Iran a potential friend and not a threat – Ahamadinejad

By Saybhan Samat

(September 28, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Weeks before the arrival of president Ahamadinejad in new York for the annual U.N. General Assembly meeting arrangements had already been made for some Western powers and Israel to walk out as soon as Ahamadinejad got up to speak. Demonstrations in support of the opposition in Iran were to be staged. In fact Ahamadinejad was anathema to Israel and the Western world. He has been called a modern day Hitler all out to wipe out Israel from the map of the world by producing nuclear bombs and has been referred to as a genocidal maniac. President Ahamadinejad was unfazed by this demonization. The Western powers expected a blitzkrieg from him, and planned a walk-out as soon he began to speak but they were taken aback.


The speech of Ahamadinejad was a sober assessment of the problems in the world and how they could be solved. His speech underlined to view Iran as a potential friend instead of a threat. For brevity the beginning and of the speech is quoted.

“I am pleased and grateful to the Almighty to have the opportunity once again to attend this important universal forum. In the present tumultuous world and predominance of loud outcries, threats and tensions, and in the time when the big powers are unable to solve the present problems, when mistrust in regional and international arenas is on the rise, when psychological security of societies is being targeted by an onslaught of political and propaganda designs, and disappointment prevails over efficacy of policies and actions of the international organizations in establishing durable peace and security, and the protection of human rights is being weakened, I plan to touch upon and explain the roots and ways out of these predicaments and some of the principal challenges facing our world. I will also speak to you about the need for amending the present situation, prospects for brighter and more hopeful future, and about the reappearance of the sublime and beauty, kindness and dignity, justice and blossoming of all divine human talents and dominance of love of God and realization of the promise of God as stated by all divine prophets and righteous men.”

"In conclusion he said I wish for the bright future for all human beings and the dawn of the liberation and freedom for all humans and the rule of love and affection all around the world as well as elimination of oppression, hatred and violence. The wish which I think will be realized in the near future."

It was reported that Israel and the Western powers walked out when Ahamadinejad referred to the occupation of Palestine.

This demonization began as far back as in 26th October, 2005 after Ahamadinejad’s speech, at a conference titled “World without Zionism” in South Africa which has been widely misquoted to by propagating that Ahamadinejad said that Israel should be wiped off the map of the world.

Ahamadunejad and Iranian officials insist that the translation from Farsi to English was incorrect. What he said was that Israel would disappear from the map of the world. Let us be clear: there is nothing sacred about Israel, or any other state for that matter. Several states have disappeared in recent decades. Both the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have disappeared from the map. What use to be Czechoslovakia has been split up into two independent states: the Czech Republic and Slovenia. As for Israel it an illegal entity. It’s existence negates the fundamental rights of the Palestinians, whose land has been usurped through terror, leaving them to be scattered far and wide. Israel is a colonial settler entity: it has no legitimacy in law. The claim that God “promised” Palestine to the Jewish people is infantile. True the Prophets David and Solomon ruled Palestine for 73 years more than 3000 years ago, but that gives modern Jews no more right to claim Palestine than Muslims could claim Spain on the basis that they ruled it for 750 years a mere 500 years ago.

What did President Ahamadinejad say in the speech delivered at the conference on World without Zionism on 26th October 2005 in South Africa?Quoting the late Imam Khomeini, President Ahamadinejad said that, like the Soviet Union and the apartheid regime of South Africa the Palestine occupying regime will also disappear from the page of time. Western propaganda machines have misquoted this endlessly and together with allegations that Iran is making nuclear weapons ( a charge equally vigorously denied), the lie has been endlessly repeated.

This demonization is to justify an attack on Iran just like the false propaganda of Iraq possessing WMDs that preceded the attack on Iraq. Although there is bluster, bravuria and braggadio both from the US and Israel about an attack on Iran, they will never risk it. Firstly because of the wasting war in Afghanistan and Iraq and bogging down the US and secondly because Iran now possesses 2000 km range Seljin missiles to target the nuclear bases in Israel.

However the demonization of President Ahamadinejad and Iran will continue, the episode is one between the truth and falsehood. It is only a matter of time before the world will know who is telling the truth.

-Sri Lanka Guardian