Iran Document: The Mousavi-Khatami Meeting (5 July)

A summary of Monday's meeting between Mir Hossein Mousavi and former President Mohammad Khatami, from Khatami's website via Payvand:

[Mousavi and Khatami] stressed that 1) firm guarantees for the release of political prisoners, 2) the opening and normalization of the current restricted and security atmosphere, and 3) elimination of the obstacles facing the political and cultural activities of the various groups and parties that are in line with the true values of the Islamic Republic and in the framework of the Constitution, as well as holding free and fair elections, were the basic necessities to change the current crisis dominating the country.

Mousavi and Khatami condemned the new UN Security Council resolution and the imposition of new sanctions against Iran, calling this an action against the national security of Iran. They pointed to the concurrence of this resolution with the empowerment of the terrorist groups and their resumption of activities in the West, called it a new conspiracy against Iran. These terrorist groups have the blood of the innocent people of Iran on their hands and have no place among the nation and are a group of dead who have been buried in hatred in the minds of the Iranian people, although the official propaganda and psychological warfare inside the country have brought up their names once again after many years and given an illusion to these terrorists and their western supporters that they are still alive. These international actions that were supported by the big powers are being committed while the crimes of the government of Israel, which were against humanity, not only are not condemned but are being supported.

The former President [Khatami] and the Prime Minister during the Iran-Iraq war [Mousavi], while emphasizing that the great nation of Iran will not allow anyone or any power to interfere in its internal affairs, made it clear that any policy or provocative, unconsidered, or adventurous behavior by government officials that would give an excuse to damage the national security and interest of the country is not acceptable.

Expressing great sadness for the increase in pressures on the [Government's] critics, as well as the continuation of illegal actions and detentions and the increase in the waves of lies and false accusations against renowned figures devoted to the revolution's ideas and defenders of the people's demands and rights who want the prosperity of the country, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Seyyed Mohammad Khatami demanded the formation of a free and safe environment for the people,an atmosphere to criticise the government's policies and actions in economic, political, cultural, and foreign affairs, and the means for everyone's participation in the country's fate.

Condemning the spread of lies and unjustified accusations, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Seyyed Mohammad Khatami pointed out the extensive release of an audio file from several months ago ---- what was mentioned on it was undoubtedly unprecedented in the past thirty years and full of lies, insults and illusions. They called it, contrary to the intention of those who distributed it,  illuminating of many uncertainties in the events before and after the last presidential election and the corruptions surrounding it....

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami and Mir Hossein Mousavi considered the spread of this content, in the name of the decisions of "the establishment", sad and said the lack of confrontation--- against the spread of these illusions, lies, and confessed illegal actions and the collaboration of some official organizations and media with this group--- was shocking.

Khatami and Mousavi emphasised that all should be vigilant against internal and external conspiracies and threat. They should insist on rational demands and expectations  and moving forward within the boundaries of the Constitution. God willing, we will witness the return of everyone to the principles of the Islamic Revolution, the principles of the Constitution, and the high aspirations of the noble people of Iran.

Comments

[WitteKr]

Thanks Gunniy, for your extensive reaction. As for your question "Would you choose this kind of veiled wreckage of history as a ground work for your future? " I would say 'No'!
That's why I suggested in one of my earlier postings Mousavi should study the Pancasila charter :-) and Indonesian history since 1945 - when it got rid of 400 year Dutch dominance/colonialism.

[Gunniy]

Thanks for your kind reply - and Wittekr - don`t talk about history - :)
because your neighbours are carrying really huge and heavy "stones of history" with them around.

[Baz]

True words, I think

http://negar-irani.posterous.com/22514988" rel="nofollow">http://negar-irani.posterous.com/22514988

"To my friends I say, if Mousavi had followed Rezaii's example, or even Khatami's for that matter; had he withdrawn from his position and washed his hands of all responsibilities after the elections, would there be a trace of a movement left for you the "true representatives" of the movement who attack Mousavi to now analyze, discuss and argue over?

Barry

[Bozorg]

But he can take things only so far.

[Megan]

Catherine,

Karroubi was the head of Khomeini Relief Committee and the Martyr’s Foundation during Iran-Iraq war (Iran-Iraq started in September of 1980 and ended in August of 1988). Disputes for custody of children whose fathers were killed in the war, veteran benefits, disability benefits, and reparation issues were handled by Martyr’s Foundation.

Karroubi has studied law and theology. Karroubi worked as business lawyer advising businessmen before inception of Islamic Republic. In 1979 he joined Islamic Revolution. He remained the head of Khomeini Relief Committee and the Martyr’s Foundation until 1988. He left that post when the war ended.

The interview with this woman was in summer of 2009 and at the eve of one the major protest in Iran. I cannot remember exactly which one. This women protester (who lives somewhere in Europe) stated that she had come back to Iran to participate in the protest against Islamic Republic. She did not say which year during the war her husband was killed. She shared her story to make a point that though she had been wronged by one of the opposition leaders, Karroubi, she was willing to risk her life so that she could do her part in toppling the regime. In other word she was trying to get a point across to the listeners who were at home listening to the broadcast that if she who had been subjected to such incredibly cruel faith by one of the opposition leaders had come back to Iran to join the opposition and was on the street to protest, no one had the right to stay inside his/her home or remain silent.

[Catherine]

Excellent explanation Megan. Thanks - I was really confused because I understood from your first post that this had happened relatively recently.

[Megan]

Barry,

First, the statement by Negar Irani not only is false it is backward. If it was not for people who rose up and raised Mousavi stature during election campaign and if people had folded after the rigged election and did not pour into streets across Iran, Mousavi would have been like Rezaei. Indeed Mousavi was more like “Mousavi who?” when he started his election campaign. Furthermore, if it was not for people, Mousavi would have met the same faith as the Kahrizak prison doctor who regime claimed committed suicides or like Montazeri who went to bed and did not wake up.

Negar Irani wants us to believe that Iranians did not know they were being screwed for 30 years until Mousavi came out of his retirement and told them so. I find Near Irani’s statement insulting and in line with Khomeini‘s doctrine that Iranians need a Valei Faghih (guardian) to make decisions for them and supervise their affairs.

Negar Irani is either intellectually dishonest or has been living under a rock for the past 31 years otherwise she would have seen the dormant volcano of anger and discontent in the Iranian society. She would have known that Mousavi was that slight movement in the earth crest that facilitated the rupture. Mousavi was an excuse. People told us that by chanting “Mousavi Bahanas, Koleh Nezam Neshanas” meaning “Mousavi is an excuse. Our target is the entire regime”.

Anyone who reads the people chant of “Mir Hossein Ya Hossein” as anything but coded words to remind the world that their rights were violated, will do so at his/her own peril. Mousavi knows that. He knows he is a vessel and stated that in one of his statements by saying he knew people voted for him because he was the lesser of two evils.

Second, Mousavi has been in the way of the Movement and not a help to the Movement. He has been in the way because he continues to misread people’s demand. He must make a decision whether he is in or out or whether he wants to lead or follow. If he wants to follow he needs to stop injecting himself by issuing statements every other day. We already know he is fancying Khomeini; he does not need to remind us every day. He has one vote and he can vote for the dead man once we have succeeded and installed a democratic system of government. And if he wants to lead, he needs to man up to the regime and show us his stuff. He needs to tell us his plan and how he wants to get us off of this shipwreck called Islamic Republic. He needs to listen to us because we know which shore we want to go to and that is not Khomeini beach. He needs to get out of the mosque because we aren’t going there to join him.

I would like for Negar Irani and her comrades to know that people do not owe Mousavi or any of the Khomeini clan anything. After all it is not Mousavi who has suffered in the past 31 years and it is not Mousavi who is in prison, it is the people. Mousavi owes us for still sleeping in his own bed

[Megan]

Thanks, Catherine. Sorry I was not clear in the first post. By the way are you going to watch the game tomorrow? Do you have a predication?

[Catherine]

RE "are you going to watch the game tomorrow? Do you have a predication?"

I'll be following the game for sure. But for me it's a win-win situation: I favour Spain for technical and nationalist reasons, but I'll also be very happy if Holland wins because I live here ..... and because it'll make everyone at work stop complaining for once on a Monday morning. :-)