Kamangir (Archer)

Islamic Terrorisme

Kamangir | March 29, 2006 | Category Iran

A stamp with Guardians of the Islamic Revolution’s logo on it

Guardians of the Islamic Revolution (called Sepah Persian سپاه) is the second army in Iran, after the traditional army. Basically, they constitute a full-size army whose footprints are frequently found in the violent events inside and outside Iran. For example, when President’s top advisor Hajjarian was assassinated by two young men riding a 1000cc motorcycle, which is illegal to posses for ordinary Iranians, it was found that the bike was borrowed from Sepah. Also, one of the assassins was reportedly a Sepah member, though, Sepah claimed that he was expelled from Sepah before. To make Sepah more interesting, the Islamic militia, Basij Persian بسیج, is also very tightly related to it. Basically, when Islamic Republic leaders talk about military concerns, they are thinking about Sepah. This is why you hear news about Sepah interventions in Bosnia, Lebanon, and recently in Iraq. Having a parallel intelligence office of itself, Sepah is seriously engaged in all kinds of affairs in Iran.
When the world became suspicious that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weaponry program, top Mullas such as the supreme leader came in and sentenced Fatwas that possessing nuclear weapons is against Islam. However, many seem these Fatwas to be more related to politics that to God’s affairs. As an example, take a look at Sepah’s logo (I am borrowing the idea from Javad Khorasani (see)). The text at the top reads “واعدوا لهم مااستطعتم من قوه” which means “against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power”. This is the beginning part of the sixtieth verse of the eighth sura of Quran, the sura of Anfal. The whole verse comes below:

Arabic: و اعدوا لهم ما استطعتم من قوة و من رباط الخيل ترهبون به عدو الله و عدوكم و آخرين من دونهم لا تعلمونهم الله يعلمهم و ما تنفقوا من شي‏ء في سبيل الله يوف اليكم و انتم‏لا تظلمون
Persian: هر نيرويى در قدرت داريد، براى مقابله با آنها ( دشمنان)، آماده سازيد! و (همچنين) اسبهاى ورزيده (براى ميدان نبرد)، تا به وسيله آن، دشمن خدا و دشمن خويش را بترسانيد! و (همچنين) گروه ديگرى غير از اينها را، كه شما نمى‏شناسيد و خدا آنها را مى‏شناسد! و هر چه در راه خدا (و تقويت بنيه دفاعى اسلام) انفاق كنيد، بطور كامل به شما بازگردانده مى‏شود، و به شما ستم نخواهد شد!
English: Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies, of Allah and your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know, but whom Allah doth know. Whatever ye shall spend in the cause of Allah, shall be repaid unto you, and ye shall not be treated unjustly.

Then, the question is, selecting this verse of Quran as the slogan in Sepah’s logo, while Sepah is undoubtedly seriously engaged in Iran’s nuclear program, what Fatwa can assure the world that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weaponry program? After all, as a civilized nation which is doing research to produce clean electricity from atoms, why would you have an army like that?
I remember another time when Jannati, the head of the Guardian Council, stated that terrorism is concerned to be bad in Islam but Erhab (Arabic ارهاب) is acceptable. The verb ترهبون in the Arabic version above is the act of doing Erhab and means making God’s enemies afraid. So, we also have Islamic terrorism which is prescribed in Quran? I think concerned Muslims should find an answer for this dilemma.