Let's start with the good news. The Sunni storm stoopers turning warshipping Shia into body parts about which I wrote in my last posting has caught the attention of the media. Read Jim Hoagland's excellent Islam's Civil War and Vali Nasr's enlightening piece NYT piece Iraq’s Real Holy War. Clearly, these modern day heir of the Nazis outed so effectively by Mehdi Mozaffari not only do not believe in the equal rights of all human beings, they do not believe in the equal rights of all Moslems. A local Imam told me yesterday about the trouble Sunnis gave him during the preparation of his Mosque's constitution because they wanted to keep Shia out. Similarly, the person who organized the first Fitar reception at the New Jersey governor's mansion, was attacked for inviting Shia.

So, given this history, one would think that Iran, the single country not only ruled by the Shia, but prefession to do so according to Shia religious law, would take it upon itself to look out for its brethren under attack in Iraq. Well, it doesn't. Instead, the Ayatollahs helps Al Qaeda and covers up for the Sunni murderers of its own Shia pilgrims by blaming the"occupation forces." For a more courageous analysis by Tehran Times columing Hassan Hanizadeh Click here. It includes the following:

"Due to their illogical hostility toward the Shias, the first thing Washington officials did in Iraq after the fall of Baghdad was to isolate the Iraqi Shias and disarm their military wing, the Badr Brigade, which was affiliated with the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SAIRI).

Following the isolation of the Iraqi Shias and the attempts to diminish their role in Iraqi affairs, which were definitely the result of the machinations of some regional states, Al-Qaeda members and bigoted Salafists found the ground prepared for them to settle scores with the Iraqi Shias and Kurds.

The terrorists intended to turn Iraq into a base for organizing terrorist operations against the interests of the West all over the world. Moreover, in a bid to achieve their objectives, the terrorists are trying to prevent the establishment of an independent government in Iraq formed through the will and the votes of the majority of the Iraqi people.

In addition, some regional countries, wittingly or unwittingly, or due to their tribal and sectarian views, are helping the terrorists achieve their goals. The blast on Ashura was echoed by the insidious silence of certain regional countries. None of them condemned the criminal act as they should have. The same Arab countries also were silent about the terrorist act on the same day in Quetta, Pakistan in which 40 Shia mourners were killed.

Now, if the same incident had occurred in a Sunni mosque in some part of the world, would there have been the same silence?

Why don’t regional Arab states take the time to issue a simple statement to express their abhorrence of the terrorist attacks on the most sacred and holy sites of Shia Muslims? All this shows that the conspiracy is not limited to only a few terrorists. The plot is much deeper than it appears on the surface because the establishment of an independent and democratic government in Iraq based on the votes of the majority would be the death knell of some despotic regimes in the region.

All true, but why is Iran silent? Israel, a much smaller and vulnerable state, has never been reluctant to take on those who persecute Jews. As the sole Jewish state, it knew its duty. It fought both the Soviet and the American (appeasers) for the rights of Soviet Jews. Today, its fighting the Europeans. But where is Iran when the Shia need protection?

It is busy passing the buck while cooperating with the murderers.

Shame on them!