Iran Text: Khatami on Legitimate Protest and Illegitimate Government (13 November)

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The Latest from Iran (13 November): Accusations

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Adapted from the report on the Facebook site associated with Mir Hossein Mousavi:

Former President Mohammad Khatami, in a meeting with a group of faculty members of Iran University of Science and Technology, has strongly criticised the continuation of the militarised environment and the security measures enforced on Iranian society. He added that one of the problems of the society is the lack of understanding and not taking advantage of the role of academia: “In the current situation, unfortunately the [academic] environment is getting more restricted, and regretfully the losses that the country will suffer because of these limitations are unrecoverable.”

The former reformist president, emphasising the necessity of independence of the universities, said:

In our reformist administration, the concern of the government was for the universities to be independent and respected, and we tried so that the 'outside forces' would not get the authorisation to intervene and enforce their views by any means.

An intellectual is someone who recognises the expectations of his/her time....Our time is the time that no one accepts tyranny and dictatorship and rejects it in all forms....Today the dictators of our time are claiming to be from the people; these are the problems of our time and are not related to East or West. Today criticising Government and freedom of expression should be accepted as rights.

The main factors in weakening the system are people’s dissatisfaction and use of violence by the Government] in any form....The violence by the government will cause radicalism and distrust, and if there is increasing dissatisfaction and distrust in a society, Islam and an establishment that carries the Islamic title will receive the first blow. If God forbid...violence, intimidationm and threats are recognised means of the establishment, and the enemies take advantage of this fact as well, more than anything, it would be the establishment that is harmed by this.”

Today the question is whether the satisfaction of the society, especially of the intellectuals, has been increased, particularly during the events after the election? If not, one should find out what the problem is and those who created this situation and caused the increase of the dissatisfaction in the society are those who are weakening the establishment.

This society belongs to us, but why is it that environment has been restricted so much? Why is it that the valuable figures who have a [different] view or an objection, not only are being eliminated [from political scene] but are suffering all kinds of insults and have been put under pressure?

Students, professors, scholars, artists, and intellectuals who have a great background and even served the country during the Iran-Iraq war...are saying that they recognise the Constitution but have some criticisms as well. They are being insulted and falsely accused. So unfortunately some [radical] slogans of which none of us approve are being heard in the country. The establishment is weakened, and Iran suffers domestic and international damage.

These [problems] have been created because people are not being respected. Objection and criticism are being considered as efforts to topple the establishment, the [national] media have insulted and falsely accused those who people are looking up to, and all of this is harming the system.

We should all return to the Constitution and act according to the Constitution and teachings of Islam. It should be accepted that it is not possible to run the society and the universities with military force and this kind of management is harmful for the interests of the country including its wealth, moral values and dignity.

The expectation was that the military and security measures would be eased, not that criticism and objection would be so costly for the society. It should be remembered that those who are criticising are not trying to topple the establishment but rather are care about the revolution and the society.....

Isn’t it that those who are criticising [the government] are being accused of all kinds of allegations that are true for the worst enemies of the country and the nation? If the answers to these questions are positive; these are the signs of the diversions that should be modified and corrected.

The basis [of the nation] is the Constitution; we want to have a glorious Iran. We want the people to consider the government as part of them and for the government to see people as part of itself. We want the government to welcome the criticisms against it as a blessing.

Comments

[shangool]

Yaddi yaddi yaa.. enough talk from Khatami, Mousavi and Karoubi.

[PB]

LOL Khatami "the smiling mullah" is a spineless coward. He stood by as the regime threw univeristy students out of multistory buildings. Moussavi, Khatami and all the other moderates are trying to bring people back into the fold. How hopelessly out of touch. The regime is threw. I have been to Iran and seen it with my own eyes. They have pushed people to the limits. The Basij and Mullahs will hang for their crimes.

[Megan]

shangoo,

I hear you.

[Megan]

PB,

I agree they all have bloody hands. I hope they all shut up and joined Khomeini in hell soon.

Unfortunately, these SOBs are not going anywhere without deadly force. I do not see Iranians being able to kick them out with empty hands. In the meantime these brainless bastards continue to beat, jail rape, and execute people. They will hang many like Ehsan Fattahian to scare the daylight out of Iranian people and silence them.

[Iran Text: Khatami on Legitima]

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