President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to the U.S., while historic, represents no real change in the Iranian government since the Supreme Leader and Islamic clergy rule and run the country.
In this short video, I discuss why President Rouhani is simply a different face on the same political system that has been in place in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Regardless of who is elected president, the simple fact is the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, makes every high level policy decision and will never abdicate that power to anyone else until his replacement has been named, likely upon his own death.
Pray that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and truly lead a transformation of Iran unlike anything we have ever seen.
Rouhani publicly released 11 political prisoners just days before his visit to the U.S., but has released zero since then.
Nasrin Sotoudeh with her family after her release
Only days prior to his visit to the U.S. and subsequent U.N. address, President Hassan Rouhani ordered the release of 11 political prisoners. 8 women, including noted human rights lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, and 3 men were freed from prison or house arrest sentences stemming from anti-government activities.
I am certainly thankful for the release of these men and women, regardless of the motives behind this obvious public relations maneuver. Without doubt, their families are celebrating this unexpected blessing, as they should. I know the many hundreds of other families with loved ones in Iranian prisons are fervently praying for similar news to come their way in the near future. I am joining them in prayer for this outcome as well.
If past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, however, I fear that these families may be in for a lengthy wait. I truly pray that I am wrong.
What I do know is that the prisons are absolutely stuffed with offenders whose crimes are markedly similar to the 11 recently released. This is not even beginning to consider our Christian brothers and sisters who are languishing in jail cells since their faith in Christ is viewed as a direct transgression against Islam and the government, since the two are not only inseparable, they are one and the same.
Please join me in praising the Lord for the release of the 11 prisoners on September 18. Let us pray together that this is just the tip of the iceberg for many hundreds to follow in spite of what history seems to indicate.
Rouhani came to give a false sense of hope to the U.S., while keeping his support at home with the Mullahs…both of which he accomplished.
Rouhani addressing the U.N.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Hassan Rouhani is an expert negotiator. He is also a very intelligent and a savvy politician, with great skills of persuasion and influence.
Following in the footsteps of the much less prudent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rouhani had very little work to do in order to establish himself as the more civil, if not congenial, face of Iran. Ahmadinejad also managed to estrange himself from the Supreme Leader and Mullahs of Iran through his unpredictable public speeches and unwillingness to stay within the boundaries of his role. Consequently, Rouhani had very little chance of being anything but a perceived conspicuous improvement over his predecessor in the eyes of both the U.S. and Iran.
The combination of his skill set as a deft negotiator, (in the international nuclear development arena no less), and the instant benefit of the doubt he has been given since he has to be better than the extremist before him, set the stage for Rouhani to please everyone.
Promising to negotiate on Iran’s nuclear program in “good faith,” Rouhani managed to commit to nothing measurable or tangible, but still give the impression of cooperation and the willingness to change. Did I mention that he is an expert negotiator?
Having left the U.S. without committing to anything concrete and charming the world all while standing up the President of the United States of America and receiving his phone call as he left the country, Hassan Rouhani earned tremendous points with the Supreme Leader and Mullahs in Iran.
Please join me in praying for our world leaders to have great wisdom and discernment as they navigate the rocky terrain of negotiations with Iran. Only He can steer us on the right path…that which leads to the foot of the cross.
Rouhani gained the upper hand by skipping lunch with President Obama and later receiving his phone call while leaving the country.
To a Westerner, both of these events may seem insipid or commonplace.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during his visit to the U.S.
President Rouhani simply explained, “A meeting between the two presidents needs some preparation, and since the ground was not prepared, this meeting did not take place.” As a result, President Obama picked up the phone and called Rouhani since they were not able to meet in person. This gesture exhibited both respect and hospitality from a Western point of view.
However, both events, which seem ostensibly harmless, were great PR plays by Rouhani to the Persian culture.
By skipping a planned appointment with President Obama, Rouhani illustrated his stature of importance to the people of Iran and the rest of the Middle East whose culture recognizes this as a display of power. Rouhani is so mighty and dominant, that even the President of the United States of America does not get his time.
By calling President Rouhani as he was leaving the U.S., President Obama displayed an act of contrition and weakness in the eyes of the Persian culture. In my native Iran, this is viewed as chasing after the person who is in the more dominant position.
Rouhani would never have extended such a gesture, as he would be subject to public emasculation and humiliation for bowing in this way.
Our opinions of a skipped lunch and the intentions of President Obama’s phone call are completely irrelevant. President Hassan Rouhani left the United States with an important public relations victory on the largest stage Iran has been on in 34 years.
I wonder if President Obama is going to take Benjamin Netanyahu’s call…the one when he tells Obama to be wary of his new “friend.”
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