Lazare made the remarks in an interview with IRNA.
In response to a question on the reason for the enmity of the Westerners with Iran after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, he said “There are many reasons for western enmity toward Iran. One has to do with the seizure of 54 US diplomats and citizens in November 1979, something that still rankles because it violated centuries-old diplomatic norms.”
“More important, however, is the Persian Gulf's vast oil resources and US determination to monopolize control,” he added.
“The US cannot tolerate an independent policy on the part of Iran as a consequence, so relations would still be hostile even if there had been no hostage crisis,” he stated.
Elaborating on the causes of spreading Iranophobia and Islamophobia on the part of some western countries and the support of those who fuel these policies, he said: “Iranophobia stems from absolute US intolerance of any country that challenges its control of gulf energy resources.”
“Islamophobia is a product of Al Qaeda terrorism, which Washington and Riyadh jointly developed and deployed in Afghanistan in the 1980s in order to maintain control of those same resources,” he added.
“Unfortunately for Washington, however, Sunni terrorism took on a life of its own in the 90s and began biting the hand that fed it,” he stated.
“Since the US refuses to examine its own role and is equally determined to shield its closest ally in the region, i.e. Saudi Arabia, from criticism, Americans conclude that Islam, in general, must be to blame,” he noted.
Commenting on the reasons behind supporting burning the Holy Quran and insulting the sacred beliefs of Muslims, he said: “If you're suggesting that western governments support burning the Qur'an, I believe you're incorrect.”
“Just about every major western country wishes that such activities would stop because they're an unnecessary irritant in terms of Mideast relations in general,” he stated
“But the west also has a centuries-old tradition of secular anti-religious satire going back to Voltaire,” the American analyst stressed.
“This tradition is at least as strong as religion itself and in some cases may be even stronger.”
“Any attempt to put a stop to it will therefore engender an angry response,” Lazare said.
“Of course, this is not a justification for anti-Islamic bigotry suggesting that Islam alone is at fault.”
Touching upon the Westerners’ double standards with various issues such as human rights, unrest in countries, racial discrimination in acceptance of refugees, and other issues, Lazare said: “Imperialists are always guilty of double standards. They claim to support democracy, liberalism, equal rights, etc. while violating them at every turn as they impose their will on countries that are poorer and less developed.”
“The US insists that its policies are morally right and that it is therefore entitled to impose them on others, he added”
“The more outrageous its behavior grows, the more it insists on its essential correctness,” he stated.
“Hence, America must be good and anyone who opposes it must be the opposite,” he said.
He went on to say that Europe has completely surrendered its independence to NATO and is therefore bound to the United States hand and foot.”
“It follows American diktat in the Persian Gulf because the very structure of the western alliance gives it no choice,” he added.
Reacting to the interference of Europe and the US in the affairs of independent countries of the world and against all principles and charters accepted in the world, he said: “Western governmental interference in Iran's internal affairs is a violation of international norms as much as seizing US hostages was in 1979. But public attitudes are a different matter.”
“Westerners are highly sympathetic to Iranian protesters because they strongly support women's rights and believe that religious values are private affairs that should not be imposed on the public at large without its democratic consent -- which of course the democratic public will never give,” he added.
When asked about his solution and advice to Western countries, especially the US, to resume negotiations on JCPOA revival, Lazare said: “The reason the United States prefers to focus on internal unrest rather than the JCPOA is that it hopes that the protests will cause the mullahs to fall and that a pro-western and pro-Israeli regime will then take their place.”
“Short of that, it hopes that continued unrest, instability, and perhaps national break-up will eliminate Iran as a major regional power and that US domination will then be complete.”
“I can't agree that "diplomacy is always the best way to solve problems."
If it was, then wars, economic embargoes, and the like would never occur.
Yet they do. The US is not absolutely opposed to diplomacy. But it wants diplomacy on its own terms, which can only happen after the application of brute force in the form of military and economic pressure.
Once Iran raises the white flag, America will be happy to engage in "diplomatic" negotiations
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