[Rich]

Again, shiites are theologically opposed to a Caliph and/or Caliphate.

I'm sorry Facsces, but you're too intelligent and knowledgeable for me not to suspect you of being disingenuous here. The Wilāyat al-Faqīh at least under Iran's leadership's interpretation is a Caliphate in all but name. The current Iranian leader even translated Qutb's works into Farsi.

[Fasces]

The Wilāyat al-Faqīh at least under Iran's leadership's interpretation is a Caliphate in all but name.

Without getting too much into the weeds here: A Caliph holds authority over all affairs of all Muslims: private, social, and religious; while the Guardianship does not presume such authority. Only a direct descendant of Mohammed can be Caliph, according to the Shi'ites; there can only be Twelve Imams; and the next Imam is the Mahdi (the second coming): so no, Iran does not want to create a Caliphate.

The broader point I was making is about how much many like to assume the motives, beliefs, and desires of other cultures and nations while being shockingly ignorant of the intricacies of it (and proud of that ignorance) as if all their actions and history and identity both at present and over the past two thousand years are nothing more than a wily plot to trick us; that entire systems of ideology and beliefs are nothing more than scaffolding for anti-American sentiment - that the entire non-Western world, in some capacity, is just a satellite orbiting the Western world from which all things are given meaning because all their ambitions and national identity revolve around their relationship with the West and that alone, and always have.

[Rugoz]

that the entire non-Western world, in some capacity, is just a satellite orbiting the Western world from which all things are given meaning because all their ambitions and national identity revolve around their relationship with the West and that alone, and always have.

Russia is like that though.

[Fasces]