Thoughts And Analysis: Iran Election, The Disturbance, Ayatollah Khamenei Speech (Video)
June 20th, 2009 by news and pressGarrick Utley, formerly of NBC News and now the president of the Levin Institute of the State University of New York, and Ervand Abharamian, a distinguished professor of history at the City University of New York, join Martin Savidge to discuss the top story of the week: Iran. They discuss Ayatollah Khameneis speech, the massive protests and where this crisis may be headed.
Below is the part of the speech that was given by Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran.
Some key quotes from the speech are as follows.
“If there is any bloodshed, leaders of the protests will be held directly responsible.”
“It’s a wrong impression that by using street protests as a pressure tool, they can compel officials to accept their illegal demands. This would be the start of a dictatorship.”
“The result of the election comes from the ballot box, not from the street.”
“After street protests, some foreign powers … started to interfere in Iran’s state matters by questioning the result of the vote. They do not know the Iranian nation. I strongly condemn such interference.”
“American officials’ remarks about human rights and limitations on people are not acceptable because they have no idea about human rights after what they have done in Afghanistan and Iraq and other parts of the world. We do not need advice over human rights from them.”
June 20, 2009 at 10:11 pm
hahahaha…. garbage and rubbish… despite its oil deposits, Iran’s economy is also faltering because of corrupt leadership. ahmadinejad rigged the elections and when his people went to the street to protest, Khamenei would blame the americans for it.. what a loser…
June 21, 2009 at 6:31 am
Ah, jcc, I wondered how that quote about America would be read in the Philippines. I suspect many here are sympathetic to the Ayatollah’s views, that the US stands as no icon of virtue and sticks its nose where it ought not. I appreciate your comment, however.
The US was thrust upon the world stage during WWII, being reluctant to enter the fighting against Germany. However, once committed, the country became a powerful war-machine, converting domestic factories to the manufacture of fighting materials and enlisting her sons and daughters to go to Europe to defend allies. When the war was over, Europe and Asia were shreds, and the US was the only country with the power to counterbalance Russian imperialism. It was impossible to step back from the world stage.
The US IS an imperialist state, however. Not of territory. But of ideas; of freedoms and concepts of human rights. It agitates for those ideas and thereby gets its nose into the business of other countries. Usually, it’s intent and method are good; sometimes things are not so well done.
US private enterprise is also imperialistic, in a dog-eat-dog competitive sense. The commercial interests influence government policy.
But overall, the world is a much better place because the US accepts responsibility for using its might to pursue high ideals. An occasional brickbat comes with the territory.
As for Iran, I’ve read news articles about how the US is frustrated because it can’t operate clandestinely in Iran (for lack of foreign language spies it can trust). I can imagine that the US would, if it could, try to take Iran’s “Little Hitler” out of the picture. There is a point at which the US cannot keep Israeli warplanes at bay, and the US knows that it would have a hard time constraining Arab hostilities against Israel. And who is stuck in the middle? The US.
Sorry for the ramble. Your comment got me thinking. Always a dangerous proposition.
Have a pleasant day.
Joe
June 21, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I appreciate your candidness, Joe America.
If we could only know how deep America’s involvement in this recent “crisis” in Iran with the cooperation of its allied nations (and of course Israel), we might [not] be surprised why such a strong “theocratic democracy” as Iran is shaken by such a simple exercise of its people’s rights.
Israel & America and their allies have long been waiting for this moment. They should win this proxy struggle against the current theocratic regime of Iran, otherwise they will have no other choice in the near future but to resort to military means in order to frustrate the nuclear arms pursuit of Iran’s present leadership.
June 20, 2009 at 11:22 pm
You cannot stop an idea that is coming to its time. The Theocracy
in Iran is similar to the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Ages. The
Ayatollah is the Sultan. Religion is good. However, we are firm
believer that the Church and the State must be separated. Jesus
Christ had definitely clarified this matter in his statement:
“Give unto Ceasar, things that are of Ceasar. And unto God, things
that are of God.” With apologies to those who are not Christians.
We have different beliefs. Some are Christians, Muslims, Atheist,
Agnostics, maybe Nudists, UFO believers, Anting-Anting believers,etc.. Some even dont know what to believe.
June 21, 2009 at 6:43 am
“many are sympathetic to ayatullah’s view?” – speak for yourself JOE. Who are these many, you, the U.S. Liberals and left-wingers?
Amadinejad in collusion with Ayatullah presents a threat to peace in the Middle East. He wants to erase from the face of the earth Israel and Israel was rearing to hit back.
But let us limit the issue here. An election was held and the opponents claimed it was rigged. Protesters swarmed the streets and were met with teargas, baton and sticks. Protests continue and Ayatullah, went on air blaming the U.S . for these protest. Can you beat that?
June 21, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Juices, jcc, I meant the view that America too often butts in where it is not wanted. Shared by many, everywhere . . .
I think the Ayatollah is nuts, myself, so far away from the norm that his standard deviation is … well, so small I can’t read it.
You have me pegged way wrong, I fear.
Here are President Obama’s remarks, before he was forced to toughen up his stance by resolutions of the House and Senate condemning Iran:
The president already was on record as saying the United States stood behind those who were seeking justice in a peaceful way. He responded to critics that he hadn’t been forceful enough in support of protesters, telling CBS News: “The last thing that I want to do is to have the United States be a foil for those forces inside Iran who would love nothing better than to make this an argument about the United States. That’s what they do.”
Joe
June 21, 2009 at 11:01 pm
focus joe, focus. my post was in relation to Ayatullah’s ranting blaming America for Iran’s current turmoil. It was they who rigged the elections that fueled these instantaneous protests on the street.
America’s reaction on the suppression of these street protests did not fuel this turmoil. It was their own corruption and election cheating that fueled these protests.
June 22, 2009 at 9:28 am
jcc
I’m focused. I agree. It would be good to see moderate minds in the Islamic world taking control, without any meddling or pushing from the US.
Joe
June 22, 2009 at 9:41 pm
America may have butted into other countries the wrong way, like in Guatamela, Iran under Mossadegh and Cuba. Though in the current Iran, their treatment may be needed. I say they whack the Ayatollah’s ass directly.
But in a way, they can blame part of Iran’s current situation on America’s influence, but then the line of cause and effect would be far removed. I’m referring to the above, the CIA overthrow of Mossadegh back in the 50s.
June 23, 2009 at 9:51 am
Chino F,
Nothing I’d like to see better, but it HAS to be genuinely Iranian, otherwise the opposition can easily leverage the “outside interference or occupation” argument, as was done in Iraq to recruit new terrorists.
The history of US and Iranian ties must be fascinating. I know there are MANY Iranians living in the US, and, of course, we have that “Shah” period.
Anyone know of a good book detailing this history? Gadzooks, or do I turn into a BongV and just google or Amazon it? ahahahahah
Joe