Visions Of The Post-Coronavirus World – Part IV: Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Rezaee: 'An International... Social Movement Must Be Launched'; Our Foreign Policy Must 'Prioritize The Expulsion Of The U.S.' From The Region; 'We Must Be Ready... For The Victory Of Humanity's Savior' – The Mahdi

 

Mohsen Rezaee, secretary of the Iranian regime's Expediency Council whose members are appointed by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and whose role it is to advise him, published an article on April 2, 2020 via the Fars news agency. In the article, Rezaee, who is also a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), discussed the ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic for the world. He stated that the pandemic had exposed the malady infecting humankind – the sick world order based, according to him, on the liberal, capitalist West and on the American values of freedom and democracy. He said that in the wake of the pandemic, the Western order will make way for a new world order whose center of gravity will be Asia. Revolutionary Iran, he added, will play a unique role in leading the new world, and to this end it must advance the values of the Islamic revolution in order to cure all humanity's ills.

This goal, he said, would be achieved "through jihad against Satan," both within Iran and outside it – Satan being embodied by the political entities of the U.S., Israel, and Britain, and by expelling the U.S. from the region, as well as by clinging to faith in God and to the heritage of Iranian civilization, and Iran's revolutionary ideological experience. These, he said, will lead to the establishment of a God-focused social scientific movement that will in turn bring about a (Shi'ite Islamic) world revolution

Rezaee's statements reveal an attempt by the Iranian regime to leverage the coronavirus crisis in order to actualize the regime's ideological and political goals, and to continue exporting Iran's Islamic revolution in the region and in the world. In order to achieve this, Rezaee sets out specific practical aims: expelling the U.S. from the region (an aim set by Tehran after the January 2020 killing of IRGC Qods Force commander Qassem Soleimani that is being implemented today by the Shi'ite militias, Iran's branches in Iraq) and the establishment of a subversive "social" movement in the West.

The following are the translated main points of Rezaee's article: 

After The Coronavirus, A New World Order Will Arise

"The coronavirus will eventually disappear, but the wound it leaves, and its consequences, will remain on the body of the world. Why? Because the current international power structure is not strong enough to heal this wound and to compensate for the far-reaching ramifications. This structure will naturally change and a new order will arise. In the future, the West, that is, Europe and America, will weaken, while Asia and China will be stronger than before. As a result, most of the power and economic supremacy will shift from the West to the East. But will Asia and China be capable of maintaining unity, like the West did in the second half of the 20th century? Can they provide philosophical support... that differs from humanism and liberalism? ... Will we see the emergence of Asian and Eastern cultural supremacy in the 21st century?

"In contrast, the coronavirus reveals a different disease – modern human culture's 'inner disease of thought.' 'Western capitalism and liberalism' have blackened and stained the faces, minds, and souls of the governments, societies, and [political] parties, as well as the human, social, and political relationships of Western societies and their West-struck supporters. But they [Western capitalism and  liberalism] have grown and expanded covertly for years.

"This disease has even spread to the Islamic communities, including Iran... This internal malady, a malady of faith that is more dangerous than the coronavirus, has infiltrated into most of the human societies in the past two or three decades... This disease has many aspects: beginning with the debt crisis [that struck every country and will come due for] the generations to come, the unprecedented war crimes, and the assassinations and violence (in these difficult days the violence in the world continues), to the collapse of morality and divine spirituality in Western societies and the West-struck.

"Today, the people in the streets and alleyways of Europe and America are crying out for help, but they cannot manage to find aid... This Godless man, who has no spiritual connection to others [but does have a connection to] selfish and arrogant politicians, has become a body without truth or identity that races from morning till night in search of bread... One of the most important complications of this internal and faith malady in Western societies and among the West-struck is human loneliness..."

The Coronavirus Will Lead To "The Beginning Of Social Protest In The Industrialized Countries And Developed Economies"

"In addition to social distancing, the coronavirus has inflicted on the world a different social distancing... [that is,] a civilizational corona that has paralyzed societies, dismantled families, and distanced them from their spirituality and truth. The world's residents will feel more and more isolated and will be able to conclude that they must think of themselves. This can be the beginning of a social protest in the industrialized countries and developed economies...

Expediency Council chairman Mohsen Rezaee (Source: Fars, Iran, April 2, 2020)

"The current American president came to power with the slogan 'America First' and is dealing today with the biggest crisis in American history by abandoning tens of thousands of people infected with the coronavirus, and intends to invade Iraq in order to distract the public [from the pandemic]."

"The Coronavirus Will Challenge… Also The Idea Of Liberalism, The Capitalist Culture, And American Values Of Freedom And Democracy, And Will Weaken [America's And Europe's] Economy [And] Security"

"The coronavirus will challenge not only the might of America and Europe, but also the idea of liberalism and capitalist culture, and American values ad of freedom and democracy, and will weaken their economy, security, and international relations...

"The coronavirus reminds humans that they are not the masters of the earth. Human problems are connected to all humanity. Even the great powers cannot live alone... Man concludes that without God he cannot create a stable and true relationship with himself and with others.

"Humanity's need for this kind of understanding, for a new environment, for a shift in values, institutions, political and economic order, or, in one word, for a 'new international system' and 'recognizing new values,' cannot be met without an 'international social movement.' But is the West capable of forming and leading such an international social movement? ...What is the duty of our nation and system, and especially the duty of [Iran's] revolutionary forces in these circumstances?...

"The group... that is to blame for biologically and ideologically manipulating the coronavirus [i.e. creating and disseminating it], which has ties to the Zionist camp, is trying to survive by infiltrating the nations that are defeating the coronavirus [i.e. Iran and China], and which are creating the new order that will rise after the current order has fallen. [This group] is doing this in an effort to prevent real change in human life and to obstruct [the emergence of] a humane and just order in international relations..."

"The Proud Nation Of Iran... Is Capable Of Playing An Effective Role In Creating A New World Order"

"The truth is that the only way to find a solution for the deep pain of modern humanity is with the help of God and the people. The superpowers' despair in facing the coronavirus has shown that the human mind and advanced technology are not enough to ensure [man's] worldly happiness, and that human civilization is in need of divine guidance, salvation, and spirituality, and also in need of the people's presence and social unity...

"The reality is that the economic, human, and political repercussions of the coronavirus – the disease operated [by the U.S. and Israel] – as well as the inner and thought spark of the West, are no longer controlled by America and Europe, and the international playing field will shift to the East and to Asia. The new world will be shaped by the Asians...

"Asia has a much greater cultural capacity than the West. The great cultures of Islam, China, India, and Iran have existed in Asia for centuries. But this alone will not make a culture globally superior, and even if Western civilization sets aside its mantle of superiority, it will continue to fight for balance with the East. There is no doubt that a new competitive environment will arise, creating new opportunities and threats in the world.

"At this dangerous time, the proud nation of Iran and its citizens, its intellectuals, and the scholars of its revolution undoubtedly have the capability to play an effective role in creating a new world and order... While [the Iranian nation] has stood fast in the face of the Zionist crimes and American arrogance that created serious problems in western Asia [i.e. the Middle East], it has also created advanced political, defensive, and security systems.

"Of course, we acknowledge that those who are influenced by the West oppose us, economically and culturally, and that we have not yet succeeded in building a strong Islamic Iranian economy in our society... Therefore, our nation and our regime cannot refrain from entering the arena in the current situation, and cannot refrain from touching the true human pain.

"It seems that the Iranian nation, with its great civilizations, its great human capabilities, and its historical background can, with the help of young Iranian zealots (each striving to be like Soleimani) and drawing on the experience of the last 40 years, can play an effective role in shaping a new world and order in the country, the region, and even in the world.

"An important point: If we do not actively participate in creating the new order and the future world, the same fate that befell Iran after significant events like the first and second world wars will befall us – [that is,] first, we will lose all the achievements of the Islamic revolution, and second, any change in the structure of the international superpowers... will greatly impact our country...

"We must be prepared for a great global shift, and contribute to the success and victory of humanity's savior [the Mahdi, i.e. the messiah in Shi'ite tradition]. This will not be possible without gaining power in all material and spiritual areas that humans require today. This means becoming stronger across all the necessary areas, for creating a global revolution...

"America's and Israel's heavy defeats in the region, and the presence of Iran's political, economic, and cultural advisors on the Mediterranean coast, are also important achievements of the Islamic revolution. It is enough to prepare ourselves for understanding other aspects of thought and knowledge of the Islamic revolution and its lofty values, and to use them in the life and administration of our country..."

"To Fight Satan, We Must Be Armed With The Weapons Of Science, Technology, Piety, And Morality"; "We Must Distance Ourselves From Satan... – The American Administration, The Occupying Regime [Israel], And Britain"; "Regionally, Let Our Foreign Policy Prioritize The Expulsion Of The U.S. And The Independence Of All Countries From The Rule Of The Arrogant [The U.S. And The West]"

"The second step of the Islamic revolution,[1] like the first, begins with scientific development and spiritual excellence. We must welcome the [spiritual] light [in the form of the coming of the messiah, that is, the stage of global revolution] by correcting ourselves, in mind and spirit. The beloved nation of Iran, which began a new era in the Islamic revolution, must find a collective solution.

"In order to actualize the demands of this declaration, an international scientific and social movement must be launched. It must have new ideas and solutions across several dimensions, such as cultural, biological, and technological patterns, all predicated on Islamic, revolutionary, and Iranian principles. Fortunately, this capability exists in our leader [Khamenei], our people, and our youth...

"On the God front, which is the front of wise rule, law, and the people... we must decrease our distance from God. We must eliminate the distance created by selfish, West-struck elements. This social-scientific human movement is based on a new view of man, and this God-focused humanity is innately rational... It can solve the problem of human loneliness...

"We must distance ourselves from Satan, who is embodied by the oppressors and the corrupt. Chief among them is the American administration, the occupying regime [i.e. Israel], and Britain. Regionally, let our foreign policy prioritize the expulsion of the U.S. [from the region] and the independence of all countries from the rule of the arrogant [i.e. the U.S. and the West]. We cannot win the fight and the jihad against Satan, both within and without, without becoming stronger. To fight Satan, we must be  armed with the weapons of science, technology, piety, and morality...

"Our path, which was set out by the imams of the revolution, is not the path of liberals, nor that of technocrats. It is the path of the material and spiritual progress of humanity, for which the new world thirsts.

"Now, with the global spread of the coronavirus, and the clarification of the hidden spiritual and intellectual malady of mankind, the responsibility [to implement the new world order] placed upon on the historic nation of Iran, its state apparatus, and its revolutionary and popular forces has grown as well."[2]