[Reader-list] Iranian President Mammoud Ahmadnejad's speech at Durban Review Conference

[Vivek Narayanan]

What a lot of hot air!

Vivek

anupam chakravartty wrote:
> Ahmadinejad speech: full text
>
> *This is the full text of the speech Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
> gave at the Durban Review Conference, a UN conference on racism, in Geneva,
> Switzerland, on Tuesday, 20th April 2009.*
>
> *Protesters interrupted the conference before Mr Ahmadinejad could start his
> speech. He refers to the incident in his opening sentence.*
>
> I would like to ask all honourable participants to forgive them. They are
> ignorant.
>
>
> In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Thanks to God, the Lord
> of the worlds, and peace and praise be upon our master and prophet, Muhammad
> and his immaculate progeny and true followers. O God, hasten the
> reappearance of the Hidden Imam and grant him health and victory and make us
> his true companions and believers and those who testify to His rightfulness.
>
>
> Praise belongs to the just, merciful, and compassionate God. May God's
> blessing be upon the prophets, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the
> last prophet His Holiness Muhammad Mustafa, who called for monotheism,
> fraternity, kindness, human dignity, and justice.
>
> Mr Chairman, Honourable Secretary-General of the UN, Honourable High
> Commissariat for Human Rights, Ladies and Gentlemen, following the Durban
> anti-racism and discrimination conference, we have gathered here to examine
> the current situation and to find practical solutions for this humane and
> sacred campaign. In the past centuries, great injustice was inflicted on
> mankind.
>
> In the Middle Ages scholars and scientists were sentenced to death. And
> later on slavery and the hunting down of innocent people, separating them
> from their families and taking them in millions to Europe and America in the
> worst conditions, was popular. These were dark ages where lands were
> occupied and their sources were looted, and innocent people were killed and
> made homeless. Years passed until people rose. They paid a high price in
> order to drive occupiers out and establish independent and national
> governments; millions of people were killed. Those in power imposed two
> major wars in short periods of time on Europe and parts of Africa and Asia.
> These were wars which took about 100 million lives and resulted in
> destruction of a lot of countries and regions. Those who won these wars
> considered themselves conquerors of the world and considered other nations
> defeated. And by the imposition of oppressive laws and arrangements they
> ignored and violated other nations rights.
>
> Ladies and gentlemen, look at the Security Council which is the legacy of
> World War I and II. Based on what logic have they been given the right to
> veto? With which human and divine value is this logic compatible? Justice,
> equality in the eye of law and human dignity or discrimination, injustice,
> violation of human rights and belittling the majority of nations and
> countries? This Council is the most supreme decision-making centre for
> maintaining peace and security in the world.
>
> When there is legal discrimination and the law-making centre is a source of
> bullying and force instead of justice and fairness, how can one expect to
> achieve justice and peace? Seeking power and selfishness is the source of
> racism, discrimination, aggression and tyranny. Today many racists condemn
> racism in their slogans and speeches but when some powerful countries give
> themselves the right to make decisions for other countries, using their
> discretion, and based on their own interests, they can easily trample on all
> rules and human values. As they have already proven.
>
> After the Second World War, by exploiting the holocaust and under the
> pretext of protecting the Jews they made a nation homeless with military
> expeditions and invasion. They transferred various groups of people from
> America, Europe and other countries to this land. They established a
> completely racist government in the occupied Palestinian territories. And in
> fact, under the pretext of making up for damages resulting from racism in
> Europe, they established the most aggressive, racist country in another
> territory, i.e. Palestine.
>
> The Security Council endorsed this usurper regime and for 60 years
> constantly defended it and let it commit any kind of crime.
>
> Worse than this is that some Western governments and America are committed
> to support genocidal racists while others condemn the bombardment of
> innocent human beings, the occupation of their land and the disasters that
> took place in Gaza. Even before they kept silent, not responding to all the
> crimes of that regime, and supported it. Dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,
> what has been the source of recent wars such as the Americans' attack on
> Iraq or the wide military expedition in Afghanistan? Has it been anything
> else than the selfishness of the American government of the time and the
> pressures by those in possession of wealth and power to expand influence and
> hegemony, support weapon manufacturers, destroy a great culture that is
> thousands of years old, destroying possible and potentials risks by the
> countries of the region against the occupying Quds regime, and looting the
> energy resources of the Iraqi people?
>
> In fact why were one million people dead and injured and a few million
> people forced to leave their homeland? Why were hundreds of billions of
> dollars worth of damage inflicted on the Iraqi people and hundreds of
> billions of dollars of costs for the military invasion imposed on the
> American people and America's allies? Was attacking Iraq not orchestrated by
> the Zionists and their allies in the previous ruling government of America
> which was on the one hand in power and on the other the owner of arms
> manufacturing companies?
>
> Did peace, security and prosperity return to Afghanistan by military
> intervention? America and its allies were not even able to stop the
> production of narcotics and during their presence it increased several fold.
> The main question is this: What was the role of the previous ruling system
> in America and its allies? Were they the representatives of the world
> nations? Were they elected by the world nations? Do they have representation
> by the world nations to interfere in the affairs of all parts of the world
> and especially our region? Don't these actions, the occupation of Iraq and
> Afghanistan, count as examples of selfishness, racism, discrimination and
> violating the dignity and independence of other nations?
>
> Ladies and gentlemen, who are the people in charge of the crisis-hit economy
> of the world? Where did the crisis start? Did it start in Africa and Asia or
> American and then Europe and their allies?
>
> For a long time, using their political influence, they [West] imposed unfair
> economic laws on international economic transactions. They set up financial
> and monetary systems without provisions of international supervision and
> imposed those systems on countries that did not have the smallest role to
> play in the processes and policies adopted.
>
> They do not even allow their own nations to supervise. By taking away
> morality from their actions, they have established laws in a way that they
> serve the interests of certain powerful people and capitalists. By giving a
> specific definition of free market and competition, they took away many
> opportunities from others and imposed their problems on others.
>
> Today, with dozens of thousands of billions of dollars of debt and thousands
> of billions of dollars of budget deficit, those waves of crisis have come
> back to them.
>
> Even today in order to improve the situation, they have started injecting
> hundred billions of dollars of unsupported money from the pockets of their
> citizens and other nations into banks and companies and financial markets
> which were close to bankruptcy and they have made their people even more
> indebted and they have made the problem more complicated.
>
> They are thinking of maintaining their power and wealth. And the people of
> the world and even their own people are of no value to them. Mr President,
> ladies and gentlemen, the true root of racism is the lack of human
> understanding as God's chosen creatures and deviation from the true path of
> human life and human missions in creation. Due to negligence in worshipping
> God with awareness and pondering on the philosophy of life and the path
> towards human perfection - which leads to the natural outcome of being
> committed to divine values and mankind - the horizon of human insight has
> declined. And limited and temporary interests became the criteria of
> evaluation and actions by human beings. Therefore, the seeds of evil power
> took their shape and by neglecting fair chances for others' growth, it added
> to the boundaries of its development.
>
> In such a way that it changed to an ugly and uncontrollable racism that
> today it is threatening the global peace as the most dangerous factor. And
> it is an obstacle on the way of achieving peaceful life in the world.
> Undoubtedly, racism should be recognised as the symbol of ignorance of the
> depth of history and a sign of dogmatism against mankind's general growth.
> Therefore, we should look for the signs of racism under conditions and
> situations in a society where poverty of knowledge and lack of understanding
> would be spread. Therefore, the main means of fighting such symptoms is to
> promote general awareness and deepening public understanding towards the
> philosophy of mankind's existence and the truth about the human-oriented
> world. Its requirement or outcome is a return to spiritual and ethical
> values and human virtues and finally the belief in God. The global society
> should start a united cultural movement for enlightening certain suffering
> and undeveloped societies as much as possible and uproot this hideous and
> evil phenomenon.
>
> But dear friends, today the human society is facing a kind of racism which
> has an ugliness that has completely distorted the honour of mankind at the
> verge of the third millennium and it has made the global society shameful.
> The global Zionism is the complete symbol of racism, which with unreal
> reliance on religion has tried to misuse the religious beliefs of some
> unaware people and hide its ugly face. But what should be seriously
> considered are the goals of certain superpowers and those in possession of
> major interests in the world; those who try their best through economic
> power and political influence and wide media means, to lessen the crimes and
> ugliness of the nature of the Zionist regime. Here, the main issue is not
> ignorance and therefore, cultural movements on their own, are not sufficient
> to fight this evil phenomenon. But we should try to put an end to the misuse
> of international means by the Zionists and their supporters. And by
> respecting nations' demands, we should motivate the united governments to
> eliminate this clear racism and step on the path of reforming international
> relations 0and mechanisms with courage.
>
> Undoubtedly, you are all aware of the extensive efforts by the institutes of
> global power towards creating a deviation on the path of the real mission of
> this important conference. Unfortunately in the literature supporting the
> Zionists, a clear participation and cooperation in their crimes can be
> noticed. And this adds to the responsibilities of the respectful
> representatives of nations in revealing this antihuman issue and improving
> relations and behaviours. We should be aware that to keep a huge global
> capacity, such as this conference, away from its real intentions, means
> helping to continue the most hideous sense of racism. Today the necessity of
> defending human rights is firstly, to defend the rights of a nation to be
> free to make decisions regarding important global affairs without the
> influence of certain powers; secondly, to take action to improve
> international structures and relations. Therefore, this conference is the
> arena of a major test and we will be judged by the world's public opinion
> today and tomorrow.
>
> Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, the world's general condition is rapidly
> moving towards basic changes. Power based equations have become very weak.
> The sound of the pillars of global tyranny breaking can be heard. Political
> and macro economic structures are falling. Political and security crisis are
> growing. And the growing global economic crisis, for the resolution of which
> there is no bright horizon, makes all sorts of quantitative and quality
> aspects of change on the way very impressive. I have emphasised the
> necessity of getting back from the wrong path that today's absolute global
> management is following and I have warned about the critical outcomes of
> delaying to do so.
>
> Also now, in this valued conference, addressing you managers, thinkers and
> all the world nations who are thirsty for peace, freedom, progress and
> prosperity, I would like to say that the unjust ruling of the world is
> reaching its end. This deadlock was inevitable since the logic behind this
> imposed management is tyrannical. This is because the logic of the mass
> movement of the world is divine, purposeful, humane and God-centred. It is a
> movement which opposes any policy or plan which is not in line with the
> interests of nations. Victory of truth over vice and the bright future of
> humanity and the establishment of a just global system is the promise of God
> and all prophets, and a common hope of all communities and generations.
> Achieving such a future justifies the reason behind creation, is the belief
> of all those faithful to God and the very high status of the human beings.
>
> Formation of a global community, the practical possibility of a common
> global system materialising and finally involving thinkers, managers and
> people of the world to actively and justly participate in the macro and
> principle decision makings is the main path to this great destination.
>
> At the moment, scientific and technical capabilities as well as information
> and communication technology have created a mutual and comprehensive
> understanding of the global community and have created the necessary ground
> for a common system to materialise. .
>
> Now, this is a grave responsibility that the world's scientists, elites and
> officials across the world should shoulder by playing a historic role
> through faith in this definite path.
>
> Now I want to stress on this fact that western capitalism like communism has
> reached the end of its path because it does not see the world and humanity
> as they are. It has tried to impose a self-constructed path and destination
> and instead of paying attention to human and divine values, justice,
> freedom, compassion and brotherhood it has set fierce competition for
> gaining individual and collective materialistic interests as a basis for
> life.
>
> Now we should collectively try to learn lessons from the past and understand
> the necessity for correcting this path by considering today's conditions.
> And on the same note and as the final word I would like to draw your
> attention to two important points.
>
> First point: The improvement of the current international condition is
> hundred per cent possible. But we should know that this cannot be achieved
> without the cooperation of all the governments and nations. Therefore, we
> should benefit from the capacities of international cooperation to the
> maximum. My presence in this conference indicates my respect for this
> important issue, and the essential issue of human rights and support for
> nations' rights against the evil phenomenon of racism and cooperation with
> you, the thinkers.
>
> Second: Considering the lack of efficiency of systems and international
> political, economic, security and cultural relations is necessary. In view
> of divine and humanitarian values and the true and real definition of human
> beings and based on justice and respect for the rights of all human beings
> across the world, confessing to the wrong management in the past and
> changing the views and performances, measures should be taken to reform the
> current structures. Therefore, a speedy change in the structure of the
> United Nations and the elimination of the discriminatory right to veto and a
> change in the financial and monetary system of the world must be on the
> agenda. Obviously, the lack of understanding for the urgency of this change
> will result in heavier costs due to any delay.
>
> My dear friends, you should know that moving in line with justice and human
> dignity is like moving quickly on a stream of water. Let's not forget the
> valuable elixir of love and compassion. The guarantee for a clear future for
> human beings is a great asset that can keep us more aware and more hopeful
> than ever before. It can enable us to create a world full of love and
> blessing and can be free from poverty and hatred. We will also be able to
> profit from the blessings of God and have the advantage of having a decent
> management of a complete human being.
>
> Let us all have a share in this important issue, and hope for that bright
> and beautiful day. I would like to sincerely thank the President and the UN
> Secretary-General and all of you for your patience, wishing you dignity and
> success.”
>
> *This is a BBC translation from a speech transcript supplied by the Islamic
> Republic of Iran News Network, Tehran, in Persian.*
>
> *The speech Mr Ahmadinejad gave was different in some respects from the
> draft submitted previously by the Iranians to the UN. That can be accessed
> here*
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