Iran and Syria: What Al Aqsa? Conquering the Umayyid Mosque

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The Umayyid Mosque

The Iranian motley crew




Below is an excerpt from Shi’ite Lebanon: Transnational Religion and the Making of National Identities by Roschanack Shaery-Eisenlohr. The book was published in 2008. This excerpt sheds light on the way Iranian regime sees its role in the Arab world.

Page 110
          The mission was less to literally fight against the Israelis [in 1982], since the main activity of the Iranian Pasdaran was providing military training to Lebanese Shi’ites in Ba’albak; rather, in the words of Mansur, it was “to propagate the idea that Israel is defeatable (tude’- kardan-i isra’il shekast pazir ast).” 68 Most noteworthy is the visit of the group to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus prior to their departure to Lebanon, to which the journalist, by drawing parallels between the event of Karbala and the Pasdaran’s mission to Lebanon, is giving historic importance.

History was repeating itself, the followers of Husayn were on their way to the Umayyad Mosque again, but with the difference that in the year 61 hijra [i.e., after the battle of Karbala] they were captured by Yazid and this time they were successful conquerors and with weapons in their hands.69 Omid-i Inqilab 36 (3 July 1982): 45.

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