After the American government offered help to coronavirus-stricken Iran this March, Ayatollah Khamenei rejected the offer as “strange.” It must have seemed so from his Islamic perspective. Why would American Infidels offer to supply medical and other humanitarian aid to Iran, the Muslim country where crowds routinely cry “Death to America” and stomp on the flag of the Great Satan? It made no sense. Surely there was something else going on.
His ungrateful reaction to the American offer, and his baseless assurance that he’ll be able to soon contain the virus, is discussed here.
The United States’ offer to help Iran in its fight against the new coronavirus pandemic is strange, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech on Sunday, describing US leaders as “charlatans and liars.”
“Charlatans and liars”? What base ingratitude. But for Khamenei, the offer of aid from Infidel America is not to be trusted. There must be a trick somewhere. Perhaps the trick is simply this: by offering such aid, the Americans hope that the Iranian people just might begin to feel that the regime is wrong in consigning America to the outer darkness, might begin to reconsider all that “Death to America” and “Great Satan” cursing that is the Iranian regime’s substitute for thought. Then where would the mullahs – and the ayatollahs! – be?
Washington has offered humanitarian assistance to its longtime foe, the Middle Eastern country most affected by the coronavirus, with 1,685 deaths and 21,638 people infected.
Tensions between the two countries have been running high since 2018, when US President Donald Trump exited Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with six world powers and re-imposed sanctions that have crippled the Iranian economy.
Tensions have “been running high” between Iran and the United States for quite a bit longer than “since 2018.” That date was chosen in order to lay the blame for those “tensions” on President Trump, who re-imposed sanctions that year. In fact, “tensions”with Iran began in 1979, when the virulently anti-American Ayatollah Khomeini came to power. That was the year when Iranian students seized the American Embassy in Tehran, and held the diplomatic personnel hostage for 444 days.
“Several times Americans have offered to help us to fight the pandemic. That is strange because you face shortages in America. Also you are accused of creating this virus,” said Khamenei, an anti-US hardliner who has the final say in Iran.
Khamenei cannot comprehend America’s charitable impulse. And why should he, given that in Muslim societies no one would think of offering similar aid to Infidels? Theologically, it would make no sense for Muslims, the “best of peoples,” to offer aid to non-Muslims, the “most vile of created beings,” unless of course those non-Muslims were prepared to convert to Islam. So he is suspicious. Why have the Americans not once, but repeatedly, “offered to help us fight the pandemic”? Can they really mean it? They can’t be on the level.
Khamenei finds this American offer “strange.” It’s strange for several reasons.
First, America itself has shortages of medical supplies – especially masks, ventilators. Can it still be willing to share what it has with Iran? Why such a display of kindness? Perhaps the Great Satan isn’t quite so satanish after all. But how do we explain that to our people? We’ve been denouncing the Great Satan for forty years. We can’t stop now. America is the perpetual enemy that can be blamed for all our woes. As just now, when America has been “accused of creating this virus.” Khamenei doesn’t say whether he believes the accusation — “I do not know whether it [the accusation that America created the virus] is true” — but tantalizingly leaves the accusation hanging.
He asks: “But when there is such an allegation, can a wise man trust you and accept your help offer? … You could be giving medicines to Iran that spread the virus or cause it to remain permanently.”
Yes, of course. The diabolical American Infidels are only pretending to help Iran fight the virus, while offering vaccines and therapies that will only spread it, or make it impossible for the stricken to ever shake it off. That must surely be it. They are out not to save but to destroy us and all Muslims. But here’s a puzzlement: why then did they bother to so catastrophically infect non-Muslim lands, such as China and Italy? Was that done just to throw the world off the scent?
Frictions increased when Trump ordered a US drone strike that killed the top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Qassem Soleimani, on Jan. 3. Iran retaliated by hitting US targets in Iraq on Jan. 8.
“Our number one enemy is America. It is the most wicked, sinister enemy of Iran … its leaders are terrorists … Liars and charlatans,” said Khamenei.
It would be fascinating to be provided by Khamenei with examples of what he considers to be American “terrorism” against Iran, and examples, too, of how Americans have proven themselves to be “liars and charlatans.” There are many examples of Iranian lies about their nuclear program, the most recent having been revealed in 2018, when Israeli agents smuggled 50,000 pages of documents about the program out of a warehouse in Iran. The Iranians have lied, too, about their attacks on Saudi oil installations. They have lied to the world, and to their own people, about the amounts they have been spending—until recently, at least $15 billion a year — to keep Assad in power in Syria. They have lied about the bases they have been building in Syria, and for years they lied about supplying Hezbollah with missiles and rockets.
Iranian authorities have blamed US sanctions for hampering its efforts to curb the outbreak and President Hassan Rouhani has urged Americans to call on their government to lift sanctions as Iran fights the coronavirus.
How have U.S. sanctions “hampered [Iran’s] efforts to curb the outbreak”? Iran needs medical aid, including masks and ventilators. It’s been offered, and turned down, such aid from the U.S. It also needs, like the rest of the world, effective therapies for the stricken that do not yet exist, and for those not stricken, vaccines that have not yet been developed. If the Americans, or any other Infidels, produce such vaccines or therapies to cure the disease, they will doubtless make them available to Iran. Several things are “hampering” Iran’s efforts to deal with the coronavirus. The first is its deep suspicion of the West, and its consequent refusal to accept American humanitarian and medical aid. The second is its inability — so far – to deal firmly with the many clerics who refuse voluntarily to close their mosques and instead actively encourage Iranians to visit mosques and shrines en masse to pray – the very worst thing they can do.
The Iranian government does not need American sanctions to be lifted in order to amass sums for combatting the coronavirus. It can simply re-order its priorities. Given the spread of the virus in Iran, the country’s rulers should be willing, and its populace would be more than willing — to end its aid to the Houthis in Yemen, the Shi’a militias in Iraq, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and – most costly of all – its support for Assad in Syria. If it did all of those things, it would save at least $15 billion a year. If it merely cut that aid in half, it would still save $7.5 billion yearly, that could be used to pay for the testing of tens of millions, for buying hundreds of high-acuity ventilators, for building – just as the Chinese did — new hospitals overnight, for creating much larger ICU units in existing hospitals, and for converting spaces of all kinds—from apartments to dormitories to gymnasiums — into hospital wards for those suffering from conditions other than the coronavirus, while the coronavirus patients would occupy all the regular hospital beds and ICU units. Even more money would be available if Iran decided as well to halt its nuclear program. It’s Iran’s choice. What is more important to the rulers in Tehran – the health of the Iranian people, or the continued care and feeding of Bashar al-Assad and Hassan Nasrallah?
Boromir's Horn says
By this time next year (hopefully sooner) the West will have a vaccine for the coronovirus, Will he refuse it as well?
gravenimage says
Actually, Israel is working on one now, and it may be finished in few weeks, and ready to roll out to the public by Summer:
“Israeli scientists: ‘In a few weeks, we will have coronavirus vaccine'”
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/israeli-scientists-in-three-weeks-we-will-have-coronavirus-vaccine-619101
Boromir's Horn says
And the Ayatollah will quietly acquiesce with nary a “I thought you said” from the media
Templer says
Good let them die then the people off Iran will truly know islam is bs and the Koran is bs
Keith says
Don’t forget, the people of Iran are already seeing that they have been lied to and are starting to resist.
This is simply another way for the dictators to control the people.
Best case scenario is for the entire government to get sick and fall off the perch, then the people can start with a clean slate.
Dusty says
When will the West learn? We should not help muslims in any way, for anything.
Dusty says
We should not be helping muslims at any time for anything.
Dusty says
Sorry for double post, prior didn’t appear before. Thought I was banned for something.
Frank Anderson says
The very idea that anyone would be so grossly uninformed about islam to show the weakness and servitude of offering scarce and needed supplies to the vile oppressors of billions should be accepted as normal. We are being controlled by idiots. They have our money, country and affairs in their hands and sell us out at every opportunity, including pumping their lies to leaders who should know better and foolishly depend on them (the State Department ) for guidance. Our previous Secretary of State has a daughter who married the muslim son of his counterpart in Iran. Talk about “All in the Family”? And his crowning achievement was the nuclear deal that paves the way for Iran to have all the nuclear weapons it wants in 10 years, like it does not have them now.
What would be said about offering Nazi Germany or Japan this kind of aid during WWII? Treason, pure and simple. Article 3 Section 3 of the United States Constitution defines legal treason, “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.” Is there any doubt that Iran is an enemy of the US when crowds for decades have been led in chants, “Death to America!”.
Rarely says
In times of crisis the United States has always been at the forefront in giving aid and support. More to the U.S.’s credit the U.S. has continued that aid and support even though it has often been met with incredible ingratitude.
It’s a bit different here though. Very recently there have been serious internal challenges to the current Iranian regime. The spread of the virus certainly won’t help the current regime. Since the U.S. doesn’t know who they will be dealing with in Iran at the end of the day or how deeply intrenched China will be in Iran this offer may be strategic as well as humanitarian if not more so. The U.S. almost certainly expected the offer to be rejected but the PR value may be worth making it in the first place.
I don’t expect agreement on this viewpoint and wouldn’t stake much on it being correct but it currently makes some sense to me.
John Paré says
Proverbs 25:21-22 21 If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.22 You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.
Spiro says
That’s what I was looking for
Thanks for the post
Moslems condemn themselves
Frank Anderson says
J.P. By definition, it is impossible to shame psychopaths. I suggest reading Without Conscience by Psychologist Robert D. Hare for a better understanding of the futility of such an endeavor. The book is available on Amazon Kindle. I took that suggestion from another commenter here and appreciated the guidance.
Rarely says
It has been suggested to me that it is of paramount importance to do “the right thing” (when you know what “the right thing” is, of course) regardless of how others will take it — that would be their problem. It has further been suggested to me the importance of maintaining one’s principles and, humorously, I have been told that “if you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything”.
I’m not quite sure how all that would apply here since I find it difficult to be charitable to my enemies.
Frank Anderson says
Rarely, I have long charted my own course and made many unpopular choices, including refusing an offer of “What’s it going to take to get you on the team? Anything you want. Anything at all!” The team was stealing over 200 million dollars in present value from the member/owner/consumers of a federally mortgaged utility.
For my refusal, my mother said “I didn’t expect that much out of you anyway. You are not really my son. You were adopted.” My ex-wife added her thoughts and left. Read the book I suggested. Psychopaths do not qualify for charitable assistance.
The Masons teach much about charity including extending it upon application and finding the applicant worthy. When people need scarce resources, sending those resources to psychopathic enemies instead of directing it to family and fellow citizens is a betrayal of duty and treason.
Rarely says
Frank.
I get your drift and honestly don’t know if I would be generous enough to make such an offer. Obviously the prime responsibility of the U.S. gov’t is to provide the necessary care to its own citizenry first. It is one’s primary responsibility not to give away resources that are required by one’s family. In that sense it’s an irresponsible offer. This is why I suggested earlier that there could very well be a tactical motive too.
In the same vein I would not deny Linda Sarsour life saving medical treatment but I certainly wouldn’t move her to the front of the queue to get it.
Frank Anderson says
Rarely, I have had to make several literally life or death calls. They are never easy. But they must be made.
James Lincoln says
Frank Anderson says,
“… I have long charted my own course and made many unpopular choices, including refusing an offer of “What’s it going to take to get you on the team? Anything you want. Anything at all!” The team was stealing over 200 million dollars in present value from the member/owner/consumers of a federally mortgaged utility.”
Refusing that offer was very costly to you both monetarily and personally. You could have taken the bribe – and likely gotten away with it. Many unprincipled people would have.
But you are a highly intelligent man of high character and I highly respect your decision to do the right thing.
I feel that someday we’ll all have to answer…
Frank Anderson says
James, you would not believe how total was the destruction to my life because of my decision. For a time I had to dig ditches, sweep floors and carry out garbage to earn what I could. It may or may not have been the right decision. But it was the only decision available to me.
Mario Alexis Portella says
They cry wolf! The regime wants the US to lift sanctions but refuses humanitarian need! They don’t care a hoot about their own people. http://www.faithfreedom.org/iran-cries-wolf-amid-the-covid-19-pandemic/
Templer says
Good let them die the youngest Muslim two die from corna virse here in the U.K. is a 13 year old so there false god will,not save them it’s not a kafer virse or a Muslim virse it’s a world wide virse and Islam’s backwards ways will show
TimC says
Of course there’s a “trick.” The trick being that the Iranian people would know who helped and this would further erode the state propaganda against us.
Max says
Why would the US help this “Death to America” vile creature? I am glad he didn’t accept and please go to the Mosques.
Ed Lee says
Let them all die. Couldn’t happen to a more deserving group. Saves my ammunition.
gravenimage says
Khamenei Rejects Offer of American Help with Coronavirus (Part 1)
………………..
This thug would rather his own people die. Just disgusting.
Mario Alexis Portella says
The Iranian regime wants the US to lift sanctions but refuses humanitarian help! They’re so diabolical! http://www.faithfreedom.org/iran-cries-wolf-amid-the-covid-19-pandemic/
gravenimage says
+1
OLD GUY says
Well good I didn’t want my tax dollars going to Iran anyhow. Khamenei sure as hell would not help us out, so why do our politicians always want to send money to these creeps.