All is Sweetness and Light

The United Nations has deplored the Islamic Republic of Iran's intransigence on its illegal work in obviously working toward success in developing nuclear armaments. Iran has repeatedly denied its intention is geared toward that end, but it is more than evident to nuclear inspectors that this is the direction they're headed toward purposefully.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stood before the General Assembly of the United Nations and issued a threat against another member-state, and no censure has emanated from the United Nations as a result. Iran remains a member in good standing of the United Nations, despite its refusal to permit the IAEA inspection of its nuclear sites, themselves illegal.

Iran is well recognized as being a sponsor of terrorist groups. It is itself involved in state terrorism levelled against its own population, shutting down peaceful dissent by violent repression. Arresting, torturing and murdering those whom it accuses of fomenting unrest against the regime. The country's relentless harassment of religious minorities like the Baha'i, its arrest and torture of homosexuals, of political protesters, all mark it as a violently repressive regime.

But it is the country's training, arming and funding of extra-territorial Islamist groups dedicated to violence that has gained it international recognition as a threat to world peace. Yet Iran's clerics, its political executive elite, its ayatollahs and its Republican Guard enjoy presenting themselves as defenders of peace and tolerance in the world. Their faithful followers in Cuba, Venezuela, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sudan and elsewhere, practising a like agenda, agree.

Iran last year launched a conference on Nuclear Disarmament. The year before it was a conference on examining the truth of the occurrence of the Holocaust. This year the conference was titled the "International Conference on the Global Fight Against Terrorism". The objects of their derision and accusations were predictable; the United States and Israel; the Big and Little Satans. And by extension, Western democracies.

As a state sponsor of terrorism, Iran has no equal, although Libya once held pride of position. Iran had no problem assembling representatives of 60 countries of the world to attend their latest conference, taking place in Tehran. Those in attendance obviously had problems regarding the title and thrust of the conference as risibly hypocritical, the proverbial instance of evil posing as goodwill, the major threat to world stability presenting itself as concerned with peace.

And to this gathering, where the United States, Israel and Britain were identified as the major supporters of terrorism and threats to world peace, Western allies such as Pakistan and Afghanistan sent their heads of state to smilingly appear and shake hands with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Why would they not smile, given the reality that Western and specifically American treasury has benefited them hugely over the years, lining their pockets with riches, paying for their militaries and servicing their responsibilities to their populations?

Present also, most notably, was the United Nation's General Secretary, Ban ki-Moon's envoy, Mohammad Rafi al Din Shah who praised Iran and the conference as being "appreciated", since "holding conferences like the Tehran Conference can be considerably helpful in implementing" UN resolutions designed to combat terrorism. Whereupon it makes eminently good sense that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for attacks on the United States, Britain, Israel.

The world of Islam heard from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the conference to combat terrorism not only that the United States, Israel and the West were responsible for terrorism, but that it is "a duty for all Muslims to confront and fight this inauspicious offspring" - of the devil one assumes. Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan, Sudan, Tajikistan, Mauritania, Cuba and the high-level delegates from 60 states as well as the "distinguished scholars and researchers and peace activists from around the world" who attended the conference cannot have been disappointed.

The official statement closing the conference mentioned how delighted the participants were, stressing the 'high importance' of such valuable get-togethers in 'further mobilizing political will and strengthening international capacities in countering terrorism at national and international levels. Enabling all those attending this love-in - which emphasized the false nature of the Holocaust and 9/11 to have been wicked conspiracies to cast Islam in a dim light to enable those who detest it to gain strength and conspire to enrich themselves through the possession of Muslim endowments - to reach a position of unequivocal condemnation.

All 'acts of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including State terrorism, economic terrorism, wherever, against whoever and by whoever they may be committed' also roundly and vehemently condemned. In an excess of self-righteous zeal and piquant humour where none was intended, the statement expressed its concern over the problems 'State terrorism has posed, for long, a real threat to the peace and stability of many nations across the globe through unlawful use of threat of force, aggression and occupation.'

In gaggingly obvious language and absurdly audacious hubris, the closing statement emphasized peoples' 'inalienable right of self-determination which should not be labelled as terrorism'. And that 'counter-terrorism measures shall be adopted and carried out in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law'. To which the United Nations, its envoy and his master, must have swooned with joy.

It reminded the participants of their responsibility to ensure co-operation and that terrorists must be brought to justice. And stressed the 'high importance' those divine religions that regard human life and dignity and peaceful coexistence among nations, place on peace. Rejecting 'any vicious attempt to associate or attribute terrorism to a particular culture, religion of nationality'. With the exception, needless to say, of Christians and Jews, Hindus and Sikhs and Buddhists and Baha'i.

Islam in particular must be protected from 'any offensive or provocative acts against its divine values and religious sanctities.' To which sublimely unassailable values all in attendance agreed wholeheartedly. Thanking their hosts for the enlightening entertainment, and pledging to commemorate the victims of terrorism.

In conclusion the Republic of Iraq, yet another friend of the West, and recipient of its treasury, offered to host the next such conference.