Iran's first oil tanker has arrived near Venezuela

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

Five oil tanker full of sanctioned fuel are currently making their way across the Atlantic Ocean.
On the 2nd of June 2020 , 
Major Failur for the Trump administration 
What scenario will happen?
Trump either has to think about the bad domestic situation caused by COVID-19
Or he should be thinking about maintaining his global reputation .
Is Trump willing to sacrifice his people for politics?
The conditions under which Trump must spend time softening the global community to stabilize the US domestic situation
The current situation in the world is so strick that it has no capacity for any seizures

[footeab@yahoo.com + 2,190]

Are you dumb?  You are proud to show you have a PHD, so I understand your mental pain...

Sanctioned means can't use US banks/system for trade.  Venezuela is not embargoed. 

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

You are more likely to show your true nature
You don't have to recognize my pain
It will be very difficult for the white house 
With all the conceit he does for Iran and Venezuela
Iran easily sells and sends its oil wherever it wants in the world .
By the way, whenever you want to hire me, you can comment on my degree 
For now, keep your head warm
impolite

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

You bring this news that you believe to be very important.

Perhaps it is being touted in Iran as very important.  Perhaps it is making headlines across Iran.  Is it seen as some of the most positive news for the Iranian leadership in some time?  Is it seen as a strike against the United States?

What other news is considered big right now?  May we assume that Covid-19 and its effect on the Iranian people is big news there?  What else, please.  I am curious.

For President Trump, It will most likely be 30-60 seconds of his world briefing.  That is because: the sanctions are in place and any country doing business with Iran will have all finances or financial transactions in or through the United States frozen and seized.  That is automatic; no action necessary.  It's also because Iran does not warrant any more time or consideration.  It is a small blip on the world clock.  That is the fault of the "leadership" of Iran; not anyone else, least of all the good people of Iran.

Perhaps Iran can "easily sells and sends its oil wherever it wants in the world".  But any of those places that purchase Iranian oil will face those automatic sanctions, so not too many are willing to challenge the sanctions.  Oil shipped from one blacklisted country to another is not the same thing as "easy"; it is the only option.

You will find that almost every member of this forum would like to see the Iranian people free and flourishing, instead of suffering and languishing due to the actions of Iran's "leadership".

Hope you have a good day!   

Edited May 23, 2020 by Dan Warnick

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

I have said it many times
I am not in favor of or against any government here at all
I don't think you Have compassion for Iran and the Iranian peoplemore than me (I am an Iranian ) .
But it is better to refer to the news first
In every program and meeting that Trump has, he spends more than 70% of that time about Iran
I don't understand at all why the US government should sympathize with the Iranian people ??? Right answer is m USA is looking for IRAN'S OIL not anything else 
Remember  US government that removed the Shah of Iran about 40 years ago and put the this regim in power in Iran .

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

I did not say I have more compassion.  Just that we empathize for them/you and hope for better someday soon.

If the news you watch shows Trump spending more than 70% of the time about Iran, you are being shown selective news programs, because it simply is not so.

The United States does not need Iranian oil.  Again, if you are being told this and you don't have access to information contrary to what your local government claims, it is sad, but not the problem of the United States.  You seem like a nice fellow and it would appear that you are on this website without censorship.  Why can you not search for news or information from sources outside your local area?

With the above in mind, have a read of the following:

U.S. Department of State: This Week in Iran Policy  (actually it is from February 29th as there have been no recent statements that I'm aware of.)  I have pasted the entire statement from the U.S. State Department below, in case you are dealing with censorship and cannot read the linked site.

“The United [States] stands with the Iranian people.  We will continue to their support their voices.  These are people who are desperately eager to be heard in a free and fair election.”

– Secretary Pompeo, Remarks, February 25, 2020

OPENING REMARKS BY SECRETARY POMPEO BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, FEBRUARY 28, 2020:

• “Iran is the world’s number one state sponsor of terror – and the world’s largest state sponsor of anti-Semitism, wanting to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth.  You just have to listen to them. Iran and its proxies are responsible for the death of hundreds of Americans in Iraq, including an American contractor who was killed on December 27th of 2019. Its forces, Iran’s forces, and the militias it supports, prop up Bashar Assad, undermine democracy in Lebanon and Iraq, and steal humanitarian aid in Yemen.”

• “The Iranian regime slaughtered at least several hundred of its own people, with reports of as many as 1,500, during the protests last November.  Many millions more have suffered since the Revolution began more than 40 years ago. Iranians, and those impacted by the regime, are thankful that the United States is finally holding their oppressors accountable. The Trump administration will neither appease nor tolerate the enormous national security threat that Iran poses to the United States, our friends, and our allies.”

• “I know that, sadly, some American troops were injured during Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile attack on al-Asad air force base.  The limited nature of Iran’s counterattack, however, indicates that Iran’s leadership is not eager to escalate a military confrontation. They know if we fight, they’ll lose.  That’s deterrence.  It’s our policy.”

• “We will continue to protect the American people and American interests by any means necessary…. And we will work with our allies and partners for a more stable and secure Middle East.”

• Follow the link to read the full remarks.

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY POMPEO ON CORONAVIRUS ASSISTANCE FOR THE IRANIAN PEOPLE, FEBRUARY 27, 2020:

• “The United States stands with the people of Iran during the public health crisis caused by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The U.S. Government is prepared to assist the Iranian people in their response efforts. This offer of support to the Iranian people, which has been formally conveyed to Iran through the Government of Switzerland, underscores our ongoing commitment to address health crises and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.”

• “The United States calls on Iran to cooperate fully and transparently with international aid and health organizations. We will continue to work closely with countries in the region to help address unmet needs in response to the virus.”

• “Persons interested in providing support to the Iranian people should note that certain donations to Iran that are intended to relieve human suffering, including the donation of medicine, are exempt from U.S. sanctions. In addition, the United States maintains broad exceptions and authorizations to its sanctions for the commercial export of food, medicine, medical devices, and agricultural products to Iran. In support of those exceptions and authorizations, the S. Department of the Treasury and the Government of Switzerland recently announced the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA).  For more information about the SHTA, see https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm919.”

• Supporting the Iranian people is and will remain among our top priorities.”

HIGHLIGHTS ON IRAN FROM SPECIAL BRIEFING BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR NEAR EASTERN AFFAIRS DAVID SCHENKER AND COUNTERTERRORISM COORDINATOR AMBASSADOR NATHAN A. SALES ON FEBRUARY 26, 2020:

• Ambassador Sales: “Today, Secretary Pompeo has taken decisive action against Iran-backed militias in Iraq by designating Ahmad al-Hamidawi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist or SDGT.”

• “Hamidawi is the secretary-general of Kata’ib Hizballah, or KH, a group that is responsible for numerous terrorist attacks against U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq.  That includes the December 2019 attack by rockets on an air base near Kirkuk that killed American Nawres Hamid.”

• “The State Department designated KH as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as an SDGT in 2009 for attacking American troops and our allies.  …  By committing violence at the behest of its patrons in Tehran, KH has revealed its true agenda: undermining Iraq’s sovereignty and independence.”

• Assistant Secretary Schenker: “…today the Secretary of State is designating Ahmad al-Hamidawi, the secretary-general of Kata’ib Hizballah.  His organization also shares in the responsibility for the brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters in Iraq.  They are foot soldiers in the Iranian regime’s export of terrorism, corruption, and bribery to Iraq.”

• Follow the link to watch the full briefing.

HIGHLIGHTS ON IRAN FROM SECRETARY POMPEO’S REMARKS TO THE PRESS ON FEBRUARY 25, 2020:

• “…the United States is deeply concerned by information indicating the Iranian regime may have suppressed vital details about the outbreak in that country.  As of yesterday afternoon, Iran was second only to China in coronavirus deaths.”

• “All nations, including Iran, should tell the truth about the coronavirus and cooperate with international aid organizations.”

• “Staying on Iran: This weekend, the Islamic Republic held another rigged parliamentary election.  The United States heard the Iranian people’s disgust at their government’s repression.  We’ve had people send in messages from all across the country.  One Iranian said, quote: “I will not vote.  Voting means that we give legitimacy to this corrupt regime.  We won’t cooperate with them in its crimes.” Another said, quote: “I have not voted in my life and I will not vote for this corrupt mafia system at all,” end of quote.

• Follow the link to watch the full briefing.

PRESS STATEMENT BY SECRETARY POMPEO ANNOUNCING NEW SANCTIONS ON FEBRUARY 25, 2020:

• “The United States is sanctioning 13 foreign entities and individuals in China, Iraq, Russia, and Turkey pursuant to the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonproliferation Act (INKSNA).  This action includes new sanctions against five entities/individuals in China (Luo Dingwen, Baoding Shimaotong Enterprises Services Company Limited, Gaobeidian Kaituo Precise Instrument Co. Ltd , and Wuhan Sanjiang Import and Export Co., Ltd) and Turkey (Eren Carbon Graphite Industrial Trading Company, Ltd) for supporting Iran’s missile program.  The Chinese individual Luo Dingwen has also been involved in supplying sensitive items to Pakistan’s weapons program.”

• “The recent determinations were the result of a periodic review of sanctionable activity as required by INKSNA.  We have imposed two-year discretionary sanctions on the 13 individuals/entities identified in this report.  The sanctions include restrictions on U.S. government procurement, U.S. government assistance, and exports.”

• “The imposition of these measures underscores that Iran’s missile program remains a significant proliferation concern.  The imposition of sanctions against these foreign entities is consistent with our efforts to use all available measures to prevent Iran from advancing its missile capabilities.”
• Follow the link to watch the full briefing.

NOTABLE TWEETS THIS WEEK:

@SecPompeo February 28

I’m deeply concerned by the spread of #coronavirus in #Iran and the public health risk to the Iranian people and their neighbors. The U.S. offers our humanitarian assistance to the people of Iran to help unmet needs in their response efforts.

@SecPompeo February 26

Today’s designation of 15 Lebanon-based individuals and entities linked to the #Hizballah-affiliated Martyrs Foundation highlights how the terrorist group continues to pursue its own interests and the interests of its sponsor, #Iran, at the expense of the #Lebanese people.

@SecPompeo February 26

#Iran’s regime is facing a crisis of legitimacy with parliamentary elections at their lowest turnout since 1979.

@SecPompeo February 26

Rather than take responsibility, @khamenei_ir is lying about his killing of civilians on a commercial plane and on internal health risks in Iran. He is wasting the children of Iran by killing them in foolish revolutionary expeditions in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.

@StateDept February 26

@SecPompeo on the #IranElections: This weekend, the Islamic Republic held another rigged parliamentary election. The United States stands with the Iranian people, who are desperately eager to be heard in a free and fair election.

@statedeptspox February 26

The U.S. salutes and stands with the brave women in #Iran in their struggle for rights and empowerment. Your fight against the mandatory hijab reminds the world that women want the right to self-determination. We hear you, we see you, and we are with you.

@SecPompeo February 25

The U.S. is imposing sanctions on 13 foreign entities and individuals in China, Iraq, Russia, and Turkey for supporting proliferation programs in Iran, North Korea, and Syria. We will continue to use all available measures to prevent #Iran from advancing its missile capabilities.

@SecPompeo February 21

I commend the Financial Action Task Force for calling on members to re-impose countermeasures needed to protect the world from terrorist financing threats emanating from #Iran. Iran must behave like a normal nation or it will continue to pay for its funding of terrorism.

@SecPompeo February 21

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and I discussed the ongoing threat posed by the Iranian regime. We also discussed the situations in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and the need for a united GCC. We stand together with Saudi Arabia in addressing these regional security challenges.

@SecPompeo February 21

Met with @kbsalsaud to reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Saudi partnership, a critical bulwark for peace and stability in the region. We discussed ways we can counter the ongoing threat posed by the Iranian regime and its destabilizing behavior in Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, & Syria.

@SecPompeo February 21

I visited #PrinceSultanAirBase to highlight the long-standing USA-KSA security partnership & to reaffirm America’s determination to stand with #SaudiArabia in the face of Iranian aggression. #2020Together @378AEW

@statedeptspox February 21

The Financial Action Task Force made the right call to protect the international financial system from #Iran’s lax financial controls by calling on members to re-impose countermeasures. We applaud the #FATF’s decision to take firm action.

@statedeptspox February 21

@SecPompeo met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud yesterday. They discussed #Iran’s continued destabilizing behavior in the region and agreed to support a @UN-led solution to the conflict in #Yemen. They also discussed consular and human rights issues.

@statedeptspox February 21

@SecPompeo met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and discussed many bilateral and regional issues, including consular and human rights concerns. We stand with #SaudiArabia as they confront the malign influence of #Iran in the region and the world.

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

“Remember  US government that removed the Shah of Iran about 40 years ago and put the this regim in power in Iran “

Really! The US put this guy in power? I must have missed something here...🤔

[waltz + 140]

1 hour ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:
Remember  US government that removed the Shah of Iran about 40 years ago and put the this regim in power in Iran .

My history could be completely off but I seem to recall the US supporting the Shah until his fall 60 years ago.  The current ruling regime may have come to be out of past US policy, unintended consequences, but certainly was not “put in...power” by any past US administration.  The only reason this shipment of finished products to Venezuela matters is because of the influence and importance of El Aissami in Venezuela.  I do not even take the evidence of Iranian terrorist groups working in Venezuela seriously but certainly they have enough of a presence in South America to have pulled off the bombing in Argentina of the Jewish center, that was 25 years ago.

waltz

 

do not mind me or my comments, I am just drunk at 9:30 in the morning.

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

2 hours ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:

I have said it many times
I am not in favor of or against any government here at all
I don't think you Have compassion for Iran and the Iranian peoplemore than me (I am an Iranian ) .
But it is better to refer to the news first
In every program and meeting that Trump has, he spends more than 70% of that time about Iran
I don't understand at all why the US government should sympathize with the Iranian people ??? Right answer is m USA is looking for IRAN'S OIL not anything else 
Remember  US government that removed the Shah of Iran about 40 years ago and put the this regim in power in Iran .

I haven't forgotten about you, Dr. Masih.  I finally found a U.S. news outlet that is reporting on your oil shipments.  Unfortunately, according to the report, President Trump didn't even give a statement, presumably because those automatic sanctions are working.

Tankers Carrying Iranian Fuel Approach The Caribbean: Data

(Reuters) – A flotilla of five tankers carrying Iranian fuel for gasoline-starved Venezuela is approaching the Caribbean, with the first vessel expected to reach the South American country’s waters on Sunday, according to Refinitiv Eikon tracking data.

Iran is supplying about 1.53 million barrels of gasoline and alkylate to Venezuela, according to both governments, sources and calculations made by TankerTrackers.com based on the vessels’ draft levels.

The shipments have caused a diplomatic standoff between Iran and Venezuela and the United States as both nations are under U.S. sanctions. Washington is considering measures in response, according to a senior U.S. official, who did not elaborate on any options being weighed.

The United States recently beefed up its naval presence in the Caribbean for what it said was an expanded anti-drug operation. But a Pentagon spokesman, Jonathan Hoffman, said on Thursday he was not aware of any operations related to the Iranian cargoes.

“We have continued to say that Iran and Venezuela – both two outliers in the international order – (are) clearly violating international sanctions on both nations with this transaction,” he told reporters.

Venezuela’s defense minister said its military will escort the Iranian tankers once they reach the nation’s exclusive economic zone.

Iran-flagged tanker Fortune, the first in the flotilla, was approaching the Caribbean Sea on Friday. It has been navigating with its satellite signal on since it passed the Suez Canal earlier in May. The four other vessels are following the same route across the Atlantic Ocean, the Eikon data showed.

The OPEC-member country desperately needs fuel for up to 1,800 gasoline stations that have been partially closed for weeks due to insufficient supply from state-run PDVSA’s refineries, which until March worked at about 10% of their joint capacity of 1.3 million barrels per day.

PDVSA’s gasoline output is now limited to a single facility, the Amuay refinery, but most fuel produced is low octane as most of the country’s alkylation units are out of service, according to company sources. Imported alkylate could improve the quality of domestic gasoline.

PDVSA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Venezuela was consuming 170,000 bpd of gasoline before coronavirus-related lockdown measures. Fuel sales at stations declined to about 40,000 bpd due to rationing, according to analysts.

Over a decade of mismanagement and lack of staff, combined with U.S. sanctions that since 2019 have limited imports, Venezuela’s refineries are in poor condition. Shipments of equipment in flights by Iran’s Mahar Air have arrived in Venezuela in recent weeks to start repair work.

The U.S. Treasury Department this week blacklisted the Chinese firm that provided the refinery parts. Beijing called the sanctions “illegal.”

[0R0 + 6,251]

18 hours ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:

You are more likely to show your true nature
You don't have to recognize my pain
It will be very difficult for the white house 
With all the conceit he does for Iran and Venezuela
Iran easily sells and sends its oil wherever it wants in the world .
By the way, whenever you want to hire me, you can comment on my degree 
For now, keep your head warm
impolite

Not easily, it gets paid via the UAE central bank. They take a cut and the risk of sanctions on them as well. In Venezuela's case the payment was in a series of flights laden with gold bars. Hardly sanctionable.

If Trump wanted to blockade either Iran or Venezuela, he had the naval power to sink both countris' navies and coast guards in a matter of an hour or two. But Trump ran on a platform of peace and withdrawal from entanglements, not on a war platform. Which is why nobody expects US initiation of a shooting war. Or a blockade, which is a military action.

I think your expectations are unrelated to the reality of US foreign policy, nor of NATO expectations of it.

[Justin Hicks + 162]

4 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said:

“Remember  US government that removed the Shah of Iran about 40 years ago and put the this regim in power in Iran “

Really! The US put this guy in power? I must have missed something here...🤔

My family and I were there in Awaz until 78 when things went to hell. Even tho I was little, I certainly don't remember the US putting the Ayatollah in power either

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

1 hour ago, Justin Hicks said:

My family and I were there in Awaz until 78 when things went to hell. Even tho I was little, I certainly don't remember the US putting the Ayatollah in power either

Remember that Iran is like a golden egg for the United States
Therefore, no government in the United States wants to fight the current Iranian regime at all

2 hours ago, 0R0 said:

Not easily, it gets paid via the UAE central bank. They take a cut and the risk of sanctions on them as well. In Venezuela's case the payment was in a series of flights laden with gold bars. Hardly sanctionable.

If Trump wanted to blockade either Iran or Venezuela, he had the naval power to sink both countris' navies and coast guards in a matter of an hour or two. But Trump ran on a platform of peace and withdrawal from entanglements, not on a war platform. Which is why nobody expects US initiation of a shooting war. Or a blockade, which is a military action.

I think your expectations are unrelated to the reality of US foreign policy, nor of NATO expectations of it.

Remember that Iran is like a golden egg for the United States
Therefore, no government in the United States wants to fight the current Iranian regime at all

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

3 minutes ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:

Remember that Iran is like a golden egg for the United States
Therefore, no government in the United States wants to fight the current Iranian regime at all

Remember that Iran is like a golden egg for the United States
Therefore, no government in the United States wants to fight the current Iranian regime at all

 

1 hour ago, Justin Hicks said:

My family and I were there in Awaz until 78 when things went to hell. Even tho I was little, I certainly don't remember the US putting the Ayatollah in power either

I think you were one of those families who lived in a backward village like SHADEGAN , where you quickly sold your cows and bought a flight ticket and MOVED to the United States.
In reply  to this ridiculous sentence, i have to say this, when you are unaware of such an event .

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

8 hours ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:

 

I think you were one of those families who lived in a backward village like SHADEGAN , where you quickly sold your cows and bought a flight ticket and MOVED to the United States.
In reply  to this ridiculous sentence, i have to say this, when you are unaware of such an event .

One of us has been completely brainwashed.  Let's see.....

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

8 hours ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:

Remember that Iran is like a golden egg for the United States
Therefore, no government in the United States wants to fight the current Iranian regime at all

I guess you didn't read any of the reality that I posted for you??  Iran is far away from most of us, but it is not in an alternate universe.  Wake up, dude.

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

10 hours ago, Dan Warnick said:

One of us has been completely brainwashed.  Let's see.....

Just review the story on ENGHELAB 
You will realise that who helped this regime for raise up 
you will understand that who moved down the SHAH 

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

On 5/23/2020 at 10:29 AM, waltz said:

do not mind me or my comments, I am just drunk at 9:30 in the morning.

Conasidering it is a long weekend, and a hot one, you will likely end up quite a bit more drunk!  Bravo! 

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

29 minutes ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:

Just review the story on ENGHELAB 
You will realise that who helped this regime for raise up 
you will understand that who moved down the SHAH 

Not sure what one has to do with the other.  Why don't you further talk about it and maybe we will see your point.

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

1 hour ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:

Just review the story on ENGHELAB 
You will realise that who helped this regime for raise up 
you will understand that who moved down the SHAH 

You are claiming that in the middle of the cold war the US overthrew their strongest ally in the Persian Gulf region and installed a regime that hates the US? Please do explain.

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

All Middle East capital transfer highways to the United States must be open
The people of the Middle East were not and are not and will not the least bit important to the American government .
With the help of this regime, the United States has been able to vacuum Middle Eastern's capital well .

The American people and the people of the Middle East are involved in the dirty game of the American government .
With the war and bloodshed they have created in the Middle East
I have no idea what the United States is looking for in the Middle East.
Are you world policeman?
Has the mission of the Prophet been entrusted to the American government?

However, the day will come when the people of the Middle East will decide for themselves.
That day is near

[Jay McKinsey + 1,490]

Prophet? No. Profit? Yes. 🤑

The wealth transfer was all going to the Middle East until just a few years ago.  The US will leave as soon as the oil and gas are worthless. 

Edited May 24, 2020 by Jay McKinsey

[Old-Ruffneck + 1,237]

@Dr.Masih Rezvani, what do you hold your PHd in? Toe nail fungus?

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

8 hours ago, Dr.Masih Rezvani said:

Has the mission of the Prophet been entrusted to the American government?

However, the day will come when the people of the Middle East will decide for themselves.
That day is near

Your prophet is dead.  He was a man.  He and some people around him recorded his plans to rule the people to make them do what he/they wanted them to do.  They printed a book.  Their supporters were instructed to only "follow" their book.  Never trust anyone who only has one book.

I do not entrust my life to the will of a dead man or the government.  I entrust myself and erect a mission for my family and I, I call them my people.  I have written down some of my mission, and that is my book.  That makes me the prophet of my people.  My wife must therefore prostrate herself in order to further my comfort and power, if necessary of course, and if she lets me say so.  Otherwise she will make my life a living hell and my mission will be screwed.  (Oh, now I know what I need to do, when she is not paying attention I will make it part of my mission to cover her head!  That way she cannot take away my comfort or power!)

As long as you follow the book of a dead man, the people of the Middle East will NEVER decide for themselves.  Ask my wife!

Edited May 25, 2020 by Dan Warnick
will, prostrate instead of martyr

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

12 hours ago, Old-Ruffneck said:

@Dr.Masih Rezvani, what do you hold your PHd in? Toe nail fungus?

I have a Phd in the extraction of rude people like you.
Please be polite
Because I'm the biggest producer of rude people like you

[Dr.Masih Rezvani + 27]

9 hours ago, Dan Warnick said:

Your prophet is dead.  He was a man.  He and some people around him recorded his plans to rule the people to make them do what he/they wanted them to do.  They printed a book.  Their supporters were instructed to only "follow" their book.  Never trust anyone who only has one book.

I do not entrust my life to the will of a dead man or the government.  I entrust myself and erect a mission for my family and I, I call them my people.  I have written down some of my mission, and that is my book.  That makes me the prophet of my people.  My wife must therefore prostrate herself in order to further my comfort and power, if necessary of course, and if she lets me say so.  Otherwise she will make my life a living hell and my mission will be screwed.  (Oh, now I know what I need to do, when she is not paying attention I will make it part of my mission to cover her head!  That way she cannot take away my comfort or power!)

As long as you follow the book of a dead man, the people of the Middle East will NEVER decide for themselves.  Ask my wife!

I agree with you
Personally, I do not consider any book absolute and I try to act according to the law of humanity
The bottom line is: Why should the Middle East always be in ignorance and not provide the ground for growth and prosperity and coming out of that book?