Nearly 1400 years ago, a group of nomads from across the scorching Arabian Desert conquered Iran (Persia), the greatest empire known to the history of man. With that, they almost destroyed one of the most benevolent and beautiful religions of all humanity, Zoroastrianism, often called the mother of all revealed religions. Due to its antiquity and subsequent influences on later Judaic beliefs, Judaism as we know it has endearingly been dubbed by some scholars as "Moses through Zoroastrian eyes". It is no coincidence that the Old Testament was put into written form during the height of Persian predominance, when Zoroastrian ideas, such as the triumph of Good over Evil, and concepts related to an after-life, such as Heaven, Hell, Resurrection, and Paradise (itself a Persian word) found their way into ancient Judaism, especially in the post-exilic period.

According to Stephen Van Eck, the influence of the prophet Zarathushtra (or Zoroaster in English) upon Judeo-Christian beliefs and all of Western Civilization is little told, but should not be underestimated. Zoroaster's life and words changed the course of Western Civilization,  as attested by prolific Greek writers and philosophers, setting it on a course that departed from the static cultures of the ancient Middle East. Without his impact, Judaism would be hard to recognize, and Christianity would probably never have gained momentum to become a world religion.

Dr. W.Y. Evans-Wentz, an Oxford professor who was one of the world's leading authorities on Eastern mysticism and religion, was quoted in the book, "In Search of the Birth of Jesus: The Real Journey of the Magi", by Paul William Roberts, as saying: "Without Zarathushtra there would be no Christ". He was essentially making a strong statement about the immense stature and profound influence of Zoroastrianism at the time,  since the religion of Zoroaster had been in existence for at least 2000 years before the birth of Christ.  

Ironically, though, the acknowledgment of the birth of Jesus by the Three Magi or the "Wise Men of the East", who were Zoroastrian priests,  has been celebrated in the setting of the Nativity scene during Christmas celebrations by believers all around the globe, yet little or no attention is given to the fact that the three men bearing gifts for the infant in the manger made their journey from Iran (or ancient Persia) and were in fact Zoroastrians who welcomed the birth of a new religion.

Although enumerating the influences of Zoroastrianism and Iranian Civilization on the world cultures is not the primary objective of this author and is out of the scope of the present article, it is important to demonstrate the salient point of how Islam has been on a collision course with great civilizations from its inception. Just as it brutally conquered and bitterly stifled one of the fountainheads of progress in ancient Iran, Islam still remains a very real threat to Western Civilization and to any progressive civil society in the 21st century. It is virulently capable of great destruction and retardation of minds, as we have seen in the past two decades, and the clear and present danger should be taken very seriously by any open-minded citizen of this planet who cares about freedom, human rights and progress.

It is noteworthy that Zoroastrianism was the official religion of all Persian kings, yet it was never forced onto the non-Zoroastrian subjects of the Persian Empire. Of all the great Aryan Kings of Iran (Iran means "Land of the Aryans"), Cyrus the Great, more than 2500 years ago, represented the true embodiment of Zoroastrian beliefs. Cyrus attributed his conquests to Ahuramazda, the Creator of Life and Wisdom, the One and only God of the Universe. This Zoroastrian King and his descendants, who called themselves Aryans (not to be associated with the false and negative connotations during WWII), which literally means "Nobles", freed the Jews from the captivity in Babylon (present-day Iraq) and assisted them in re-building their Temple in Jerusalem. For his noble act, Cyrus is praised in the Hebrew Old Testament as the "Anointed of the Lord", a title never before given to any gentile, past or present. "Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden" (Isaiah 45:1). Thus Cyrus, an Iranian of Persian lineage and a follower of Zoroastrianism was immortalized in history.

This benevolent deed, in fact, was the action of a true Iranian. The protection of the weak and the down-trodden is a fundamental belief, which is incorporated into the daily prayers of Zoroastrians to this very day. Indeed, tolerance and understanding toward peoples of different cultures, races, and religions, was the hallmark of Zoroastrian teachings, unlike in Islamic teachings, and were codified in the famous Cyrus Cylinder that laid down the principles of human rights as we know them today. Even though a replica of the Cyrus Cylinder adorns the lobby of the United Nations building in New York City, alas, very few visitors truly appreciate its Iranian and Zoroastrian origin.

Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, tragedy reigns in the "Land of the Nobles". The remnants of the great Persian Empire were swallowed up by the Muslim conquerors storming out of Arabia, and a tyrannical version of Islam eviscerated the spiritual life of tolerant old Persia. Regrettably, Zoroastrianism, the original Iranian religion, was not an effective barrier against the radical and backward religion from the Arabian Desert, and to this day, despite renewed waves of Iranian nationalism, neither Zoroastrianism nor Iranian culture have fully rebounded from this tragedy. In fact, the Islamic regime in Iran has actively down-played the ancient Iranian and Persian cultures and continues to suppress any sense of nationalism that may be perceived as a "threat" to Islam or the Islamic regime.  

The prophet of Islam motivated his rapidly growing body of followers to rally around him by proclaiming: if they are victorious they will have the treasures of the infidels as well as their women and children as slave to hold or sell; if the faithful kill the infidels in doing the work of Allah, further reward awaits them in paradise; and, in the unlikely event that they are killed, they find themselves in Allah's glorious paradise for eternal life of joy and bliss.

The outlandish, frequently confused and often contradictory incoherent rhetoric of Muhammad made the less gullible few question his sanity. They dismissed him as an "Insane Poet". Yet, the generality of the savages found in him their savior -- the one who would lead them to all the good in this world and the next. It was a win-win proposition for them: win and you are rewarded handsomely; lose your life, and you go directly to heaven. How could they refuse?

Muhammad preached that earthly life is a small price to pay for eternal life; it is the next life that the faithful should seek. Hence, Islam can rightfully be considered a cult of death, not life; it will never run out of volunteers to sacrifice their lives until Islam itself expires.

All pre-Islamic achievements that may strengthen the attraction on the part of the Iranian populace are de-emphasized and sometimes even falsely attributed to Islam, to prevent the average Iranian and the world at large from finding out the historical truths about the destruction and retardation Islam has brought to the region. Let it be known that Islam has not given anything to the civilized world, but continues to take credit for the arts and science produced by peoples it has conquered.

Others lost their identity and heritage and embraced the ways of their new rulers. It is this band of savages, an oppressive tyrannical minority, which is presently ruling Iran. Yet even under the rule of Islamofascism, the overwhelming majority of Iranians of various ethnicities and religions remain faithful to their ancient creed – a creed that was given to the world by Zoroaster. The faith of Zoroaster, based on the triad of Good Thoughts, Good Speech and Good Deed, constituted the standard of life for the Persian. Other teachings of the faith of Zoroaster, arguably the most ancient divine religion, have inspired the teachings of other faiths.

Islam, as it is officially practiced in Iran today, is a stultifying, iron cowl. After 1400 years, militant Islam is again the greatest threat to existence of the free world and Judeo-Christian civilization. The very same evil force that set out to destroy the Iranian civilization partially succeeded in ancient times, and still strives hard to deliver the coup de grace to the Iranian people. The modern manifestation of the Islamic Caliphate has reincarnated into the "Islamic Republic" of Iran, which has been holding the majority of Iranians hostage for the past 28 years. Islamofascists ruling the country hope to realize their expansionist master-plan after defeating the people of Iran first, and ultimately unleashing their reign of Islamic terror on the rest of the world in succession. Hence, the importance of American support for the Iranian people cannot be overemphasized.

Let us remember that the Arabs who sallied out of the deserts did not fan out to the outside world with the Quran in one hand and flowers in the other, preaching love and peace from street corner to street corner, aiming to capture the hearts and minds of the people. Islam was forced on every culture it encountered at the point of the sword. The kinder, gentler alternative was the imposition of the backbreaking jizyah (poll tax) levied on those who were spared the sword and allowed to retain their religious beliefs as "infidels". In spite of paying the heavy jizyah, non-Muslims were consistently treated, at best, as second class citizens in their own homelands all across the Middle East.

Islam once again, 1400 years later, is seeking world domination through worldwide Islamic terrorism. It is seeking the destruction of everything in the world that is good, and intends to replace it with the most barbaric ideology known to the history of man. Islam sees Christian America as a formidable enemy standing in its path of world-domination. Hence it has waged a war on Christian America.

The death of Jesus on the Cross is a symbol of love by God who was willing to sacrifice His Son to show that love. Yet, Islam's ultimate goal is to obliterate this symbol of love and forgiveness, which also were the words of Jesus Christ and what He stood for. Militant Islam intends to bring down Christian America by hook or by crook. How are they are going to achieve this lofty goal? By creating chaos and crisis, by bringing the Islamic suicide bombers into the new world, by weakening the American people, and by casting terror, intimidation, fear and uncertainty into the lives of the American people.

The Constitution of the United States is the most glorious liberty document ever written for free men. It protects the friends as well as the foes of the land. Militant Islam plans to take advantage of the vulnerability of the United States Constitution. They will attack every living organism under the aegis of the "religion of peace". The time seems to be ripe for this action.

Islam will destroy one's moral power, it saps the foundation of Christianity, and it disturbs and endangers one's union with the true God. It fetters one's progress and free will. Islam is the enemy of improvements and the deadly foe of education. It demolishes one's pride, it breeds insolence, it promotes vice, it shelters crime, and it is a curse upon the free world.

Islam is the greatest threat facing Christian America today. Mosques have been popping up all over the free land. It won't be too long before we see our glorious constitution replaced by the Islamic Sharia. The Persians have learned this hard lesson, so let us make sure that Americans learn this lesson from the Persian experience.

The overwhelming majority of Iranians of today stand shoulder to shoulder with the civilized free people of the world to defeat Islamofascism. The Iranians have not forgotten their heritage; they take pride in their ancient creed of light -- that of Zoroaster; they see themselves as inheritors of a great culture and tradition -- that of Cyrus the Great, the exemplary just king; and are determined to pay any price to put an end, once and for all, to the virulent disease of Islamic fascism.

Islam is incompatible with democracy and freedom. Islam and democracy are in the opposite sides of the spectrum. America is the cradle of democracy. Islam is anti-democracy. Hence, a Muslim person cannot possibly be both, an American and a Muslim, simultaneously. And let us not be deceived-- Islam is not a religion of peace. Citizens of the United States must be vigilant in understanding the imminent threat of Islam to their culture and on their own soil.The threat of Islam is real. The very survival of Christian America is dependent upon our understanding that Islam is America's greatest enemy.

"The light of American freedom must be preserved for humanity. To save our democracy, all Americans must unite!!" --  Thomas Jefferson