Why Iran Needs Freedom of Religion and of Speech
News Perspective: Religion
Photo:AFP/Aflo
It has been about four months since the United States and Israel began their attack on Iran. Opinions vary widely on this military conflict.
However, from the perspective of Buddha’s Truths, the first thing that must be made clear is that Master Ryuho Okawa, Founder of Happy Science, had already pointed out as early as January 2022 that “The (Iran’s) political system … is similar to China’s one-party dictatorship by the Communist Party,” and that “ (it has to) adopt Western-style, modern principles” (*1).
Accordingly, The Liberty magazine has repeatedly reported that, in practice, neither “freedom of religion” nor “freedom of speech” exists within Iran (*2).
As for the nuclear development issue that served as the direct trigger this time, Master Okawa had already issued a warning in December 2021: “Do not … make nuclear weapons…Iran will disappear …Democratize your nation. That is the way for your country to survive!” (*3).
Totalitarianism, Cloaked in the Name of Allah
The most fitting way to correctly view these events from the perspective of the heavenly world is considered to be the following “Spiritual Message from God Thoth” (*4).
Since “[Iran] is being driven toward reform,” the message holds that, in that sense, “some kind of war could occur,” and that this “would actually turn out to be a good thing for modernization.” “In that sense, I think Mr. Trump is fundamentally right.”
The message also offers very stern words toward a country “practicing totalitarianism in the name of Allah,” stating: “If it is true that ‘there is no way to reform the situation as it stands,’ then I do think it may be necessary for it to be destroyed to some degree by a more advanced civilization” (*5).
Iran is indeed a country with a long history and tradition. It is also pro-Japan and is an important country as part of Japan’s oil supply route.
However, it is also an undeniable fact that awareness of respecting “basic human rights” is extremely low, and that, religiously, conversion to other faiths is not even permitted – major shackles standing in the way of people’s pursuit of happiness (*6).
What matters is whether the former Khamenei regime itself had the capacity to bring about such change. In the past, Iran’s top leadership did have spiritual contact with Happy Science. Since then, however, the heavenly world has also issued harsh assessments, including that “the rulers are merely pretending to be religious leaders” and that “they are using Islam as a weapon to strip the people of their freedom” (*7).
Let Iran’s People Hear the Words of the True God
The course of the fighting still does not allow for easy predictions.
At the same time, influential figures within the opposition have begun sending out messages such as: “Our homeland is a country created by Ahura Mazda (*8), and if people of every tribe and every religion join forces, freedom can be celebrated across the whole of Iran” (*9).
In any case, what matters most is that the people of Iran become able to “learn the Words of the True God, Overcome their differences, reconcile and harmonize, and strive to evolve and develop” (*10). To that end, it is absolutely essential that Iran be liberalized and democratized at home, giving rise to freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
