offered condolences and support. But instead of becoming a regrettable incident, it became a golden chance for Iran to attack the Kingdom, which merely saw it as the “right opportunity”. How cheap? The stampede claimed the lives of pilgrims in their Ihram in the holy land and on a holy day. This fit well with the Iranian greed, so it unsheathed its shining sword in broad daylight in Mina. Iran did not hesitate to present itself in place of the Kingdom, under any name, justification or occasion, even if drenched in blood. This was in the same way as it took advantage of Daesh’s brutality. Iran presented itself as the dove of peace to the Mid-East, Arabs and the whole region! If Daesh is the cruelest and bloodiest model associated with Islam, then Iran is the cruelest opportunistic, hypocritical, and sycophantic model. Both of them — Daesh and Iran — are taking advantage of religion to influence the simple and the vulnerable. Although we cannot confirm their explicit understanding, both of them are helping each another according to an implicit agreement to undermine our country. How impossible is their endeavor! Daesh kills in the name of Islam, and Iran presents an apparently peaceful Islam instead of the bloody Daesh Islam. It is a fierce whirlpool characterized by mystery and suspicion. Recent statements by Iranian officials confirm that country’s move to present itself as an innocent Islamic alternative. Commenting on the pilgrims’ stampede in Mina, Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said: “The Saudi government’s determination to bar Muslim countries from participating in administering (the holy places) no longer bears any logic.” He stressed the necessity for Islamic cooperation in organizing Haj. This was a golden chance to incite the Muslim world against the Kingdom and deprive it of its sole sovereignty over the holy places. This is what Iran and its allies mistakenly believe. This is politics at its ugliest. They have not seen death. They have not seen bodies lying on the stretchers in ambulances. They have not seen all those tears over the death of their loved ones. They only saw “the right opportunity” with all wickedness.