THE TWO nations whose tale is the focus of this piece are the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As the former plays geostrategic powerhouse roles in the Middle East and South Asia, since the 1960s, Nigeria was expected to play similar roles in African and global politics.
The Islamic Republic pays dearly for engagements towards the realisation of that trajectory, whilst Nigeria, incapacitated to realise its historical mission has become a basket case, immobilised by a prebendal elite.
Despite 24/7 threats to his life, unlike Nigerian leaders ever paranoid over their personal security, the late Ayatollah Khameini refused to be evacuated to safety, since he couldn’t evacuate all the 90 million Iranians to safer abodes. He patriotically and bravely chose to die in the defence of his nation. Yet unlike his Nigerian counterparts, he had no house, lived all along in a rented apartment, as his successor son, Mostafa Khameini, is occupying a rented apartment. Each of the two nations is defined by its leadership trajectory
For the past 47 years, the Islamic Republic has been the victim of United States’ spearheaded crippling economic sanctions; diplomatic opprobrium; eight-year proxy war with Iraq; frustrating its right to acquire or develop nuclear deterrence capability. And lately, unprovoked aggressions, assassination of its leader, scientists and military commanders define the Islamic Republic. But like one man, Iran is set to become the Middle East’s regional power base, Waterloo for the Zionist settler and American client Arab states and the global hegemon.
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Shaped by different geographical and historical trajectories, the two nations have convergence thresholds producing similar experiences/trajectories.
First, both nations enjoy geostrategic advantage. The Islamic Republic is geographically perched on a territory bordering South Asia, West Asia and the Gulf Oil Sheikhdoms, with a coastline stretching from the Persian Gulf, Casan Sea including the Strait of Hormuz, a 20% gateway for global oil trade, whilst Nigeria’s coastline extends from the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean, another pathway for global oil trade, and regional maritime security.
Secondly, they belonged to the contemptuous club of peripheral nations – the Third World – whilst the other nations belonged to the First and Second worlds, whose historical role was the exploitation and domination of the former.
Third, both converged as founding members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), members of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), and even though Iran was a founding member of the United Nations, the Islamic Republic and Nigeria, like most members of the United Nations, remain inconsequential junior partners, at the mercy of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, lately unilaterally captured by the United States.
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Fourth, both are abundantly blessed with the black gold, each subjected to political upheavals by the dynamics of its exploitation. Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeqh’s nationalisation of the Anglo Iranian Oil Corporation in 1951, so that Iranian oil could largely be deployed for the development of Iran led to his dethronement, and transformation of Iran into the lackey of American and European imperialism, and from 1953 to 1979, it became their eastern brothel. The black gold was, to an extent, responsible for the Nigerian Civil War, a 30-month war of attrition that set brothers against brothers, killing and maiming each other.
The brave Iranian resistance against Operation Epic Fury, began on 28th February, is causing nightmares in Washington, Tel Aviv and beyond. The much hyped Iron Dome and David Sling that are supposed to make the Zionist state invincible, are proving to be no match for the marvellous cheap Iranian drones turning Tel Aviv into Gaza. The Iranian resistance is felt by the American and Israeli treasures, elite forces, civilian casualties, and those rendered homeless, whilst its economic ripples are felt throughout the world.
Each of them enjoyed/enjoy purposeful political stewardship. Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadeqh, and the late two Ayatollahs – Khomeini and Khameini – and Nigeria’s General Muhammad, were set to free their nations from the predatory global hegemons.
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What is their divergence threshold, setting them apart from each other?
Despite hostile regional and global contexts, Iran’s ancient and medieval past, and the modern period stretching from the 16th century when the Safavid Dynasty embraced Shiism, including the contemporary period – the Phalavi Dynasty up to the Revolution (1925 to 1979) – have produced unique Iranian identity, ideology, national character and temperament shaping Iranian politics, diplomacy and leadership recruitment template, bringing forth committed leaders since the Revolution, patriotically taking Iran to spectacular regional and global heights.
The lack of Iran-type qualitative metrics in Nigeria stall its transformation into a decisive factor in regional and global politics.
Iranian ideology, national character and temperament have moulded Iranian leaders into defiant crossers of the red lines drawn by the imperialist hegemons. Their Nigerian counterparts could hardly dream of going beyond the easiest of the hegemonic commands.
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Unlike the Islamic Republic that exposed the ‘Great Satanic’ nation, portrayed it in unfavourable light, defiantly defied its commands, bravely fighting it to its knees, Nigeria has pitched its tent with the ‘Satanic’ nation, feeling more comfortable in its bosom, a monumental betrayal of those who placed a high premium on it to become the game changer in global liberatory politics.
Iran that rub shoulders with Nigeria in international fora on equal terms, has proved by its heroic resistance to the ongoing United States Operation Epic Fury to be militarily far ahead than Nigeria, whose military has been battling a rag tag army of bandits and Boko Haram for over decade and a half.
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Despite 24/7 threats to his life, unlike Nigerian leaders ever paranoid over their personal security, the late Ayatollah Khameini refused to be evacuated to safety, since he couldn’t evacuate all the 90 million Iranians to safer abodes. He patriotically and bravely chose to die in the defence of his nation. Yet unlike his Nigerian counterparts, he had no house, lived all along in a rented apartment, as his successor son, Mostafa Khameini, is occupying a rented apartment. Each of the two nations is defined by its leadership trajectory
The trajectorial irony of the two nations is that the Islamic Republic deploys national resources for the defence of the nation and public good, whilst in Nigeria, national resources have become economic burden to the people. Whilst Iran is bravely forging ahead to partake in global power politics on its terms, Nigeria has been pushed aside from any respectable role in the global arena.
There is a backlash when a nation goes beyond the limits, red lines, drawn by the global hegemons. First, a revolution, Islamic or Socialist, is a dangerous line to cross. The late Ayatollah Khomeini defiantly crossed it by leading the 1979 Islamic Revolution, its contagion effects could disturb the balance of power in the Middle East, threaten American/Israeli interests.
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The second line crossed by the Islamic Revolution was unveiling the ‘Great Satanic’ nation, its European, Middle East and other allies, portraying them as the greatest obstacles to global peace. The 1979 Revolution was part of unfolding campaigns to dismantle their global hegemony.
The third red line crossed was unapologetic assertion of Iranian independence and sovereignty. Since imperialism undermines independence of weaker nations, the late Ayatollahs; the Revolutionaries-in-Chief, wouldn’t accommodate any imperialist agenda inimical to Iranian independence.
Fourth, deploying the vast Iranian oil and other resources for the benefit of Iranians and the defence of the homeland, rather than allowing them to be siphoned away to feed huge industrial concerns elsewhere, was a red line that couldn’t be crossed without dire consequences.
Fifthly, amassing a military arsenal that could upset Israel’s military dominance in the Middle East is another red line crossed. For the effrontery to challenge Israel’s military dominance in the region – a red line – the Islamic Republic has been dragged into war by the United States and Israel.
Sixth, encouraging and supporting a network of regional allies: Hezbollah, Houthis and Syrian and Turkish Shia groups, to defend common interests is another red line crossed.
Unfortunately for the ‘Great Satan’, some nations regard it an act of honour to cross its imperialist-hegemonic red lines, for peace to prevail, genuine peace, in the Middle East and throughout the world.
The brave Iranian resistance against Operation Epic Fury, began on 28th February, is causing nightmares in Washington, Tel Aviv and beyond. The much hyped Iron Dome and David Sling that are supposed to make the Zionist state invincible, are proving to be no match for the marvellous cheap Iranian drones turning Tel Aviv into Gaza. The Iranian resistance is felt by the American and Israeli treasures, elite forces, civilian casualties, and those rendered homeless, whilst its economic ripples are felt throughout the world.
The trajectorial irony of the two nations is that the Islamic Republic deploys national resources for the defence of the nation and public good, whilst in Nigeria, national resources have become economic burden to the people. Whilst Iran is bravely forging ahead to partake in global power politics on its terms, Nigeria has been pushed aside from any respectable role in the global arena.
Jahun writes from Dutse, Jigawa State.
