"LOST WISDOM" : Rethinking Modernity In Iran by Abbas Millani

Being pathologically paranoid, racist, Anglophobe, West-phobe, Jewish-phobe, Christian-phobe, Zoroast-phobe, Baha'i-phobe, sunni-phobe and Islamic-centric, the Islamist theofascists in Iran would like you to believe that Democracy and Human Rights are Western constructs and a plot against Islam from the outside, concocted, of course, by the omnipotent Zionist/racist to destroy Islamic ummah. Though it's perfectly fine for them to use the term “kafir,” or "infidel", which is nothing more than a thinly veiled euphemism for 'covert racism' if you consider Isalm as a race via concept of Ummah.

The Islamic Republic remains wedded to a self-defeating, separatist and supremacist impulse, which, while most often justified in terms of avoiding un-Islamic influences, tends to manifest itself in the curious desire to separate from non-Muslims (infidels), even when this means lowering the living standards even lower than it is. Amir Taheri explains:

The president's favorite catchword is "khodkafa'I" or "self sufficiency." To the horror of most Iranians, especially the millions connected with the bazaars, who regard trade as the noblest of pursuits, Mr. Ahmadinejad insists that the only way Iran can preserve its "Islamic purity" is to reduce dependence on foreign commerce. "Whatever we can produce we should do ourselves," the president likes to say. "Even if what we produce is not as good, and more costly." His rationale goes something like this: The global economic system is a Jewish-Crusader conspiracy to keep Muslim nations in a position of weakness and dependency. Thus, Muslims would do better by relying on their own resources even if that means lower living standards.

Abbas Milani's book, "Lost Wisdom" dispels the notion that democracy and human rights are not organically native and intrinsically intertwined with the 7000-year Iranian history and culture. Excerpt from the publisher's review:

...He uses an impressive array of cross-disciplinary Western and Iranian theories and texts to investigate the crucial question of modernity in Iran today. Rethinking Modernity in Iran challenges the hitherto accepted theory that modernity and its related concepts of democracy and freedom are Western in essence. It also demonstrates that Iran and the West have more that brings them together than separates them in their search for such modern ideals as rationalism, the rule of law, and democracy.

"Milani shows that long before the European Renaissance generated the radical ideas that eventually reshaped Europe and the United States, Persian statesmen, artists, and intellectuals had formulated ideas that strikingly anticipate those of modernity.… Lost Wisdom is not only a powerful work of historical analysis; it is also a moving and eloquent account of a series of remarkable individuals, depicted with rare sensitivity and precision."—Stephen Greenblatt, Harvard University

The siege mentality of the Islamists like Ahmadinejad, whose aims are primarily at resisting or removing "evil" from the world (While being evil himself) rather than contributing good to it, bears the seed of self-destruction within itself and ultimately, in the larger scheme of things, does not need foreign invasion to make this malignant ideology irrelevant. The Islamist in Iran should be aware of the unity of all being and our mutual interdependency with every other person on the planet and with the earth itself, Islam must evolve in the 21st century in ways that make it sustainable not cause its demise.

That evolution will require a willingness to leave behind or transcend chauvinist, ultra-Islamist, (supremacists and imperialist) and tribalist elements of Islamic past, but to be authentic it must incorporate much of what has been spiritually vibrant in some Islamic traditions such as sufism.

Cruelty (stoning, torturing, finger-amputating, tongue-cutting...), wishing death upon other nations and people who don't think like you, Calling them pigs and dogs, and blowing yourself up in the name of religion are Not Destiny.


Next time an Islamist like Hoder talks about democracy and human rights being a "Western Conspiracy" or "inorganic" to Persian culture, tell him to read the first author of human rights charter, Cyrus the Great. The U.N. comparing it to the Human Rights Manifesto of the French National Assembly and the Charter approved by the United Nations with the Charter of Freedom of Cyrus, had decided that the latter appeared more valuable considering its age, explicitness, and rejection of the superstitions of the ancient world. Here is some more info. on that from Wikipedia:

The cylinder has been considered as the world's first known charter of human rights, as there are passages in the text have been interpreted as expressing Cyrus’ respect for humanity. It promotes a form of religious tolerance and freedom,[32] and the abolishment of slavery.[He allowed his subjects to continue worshipping their gods, despite his own monotheist beliefs.[35] In 1971, the United Nations published a translation of the document in all the official U.N. languages. A replica of the Cyrus Cylinder has reportedly been on display at United Nations headquarters in New York City as a tribute to Cyrus' display of respect and tolerance.

And while at it Hoder, you should be checking out the book, "Lost Wisdom" too.