PrintOctober 28, 2007
An admirable ayatollah arrested
Michael Ledeen brings* us news of an online petition to attempt to save the life of Ayatollah Borujerdi, who has been arrested by the A'jad regime in Tehran.
Borujerdi is quoted as saying that
[The people of Iran are] "tired of the religion of politics and political slogans... they [the Iranians] believe that they are loyal to the fundamentals of the true religion and the Prophet's mission, but they are opposed to the politicization of religion and its exploitation by a group that has nothing to do with true Islam. Islam is the religion of tolerance, forbearance, and mercy, to the point where [the Qur'an] emphasized to us that 'there is no compulsion in religion.'"
No wonder the A'jad gang arrested him. Borujerdi's father was also arrested and died under "suspicious circumstances" in 2002.
Dissidents like Borujerdi are some of the most important people alive today. Just as the anti-Soviet dissidents were highly effective against the Soviet Empire, the most powerful voices against Islamic fascism are those who have instant credibility in the Muslim world. Over the long term, they will win the war of civilization against jihadi terrorism. The more support we give them today, the sooner another dangerous tyranny will be gone. In the age of nuke proliferation that is a basic rule of survival.
* Update: Reader Peter Pariseau advises us that Mr. Ledeen did not create the petition, but rather D.W. Duke did.
* Update: Reader Peter Pariseau advises us that Mr. Ledeen did not create the petition, but rather D.W. Duke did.
James Lewis blogs at dangeroustimes.wordpress.com
