Escaping Islam: The Evil Might Not Be Realized Until It’s Too Late
AuthorHouse Publishing
276 Pages

Half autobiography, half historical commentary, Escaping Islam is the true story of Mano Bakh, a Muslim Iranian, who had been a high-ranking officer in Iran’s Imperial Navy. In 1979, during the Islamic revolution, and fearing for his life, he miraculously escaped to the United States.

Bakh was among a small group of young military men who were sent to study in Italy. Later, he travelled to ports all around Europe, and to the United States, where he studied at the naval post graduate school in Monterey, CA. While in the US, he earned several degrees, including engineering, and came within two months of acquiring his PhD before being recalled to Iran.

What with the looming dangers of the rising radicalized Iran, including the murder of some of his colleagues because of their affiliation with the previous government, Bakh planned his family’s escape. Through the help of friendships he developed in the US, the Bakhs changed their identities and were barely able to flee with their lives. He has since disavowed his religion and is now a harsh criticizer of its followers’ extremism.

Question: Tell us what the book Escaping Islam is about, and why did you write it.

Mano Bakh: One of the reasons why I wrote the book: I was born a Muslim and I was raised in a Muslim family in Iran, and I was practicing as a Muslim when I was a child.

Later on, when I started investigating my religion more, I found that the religion was not a peaceful religion, and I noticed that the barbaric laws of 1,400 years ago were implemented today, and I was very disappointed to see that this religion is at the heart of the Muslim people.

It was being forced into the minds of the people in Iran and elsewhere.

And when the revolution in Iran happened in 1979, I escaped Iran and I came to America. I was writing about Islam and I noticed that the fundamentalism did not escape Iran.

I wanted to create awareness to the people in the world that Islam is a very dangerous religion and has become very dangerous to most of the people in our country, and around the world.

Q: Can you tell us what it is that you discovered about Islam, perhaps in the Koran itself, that you found distasteful?

MB: The Koran defines the Muslim and defines the non-Muslim. The non-Muslim is someone who should be essentially eliminated. In the first 200 years of the Muslim religion there were so many wars. And all those acts of Islamic terrorism that are happening today are [being justified] by Koran texts. Like then, today [victims of Islamism] they are beheaded, limbs are cut off, massacred.

Q: Iran’s been in the news frequently and recently, especially regarding the relationship the United States is trying to have, and the President is trying to have. The last president, George W. Bush, called Iran part of the Axis of Evil, and it doesn’t seem like the current president, Barack Obama, sees eye to eye with that assessment. He seems to believe in détente with Iran, developing a relationship, see if there’s more carrot than stick. What’s your take on that kind of policy and what the United States needs to do to have Iran develop a better relationship with human rights and its own people and the world?

MB: Number one, in my book I have demonstrated what happened with the revolution.

In relation to the United States, Iran turned from the best ally to the worst enemy. It’s possible to have good relations with them again, but it will take work and Iran has a lot of changing to do.

Now Iran has a state religion, and today the government of Iran abuses its governed. The Iranian government is a dictatorship. I don’t think Obama has any idea what that means.

With George W. Bush, the United States had chosen to stop talk with the Islamic world, in particular with Iran. In my opinion that has had a very negative effect.

Because of the Muslim religion and its power seekers, they look at the United States as everything bad and nothing good.

But more than 35 million Iranians under the age of 25 want to have freedom and they’re asking for our help. That government has got to go. How do we do that?

The point is to educate the young generation in Iran and help them understand that it’s possible to live free, like the United States, with all religions, all colors and all beliefs.
The best way to do this is through the Internet, into the minds of the young, hopefully for the next generation.

Q: in your book you describe what happened 30 years ago during the Carter administration, and his action or inaction towards the overthrow of the Shah. Could you encapsulate how the United States in your opinion contributed to the de-westernization, the removal of freedoms, and the turning from an ally of Iran to an enemy?

MB: Carter did not understand the power of freedom, democracy in particular.
In my opinion it was a terrible thing that he was elected.

He had a lack of knowledge about the Muslim world. During his administration there were ambassadors and officials who contributed to undermining the United States’ relationship with Iran.

Mr. Carter himself thought the Muslim religion was a peaceful religion, therefore he lacked the coordination and the lack of understanding of what was happening.

That unfortunate situation peaked when the shah of Iran was removed, and then Khomeni was in power.

That was the beginning of all of the problems we see now in Iran.

If the Shah remained, at least we’d have an ally. We never had radical Muslim problems; in Iran we never dared to have extremism. All these things started, in my opinion, from the choosing of the Carter administration, who aided the radical administration in Iran.

Q: What brought you to the United States?

MB: When I was captain in the Iranian navy, I befriended many Americans in Iran and in the United States. Our militaries were friends.

So when the revolution happened, I contacted my friends, who helped me escape to America. If I remained in Iran I would have been in great trouble. I likely would have been killed. So many in the military were, with the new regime. Anyone who worked for the previous government had a target on their head. And some of my friends and associates were brutally murdered, by those who called themselves Muslim.

Q: What is the main theme or lesson? What do you most want people to know, after reading your book?

MB: To create awareness in America; to understand the brutality and terror of the Muslim world.

I am the most angry that a country like Iran that has had 30 years of extremism came after 500 years of civilization.

In no time it changed and became the worst enemy to the world.

Such a country that had a great and prosperous civilization - imagine what could happen in the United States in just thirty years if there was a radical shift in government!