Shia, Sunni - Relax, No Difference!

The Islamic Republic of Iran has been extraordinarily exercised over the 'abduction' of 48 of its nationals by the Free Syrian Army rebels in Syria.  These were religious pilgrims, the entire busload full, come to Syria from Iran to worship at a shrine.  And it is incomprehensible that they should have been taken by the rebels as they were. 

Of course there's the incontrovertible fact that these are rebel forces, after all.  And Iran has been supporting the government of Bashar al-Assad, decrying the illegality of rebel activities.

So it's understandable under those circumstances that the Free Syrian Army views a busload of Iranians as representing a country whose activities are loathsome to the rebels.  Holding them hostage might have seemed like a good idea as an incentive to offer to release them to Iran should Iran agree to withdraw from Syria's business.  Which, needless to say, Iran has no interest in considering.

After all, members of the elite Al Quds squad of the Revolutionary Guard are in Syria for the express purpose of training, arming and assisting the Syrian military in their determination to outgun and outmanoeuvre the collected militias calling themselves the Free Syrian Army.  Which would mean, of course, that should any of those Revolutionary Guards be discovered on Syrian soil by the rebels, they'd be seen as fair game.

That among the 48 Iranian religious tourists from the bus four are outstanding for the fact that they were injudicious enough to have with them their military ID is rather amazing.  But Tehran has an explanation for that; these represented former members of the Guard, now private Iranian citizens on a pilgrimage. 

No, they were not involved in a reconnaissance mission, not at all.  Their mission was a personal, private, religious one, to a shrine.

So Abedin Khorram, head of the Martyrs Division for the Revolutionary Guard in West Azerbajan, Maj. Yussef Akbary, deputy head of intelligence, Maj. Hossein Nouri, head of the artillery, and Karim Hosseinkhani, senior in the Basij militia and a personal representative of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, just happened to be pious sight-seeing pilgrims headed for a shrine.

There it is: proof-positive that things are not always as they seem.  Retired members of the Revolutionary Guard, not one iota involved at any level for whatever reason in combat operations.  And Tehran strenuously denies any involvement whatsoever in the Syrian conflict; no military assistant to President al-Assad, none whatever.

And Iran would very much appreciate the rebels taking steps to release these innocent pilgrims. It would be the right thing to do, among religious brethren who have only the highest regard for one another, not the least reason to despise them for their religious impiety as heretics.