I often reflect upon the history of western idiocy in the middle east. But, this reflection almost always coincides with the history of the idiocy of middle easterners living in that same region. On December 28, 2017 decades of idiocy caused protests to break out across Iran. Now the protests keep getting larger and more violent. At the time of this publication, government crackdowns are killing Iranian citizens almost every day. Is this the beginning of a war? If so, then how should that war finally be resolved.
I believe that I have found a consistent and crucial turning point in all Middle Eastern negotiations. So, for the purposes of this article, I will skip ahead to that turning point. I want you to envision an Iran that has been recently conquered by UN forces. The theocracy which once held the Iranian people captive has been overthrown. We can pretty much ask the government for anything. So, lets start with a missile treaty.
Missile treaties are popular because getting blown up is universally unpopular. But, everybody feels like they are in range of these things. So, we encourage our governments to sign missile treaties. But, these treaties are almost always unsupported in the country being forced to give up their arms. Their enforcement becomes an ongoing burden to the resources of UN members. In the long run, most enforcement efforts are ineffective.
Fortunately, the Baha'i teachings give us a self-enforcing way to disarm the Iranian government. It's called feminisation. Here's a snapshot of how it would work. Abdu'l Baha, is considered by many to be an infallible interpreter of the Baha'i text. In 1912, in a hotel in Pennsylvania, he spoke to an audience and said;
"education of woman will be a mighty step toward its abolition and ending, for she will use her whole influence against war. Woman rears the child and educates the youth to maturity. She will refuse to give her sons for sacrifice upon the field of battle. In truth, she will be the greatest factor in establishing universal peace and international arbitration. Assuredly, woman will abolish warfare among mankind."
- Abdu'l Baha
This is a good time to go back to that crucial turning point. Remember the turning point? It was the point immediately after the war. We can pretty much ask for anything that we want. But, instead of a missile treaty, let's try asking Iran to adopt feminisation laws. Here's how that would work.
We would impose a law requiring all applicants for Iranian military service to get signed permission from their mothers. Next, we would give those women a clear judicial path that can be followed if the government recruits military cadets without maternal permission. That judicial path would make its way to the International Criminal Court much faster than most cases. Any military applicants with no living mother would have to navigate through a sea of bureaucratic obstacles in order to serve in the military.
I want you to imagine that you are an Iranian mother living under feminisation laws. The Iranian government launches a recruiting effort without maternal consent. If your child signs up, you will be one of the many women going to court to get their kids back. Some of those women will probably be killed for their efforts. But, your risk of death is no greater than the risk that your children are taking by joining the military.
The jurisprudence of feminisation works. The mothers would be highly motivated. They would have all of the tools that they need. But, most importantly, the world would be watching. We would all be cheering for the moms to win. But, one question still remains. It's the question that will likely be answered as the protests become unstoppable. The question is; how do we force Iran to adopt feminisation laws?
Everybody reading this article probably knows some lawyer that would have a lot to say about this. If you know that any lawyers would want this type of information, send it to them right now. But, before you do that, make extensive use of the social media buttons below.