Rouhani addressing the UN in debut speech | The Times of Israel
Rouhani addressing the UN in debut speech | The Times of Israel.
Hours after rejecting US offer of meeting with Obama, Iran’s new president speaks to the General Assembly
Hours after Iran declined an American offer for a meeting between US President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hasan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly currently underway in New York, Rouhani is now making his debut address to the Assembly.
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Rouhani: We can manage our differences with the US
He says he listened carefully to Obama’s speech and believes “we can arrive at a framework to manage our differences.”
This would be based on mutual respect and the principles of international law.
He asks the UN to consider the project: the world against violence and extremism. He invites all states and institutions to guide the world in this direction, instead of the ineffective coalitions for war.”
The Islamic Republic invites the world community to take a step forward to a world against violence and extremism. He urges: Open a new horizon in which peace will prevail over war. Quoting an Iranian poet, he says: “Be relentless in striving for the cause of good.”
The future will be bright if the world rejects violence and extremism. His hope, he says, “from the belief shared by all religions… the Koran… the Torah… that my virtuous servants will inherit the Earth.
Rouhani speaks of ensuring ‘legitimate rights of all countries’
Iran will “act responsibly” with regard to regional security, he promises.
“There are no violent solutions to world crises.”
He speaks of ensuring “the legitimate rights of all countries in the world, including in the region,” through moderation.
Iran and other actors should pursue two common objectives to solve the nuclear dossier:
1. Iran’s nuclear program and those of other countries ‘must pursue exclusively peaceful purposes.’ This will always be Iran’s objective. No place for nuclear weapons or WMDs in Iran’s defense doctrine and contradict its religious orientation. All “reasonable concerns” will be removed by Iran, he promises.
2. But nuclear knowledge and technology are attained in Iran and it is “unrealistic” that the peaceful nature of that program be imperiled. Iran insists on its international rights.
Iran is ready for talks to build mutual confidence based on transparency. It does ‘not seek to increase tensions with the United States.”
Belligerent sanctions causing human suffering, says Rouhani
On Syria, he warns about the arming of terrorists. Terrorism “is a violent force that knows no country or national borders.”
He castigates the use of drones, even in the name of confronting terrorism.
And he slams the “criminal assassination” of Iranian nuclear scientists, who he says have committed no crime. “Have the perpetrators been condemned?” he asks.
He now attacks sanctions that violate human rights — “above all the right to life.”
Sanctions cause “belligerence, war-mongering and human suffering.”
“It is the common people who are victimized by these sanctions,” he insists.
Violence and extremism have damaged international morality. “Intolerance is the predicament of our time.” We need to promote tolerance, he says.
Human society should be elevated from “mere tolerance” to collaboration. People worldwide “hope for a change in the status quo.”
Iran “believes that all challenges can be managed successfully” through moderation. People worldwide want to confront violence and extremism, he says.
Rouhani slams ‘occupation of Palestine’
The Iranian president turns to the Palestinian issue, without mentioning Israel by name.
He cites the “unacceptable repression of the Palestinian people.” There is “structural violence” against the Palestinian people, he says.
“Palestine is under occupation. Palestinians are denied the right of return, kept from returning to their homes and homeland.” There is “institutionalized aggression against the innocent Palestinian people.”
Rouhani: Iran poses absolutely no threat to the world or the region
There is no guarantee that the current era of quiet among the big powers will remain, Rouhani says.
He warns of the “catastrophic impact” of violence and extremism, and cautions against efforts at “regime change from the outside.”
He speaks of Islamophobia representing “serious threats” against world peace.
He calls the Iranian threat “imaginary…employed as an excuse to justify a long catalogue of crimes and catastrophic practices over the last three decades. Those who warn against the so-called threat from Iran are themselves the threat. Iran poses absolutely no threat to the world or the region.”
Rouhani: There is hope in a preference for dialogue over conflict
Rouhani speaks first of the worldwide fear of war and hostile relations, fear of institutionalization of violence and extremism.
But there is hope too — “a preference for dialogue over conflict.”
Iran’s recent election underlines the will for peace by the brave Iranian people, he argues.
Iran’s people and government hope for peaceful resolutions to conflicts.
He says the current period of transition has both dangers and opportunities.
His criticism of Israel is thinly veiled. “The age of the zero-sum game is over, even though a few actors still intend on relying on archaic and deeply ineffective means to preserve their domination. Militarism and the resort to violence and military means for subjugating others are failed examples of the perpetuation of old ways in new circumstances.”
He complains, too, of “coercive economic policies,” a reference to international sanctions imposed on Iran.
Hasan Rouhani is about to make his debut speech to the UN General Assembly.
Earlier today, in his speech, President Obama welcomed new moderate indications from Iran and offered to “test” the diplomatic route to solving the nuclear crisis.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, warned the world not to be “fooled” by what he called Tehran’s “half-measures” — it was all a “smokescreen” for Iran’s ongoing nuclear weapons drive, he said.
WarSclerotic 
September 25, 2013 at 4:56 AM
I am so pissed off right now. Do you honestly think that Rouhani was elected without the manipulation of the Iranian regime? They need someone that can be charming and at the same time manipulative to make it seem that Iran is willing to negotiate but in reality they are continuing towards a nuclear bomb. Of course Obama is buying it hook, line and sinker. Leaving Israel all by itself to take care of Iran. This president is being foolish if he thinks for a minute Iran is going to stop hating Israel and cease it’s operations towards a bomb. Now Israel is going to look like the villain if they bomb Iran even though we know they are just buying time with all this political nonsense.
September 25, 2013 at 5:55 AM
Dear Joseph, friends – my impression of the present situation with Iran is very heavy, very bad. I think PM Netahnyahu said ” We are in the thirties and Iran is Nazi – Germany”. I am surprised how much speculation is done about something which is quite obvious : The tactics of the iranian government to fool the west concerning its will to get the bomb ASAP and to attack/wipe out Israel first. The west tries hard to ignore the uncomfortable facts – but the facts will suddenly hit the wests face – literally.
Concerning BHO I think we have seen enough to assess him. If it walks like a duck, it IS a duck :
BHO’s actions show us somebody who is supportive of Islam while
pushing Israel in the corner. The question if BHO is a muslim or not doesnt matter, important is that he acts like a muslim who became the US president with the purpose to fight not only Israel but the USA as well. Again, we can choose to ignore the uncomfortable facts.
To me, BHO looks like a remote controlled person, lacking charisma and credibility. The big question for me is : Who brought BHO to the White House and who is controlling him, who writes his teleprompter-speeches ?
Dear friends, I have the very bad impression that we are fast heading for the same results as they were in the thirties : world war.
May God have mercy, may HE protect Israel !
September 25, 2013 at 5:52 PM