The protests in Iran stem from a centuries long battle between the Sunni Kurds and the Shia Iranians. It began in the early 4th century and has plagued the region ever since with victories on both sides that see a temporary power struggle placated until the storm rises in the hearts once again and war rages.
Like the Ottoman Empire, the Iranian Empire ruled a far greater swathe of the Persian territory during it’s first pronounced rise around 224 AD. At the time, the Persian Empire’s greatest foe was the Roman Empire and the subsequent fraction of Sunni-Shia, had yet to occur. They lived relatively harmoniously as their division of faith had yet to be carved. That became a legacy of Muhammad.
Before Muhammad, the “Persians’ had one mortal enemy – the Romans. However, the internal schism that is waged today is one that was created and fostered nearly 1400 years ago! To think that we could have any impact on this internal struggle is rather arrogant. Sides are irrelevant. Because it is within their quest for rightness and most likely can never be resolved. It is the Shia vs Sunni war.
The Kurdish rebels are predominantly Sunni, the Revolutionary Guard represents the Shia government. It is that simple and that complicated.
It is not much different than the Catholics and Protestants of Ireland. However, the magnitude of fighting, death and casualties is far, far greater in the Middle eastern front of war. But similar to the Sunni-Shia revolution, the roots of the Irish Catholic vs Irish Protestant division had it’s roots in history – dating some 500 years ago. And it too, was a war of rightness.
Of course, in the midst of the rivalry, hatred and tempestuous anger were the British. Forever instigating, denouncing, and refusing to compromise, to the end of a solution. The hand of the British can be seen in the Middle East today, arming one side over the other, instilling a bitter hatred, and fomenting division. Other western countries are not much better, cheering on in the bleachers as the implosion continues to devastate entire countries in it’s take-down. And so the waged war of Sunni vs Shia continues unabated and yet cloaked by the media in some opaque protest, rebel, coup, that can always find its core back in the roots.
It isn’t our war. It isn’t our strife. We should have no sides. We should be a bystander. We won’t change anything. We can’t alter history, or even belief. We can attempt to rile, to not good. It is time to refocus on productive gain, and leave the Middle East to their trauma. And as it has been for the past 1400+ years, it will be tomorrow whatever it will be.
We can’t save Yemen. We have made a muck of Ukraine and Syria. And there are now far more heated battles to fight and wage in the US than we can possibly imagine. As in – The Swamp. It is as though the Middle East has been created as a distraction. Business news isn’t discussed. Economics isn’t discussed. Tax law, healthcare, the aspects that are the most important are left swept under the proverbial rug.
China has just announced that they are the ‘Keeper of International Order”. And the MSM is silent. That would imply that Communism will ultimately reign. That as we fight the fodder, China will gain traction as the tortoise. And we aren’t paying attention to what is of most importance. While that doesn’t really make China a threat, it makes us – an idiot. There is a difference.
Trump is attempting to focus on issues despite the melee of MSM and given the battle, I would say he is deflecting better than anyone else could. But making trade with China an issue, does not mean we make China an enemy, it is simply the Art of Negotiation. Making the Wall a prerogative, does not make us a Nazi state, it makes us actionable and attentive. To date, over 65 countries have – walls – and more are being constructed each day.
We live in dangerous times, a wall is a safeguard, it lessens the need of a – gun… It should be embraced. Illegals account for crime, homelessness, welfare, social instability, jobs, etc… Clarification – it isn’t about immigrants so much as it is about ‘illegal immigration’ and that subtle distinction is somehow left blank, misconstrued, and purposefully calculated.
EVEN Germany takes it’s immigrants and documents them, creating a surreal aura of legitimacy or legality. That nuance is ignored. They place their immigrants into a camp, document them, give them health checks, and categorize them by age, gender, nationality, and ethnicity. I think it’s called ‘profiling’.
But somehow, when they do it, it is an act of compassion – when the US does it, it is an act of Racism…
Odd, how that works.
You are unbelievably wrong about Ireland. There was never a day in since the reformation that the movement for Irish freedom did not include Catholics and Protestants fighting the English side by side. Your are taken in by bad British/English Propaganda. Please explain how the leader of the Easter 1917 Padric Pearse was a Protestant. Wouldn’t that be the same as a member of the KluKluxKLan leading the NAACP or vice versa. Who was Wolf Tone? It’s very east and English to blame Ireland on a Religious battle. Isn’t it interesting that Scotland which has shown it’s desire to be free of England can’t be portrayed in Religious Terms, or would you say the Scottish Independence movement is an Presbyterian vs. Anglican thing. There is some merit to the Shia – Sunni alignment and hatred but why we pick sides?It is the Sunni’s who are killing Christians not the Shia . Also it’s ironic that 10,000 Jews and even more Christians can worship openly in buildings they own in Iran, but Neither Jews nor Christians can worship at all in Saudi Arabia (our ally) much less build a Church or Synagogue..
Who do we back and why? The Shah who was our buddy aided the Houthi’s in Yemen (Aden at the time) with arms, advisors and money, but that was OK. No we are trying to kill the same. Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria all point to a clueless CIA that needs to be reined in.
YOU missed it – I didn’t blame Ireland at all. In fact, I leaned in favor of Ireland. And I completely agree on your statement regarding shia vs sunni – that also was the point… History has shown sunni aggression is the instigator overwhelmingly. The point that at one time Iran was our friend, Syria was our friend, is terribly under-looked. The fact that despite WWI and WWII Germany and Japan are our best friends – is also a very odd affiliation… that was my point.