-- Amil Imani

Great news! Great news! The deadly confrontation between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic of Iran is about to become history. The dove of peace is here in the person of the Smiling Mullah Khatami. Just look at his serene face with and ever-present reassuring little smile. It makes you forget all your troubles, doesn’t it? If by looking at him you are not comforted, it may be the way he is dressed that seems alien—the turban, the cloak and all. Fine. Then let us listen to what he preaches.

The world is captivated by the sudden rise of a relatively unknown to the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran, for his torrent of outrageous statements and claims. He has, thus, in a short time acquired great many appellations. He is viewed as zealot, fascist, fanatic, anti-Semitic, lunatic and more. One prominent Western columnist called him “unhinged.” All these labels aim, in part, to dismiss the man as an aberration. As someone who is in urgent need of psychological help, a person out of touch with reality who represents nothing of substance.

The biggest surprise of 2003 was when an Iranian human rights activist, Shirin Ebadi, became the first Iranian ever to win a Nobel Peace Prize. Yet, the Nobel committee referred to her as the first Muslim woman, completely denying her nationality, which angered Iranian nationalists. It is rumored Ebadi will appear on an up coming Oprah Winfrey Show while Ebadi tours the United States to promote her book. Iran's people have suffered enough cultural destruction from Islam, but now even the Nobel committee was denying Iranian nationality, and promoting Islam instead. Ebadi's Nobel Peace Prize made Iranians proud. "The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2003 to Shirin Ebadi for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the campaign for the rights of women and children," as stated in the chairman's 2003 award speech. {C}