Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent letter to George W. Bush is an interesting document, very similar in tone to one that Jimmy Carter sent to the Ayatollah Khomeini during the hostage crisis. In both cases, the recipient of the letter is held to be confused about the tenets of his own religion, and so the sender kindly offers to correct him.
This time it is the Iranian who is the passive-aggressive one, speaking more in sorrow than in anger. Ahmadinejad wants Bush to understand that they are both on the same team — intolerant theocrats at heart after all — so why can’t we just hang out together and be pals?
I found myself agreeing with the overwhelming majority of Ahmadinejad’s arguments, and I don’t doubt that most of you will, too. The two presidents are interchangeable control freaks, their religious beliefs an accident of geography. The best that can be wished for each of them is speedy removal from office followed by a long retirement spent in neglect and disgrace.
Here's PastorDan's take, essentially that it takes the format of an Old Testament prophetic lawsuit, a la Amos: http://www.streetprophets.com/storyonly/2006/5/15/112751/001
Of course, our president, despite his super-Christian protestations, hasn't spent enough seat time in the pew to recognize any such appeal.
Posted by: Joyful Alternative on May 15, 2006 9:16 PMRice and Bush were completely dismissive. We're headed for war.
Posted by: on May 16, 2006 9:54 AM