Egypt - Are Those 25000 Iranian Jews Right?

PLEASE NOTE: Though the headline and the article mention three religious groups, the article is more about global politics, not religion. It is an attempt to foresee future changes in American foreign policy in the Middle East. Unfortunately, politics in Middle East has religious overtones, so no way I can avoid touching them. But, I have to emphasize, it has nothing to do with the various faiths here in USA.

Iran has nearly 25000 Jews. They refuse to migrate to Israel. And the Iranian government or its people do not want them to leave either.

In fact, according to a video on You Tube the main synagogue in Tehran is reported to have a prominent name board boldly declaring that it is a Jewish synagogue!

As an American Christian, I was not brought up in an atmosphere friendly to Iran. I still remember those dark days when our embassy staff were held as hostages by Shiites. So I never cared about Iran.

Then a few months back, Public Television broadcast interviews with some Iranian Jews who were on a visit to this country. That was the first time in my whole life I heard that there are Jews in Iran.

I was shocked to hear all of them declaring that they are living happily and safely in that country. They even appealed to USA to start a dialogue with Iran.

Naturally, I hated that and didn't think much about it until last week when the Egyptians rose against President Hosny Mubarak.

And looming in the background is a take over of that country by Islamic Brotherhood. That means the world can be held to ransom by a bunch of fundamentalists by choking one of the World's busiest maritime routes.

With Pakistan building 110+ nuclear bombs with billions of US aid rather than giving that money to their citizens, Sunni fundamentalism already has nuclear blackmail capability too.

Shiites are being tortured and even killed in Sunni majority countries. Not a week passes without bombing of one Shiite shrine somewhere in Asia.

Last week's events in Egypt brought back the words of the Iranian Jews to my mind. Are they right in their convictions?

Grudgingly, I have to admit, THEY CAN BE.

For the first time, I have to accept the thought, albeit reluctantly, that their appeal to USA for open dialogues with Shiites may be correct.

With Sunni blackmail of the world a possibility, to counter that, we may have to accept Shiites on an equal footing with Sunnis.

I am still not comfortable with the idea, but, may be in not so distant future, we may have to listen to the advise of 25000 Iranian Jews who may appear to be saying unsavory things which we don't want to hear at this time.

Yes, my ego asks me to ignore their advise as accepting Shiites is against nearly half a century of American policy and my beliefs from my childhood.

But, my alter ego says, there are no permanent friends or enemies in global politics.

May be with the appearance of Islamic Brotherhood on the scene with their avowed enmity to USA, I may have to keep an open mind now on.