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)
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: He's Communicating
with Americans, but does anyone want to hear
his message? ...
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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