Iranian Revolutionary Guard Official in Tehran University Lecture (Part I):Islam Has Nothing in Common with Democracy

Hasan Abassi, who heads the Center of External Security Doctrinal Analysis of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps gave a lecture at Tehran University in May. The following are excerpts from the lecture posted in an audio version on the Internet at http://khabarnameh.gooya.com/nabavi/archives/real/abbasi-hasan.rm:

Abbasi: For the last four years I have been crying out that the world in general and the Islamic world in particular need guerilla fighters and not for leaders who speak of dialogue.

The dialogue between civilizations is a dialogue between bullets, shells, napalm bombs and depleted uranium on one side and the bodies of young Shiites and Sunnis in Iraq, Palestine, and Afghanistan on the other.

It's really amazing. When it comes to reforms in the greater Middle East, Bush's slogans are quite in line with Khatami's. I ask my reformist friends: this year is a year of reckoning. Why do your slogans go hand in hand with Bush's slogans on the Greater Middle East? I cast doubt on the very premise that in the context of the dialogue between civilizations everyone should lay down their weapons while America, England and Israel take up their weapons. Mr. Khatami! You owe us some answers. Your dialogue between civilizations prepared the ground for the start of their war of civilizations. You must stop it with this slogan.

The leaders of the Islamic world need to be brave and announce: Islam and western democracy have nothing in common. Islam has nothing in common with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Islam has nothing in common with western liberalism and that kind of freedom. Islam stands in opposition to these ideas. According to Nietzsche, the founding of a civil society means the death of God.

What does the Koran say? It says: "Permission to fight is granted." When your honor is being attacked, you are permitted to fight. But the Iranian reformist calls Jihad violence and the foreign reformist calls it terrorism. I've had the honor to attack your liberalism, your civil society and your human rights. I am honored to say that the forces of heresy… the forces of God's enemies and of the Muslim's enemies… Isn't it true that these are the infidels' forces? If it is possible to do something so that the infidels will be seized with fear and trembling, then this terrorism is sacred. Go ahead and write: "Abbasi is the theoretician of violence and of sacred terrorism." This terrorism is sacred. We have been claiming this for a long time. The Lebanese Hizbollah was nurtured by these hands. Pay close attention! Mr. Khatami, this is not violence. It is the dialogue between civilizations that is tying the hands of organizations like Hizbullah. Do you see these hands? These are the hands that have nurtured Hizbullah, Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad. Rest assured that if beyond the borders of Iran young people can stand firm, then inside Iran we can also educate youth such as these to strike the mouth of the arrogant.

As a religious figure, what is your (Khatami's) duty towards Jihad? Have you ever given a single speech on Jihad? (The Koran says) "Fighting is ordained for you." Is that violence or not? (The Koran says) "Fight them so that there will be no strife." Is that violence or not? Mr. Khatami, what will be with you and us? (You are) head of the Supreme Council for National Security of Iran! To what extent is violence bad? You claim that Islam is a religion of peace and friendship. How many verses about Jihad and martyrdom does it have? Isn't Jihad one of its ten secondary obligations?

For how long are we going to go on eating democracy, drinking human rights, and watching civil society, and with a bone stuck in our throats and a thorn in our eyes we are supposed to bear the massacring of Muslims? Are we not next in line? They've said this outright. They are coming.

Our principle weapon is Jihad, and they are dulling this weapon. Inside (Iran) this is done on the pretext that it is violence, and outside (Iran) – on the pretext that it is terrorism. I'm proud that that foreign terrorist, Lebanese Hizbullah, was raised by us. I am proud of this. If inside Iran, Mr. Khatami calls this Violence, and outside Iran it's called terrorism - then I shall have no fear. If one can cause the infidels and God's enemies to tremble in fear, then that is a point of pride for us. We are proud of this terrorism. The terrorism that rocks the infidels foundations… This is the wrath that God pulls our of Hizbullah's sleeve and crashes down on the heads of His enemies.