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Full text letter of Islamic Republic Of Iran President to American President
5/8/2006
Mr. George Bush,
President of the United States of America
For sometime now I have been thinking, how one can justify
the undeniable contradictions that exist in the
international arena -- which are being constantly
debated, especially in political forums and amongst
university students. Many questions remain unanswered.
These have prompted me to discuss some of the
contradictions and questions, in the hopes that it might
bring about an opportunity to redress them.
Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the great
Messenger of God,
Feel obliged to respect human rights,
Present liberalism as a civilization model,
Announce one’s opposition to the proliferation of
nuclear weapons and WMDs,
Make “War on Terror” his slogan,And finally,
Work towards the establishment of a unified
international community – a community which Christ and
the virtuous of the Earth will one day govern,
But at the same time,
Have countries attacked. The lives, reputations and
possessions of people destroyed and on the slight chance
of the presence of a few criminals in a village, city,
or convoy for example, the entire village, city or
convoy set ablaze.
Or because of the possibility of the existence of WMDs
in one country, it is occupied, around one hundred
thousand people killed, its water sources, agriculture
and industry destroyed, close to 180,000 foreign troops
put on the ground, sanctity of private homes of citizens
broken, and the country pushed back perhaps fifty years.
At what price? Hundreds of billions of dollars spent
from the treasury of one country and certain other
countries and tens of thousands of young men and women –
as occupation troops – put in harms way, taken away from
family and loved ones, their hands stained with the
blood of others, subjected to so much psychological
pressure that everyday some commit suicide and those
returning home suffer depression, become sickly and
grapple with all sorts of ailments; while some are
killed and their bodies handed to their families.
On the pretext of the existence of WMDs, this great
tragedy came to engulf both the peoples of the occupied
and the occupying country. Later it was revealed that no
WMDs existed to begin with.
Of course Saddam was a murderous dictator. But the war
was not waged to topple him, the announced goal of the
war was to find and destroy weapons of mass destruction.
He was toppled along the way towards another goal;
nevertheless the people of the region are happy about
it. I point out that throughout the many years of the
imposed war on Iran Saddam was supported by the West.
Mr. President,
You might know that I am a teacher. My students ask me how can
these actions be reconciled with the values outlined at
the beginning of this letter and duty to the tradition
of Jesus Christ (PBUH), the Messenger of peace and
forgiveness?
There are prisoners in Guantanamo Bay that have not been
tried, have no legal representation, their families
cannot see them and are obviously kept in a strange land
outside their own country. There is no international
monitoring of their conditions and fate. No one knows
whether they are prisoners, POWs, accused or criminals.
European investigators have confirmed the existence of
secret prisons in Europe too. I could not correlate the
abduction of a person, and him or her being kept in
secret prisons, with the provisions of any judicial
system. For that matter, I fail to understand how such
actions correspond to the values outlined in the
beginning of this letter, i.e. the teachings of Jesus
Christ (PBUH), human rights and liberal values.
Young people, university students, and ordinary people
have many questions about the phenomenon of Israel. I am
sure you are familiar with some of them.
Throughout history many countries have been occupied,
but I think the establishment of a new country with a
new people, is a new phenomenon that is exclusive to our
times.
Students are saying that sixty years ago such a country
did not exist. They show old documents and globes and
say try as we have, we have not been able to find a
country named Israel.
I tell them to study the history of WWI and II. One of
my students told me that during WWII, which more than
tens of millions of people perished in, news about the
war, was quickly disseminated by the warring parties.
Each touted their victories and the most recent
battlefront defeat of the other party. After the war
they claimed that six million Jews had been killed. Six
million people that were surely related to at least two
million families.
Again let us assume that these events are true. Does
that logically translate into the establishment of the
state of Israel in the Middle East or support for such a
state? How can this phenomenon be rationalized or
explained?
Mr. President,
I am sure you know how – and at what cost – Israel was
established:
-Many thousands were killed in the process.
-Millions of indigenous people were made refugees.
-Hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, olive
plantations, townsand villages were destroyed.
This tragedy is not exclusive to the time of
establishment; unfortunately it has been ongoing for
sixty years now.
A regime has been established which does not show mercy even
to kids, destroys houses while the occupants are still
in them, announces beforehand its list and plans to
assassinate Palestinian figures, and keeps thousands of
Palestinians in prison. Such a phenomenon is unique – or
at the very least extremely rare – in recent memory.
Another big question asked by the people is “why is this
regime being supported?”
Is support for this regime in line with the teachings of Jesus
Christ (PBUH) or Moses (PBUH) or liberal values?
Or are we to understand that allowing the original inhabitants
of these lands – inside and outside Palestine -- whether
they are Christian, Moslem or Jew, to determine their
fate, runs contrary to principles of democracy, human
rights and the teachings of prophets? If not, why is
there so much opposition to a referendum?
The newly elected Palestinian administration recently took
office. All independent observes have confirmed that
this government represents the electorate.
Unbelievingly, they have put the elected government
under pressure and have advised it to recognize the
Israeli regime, abandon the struggle and follow the
programs of the previous government.
If the current Palestinian government had run on the above
platform, would the Palestinian people have voted for
it? Again, can such position taken in opposition to the
Palestinian government be reconciled with the values
outlined earlier? The people are also asking “why are
all UNSC resolutions in condemnation of Israel vetoed?”
Mr. President,
As you are well aware, I live amongst the people and am in
constant contact with them -- many people from around
the Middle East manage to contact me as well. They do
not have faith in these dubious policies either. There
is evidence that the people of the region are becoming
increasingly angry with such policies.
It is not my intention to pose too many questions, but I need
to refer to other points as well.
Why is it that any technological and scientific achievement
reached in the Middle East region is translated into and
portrayed as a threat to the Zionist regime? Is not
scientific R&D one of the basic rights of nations?
You are familiar with history. Aside from the Middle Ages, in
what other point in history has scientific and technical
progress been a crime? Can the possibility of scientific
achievements being utilized for military purposes be
reason enough to oppose science and technology
altogether? If such a supposition is true, then all
scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry,
mathematics, medicine, engineering, etc. must be
opposed.
Lies were told in the Iraqi matter. What was the result? I
have no doubt that telling lies is reprehensible in any
culture, and you do not like to be lied to.
Mr. President,
Don’t Latin Americans have the right to ask why their elected
governments are being opposed and coup leaders
supported? Or, Why must they constantly be threatened
and live in fear?
The people of Africa are hardworking, creative and talented.
They can play an important and valuable role in
providing for the needs of humanity and contribute to
its material and spiritual progress. Poverty and
hardship in large parts of Africa are preventing this
from happening. Don’t they have the right to ask why
their enormous wealth – including minerals – is being
looted, despite the fact that they need it more than
others?
Again, do such actions correspond to the teachings Of Christ
and the tenets of human rights?
The brave and faithful people of Iran too have many questions
and grievances, including: the coup d’etat of 1953 and
the subsequent toppling of the legal government of the
day, opposition to the Islamic revolution,
transformation of an Embassy into a headquarters
supporting the activities of those opposing the Islamic
Republic (many thousands of pages of documents
corroborate this claim), support for Saddam in the war
waged against Iran, the shooting down of the Iranian
passenger plane, freezing the assets of the Iranian
nation, increasing threats, anger and displeasure
vis-à-vis the scientific and nuclear progress of the
Iranian nation (just when all Iranians are jubilant and
celebrating their country’s progress), and many other
grievances that I will not refer to in this letter.
Mr. President,
September Eleven was a horrendous incident. The killing of
innocents is deplorable and appalling in any part of the
world. Our government immediately declared its disgust
with the perpetrators and offered its condolences to the
bereaved and expressed its sympathies.
All governments have a duty to protect the lives, property and
good standing of their citizens. Reportedly your
government employs extensive security, protection and
intelligence systems – and even hunts its opponents
abroad. September eleven was not a simple operation.
Could it be planned and executed without coordination
with intelligence and security services – or their
extensive infiltration? Of course this is just an
educated guess. Why have the various aspects of the
attacks been kept secret? Why are we not told who
botched their responsibilities? And, why aren’t those
responsible and the guilty parties identified and put on
trial?
All governments have a duty to provide security and peace of
mind for their citizens. For some years now, the people
of your country and neighbors of world trouble spots do
not have peace of mind. After 9.11, instead of healing
and tending to the emotional wounds of the survivors and
the American people -- who had been immensely
traumatized by the attacks -- some Western media only
intensified the climate of fear and insecurity – some
constantly talked about the possibility of new terror
attacks and kept the people in fear. Is that service to
the American people? Is it possible to calculate the
damages incurred from fear and panic?
American citizens lived in constant fear of fresh attacks
that could come at any moment and in any place. They
felt insecure in the streets, in their place of work and
at home. Who would be happy with this situation? Why was
the media, instead of conveying a feeling of security
and providing peace of mind, giving rise to a feeling of
insecurity?
Some believe that the hype paved the way -- and was the
justification --for an attack on Afghanistan. Again I
need to refer to the role of media.
In media charters, correct dissemination of information and
honest reporting of a story are established tenets. I
express my deep regret about the disregard shown by
certain Western media for these principles. The main
pretext for an attack on Iraq was the existence of WMDs.
This was repeated incessantly -- for the public to
finally believe -- and the ground set for an attack on
Iraq.
Will the truth not be lost in a contrived and deceptive
climate?
Again, if the truth is allowed to be lost, how can that be
reconciled with the earlier mentioned values?
Is the truth known to the Almighty lost as well?
Mr. President,
In countries around the world, citizens provide for the
expenses of governments so that their governments in
turn are able to serve them.
The question here is “what has the hundreds of billions of
dollars, spent every year to pay for the Iraqi campaign,
produced for the citizens?”
As Your Excellency is aware, in some states of your country,
people are living in poverty. Many thousands are
homeless and unemployment is a huge problem. Of course
these problems exist – to a larger or lesser extent --
in other countries as well. With these conditions in
mind, can the gargantuan expenses of the campaign – paid
from the public treasury – be explained and be
consistent with the aforementioned principles?
What has been said, are some of the grievances of the people
around the world, in our region and in your country. But
my main contention – which I am hoping you will agree to
some of it – is:
Those in power have a specific time in office and do not rule
indefinitely, but their names will be recorded in
history and will be constantly judged in the immediate
and distant futures.
The people will scrutinize our presidencies.
Did we mange to bring peace, security and prosperity for the
people or insecurity and unemployment?
Did we intend to establish justice or just supported especial
interest groups, and by forcing many people to live in
poverty and hardship, made a few people rich and
powerful -- thus trading the approval of the people and
the Almighty with theirs’?
Did we
defend the rights of the underprivileged or ignore them?
Did we
defend the rights of all people around the world or
imposed wars on them, interfered illegally in their
affairs, established hellish prisons and incarcerated
some of them?
Did we
bring the world peace and security or raised the specter
of intimidation and threats?
Did we
tell the truth to our nation and others around the world
or presented an inverted version of it?
Were we
on the side of people or the occupiers and oppressors?
Did our
administrations set out to promote rational behavior,
logic, ethics, peace, fulfilling obligations, justice,
service to the people, prosperity, progress and respect
for human dignity or the force of guns,
Intimidation, insecurity, disregard for the people,
delaying the progress and excellence of other nations,
and trample on people’s rights?
And
finally, they will judge us on whether we remained true
to our oath of office – to serve the people, which is
our main task, and the traditions of the prophets -- or
not?
Mr.
President,
How much
longer can the world tolerate this situation?
Where
will this trend lead the world to?
How long
must the people of the world pay for the incorrect
decisions of some rulers?
How much
longer will the specter of insecurity – raised from the
stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction -- hunt the
people of the world?
How much
longer will the blood of the innocent men, women and
children be spilled on the streets, and people’s houses
destroyed over their heads?
Are you
pleased with the current condition of the world?
Do you
think present policies can continue?
If
billions of dollars spent on security, military
campaigns and troop movement were instead spent on
investment and assistance for poor countries, promotion
of health, combating different diseases, education and
improvement of mental and physical fitness, assistance
to the victims of natural disasters, creation of
employment opportunities and production, development
projects and poverty alleviation, establishment of
peace, mediation between disputing states, and
extinguishing the flames of racial, ethnic and other
conflicts, were would the world be today? Would not your
government and people be justifiably proud?
Would not
your administration’s political and economic standing
have been stronger?
And I am
most sorry to say, would there have been an ever
increasing global hatred of the American government?
Mr.
President, it is not my intention to distress anyone.
If
Prophet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Joseph, or Jesus
Christ (PBUH) were with us today, how would they have
judged such behavior? Will we be given a role to play in
the promised world, where justice will become universal
and Jesus Christ (PBUH) will be present? Will they even
accept us?
My basic
question is this: Is there no better way to interact
with the rest of the world? Today there are hundreds of
millions of Christians, hundreds of millions of Moslems
and millions of people who follow the teachings of Moses
(PBUH). All divine religions share and respect one word
and that is “monotheism” or belief in a single God and
no other in the world.
The Holy
Koran stresses this common word and calls on all
followers of divine religions and says: [3.64]
Say: O followers of the Book! come to an equitable
proposition between us and you that we shall not serve
any but Allah and (that) we shall not associate aught
with Him, and (that) some of us shall not take others
for lords besides Allah; but if they turn back, then
say: Bear witness that we are Muslims. (The
Family of Imran)
Mr.
President,
According
to divine verses, we have all been called upon to
worship one God and follow the teachings of divine
Prophets.
“To
worship a God which is above all powers in the world and
can do all He pleases.” “the Lord which knows that which
is hidden and visible, the past and the future, knows
what goes on in the Hearts of His servants and records
their deeds.”
“The Lord
who is the possessor of the heavens and the earth and
all universe is His court” “planning for the universe is
done by His hands, and gives His servants the glad
tidings of mercy and forgiveness of sins” “He is the
companion of the oppressed and the enemy of oppressors”
“He is the Compassionate, the Merciful” “He is the
recourse of the faithful and guides them towards the
light from darkness” “He is witness to the actions of
His servants” “He calls on servants to be faithful and
do good deeds, and asks them to stay on the path of
righteousness and remain steadfast” “Calls on servants
to heed His prophets and He is a witness to their deeds”
“A bad ending belongs only to those who have chosen the
life of this world and disobey Him and oppress His
servants” and “A good end and eternal paradise belong to
those servants who fear His majesty and do not follow
their lascivious selves.”
We
believe a return to the teachings of the divine prophets
is the only road leading to salvation. I have been told
that Your Excellency follows the teachings of Jesus
(PBUH) and believes in the divine promise of the rule of
the righteous on Earth.
We also
believe that Jesus Christ (PBUH) was one of the great
prophets of the Almighty. He has been repeatedly praised
in the Koran. Jesus (PBUH) has been quoted in Koran as
well: [19.36]
And surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore
serve Him; this is the right path.
Marium
Service to
and obedience of the Almighty is the credo of all divine
messengers.
The God of all
people in Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the Pacific and
the rest of the world is one. He is the Almighty who
wants to guide and give dignity to all His servants. He
has given greatness to Humans.
We again
read in the Holy Book: “The Almighty God sent His
prophets with miracles and clear signs to guide the
people and show them divine signs and purify them from
sins and pollutions. And He sent the Book and the
balance so that the people display justice and avoid the
rebellious”.
All of the
above verses can be seen, one way or the other, in the
Good Book as well.
Divine
prophets have promised:
The day
will come when all humans will congregate before the
court of the Almighty, so that their deeds are examined.
The good will be directed towards Haven and evildoers
will meet divine retribution. I trust both of us believe
in such a day, but it will not be easy to calculate the
actions of rulers, because we must be answerable to our
nations and all others whose lives have been directly or
indirectly affected by our actions.
All
prophets, speak of peace and tranquility for man --
based on monotheism, justice and respect for human
dignity.
Do you
not think that if all of us come to believe in and abide
by these principles, that is, monotheism, worship of
God, justice, respect for the dignity of man, belief in
the Last Day, we can overcome the present problems of
the world -- that are the result of disobedience to the
Almighty and the teachings of prophets – and improve our
performance?
Do you
not think that belief in these principles promotes and
guarantees peace, friendship and justice?
Do you
not think that the aforementioned written or unwritten
principles are universally respected?
Will you
not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to
the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to
preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and
His prophets?
Mr.
President,
History
tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not
survive. God has entrusted the fate of men to them. The
Almighty has not left the universe and humanity to their
own devices. Many things have happened contrary to the
wishes and plans of governments. These tell us that
there is a higher power at work and all events are
determined by Him.
Can one
deny the signs of change in the world today?
Is the
situation of the world today comparable to that of ten
years ago? Changes happen fast and come at a furious
pace.
The people
of the world are not happy with the status quo and pay
little heed to the promises and comments made by a
number of influential world leaders. Many people around
the world feel insecure and oppose the spreading of
insecurity and war and do not approve of and accept
dubious policies.
The
people are protesting the increasing gap between the
haves and the have-nots and the rich and poor countries.
The
people are disgusted with increasing corruption.
The
people of many countries are angry about the attacks on
their cultural foundations and the disintegration of
families. They are equally dismayed with the fading of
care and compassion. The people of the world have no
faith in international organizations, because their
rights are not advocated by these organizations.
Liberalism and Western style democracy have not been
able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these
two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already
hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the
ideology and thoughts of the Liberal democratic systems.
We
increasingly see that people around the world are
flocking towards a main focal point -- that is the
Almighty God. Undoubtedly through faith in God and the
teachings of the prophets, the people will conquer their
problems. My question for you is: “Do you not want to
join them?”
Mr.
President,
Whether
we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards
faith in the
Almighty
and justice and the will of God will prevail over all
things.
Vasalam
Ala Man Ataba’al hoda
Mahmood Ahmadi-Nejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iranian president sets off for Indonesia
Tehran, May 9, IRNA
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left Tehran Tuesday for Indonesia to
attend the sixth summit of the D-8 (Group of 8 developing Muslim
countries) to be held in the island of Bali. The two-day meeting is to
open on Friday. D-8 groups the Islamic Republic of Iran, Indonesia,
Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey. It was
founded in Istanbul, Turkey on June 15, 1997 with the aim of expanding
cooperation among big Islamic states in the economic and trade fields,
promote collective cooperation in international decision-making and
provide more welfare facilities for member countries' nations. So far,
member states have held five summits. Friday's summit will be the
sixth. President Ahmadinejad, heading a high-ranking delegation, was
seen off at Mehrabad International Airport this morning by the head of
the Supreme Leader's Office, Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani,
First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi and a number of cabinet ministers.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Minister of Communications and
Information Technology Mohammad Soleymani and Secretary-General of the
World Assembly for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thoughts (WAPIST)
Ayatollah Mohammad-Ali Taskhiri are accompanying Ahmadinejad in this
Indonesian trip. Besides taking part in the D-8 summit meeting, the
Iranian president is to review issues of mutual interest as well as
latest regional and international developments with his Indonesian
counterpart. He will also hold meetings with a number of leaders of
member countries participating in the summit.
President : Letter to Bush carries message from Iranian nation
Tehran, May 9, IRNA
The letter to US President George Bush carries the Iranian nation's
views and comments on international issues as well as suggestions for
resolving the many problems facing humanity, said President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad here Tuesday. Speaking to reporters at Tehran Mehrabad
International Airport before his departure for Indonesia to attend a
meeting of the D-8 (Group of 8 developing Muslim states), the president
said that Islamic courtesy prevented him from revealing its contents.
"We will wait to see what would be the reaction of the other side and
then we will make the decision," Ahmadinejad said. "Fortunately, we
have no problem when it comes to making decisions," Ahamdinejad added.
The Iranian president on Monday sent a letter to his US counterpart but
would not reveal its contents. Later in the day, government spokesman
Gholam-Hossein Elham said at a news conference in Tehran that President
Ahmadinejad, in his letter, talked of international developments and
crises, analyzed the global situation and offered new ways to resolve
international disputes. The letter was submitted to President Bush via
the Swiss embassy in Tehran which takes charge of the US' interests
section in Iran.
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