Iran's Anti-Nuclear Weapons Fatwa

For many years now PCG has fear mongered that any minute now Iran will produce nuclear weapons. This is often mentioned by PCG's leaders in an alarmist manner to insinuate that nuclear catastrophe will soon occur.

Now without question there are reasons to be concerned about Iran. Many are quite rightly concerned about the pressing human rights situation within Iran. Relations between the United States and Iran are quite hostile. It has been this way since 1979. This topic certainly deserves proper attention.

But is Iran planning to make nuclear weapons? PCG has made this accusation against the leaders of Iran since at least 2005 as may be seen below.

That’s not to say that all the charades are over. There will likely be more talk. We may even witness military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. But Bible prophecy strongly indicates that talks will fail and any action will not be tough enough to deter Iran in the long run.
Iran will get its nukes. (Joel Hilliker, "A Man With a Dangerous Mission", August 2005.) 

Ten years later Iran still has no nuclear weapons. What are these Iranians doing? It took the United States only four years to build a nuclear weapon during World War II. Why are the Iranians taking so much time to get around to building a nuclear weapon? It's like they actually do not want one.

In 2006 Gerald Flurry insinuated that Iran getting nuclear weapons would be some sort of point of no return towards nuclear annihilation.

Is this really “a point of no return”? Or, understanding human nature, did we reach the point of no return when we invented the atomic bomb? ... Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believes he was given his office by the Twelfth Imam, a messianic figure. And why was he given the presidency? To provoke a “clash of civilizations.” (Gerald Flurry, Nuclear Iran—the Point of No Return?, June-July 2006.)

Nine years later Iran still has no nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad is out of power. (How wonderful!) Why are these Iranians taking so long to make a nuclear weapon?

In 2006 PCG's Robert Morley insinuated that Iran was planning to make a nuclear weapon by 2009.

But from Iran’s point of view, there is indeed an urgent need for nuclear technology—a religiously inspired one. Consider Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s belief in a returning Mahdi, or 12th imam, which is a central doctrine among the most populous group of Shiites (known as Ithna Ashari, or “Twelvers”), to which he belongs. The president is a staunch believer in the mahdaviat, which is “belief in and efforts to prepare for the Mahdi.” In short, he believes the Mahdi will return within three years and that it is his job to prepare the way for his return. (Robert Morley, The Iranian “Push” Is Coming, August 16, 2006.)

Nine years later Iran still has no nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad and all the Iranians failed to keep up with Morley's schedule. What's taking so long? It's almost like Iran's leaders actually don't want a nuke.

Could it be possible that Iran's leaders actually don't want a nuclear weapon?

According to reporter Gareth Porter in Chapter 3 of Manufactured Crisis, his book about the politics surrounding the Iranian nuclear program, Iran's Supreme Leader Khomeinei issued a fatwa forbidding the possession of nuclear weapons as un-Islamic in 2003 thus banning Iran from even making a nuclear weapon.

Porter discusses how during the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988 Iraq launched many chemical weapons against the Iranians. Many Iranians died and to this day many Iranians continue to suffer because of these chemical weapons. But in all that time Iran never retaliated by making and using chemical weapons of their own against Iraq. This is because Iran's Supreme Leader Khomenei declared that making chemical weapons is contrary to Islam thus banning Iran from making chemical weapons. Even though so many of their fellow Iranians died and suffer to this day from those Iraqi chemical weapons nevertheless Iran never used chemical weapons. Porter cites this to show that when Iran's Supreme Leader decides to ban a weapon for being un-Islamic Iran has a history of abiding with such a rule.

Porter reports that the same rationale banning chemical weapons was later used to ban making nuclear weapons in 2003. 

In a March 2003 speech at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashad, he [Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei] said, "We are not interested in an atomic bomb. We are opposed to chemical weapons.... These things are against our principles." By linking nuclear weapons with chemical weapons, an issue that was decided purely on the basis of Islamic jurisprudence, Khamenei was implicitly invoking that same basis for Iran's rejection of nuclear weapons.  ...

[On October 22, 2003,] Khamenei gave a speech in which he said, "The Islamic Republic of Iran, based on its fundamental religious and legal beliefs, would never resort to the use of weapons of mass destruction. In contrast to the propaganda of our enemies, fundamentally we are against any production of weapons of mass destruction in any form." Three days later, Rouhani [then the chief negotiator for Iran in negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program] told students at Shahrood Industrial University that Khamenei considered nuclear weapons religiously illegal. 

Khamenei ... in a sermon after Friday prayers on November 5, 2004 ... said, "No sir, we are not seeking to have nuclear weapon," and added that "manufacture, possess or use them, that all poses a problem. I have expressed my religious convictions about this, and everyone knows it." (Gareth Porter, Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare, 2014, Chapter 3.)

It is possible he was unaware of this until 2013 but even Gerald Flurry, in his tithe funded perch in Edmond, is aware of this fatwa, although he denies it means anything. The following is from a 2013 article by Gerald Flurry. Brackets ([ ]) are in the original article.

After his call with Rouhani, President Obama said, “I do believe that there is a basis for a resolution [because] Iran’s supreme leader has issued a fatwa against the development of nuclear weapons.”

That’s right—the president knows all about Iran’s supreme leader; nothing he agrees to with Rouhani makes a bit of difference if Khamanei doesn’t approve. And he is willing to put full faith in this supposed fatwa from Khamanei as evidence that Iran doesn’t want nukes! He has even more faith in this fatwa than the press has in Rouhani’s tweet.

Never mind that there is no documentation of this supposed fatwa—that the only evidence it exists is a few Iranian representatives mentioning it in the media. Never mind that even if it does exist, it wouldn’t matter. As Patrick Clawson, director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, notes: “[F]atwas can change when the circumstances change. … It could be entirely appropriate for the supreme leader to say nuclear weapons are not appropriate, they’re against our religion—except for if we’re threatened by people with nuclear weapons.” During the Iran-Iraq war, Ayatollah Khamanei said, “Muslims must have the most advanced weapons that their enemies possess.” His predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, and other religious leaders have said that if it means the preservation of the Islamic republic, they have religious grounds to violate any principle of Islamic law!
 
And never mind all the fatwas Khamenei and Iran’s other clerics have issued that authorize terrorism, torture and murder! Never mind the fact that Iran has pursued nuclear technology for decades and repeatedly lied about it! Never mind that Iran is building missiles whose only purpose is to deliver nuclear bombs! (article, page 4).

America’s government is ready to reverse 30 years of foreign policy based on the assumed existence of a non-binding fatwa from a nation cloaked in decades of deception over its nuclear program!

It is as if children are in charge of America’s foreign policy!

What a spectacle America has become to the world! (Gerald Flurry, The Most Shameful Phone Call in American History, December 2013. )

My word! Iran is not even trying to make nuclear weapons it seems.

Now that would explain why Iran still has no nuclear weapons even ten years after Joel Hilliker said they would get nukes way back in 2005.

Although considering how PCG has gotten so many things wrong over the years is it any surprise they seem to be wrong about this as well?