President Ahmadinejad Sends Letter to the American People

Iran's president has decided to communicate directly with the American people by writing them a letter through Iran's U.N. Mission. According to the letter, published by the Iranian Republic News Agency, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggests to Americans that the Bush government has been mismanaged, has mistreated the public and ignored its views, and has been under the control of certain people referred to as 'Zionists.'

November 28, 2006
Iran - Islamic Republic News Agency - Original Article (English)    

In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, "O Almighty God, bestow upon humanity the perfect human being [the Muslim Messiah] promised to all by You, and put us among his followers."

Noble Americans!

Were we not confronted with the activities of the American administration in this part of the world and the negative ramifications of those activities on the daily lives of our peoples, coupled with the many wars and calamities caused by the US administration as well as the tragic consequences of U.S. interference in other countries;

Were the American people not God-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking, while the U.S. administration actively conceals the truth and impedes any objective portrayal of current realities; And if we did not share a common responsibility to promote and protect freedom and human dignity and integrity;

Then, there would have been little urgency to have a dialogue with you.

While Divine providence has placed Iran and the United States geographically far apart, we should be cognizant that human values and our common human spirit, which proclaim the dignity and exalted worth of all human beings, have brought our two great nations of Iran and the United States closer together.

Both our nations are God-fearing, truth-loving and justice-seeking, and both seek dignity, respect and perfection.

Both greatly value and readily embrace the promotion of human ideals such as compassion, empathy, respect for the rights of human beings, securing justice and equity, and defending the innocent and the weak against oppressors and bullies.

We are all inclined toward the good, and toward extending a helping hand to one another, particularly to those in need.

We all deplore injustice, the trampling of peoples' rights and the intimidation and humiliation of human beings.

We all detest darkness, deceit, lies and distortion, and seek and admire salvation, enlightenment, sincerity and honesty.

The pure human essence of the two great nations of Iran and the United States testify to the veracity of these statements.

Noble Americans!

Our nation has always extended a hand of friendship to all other nations.

Hundreds of thousands of my Iranian compatriots are living amongst you in friendship and peace and are contributing positively to your society. Our people have been in contact with you over the past many years and have maintained these contacts despite the unnecessary restrictions by the U.S. authorities.

As mentioned, we have common concerns, face similar challenges and are pained by the sufferings and afflictions in the world.

We, like you, are aggrieved by the ever-worsening pain and misery of the Palestinian people. Persistent aggression by the Zionists is making life more and more difficult for the rightful owners of the land of Palestine. Yet in broad daylight, in front of cameras and before the eyes of the world, they are bombarding innocent defenseless civilians, bulldozing homes, firing machine guns at students in the streets and alleys and subjecting their families to endless grief.

Not a day goes by without a new crime.

Palestinian mothers just like Iranian and American mothers love their children and are painfully bereaved by the imprisonment, wounding and murder of their children. What mother wouldn't be? For 60 years the Zionist regime has driven millions of the inhabitants of Palestine out of their homes. Many of these refugees have died in the Diaspora and in refugee camps. Their children have spent their youth in these camps and are growing older while still hoping to return to their homeland.

You know well that the American administration has persistently provided blind and blanket support to the Zionist regime, has emboldened it to continue its crimes, and has prevented the U.N. Security Council from condemning it.

Who can deny the broken promises and grave injustices committed against humanity by the U.S. administration?

Governments are there to serve their own people. No peoples want to side with or support oppressors. But regrettably, the U.S. administration disregards even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people.

Let's take a look at Iraq. Since the commencement of the U.S. military presence in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed or displaced. Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. With the presence of the U.S. military in Iraq, nothing has been done to rebuild the ruins, to restore the infrastructure or to alleviate poverty. The American Government used the pretext of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but later it became clear that this was just a lie and deception.

Although Saddam was overthrown and people are happy about his departure, the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has persisted and has even been aggravated.

In Iraq, about 150,000 American soldiers, separated from their families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the current U.S. administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or wounded and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American people and government.

Their mothers and relatives have on numerous occasions displayed their discontent with the presence of their sons and daughters in a land thousands of miles away from U.S. shores. American soldiers often wonder why they have been sent to Iraq.

I consider it extremely unlikely that you, the American people, consent to the billions of dollars of annual expenditure from your treasury for this military misadventure.

Noble Americans!

You have heard that the U.S. administration is kidnapping its presumed opponents from across the globe and arbitrarily holding them without trial or any international supervision in horrendous prisons it has established in various parts of the world. God knows who these detainees actually are and what terrible fate awaits them.

You have certainly heard the sad stories of Guantanamo Bay and the Abu-Ghraib prison. The U.S. administration attempts to justify them through its proclaimed "war on terror." But everyone knows that such behavior, in fact, offends global public opinion, exacerbates resentment, spreads terrorism and tarnishes the American image and its credibility among nations.

And the American administration's illegal and immoral behavior is not merely executed outside its borders. You are witnessing daily that under the pretext of "the war on terror," civil liberties in the United States are being increasingly curtailed. Even the privacy of individuals is quickly losing its meaning. Judicial due process and fundamental rights are trampled upon. Private phones are tapped, suspects are arbitrarily arrested and sometimes beaten in the streets or even shot to death.

I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and indeed deplore it.

The U.S. administration does not accept accountability before any organization, institution or council. The U.S. administration has undermined the credibility of international organizations, particularly the United Nations and its Security Council. But I don't intend to address all of these challenges and calamities in this message.

The legitimacy, power and influence of a government does not emanate from its arsenal of tanks, fighter aircraft, missiles or nuclear weapons. Legitimacy and influence reside in sound logic, the quest for justice and a compassion and empathy for all humanity. The global position of the United States is in all probability weakened because the administration has continued to resort to force, conceal the truth and mislead the American people about its policies and practices.

Undoubtedly, the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and they showed their discontent in the recent elections. I hope that in the wake of the midterm elections, the administration of President Bush will have heard and will heed the message of the American people.

My questions are the following:

Is there not a better approach to governance?

Is it not possible to put wealth and power in the service of peace, stability, prosperity and the happiness of all peoples through a commitment to justice and respect for the rights of all nations, instead of aggression and war?

We all condemn terrorism, because its victims are the innocent.

But, can terrorism be contained and eradicated through war, destruction and the killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents? If that were possible, then why has the problem not been resolved? The sad experience of invading Iraq is before us all.

What has blind support for the Zionists by the U.S. administration gotten the American people? It is regrettable that for the American government, the interests of these occupiers [the Israelis] supersedes the interests of the American people and other nations.

What have the Zionists done for the American people that the U.S. administration considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors? Could it be that they [the Zionists] have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking, financial, cultural and media sectors?

In a demonstration of respect for the American people and humanity, I recommend that the right of Palestinians to live in their own homeland should be recognized so that the millions of Palestinian refugees can return home so that the future of Palestine and its form of government can be determined by referendum. This will benefit everyone.

Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government, would it not be better to bring American officers and soldiers home, and to spend the astronomical U.S. military expenditures for Iraq on the welfare and prosperity of the American people? As you know very well, many victims of Katrina continue to suffer and countless Americans continue to live in poverty and homelessness.

I'd also like to say a word to the winners of the recent U.S. elections:

The United States has had many administrations; some of which have left a positive legacy and others that are neither remembered fondly by the American people nor by other nations. Now that you control an important branch of the U.S. Government, you will also be held to account by the people and by history.

If the American Government meets its domestic and foreign challenges with an approach based on truth and justice, it can remedy some of these afflictions and alleviate some of the global resentment and hatred of America. But if its approach remains the same, it would not be surprising if the American people similarly reject the recent electoral winners. Because the recent elections, rather than reflecting a victory, really point to the policy failures of the current administration. These issues were been extensively dealt with in my letter to President Bush earlier this year .

To sum up:

It's possible to govern based on an approach that is distinctly different from one of coercion, [military] force and injustice.

It's possible to sincerely serve and promote common human values, honesty and compassion.

It's possible to provide welfare and prosperity without tension, threats or the imposition or war.

It's possible to lead the world toward the perfection we aspire toward by adhering to unity, monotheism, morality and spirituality, and by drawing on the teachings of the Divine Prophets.

Then the American people, who are God-fearing followers of Divine religion will overcome every difficulty.

What I have said represents some of my anxieties and concerns.

I am confident that you, the American people, will play an instrumental role in the establishment of justice and spirituality throughout the world. The promises of the Almighty and His prophets will certainly be realized, Justice and Truth will prevail and all nations will live a true life in a climate replete with love, compassion and fraternity.

The U.S. governing establishment, the authorities and the powerful should not choose irreversible paths. As all prophets have taught us, injustice and transgression will eventually bring about decline and demise. Today, the path of return to faith and spirituality is open and unimpeded.

We should all heed the Divine Word of the Holy Quran:

"Those who repent, have faith and do good may receive Salvation. Your Lord, alone, creates and chooses as He will, and others have no part in His choice; Glorified is God and Exalted above any partners they ascribe to Him." (28:67-68)

I pray to the Almighty to bless the Iranian and American nations and indeed all nations of the world with dignity and success.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

VIDEO FROM IRAN: 'AMERICA

DESTROYED IRAN'S ENEMIES'

IRANIAN TV, IRAN: Excerpts from an interview with Mohsen Rezai, Secretary of the Iranian Expediency Council, November 11, 00:04:08, MEMRI

"America's arrival in the region presented Iran with an historic opportunity. The kind of service that the Americans, with all their hatred, have done us - no superpower has ever done anything similar."

Mohsen Rezai, Iranian Expediency Council Secretary