Friday, October 19, 2007

Blair on Extremist Islamic Ideology and Iran

Former British premier Tony Blair today defined “extremist Islamic ideology” as the primary danger to civilization, with Iran as its central state.

“The [extremist Islamic] ideology now has a state, Iran- that is prepared to back and finance terror in the pursuit of destabilizing countries whose people wish to live in peace,” Blair said during a speech in New York (Guardian, 18 October).

The former PM warned against any retreat in the face of a situation similar to rising fascism in 1920s.

“There is a tendency even now, even in some of our own circles, to believe that they are as they are because we have provoked them and if we left them alone they would leave us alone. I fear this is mistaken. They have no intention of leaving us alone," Blair said.

Tony Blair’s statement is one of the most comprehensive definitions of Islamic fundamentalist ideology and Iran’s role as its central state. It carries a number of important political implications as well.

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