TRUMP AND ARAQCHI: a lesson in diplomacy
On Easter Sunday—the holiest day in the Christian calendar, a day centred on life, resurrection, and worship—Mr. Donald Trump sent the following message to Iran:
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****n’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”
Short and (not so) sweet. No interpretation needed. But the sheer disrespect, gross profanity and explicit genocidal threats left many commentators stunned. Words failed most observers who tried to capture their disbelief at a message that contained such vulgar and uncivil language. This from the leader of a nation that identifies as Christian, elected by a democratic majority and supported by a number of Evangelical leaders. Words failed most—including me.
But perhaps, instead of dwelling on the negative or amplifying the crudeness, it would be more revealing to place darkness beside light. A comparison with the response from the Iranian leadership exposes far more than western reporters could.
This is how the “barbaric” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi responded to the “civil” threats issued by the American President. His reply, written in Farsi—a language known for its poetic depth—carries a weight and dignity that speaks for itself:
“Mr.Trump…
Civilizations do not collapse because of one man’s words. History has seen empires rise and fall—but fear has never decided their fate.
“You speak of ‘tonight’ as if time itself obeys you. It does not. Nations like ours are not measured in hours… but in generations of resistance.
“If you believe destruction is your power, then understand this—those who start such fires rarely control how they spread.
“This region is not a battlefield for your declarations. It is our home, our sovereignty—and it will not bend to threats, no matter how urgent you make them sound.
“You warn of the end of civilization tonight. We warn of consequences that outlive any night… consequences that reshape the future.
“So before the sun rises, think carefully—because once certain lines are crossed, there is no ‘tomorrow’ to return to the way it was.”
My only comment will be this:
“Mr. Trump, (and to all those who follow you and defend your unsaturable pursuit for power) take a lesson from Mr.Araqchi in his dignified and diplomatic response. Sadly, if many Iranians read your words, they will feel that if your Jesus is like you, they would not like to know him. In one message you have undone the labour and martyrdom of countless Iranian Christians who have displayed a different Christ. They have testified of the One who stands next to the humble, the meek and the wounded, not the powerful. The One who declared and decreed peace, reconciliation and goodwill towards all men, not a select group of people. The One that came to seek and save – not to “make great again”, but make whole again. That is the Jesus that lives in Iran, Lebanon, Syria and in Egypt. That is the Jesus that lives in the hearts if His children in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. May you too discover this Jesus”