Soccer Dad: Juan Cole's Iran blogging takes a strange turn

September 22, 2009

Juan Cole's Iran blogging takes a strange turn

Ahamadinjad's recent pronouncements, as you probably already know, reprise some of his favorite anti-Semitic and Holocaust-denial tropes. This prompts a post from Juan entitled "Ahmadinejad Spews Raving Lunatic Anti-Semitism on 'Jerusalem Day.'" OK, we get the picture, Juan--this is bad stuff. At one point he summarizes:

In other words, he is saying, all of modern history (possibly from the Portuguese conquest of Goa) and certainly the British conquests during WW I, the Nazi persecution of Jews, and last year's American presidential race, has been the unfolding of a secret Jewish plot, wherein "Zionists" control everything that happens.

He wants us to identify this sort of thinking with Ahmadinejad himself, however, and argues

. . . it remains the case that Ahmadinejad is not the commander in chief of the armed forces and cannot make troops march into war-- that prerogative is with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Ahmadinejad could not even appoint a vice president he wanted without Khamenei's permission (and when it was not forthcoming, he had to dismiss him).

But the venomous rhetoric against Jews (it isn't just Zionists if it is projected back 500 years) that he used in this speech is so hateful that if it became widespread and ensconced in Iranian society, it certainly would have bad and tragic results-- for Jews, Iranians and for us human beings in general.

Good thing it's only Ahmadinejad, right? As anyone who pays attention knows, Holocaust-denial has pervaded Iran's press agencies for quite some time. Sometimes this takes the form of reports of Ahmadinejad speeches, but quite often it doesn't. Key allies of Iran, such as Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, have also "spewed" Holocaust denial. I would say this rhetoric has become "widespread and ensconced," and not just in Iranian society. Juan seems mostly concerned with reassuring us that he is personally disgusted but that there is really nothing to worry about:

Luckily, most Iranians clearly were not taken in, and his opponents put around pamphlets saying "No to Gaza and Lebanon, I will give my life [only] for Iran!" In fact, by associating it with himself, Ahmadinejad may single-handedly be sinking support for the Palestinian cause among Iranians, since most of them despise him and everything he stands for.

Now excuse me while I go take a shower with lava soap. Ugh.

For a few days afterwards Juan served up more posts on Iran, mainly insisting that Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons. Take a bow, Juan.

Crossposted on Judeopundit

Posted by Judeopundit at September 22, 2009 1:18 AM

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Comments

ha ha ha iranian bitches, crash all of your shyt planes

Posted by: todd at September 22, 2009 9:47 AM

He states most people in Iran (that he knows, I assume) do not "buy into" the denial theory. Unless you have been to Iran or can quote me some studies that show differently, why should we not believe him?

Just because leaders or those in the media spotlight, spew discriminatory statements does not mean everyone else there believes the same thing...

Look to the President of the USA (Clinton, Bush, Obama, etc.). They speak for the USA government, but they do not speak for all citizens of the USA. To say that all USA citizens believe what the President believes might be disingenuous...

As to the Press... The USA press tends to take sides too, and I would hate to characterize everyone in the USA by looking at what is reported in the Press...

I think for myself, and if you define me by what the President says or by what is in the Press, you say something about the assumptions you make rather than anything about me.

Isn't it good enough that Juan doesn't believe it? Perhaps we can work from there...

Posted by: Counsel at September 22, 2009 11:16 AM

Just because leaders or those in the media spotlight, spew discriminatory statements does not mean everyone else there believes the same thing...

You're right, it doesn't. However, Ahmadinejad's statements obviously connect with a large number of ordinary people in and out of Iran. We all see that people are daring to defy the regime in Iran right now. On the other hand, many were pleased, including MPAC-UK, when the BBC's Channel 4 had Ahmadinejad deliver the "alternative" X-mas message. The point is that the Iran problem can't be washed away with Lava soap. Thanks for stopping by.

Posted by: Yitzchak Goodman at September 22, 2009 1:09 PM

Juan Cole seems to think Iranian anti-Semitism is only Israel's problem. He couldn't be more wrong. Once Iran acquires ICBM missiles, it will become every one's problem. Not something that can be washed away with Lava soap.

Posted by: NormanF at September 22, 2009 9:23 PM