The majority of the Iranian people reject terrorism.
A new poll finds that 7 out of 10 Iranians reject Osama bin Laden and his terrorist organization Al Qaeda. The poll points out the fact that the Iranian people seemingly feel the same as the American people do about terrorism and its danger to their national stability. Here is an expert from an article reporting on the poll:
Seven in ten Iranians view international terrorism as an important threat to Iran’s vital interests including 56 percent who see it as a critical threat. Only 12 percent call it not important. Even more Iranians are concerned about terrorist attacks in their own country. Eighty-one percent call such attacks an important threat (66% critical).
American and Iranian concerns about the threat of terrorism are comparable in intensity. Ninety-five percent of Americans see terrorism as an important threat, including 68 percent who say it is a critical threat. Only 4 percent do not see terrorism as a threat. Ninety-five percent also view terrorist attacks in our country as an important threat.
Both Iranians and Americans have strongly negative views of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. Three in four Iranians (74%) and more than nine in ten Americans (94%) view bin Laden unfavorably, including large majorities (68% and 89%, respectively) who view him very unfavorably. Only 10 percent of Iranians look at the al Qaeda leader favorably (2% Americans). Nine in ten Americans have a very unfavorable opinion of bin Laden and ninety-two percent of Americans say al Qaeda poses an important threat to the United States, including 59 percent who say it poses a critical one.
Such results are surprising to many people, given the fact that the Western media has painted a much different picture of Iran and its citizens. It is important however to distinguish between the Iranian regime and the Iranian people. The current Regime in Iran does in fact export weapons and materials to terrorist organizations such as Hamas. The fact that a majority of the Iranian people reject such terrorism highlights the oppressive nature of the regime, and its disconnect with the people.
This disconnect between the Iranian regime and the citizenry is something I hope the current American administration takes note of. Regime change must occur from inside of Iran. Pre-emptive military action against Iran is a dangerous path to choose, and would no doubt go down in history as the worst foreign policy decision in our nations history (after the Iraq War).
We all assume that the Bush administration would not be so foolish, but lets not kid ourselves… the neo-conservative ideology is a dangerous one. Let’s hope common sense and reality sneaks its way into the discussion this time around (maybe Dick Cheney will be sick that day).