APRIL 9 — When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini called the United States (US) “the Great Satan” in a speech on November 5, 1979, where he condemned the US as an “imperialist power that sponsored corruption throughout the world”, he was denounced.

The speech was made a day after the US embassy in Tehran was seized by Iranian students, detaining more than 50 Americans, ranging from the Chargé d’Affaires to the most junior members of the staff, as hostages.

In the speech also, Khomeini labelled the US Embassy a “den of spies” (in Persian: lāneh-ye jāsusi)

With the US the Great Satan, Israel was “relegated” to be the “Little Satan”.

Almost 10 years later, when Khomeini issued a fatwa (religious edict) on February 14, 1989, condemning author Salman Rushdie – along with any editors and publishers of his book in any language – to death for alleged blasphemy in his novel “The Satanic Verses”, he was denounced.

Khomeini decreed “on all valiant Muslims wherever they may be in the world to kill them without delay, so that no one will dare insult the sacred beliefs of Muslims henceforth”.

But when US President Donald Trump made an apocalyptic threat to Iran, that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” unless Iran agreed a deal to end the war and unblock the Strait of Hormuz, he wasn’t as broadly denounced as Khomeini.

The United Nations (UN) chief and the Pope did condemn Trump.

Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, did criticise Trump saying it was not “appropriate to use language such as that from the president of the United States.”

But the likes of Friedrich Merz, the chancellor of Germany, Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, and Emmanuel Macron, the French president were not heard.

What a shame!

It’s still a damning shame even as the US and Iran agree to a temporary cease-fire, with Trump backing off his apocalyptic threat.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.