By Fada John Oluoma
It was the era of might is right. When Iran was Persia, it was as powerful as both USA and Israel combined. It invaded any nation it wanted, conquered, killed men, women, children, animals and even deported some.
There was no global outcry because there was no globe, just a bunch of countries and empires doing what they could and liked. When Iran was Persia, people didn’t protest in Nigeria as it overran any country. Neighbours only wished and prayed to whatever deity they believed for protection.
The crimes of powerful nations against weaker ones were totally satanic and sardonic when Iran was Persia. When some parts of Iraq was Babylon, same crimes happened. When other parts of it were Assyria, same story.
When Italy was the Roman Empire, same atrocities, if not more took place. The Greeks, The Macedonians, the Ottomans, the British, the Spanish and every Empire that existed did all that. The last of them was Nazi Germany and it didn’t shy from magnifying evil and atrocities. Technically the USA isn’t an empire as the Persian or British empires were, but it is still as powerful as they were.
The selfish interest of the powerful empires and nations, even to the detriment of the weaker ones has stubbornly remained a constant. The powerful nation is never driven by any altruistic or divine purpose, they are always driven by the insatiable egos of their rulers and interests of the nation no matter what it costs the weaker nations. That hasn’t changed today.
There are more Christians in Iran than in Israel, more Muslims in Israel than Christians. This is for those who take sides or show sympathy rigidly based on religious sentiments and affinity. Saudi Arabia is regarded as the birthplace of Islam, yet they are ally to America and never chant “dead to America and Israel”.
Same goes for Kuwait, the UAE, they are Muslim countries by identity yet, they have convivial relationship with the USA which hardliners in Iran see as the Satan. My point is, if you are taking sides based on religion, you are simply an idiot, refusing to consider obvious facts.
However, my focus is on the weaker nations. To survive sometimes, you make a deal with the powerful nation. That’s how weaker nations were spared of total annihilation. When Iran was Persia, they made a deal on the terms and conditions of Persia. It was no symbiotic deal, the best a weaker nation could get is plea for some leniency and concessions.
Here is Iran today, blessed with oil and gas in such quantities that could turn the nation into one of the wealthiest in the world. Instead, their leaders are pursuing a religious ideology and nuke (Nuclear) ability. These pursuits hasn’t worked out for them, it has brought them woes. Why insist on them at the detriment of the common people?
Once again, I’m limiting the scope of this piece to survival. Does Iran have right to own nukes (Nuclear weapons) as some of their counterparts? Yes, but that’s not gonna be my focus. Japan, Germany and most of the wealthy western countries to which Iranian citizens run to for a better life aren’t nuke (Nuclear) nations and they have freedom of religion but not religious ideology. Besides Israel, Iran’s closest neighbours like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, do not have nukes (Nuclear weapons) and are flourishing in peace and prosperity.
Don’t tell me about human rights or anything. To have nuclear weapon is not a human right. It is already unfortunate for humanity that some countries possess it, one more having it doesn’t translate to human right.
In any case, this doesn’t canonise America and Israel as saints doing God’s will as some deluded Christians think. The invasion of Iraq, ouster of Ghaddafi of Libya, military actions in places like Afghanistan should teach us unforgettable lessons about USA’s foray into the “might is right” heresy. So, this is me saying that the Iranian leaders uncannily brought ant infested faggots into their nation, not an endorsement of Israel and the USA. It is about survival, but fanatics rather die and sacrifice others for their ideologies than survive.
Iran should learn how weaker nations survived when Iran was Persia and apply it now. It is easier today to avoid wars and invasion, far much easier than it was few decades going back.
When same America came for Nigeria with the promise of ending ‘Christian genocide’, the naive excitement of many people quickly gave way to frustration and disillusionment as the Tinubu government found a way to make a deal and now seem to be in partnership with the USA.
No more bombings, no threat of invasion again. It looks like Uncle Sam has got what he is looking for, and wiping out our terrorists, bandits, corrupt leaders and agents of insecurity isn’t it, or maybe not a priority yet.
Might is not right. Right is also not might, don’t just fight because you are right when you don’t have the might. Our Lord Jesus taught this wisdom about making peace with an aggressor if you can’t match his might at war (Lk14:31).
When Iran was Persia, eggs weren’t this available and affordable, now they are. All we need to survive and thrive are eggs not nukes (Nuclear weapons).
Fada Oluoma is of Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja.
