What Iran Means to Iraq

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq is on a state visit to Iran (which began on Saturday evening), his third since he assumed office in 2005. He was, as is customary for Muslim heads of state (and prime ministers), granted an audience with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The photographs below show Maliki with President Ahmadinejad and in his subsequent meeting with the Supreme Leader.

What is of note is the absence of a tie around his neck, a tie that he normally wears daily, in that second meeting. His not wearing one is both a sign of respect for the leader of a regime that believes ties are a symbol of western influence and decadence (or "westoxification", in the revolutionary lexicon), but perhaps, more importantly, a sign that he really didn't want to piss off the Supreme Leader of Iran.

Now, any questions on Iran's influence in Iraq?

Comments

[munimula]

I think I have to agree with the Iranians on the "tie" thing.

I've always felt is is quite an oppressive look and feel.

Really, you get up every day and one of the final touches in your adornment is to put a noose around your neck? Making them with pretty patterns and out off fine materials doesn't change the fact that it is still a noose...

[inspectormerlot]

I'm having trouble coming to grips with the fact that this tabloid beatup is considered an issue worth an article in Huffington!

If you want to read something worth reading on this visit, check out Patrick Cockburn in The Independent:

`US issues threat to Iraq's $50bn foreign reserves in military deal`
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hooman-majd/what-iran-means-to-iraq_b_106043.html

[Hooman Majd - Huffpost Blogger]

See Hooman Majd's Profile

This is a blog entry, not an article. There were two points, one perhaps more subtle than the other, that were being made in what is a short entry. One is that the Iraqi government's master is in Iran (something admittedly everyone recognizes except the Bush administration and perhaps John McCain), and the other is that Ahmadinejad is not the leader of Iran (otherwise Maliki woudn't have worn a tie in his presence, either). Other leaders, both Muslim and the occasional non-Muslim, have worn ties in the Supreme Leader's presence if they wear one in daily life.
Hooman Majd

[earthwealth]

Unfortunatley that is not where most average people would go to get their news. You may also check Aljazeera or Presstv (presstv.com).

[earthwealth]

As long as we keep electing politicians like Joe Lobbyman or Lindsay Graham who put Israel"s interest before American interest, our problems will get worst rather than getting better. For example when it comes to Iran, Israel"s interest and American interest do not coincide. Since Iran has been isolated from American Businesses, the big gainers have been mainly China, India and Russia. At the time American businesses were prohibited to do business in Iran, Chinese and Russian businesses have been signing multi-billion Dollars contracts. If US-Iran relations is ever improved, Iran would make a strong and effective US ally in the Middle East and US may not have to rely on Israel so much. Consequntly there would be no longer any reason for billions of Dollars of annually financial and military US aides to Israel. For that exact reason, every time there is a chance that there could be some improvement in the US-Iran relation, the process is sabotaged directly by Israel or indirectly via Israel"s special interest groups such as AIPAC.

[Stoyver]

Maliki is a shiite is he not? Pehaps he respects the Ayatollah? Bush sure doesn't! The policy of not talking to "enemies" is just one of many neo-fascist absurdities that ultimately will be their downfall.

[ApolloSpeaks]

OBAMA TO MEET WITH IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER?

Majid writes:

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq is on a state visit to Iran (which began on Saturday evening), his third since he assumed office in 2005. He was, as is customary for Muslim heads of state (and prime ministers), granted an audience with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The photographs below show Maliki with President Ahmadinejad and in his subsequent meeting with the Supreme Leader.


ApolloSpaeks:

In his 19 years as Iran's Supreme Spiritual Leader, and God's supreme agent on earth, his holiness only met once with a non-Moslem leader: Vladimir Putin. His holiness made this one rare exception because Russia is an ally of Iran and a friend of the revolution helping it on its holy quest to become a nuclear armed state and the hegemon of the Middle East. What his holiness won't do is meet with the leader of the world's Great Satan-or any other toxic Western state. To do so would defile his immaculate person and desecrate his high office, his country and his God.

If Obama thinks he can get an audience with his holiness after promising a gathering of Zionist thugs that he will do everything in his power to stop Iran's Russin backed nuke program then he is clearly out of his mind.

[earthwealth]

It is ironic that the most common excuse for not meeting Iranian Officials is" not to legitimize them and not to bring their status high to a Western Civilized leader"s level"! The people who make such claims, they must be living in a fantasyland. If you go around the globe, particularly in East, West Asia and the Middle East, you would be surprised to learn that whose status is considered high and whose status is considered low. And by having such meeting whose status may go up or down!

[Mogamboguru]

a. something like "Iran's Russian backed nuke program" - doesn't exist. Russia is finishing a reactor, which was delivered to Iran by FRANCE in the 70ies. That's all.

b. K h a m e n e i DOES speak with other presidents. Last year, he has received P u t i n for talks, too. There's NO OBSTACLE whatsoever from K h a m e n e i's side to receive a President O b a m a for talk, should the desire / neccessity occur.

QED.

[bobbybee]

In any case, if Khamenei chooses not to meet with an American president, what's the loss? Khamenei is the one who winds up looking afraid, and so by forcing the issue, it actually becomes a winner for the American administration.

[Mogamboguru]

Dear Hooman Majd,

you said quote:

"What is of note is the absence of a tie around his neck, a tie that he normally wears daily, in that second meeting. His not wearing one is both a sign of respect for the leader of a regime that believes ties are a symbol of western influence and decadence (or "westoxification", in the revolutionary lexicon), but perhaps, more importantly, a sign that he really didn't want to piss off the Supreme Leader of Iran."

Unquote.

Without any due respect, this is utter nonsense. After the revolution, wearing ties in Iran was OUTLAWED by the mullahs, because ties were the former identification mark of the Shah's notorious SAVAK-secret service-.

So, women MUST wear a head-scarf, while men MUST NOT wear a tie in Iran. IT'S A LAW, STUPID!

Do you REALLY expect al Maliki, the head of a (kind of) sovereign state on official visit in Iran, to break the law of the country he is visiting, only to satisfy your fashion-sentiments?

WHAT is your qualification to comment on Iraq-iran-matters, exactly?

[RumiSouth]

What are his qualifications? For one, he's from Iran. Also, from his bio:

"He often writes on Iranian affairs, and travels regularly to Iran. He has also served as an advisor and translator for two Iranian presidents, Mohammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on their trips to the United States and the United Nations, and has written about those experiences."

BTW, neckties were never outlawed. They were put out of fashion, which is an entirely different thing. During the 2001 Elections in Iran, lots of conservative candidates for the Majlis were wearing them to prove to a young demographic that they were "hip."

[HansB]

All this proves is that Maliki is polite to his host.

[MikeDu]

Funny how we can never get our Quisling puppet president to quite do what we want. We refuse to negotiate with Iran so he negotiates with Iran. We want an endless "status of forces " document, his government is demanding a withdrawal timetable written-in. And I recall al-Maliki making a VERY sour face when questioned about his views on Israel. He's no more a friend of Israel than Saddam was. Basically, we're going to eventually be leaving the area about the same as e found it... except with a million fewer people.

[earthwealth]

Hooman, I have to bring up a few remarks you made in your past postings. First of all, Ahmadinejad never said the infamous phrase "wipe Israel off the map". You however used this phrase in your postings sounding like it was true. He was referring to a quote regarding change of regime not the country. Similar to what happened to the old Soviet Union. Another point is unlike what you had indicated the supreme leader does meet distinguished none Moslem world leaders. Putin is one example. Putin met him in his trip to Iran in 2007.

[RumiSouth]

He didn't say that Khamenei "doesn't" meet with non-Muslim leaders. He said it is not CUSTOMARY. That is quite a different statement.

[RedDogBear]

Good point. Here is an excellent article by a political science professor on how Ahmadinejad's words have been mis-translated and twisted by US politicians and media:

http://counterpunch.org/tilley08282006.html

[JonSmiley]

Very interesting observation.

[earthwealth]

I think he probably heard the last year medical research report that showed tie is considered one of the most contaminated item and most effective in transmitting diseases. For the same reason many hospitals do not allow it. But seriously as usual Hooman is bringing up important points.

[UltraClassic]

Ties and suits in general make no sense. Someone tell me why a man need wear a suit in Dallas Texas in July while the outside air temperature is 115 degrees? It makes no sense.

[Beaux510]

I'm all for a worldwide "no-ties" policy.

When I have to wear one, I feel like I'm wearing a leash.

[DavidJames]

Ties are a symbol of "westoxification".

It is always difficult for me to trust someone that wears a tie.