Answer 2: Khamenei
3. "Although the literal meaning of socialism is equitable distribution of wealth, it is associated with other concepts which we hate. Over time, socialism has come to be associated with certain things in society that are unacceptable to us."
BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images
Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images
SUBJECTS:
IRAN, ELECTION 2012, RICK SANTORUM, NORTH AMERICA, ARAB WORLD
Reza Aslan is founder of AslanMedia.com, a portal for news and entertainment about the greater Middle East. Follow him @rezaaslan and @ASLANmedia.
It wouldn't be shocking for someone like Santorum to be the VP.
How about this:
the production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons are forbidden under Islam and that Iran shall never acquire these weapons
yes, there's a fatwa forbidding nukes
Mostly because the the political elite in Tehran speak in a carefully framed, coded, yet stilted rhetoric.
One thing you forgot Mr. Aslan...
Which leader would support a fatwa calling for your death for writing a book, say...."the satanic verses". Or anything that would seemingly contradict the idea that the quran was the perfect word of allah.
The hapless Rick Santorum is a toothless teddy bear when it comes to the real religious wingnuts who enjoy weilding the threat of violence and death for those that oppose them.
Well I got 7 out of 8 right...
... but it doesn't make me less radically atheist.
Like what wickbam said, the Iranian leader speaks in a much more nuanced liturgical tongue--and less like a rabble-rousing politician.
Wasn't hard at all, only got one wrong, that 7th one about some sirens or whatnot.
There is no obvious plan for nuclear bomb nor Iranians would dare to cause a war in the region. The country is already isolated, their only insurance, the oil, would be all gone if they start a war. No other country would be on their side, not even their long term insurance, Russia & China. Having said that, we do not have money to fight another war either. Rather than trying to fix the economy, I cannot believe that the politicians are competing to see who can scare people into voting them to bomb Iran. This is the insurance we need for us? This is the insurance we need for our families? no.
That was a tough one.
Yet Another Pseudo-intellectual
Mr. Aslan proves once again that he has no sense of proportionality-- comparing a presidential candidate who wears his faith on a sleeve to a regime which issues fatwas.
Actually, the article is spot on
The true measure of a person lies in one's heartfelt beliefs not in one's actions – actions are simply beliefs constrained by the situation one finds oneself in.
Santorum and Khomeini seem to believe some very similar thing.
@ATIMOSHENKO
No they don't, this is just cheap demagoguery. A failed attempt to establish equivalence where there is none, and quoting out of context.
You could just as easily do this with Obama or Pinochet, Hitler or Gandhi, Stalin or Fred Rodgers.
"I enjoy beverages" - ATIMOSHENKO or Tamerlane?
Seriously, ever since FP hitched up with Slate the quality has plummeted and the sleazy partisanship has exploded.
I think you're the one whose lost a sense of proportion. He's not comparing a "candidate" to a "regime".
He's comparing the thoughts and attitudes of one man to that of another.
Rick Santorum lives in a secular country that does not support the issuance of fatwas. Does that mean that Rick Santorum wouldn't issue them if the laws of the land (many of which he hates, by the way, especially the ones that promote the secularism that distiguishes the US from Iran) permitted them?
I think there's a real problem when people first choose what they want to believe (such as "Rick Santorum does not hold the same attitudes towards liberal democracy as Ayatollah Khamenei") THEN try to dismiss any evidence to the contrary.
Wouldn't it be better if people would look at the evidence without bias, THEN make up thier minds afterwards based on the available evidence? That way, they wouldn't have to come up with ridiculous arguments to support their positions.
@Philip72:
Are you really suggesting that agreeing that soda is yummy is as relevant to a comparison of thoughts and opinons as agreeing that women should be subservient to men? Or that gay marriage should be illegal? If so, I certainly see why you feel the Financial Times doesn't meet your level of critical analysis.
The choose-A-or-B format is fun because it uses your ability to choose to veil the editor's bias. We're doing the same thing with all the candidates (without agenda) at http://quotewars2012.com
A stupid aritcle by a stupid man
Reza Aslan's comparisons are mute and nonsensical. You do not compare our religious nuts to those in Iran. While Rick Santorum is too far right for my tastes, he does not want to execute all gays, atheists, and those who decide to no longer be the religion they were born into as if you are "born" Muslim in Iran and you decide to convert or become a non-believer you are executed.
Shame on you Reza Aslan. You have been a nobody in the Iranian community except as a laughing stock. You time and time again have become ab apologist for radical Islam as your "soft" Islam seems to gravitate to consistently making nonsensical comparisons and a lack of logic and reason. Don't forget, this is a regime that rapes our young sisters before executing them so that they don't "die as virgins". Instead of writing articles condemning the regime, you write nonsense utter crap such as this.
I cannot believe you're making comments about logic and reason.
You have no idea whether or not Rick Santorum wants to execute gays and atheists.
What you do know is that he lives in a secular country that doesn't permit such things, while Khamenei lives in a country that does.
You should also know by now that the level of secularism reflected in the laws of the United States is something Rick Santorum does not support.
How do we know that since he shares Khamenei's attitudes about gays and atheists, he doesn't regret the fact that he cannot advocate that they be executed? But first he'd have to make those darn laws a little less secular...a little bit at a time...
*A stupid article by a stupid man
Reza Aslan's comparisons are mute and nonsensical. You do not compare our religious nuts to those in Iran. While Rick Santorum is too far right for my tastes, he does not want to execute all gays, atheists, and those who decide to no longer be the religion they were born into as if you are "born" Muslim in Iran and you decide to convert or become a non-believer you are executed.
Shame on you Reza Aslan. You have been a nobody in the Iranian community except as a laughing stock. You time and time again have become ab apologist for radical Islam as your "soft" Islam seems to gravitate to consistently making nonsensical comparisons and a lack of logic and reason. Don't forget, this is a regime that rapes our young sisters before executing them so that they don't "die as virgins". Instead of writing articles condemning the regime, you write nonsense utter crap such as this.
We can also play this game with Obama and Mao.
Find some comments by Obama that sounds a lot like comments made by Mao.
So, what does that prove?
And we can find statements made by Hitler that sounds remarkably like comments by made Zionist leaders. Again, what does that prove?
Let's see, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun" - who said that? Mao, or every US president that sent troops around the world committing mass murder?
The answer is simple - the US presidents weren't honest enough to admit that this quote captures the rationale of their actions.
And while I'm harping on honesty, the "Zionist leaders" you so despise are nothing more nor less than the attack dogs of the US. Sometimes those dogs go off on their own rabid frenzy without their master's approval, but after all, they're rabid dogs, what can you expect?
Since you asked a question...
If we find comments from Hitler and from Obama saying that dogs are great, thight might prove they both feel the same way about dogs.
If we find comments from Hitler and Obama saying that Jews should be exterminated, that might prove they both feel the same way about Jews.
Are things clearer for you now?
Keep asking questions. Best way to learn... (although yes - sometimes there are stupid questions)
Not a Santorum fan but this piece wouldn't make it into a high school news paper, why is it on Foreign Policy?
I don't think I've failed a test this badly in quite some time.
www.RandPaulReview.com
Twins that were separated at birth?
Khamenei and Santorum should be best friends they appear to have alot in common. Yet Santorum wants to bomb him.
you're as stupid as the people who hired that "columnist"
Santorum has PERSONAL religious views, most of which come from a traditional Catholic viewpoint.
Khameni has THEO-POLITICAL "religious" views which include EXTERMINATING ALL OF THE JEWS ON THE PLANET, THEN THE CHRISTIANS, and then you IDIOT LEFTISTS.
This article should be retitled...
The "name that theocrat" game!
She is an apologist for jihad, she writes fantastic PR for ISNA and CAIR and other fronts for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Is FP.com unaware of her stance, or are they our 21st century version of the dhimmies in Venice who aided the Jihadis in the 15th century?
Magic Ball online - Future Teller free!
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or U.S. Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum?
Enter here for more information!
That should be Santorum's official party. He and Khameini should get along famously. The absolute best outcome is for Santorum to use up all his resources in a failed attempt at the nomination.
Our religious fundamentalists don't beat women with sticks in the street for wearing jeans or condemn authors to death, but it's worth remembering exactly why our founding fathers had the wisdom to separate the church from the state.
Can you guess whether these are quotes from Obama or Adolph Hitler?
(1) "I think I'm catching a cold."
(2) "Where is the restroom?"
(3) "Nice doggie!"
(4) "We're going to have to handle this carefully."
(5) "Our enemies are devious."
(6) "What time is it?"
Except that the article's quotes were policy-related, whereas those are things that pretty much anyone could say.
Are their no adults working at FP anymore? This sort of thing is beneath the magazine and cheapens its intellectual and moral standing. Dumb move by the editors.
This might be fun but is unfair
This was unfair when someone did it in 2000, comparing Al Gore and the UniBomber. They carefully selected comments that demonstrated an intersection of comments. Obviously, they chose the most reasoned of the Unibomber and the most radical from Gore. The message of the web site was the Gore was the Unibomber.
It was unfair then and it's unfair now. This kind of nonsense has no place in a reasoned discourse.
MORE of the same of Reza-the-Non-lion's projection!
Reza's fond of saying that: "Muslims are the new Jews!" (due to "persecution" Hahahahaha! What PROJECTION!)!
Actually, Muslims are the SAME OLD NAZIS (since 632 AD) committing genocide against Christians & Jews & ANYONE ELSE IN THEIR WAY!
MUSLIMS killed MILLIONS of people in WWII: Jasenovac (the 3rd LARGEST death camp & run by Albanian/Bosnian Muslims & Roman Catholic Croats), in Croatia & Bosnia, saw 600,000 people KILLED there (mostly SERBS, who were the ALLIES of the US, UK & Russia)!
Don't forget that Islam gave Hitler 3 (THREE!) Waffen SS divisions (the 13th, 21st & 23rd)!
270 MILLION DEAD worldwide at Islam's hand is a CONSERVATIVE estimate!
ISLAM, the INBRED CUTTHROAT at your doorstep since 632 AD!
Iran's horniness to NUK Israel that Boy Reza FAILS to see:
Otherwise intelligent people (no, NOT YOU, Reza!) REFUSE to consider Muslim eschatology ('End Times' beliefs) in understanding the Islamic "mind-set" (see: 'The 12th Imam' to understand why)!
We're dealing with 7th C./Dark Ages mental/social primitives at their WORST!
It's NOT like in '65 when the US invaded/occupied S. Vietnam; at that time it wasn't fighting to prevent WW3 from happening (it was just denying the Soviets a 'sphere of influence')!
When the Iranian Shi'a clergy get the Bomb, they'll eagerly ATTACK Israel with it to launch their 'End of Days', kill ALL the Jews, convert ALL the Christians to Islam w/ THEIR version of Jesus (their prophet 'Isa'!) & then (after the rubble finishes bouncing!) get their reward in their big Mo'-Mo' "ho'-house-in-the-sky"!
WHO COULD MAKE THIS STUFF UP?!
Back in 1993 Iranian intelligent service articulated "Trojan Horse Strategy" to establish the largest spy network.
In 2002, Iranian government stablished over 200 entities in US to influence US media and policy. Reza Aslan is part of that network.
What is Santorum or Ayatollah Khamenei?
i know that, the ever interesting ForeignPolicy.com has just the most super article at present; a wee guessing game for you all to try to work out who said what: the GOP’s gift to the Democrats Rick Santorum or Iran’s holy keeper of the flame, Ayatollah Khamenei?
1. “We were put on this Earth as creatures of God to have dominion over the Earth.”
2. “We believe in democracy and we also believe in freedom, but we do not believe in liberal democracy.”
3. “Although the literal meaning of socialism is equitable distribution of wealth, it is associated with other concepts which we hate. Over time, socialism has come to be associated with certain things in society that are unacceptable to us.”
4. “The radical feminists succeeded in undermining the traditional family and convincing women that professional accomplishments are the key to happiness.”
5. “This is not a political war at all. This is not a cultural war. This is a spiritual war.”
6. “This is a war between two willpowers: the willpower of the people and the willpower of their enemies.”
7. “Go back and read what the sirens did once you arrived on that island.… They devour you. They destroy you. They consume you.”
8. “The American people’s hatred for Iran is profound.” Oh wait, we got that one backward. Sorry. It should read:
The Case Against Socially Responsible Business
BY DANIEL ALTMAN
BY ELIAS GROLL
What Big Macs and the Bronx Can Tell Us About Borders
BY JOSHUA E. KEATING
7 Questions the NSA Chief Has to Answer
BY JOHN REED
Why a U.S.-EU Free Trade Deal Could Be Bad for Democracy
BY SUSAN ARIEL AARONSON
Jerome Cohen on Chen Guangcheng: 'You Shouldn't Bite the Hand That Feeds You'
BY ISAAC STONE FISH
Al Jazeera Asks Who's to Blame in Syria: Sunnis or Shiites?
BY DAVID KENNER
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