Police Force Will Not Solve the Problems of Those Who Hold the Power

Police Force Will Not Solve the Problems of Those Who Hold the Power
Monday, September 13, 2010 at 2:53am

On many levels, the regime is moving towards Machiavellism and is willing to justify any means to achieve this goal. This is one of the main characteristics of a ruling power that forbids individuals to ask questions. Under such conditions, the rights of human beings are easily ignored and even killing an individual is justified as a means to gain political control and remain in power. Deceit becomes a means for remaining in power and the line between personal and national interests is easily crossed.

The Green Movement will not be stopped because of increased security measures or the elimination of its followers

In an interview with Kaleme, Mir Hossein Mousavi reiterated that the security restrictions surrounding him are nothing new and have been prevalent since the 10th presidential elections when illegal restrictions were first imposed upon him.

Mousavi stated that when lies and deceit become the main means to govern a country and individual interests take the place of national interests, we stoop to levels where when a Marja keeps quiet, the government will leave the Marja alone; if a Marja eulogies and praises the powers that be, they are referred to as grand spiritual leaders, their images shown on the government owned television station IRIB; the level of attention received, is directly proportional to the level of praise given to the ruling powers. On the other hand, for example, if the same Marja criticize the powers that be, or expresses an opposing opinion, he is immediately disowned, reduced to nothing, rendered disqualified as a spiritual figure, accused and slandered, his offices, home and mosque raided and his followers attacked by so called rogue forces.

The complete content of Kaleme’s discussions with Mousavi with regards to the recent security restrictions is as follows:

It has been reported that there has been an increase in the security restrictions surrounding you? What is your opinion regarding this issue?

The illegal restrictions against me and this type of behavior and inconvenience dates back to the 10th presidential elections and began when my election headquarters were attacked on the afternoon of June 12th, 2009. Of course, in addition to existing evidence and plenty of documentation pointing to the aforementioned fact, the objective of those who engaged in these fraudulent actions became very clear to all when they attacked the election headquarters of opposition candidates before the votes were counted, and arrested revolutionary and political figures on the day after the elections and the days that followed. Fortunately because of their mishap and the publishing of the content of two tapes in which “commanders in charge” spoke of what had happened, the public was able to judge for themselves. In any event, the restrictions you refer to began then and continue until this day.

Are you then confirming the report that you now face stricter security restrictions?

Yes the reports regarding increased security restrictions are true. Recently these limitations have become even more severe because the security forces are fearful of people coming to the streets. When you add to that the fact that the head of my security has been prevented from performing his duties, the issue becomes controversial and alarming to say the least. Though he was the head of my security for over 20 years, he was removed from his post. Who knows what the intentions were behind this move.

Do you think that their [ruling government] hope is to limit the activities of the movement through these types of restrictions?

If this is their goal, then they are sorely mistaken. The roots of this movement are strong enough that it will not be stopped because of security restrictions or by eliminating me from the picture. Continuous dissatisfaction and the lack of legitimacy of this government led to our nation’s current situation. If the slogan “Where is my Vote” was able to bring together millions of peaceful citizens on June 15th, 18th and 20th of last year, today, the oppressive policies of this government over the past year and the unacceptable living conditions of our citizens coupled with international pressure have only led to an increase in strength of a movement that was unexpected. I myself, brother Karroubi and others are but humble companions of the people. They should be fearful of the people’s anger and not fearful of us.

Is it your opinion then that the importance of the election fraud has faded now that there is increased dissatisfaction in our society?

Absolutely not! On the contrary, the disastrous and made up policies, coupled with lies and oppression have made our citizens much more aware of the importance of free and fair elections. With the passing of every day, people become more convinced that the roots of this crisis lie in authoritarianism and the lack of attention to their right to determine their own destiny. Our people see that in the name of Islam, their government creates differences between them when in reality they are governing against the principles of Islam.

In my opinion, justice and freedom are becoming more important in the eyes of people with the passing of each day. For this reason those in power are certainly aware of the strategic significance of the written complaints by the seven Green warriors, considered amongst our country’s most educated in reference to the remarks by one of the officers of the IRGC. Rather than the extensive security maneuvers we witnessed on the day before Qhods in the streets of Tehran, or the attacking of the homes of Marajeh so dear to the nation in the Qom and Shiraz, I must stress that the only means out of the current crisis is dealing fairly and unequivocally to this public complaint. The arrest of Dr. Mohammad Reza Khatami and our dear artist Dr. Habib Sadeghi in front of my offices will not help matters and will do nothing to resolve this crisis.

Do you believe that the current restrictions are related to the attacks on the Marajeh who have voiced criticism of the government as of late?

We must pay attention to the root of the problem. On many levels, the regime is moving towards Machiavellism and is willing to justify any means to achieve this goal. This is one of the main characteristics of a ruling government in which individuals are forbidden to ask questions. Under such conditions, the rights of human beings are easily ignored and even the killing of an individual is justified as a means to gain political control and remain in power. Deceit becomes a means for remaining in power and the line between personal and national interests is easily crossed. When lies and deceit become the main means to govern a country and individual interests take the place of national interests, we stoop to levels where when a Marja keeps quiet, the government will leave the Marja alone; if a Marja eulogies and praises the powers that be, they are referred to as grand spiritual leaders, their images shown on the government owned television station IRIB; the level of attention received, is directly proportional to the level of praise given to the ruling powers. On the other hand, for example, if the same Marja criticize the powers that be, or expresses an opposing opinion, he is immediately disowned, reduced to nothing, rendered disqualified as a spiritual figure, accused and slandered, his offices, home and mosque raided and his followers attacked by so called rogue forces. Ayatollah Dastgheyb’s opinion is respected only if turns a blind eye to the oppression by these gentlemen, or when he does not criticize the wrong doings of the Assembly of Experts. Otherwise the mosque in which he prays, a mosque with such reputation, is turned over to another Friday prayer Imman who creates harm, is disrespectful to millions of citizens, and refers to the well known, well liked, Ayatollah Dastgheyb with a deep routed family in Shiraz, the cradle of civilization and culture, as a Friday prayer Imman who is incompetent.

Do you not think that these measures are taken in order to distract the people from the real political and economic crisis engulfing the country?

The crisis we are experiencing today is not just limited to political and economic issues. The attack on the Marajeh and their seminaries and attacks on universities and dormitories is one of the most shocking realities within this crisis. A regime, whose legitimacy is rooted in the hierarchy within its seminaries and clergymen, is now engaged in destroying the seminaries and universities. On the one hand, one of its ministers threatens to annihilate one of our universities, and on the other hand the homes of the Maraje who are critical of the oppressive policies of the regime are raided, they are physically attacked and the ruling powers engage in their character assassination.

Those who engage in these types of plots should know that this type of behavior will do nothing to keep them in power. They should continue to engage in this type of behavior if they believe that past oppressors were successful in staying in power using such tactics. If an individual wishes to focus on our country’s national interests rather than his own personal interests, then he must return to the principles of law and justice, even if this means losing his power and position. Mousavi stated that when lies and deceit become the main means to govern a country and individual interests take the place of national interests, we stoop to levels where when a Marja keeps quiet, the government will leave the Marja alone; if a Marja eulogies and praises the powers that be, they are referred to as grand spiritual leaders, their images shown on the government owned television station IRIB; the level of attention received, is directly proportional to the level of praise given to the ruling powers. On the other hand, for example, if the same Marja criticize the powers that be, or expresses an opposing opinion, he is immediately disowned, reduced to nothing, rendered disqualified as a spiritual figure, accused and slandered, his offices, home and mosque raided and his followers attacked by so called rogue forces.

With special thanks to Negra Irani for English translation

Mir Hossein Mousavi on Facebook
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Mousavi’s Message Condemning Organized Attacks on Karroubi’s Residence

Mousavi’s Message Condemning Organized Attacks on Karroubi’s Residence
Friday, September 3, 2010 at 1:14am

Following the brutal attacks by Basij thugs and the organized governmental attacks on Mehdi Karroubi’s residence, Mir Hossein Mousavi in a message while condemning these actions stated that these events are proof that the totalitarians have lost the way and these events will strengthen people’s will to achieve freedom.

The full text of Mir Hossein Mousavi's message is as follows:

In the name of God

We are all from God and we will return to him.

The attack of disgraced thugs on the home of Hojat-al-Islam Mehdi Karroubi, the brave ally of the people in the Ghadr night is sign of the autocrats’ lost. With this organized action, which it has been about 5 days since it was initiated under the eyes of the police and security forces, they showed that the occupation of loved Qods and being enemy with Israel is an excuse. The real enemy of the autocrats is Karroubi and other figures like him and other freedom-seekers; as it was shown on Bahman 22 (February 11, anniversary of Islamic Revolution) that the goal of autocrats wasn’t the victory celebration for the revolution but rather a march to show claws and teeth to the freedom-seekers and the Green nation of Iran.

The catastrophe of attacking Mr. Karroubi’s residence which follows the attacks on the residences of high-ranking Marajeh in the cities of Qom and Shiraz, is the best sign of fear of totalitarians from people’s movement and also is the best reason for using all these Islamic and revolutionary slogans, ceremonies and rituals as a tool while the organizers of these shameful actions even announce the year and the day in which Israel oppression will end! We say that with these dark and appalling actions, you cannot block people’s determination for freedom but rather you are making the path to achieve freedom shorter for the freedom-seekers.

Mir Hossein Mousavi

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Mousavi and Karroubi's Joint Meeting on the Eve of Qods Day

Mousavi and Karroubi's Joint Meeting on the Eve of Qods Day
Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 2:44pm

Yesterday Mehdi Karroubi visited Mir Hossein Mousavi. In this meeting, which lasted two hours various issues of the society and the country were discussed. At the beginning of the meeting Mehdi Karroubi and Mir Hossein Mousavi offered their condolences for the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Ali to all Muslims, especially all Shi’as and also reminded of the importance of the Ghadr nights in the holy month of Ramadan.

In this meeting, Mehdi Karroubi, while commiserating about the economic hardship and living condition of the people, stated that eliminating the experienced and expert forces on one hand and the government’s lack of attention to the plans and long term goals on the other hand have resulted in the inability to use the country’s rich resources in general and proper use of energy in particular. Mehdi Karroubi added that currently Qatar is very active in the shared gas field and is enjoying its benefits, while the Iranian government has not paid the least attention to this important topic to explore and use this field. He also added if the fourth Development Plan was correctly implemented, today we would be extracting more than 6 million barrels of oil daily while our extraction is now less than 3.5 million barrels a day. Mehdi Karroubi also expressed dissatisfaction of the status of the shared field between Iran and Iraq and said the Iraqi side despite a lot of problems including security issues has been able to finish its study phase during this time and prepare the requirements for work in that field but our officials without having regards for national interests and future of the country have not even initiated the relevant studies. Mehdi Karroubi reiterated what is not important for the government in all these are the Iranian people and their national interests.

In continuation of this meeting, Mir Hossein Mousavi pointed out the dynamics of the Green Movement among various sectors of the society and reiterated that the Green Movement of Iranian people has formed based on justice-seeking demands and in this movement different views and trends can be seen; in this movement promoting public awareness and removing ignorance plays an important role. Restoring basic and fundamental rights through peaceful movements is the common goal of all people who are present in this movement. While condemning the uncompromising policy of violence, illegal arrests, political sentences and ignoring the basic rights of the prisoners, Mir Hossein Mousavi emphasized on the fact that experience of the last year shows the failure of the policy of resorting to violence and blind arrests and creating a security and police atmosphere. Mir Hossein Mousavi also added that the elongation of the path of reform, although has imposed a heavy price on our society but discussing different issues and topics by individuals and legal entities has resulted in the maturity and livelihood of this movement and despite a very heavy security atmosphere has been able to include various layers of the society and become more influential in the society every day.

In continuation of the meeting and regarding the Qods Day, combating the culture of lies and the deplorable economic situation and livelihoods of the people, Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi jointly emphasized on the followings:

Qods Day

The great Iranian nation and Imam Khomeini have always supported Muslims and oppressed nations particularly the Palestinian nation. Qods Day is the symbol of support of the free people for an oppressed nation who have been driven out from their homeland and during this period have suffered many hardships and pains. The oppressed nation of Palestine despite numerous United Nations resolutions because the occupying regime [of Israel] has not conceded to act based on them has not been able to regain its legitimate rights. Article 154 of the constitutions states that independence and freedom is the right of all the people of the world and while avoids interfering in internal affairs of other countries, supports the justice-seeking efforts of the oppressed people of Palestine. It is obvious that the situations that has been emerged from assault are not recognized and will not be recognized in today’s world; as the General Assembly of the United Nations based on the fundamental principles of international laws repeatedly has announced that gaining territories by using force is not legitimate. Therefore by emphasizing on the right to “choose destiny” we support the justice-seeking struggles of the Palestinians and all the sincere efforts to reinstate and regain this nation’s rights; and we believe that by preparing the suitable grounds and with the participation of all the people of Palestine including Muslims, Jews and Christians (with right of equal vote) and in a healthy and fair process the fate of this ancient and historic land can be determined and the followers of divine religions can live peacefully together.

Fighting the culture of lie which is the key of all evil

In Islamic culture and teachings telling lies is “one of the greatest sins and is recognized as the key of all evil deeds”. Imam Ali (Shi’a first Imam) had paid specific attention to the pest of lie and its destructive consequences and had stated “No appalling deed is as ugly as telling lies”. One of the problems of the country is the institutionalization of telling lies and the reliance of officials on lies in various affairs including economy, management, statistics, political and religious issues. They have been so much caught up in telling lies that finding a true word from this administration is like finding a precious pearl. Regarding this issue the remarks made by the minister of intelligence about [Green Leaders] receiving billions of dollars from foreigners [to create chaos following the presidential elections], without presenting any proof and evidence, which of course he himself knows very well that is not true, is another insult to the spontaneous and reformist movement of the great and noble people of Iran. While condemning these illegal, immoral and against religion behaviors of these guys, who for the hollow comfort of this short life in material world and staying in power legitimize any evil deed, we demand that they publish their documents even the fake ones so that those who lie would be embarrassed,

Corruption and deplorable economic situation

The economic situation and livelihoods of the people, despite Iran being a rich land both in terms of materials and in terms of spirituality, are very disturbing. Unparalleled God-given resources in depth of the layers of the earth and also the educated human resources, are very valuable assets, which have not yet been utilized for various reasons including [the government’s] hatred toward science, mismanagement, lack of recognition for rights and freedoms of people and lack of understanding and knowledge of international affairs in the direction of national interests and prosperity for the country. Despite the astronomical oil revenue, which is unprecedented in Iranian history, various classes of the people are today in very difficult conditions. Plans and national development projects are abandoned one after the other and in this chaos it is not clear how and where hundreds of billions of dollars of oil revenue have been spent. This is while the economic situation and livelihood of the people, the real owners of this country is worsening every day and the unemployment along with the government’s corruptions and financial exploitations have sharply increased. While the noble people of Iran are struggling to meet basic and essential needs, tens of billions are spent from the public money for a show conference. The files of financial corruptions of the managers and officials are suddenly aborted before going through the judicial process so that those who make claims about confronting corruption continue to plunder the national resources without any concern. By militarizing of the economy and obtaining exclusive rights instead of privatizing [the government-run businesses and industries], the presence and role of the people in the field of economy has been minimized and the country’s private sector that has a small portion of the country's economy is about to collapse. Economic growth and development of the country based on social justice requires prerequisites such as change in the government’s role from ownership and management to policy making and monitoring, as well as transferring affairs to the private sector in the light of healthy and transparent competition and increasing the competitiveness of the national economy.

Mir Hossein Mousavi on Facebook
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Mousavi's Message to the Political Prisoners on Hunger Strike

Mousavi's Message to the Political Prisoners on Hunger Strike
Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 12:29pm

Mir Hossein Mousavi in a message to the political prisoners who in protest to the illegal and inhuman treatment of the prison authorities have gone on hunger strike since twelve days ago while praising their resistance and perseverance asked them to end their hunger strike.

The full text of Mir Hossein Mousavi's message is as follows:

In the Name of God

The imprisoned free men! All freedom seekers and justice demanders heard your message and witnessed your perseverance on your humanitarian and legitimate demands.

Congratulations to you! Your resistance is proof that one can imprison bodies but no one can conquer souls.

The nation’s loved ones and the frontiers of the Green movement! Now that the message of you and your combatant families has resonated inside the country and throughout the world, people are worried about your health as you are the Green assets of the country. We ask all of you to end your hunger strikes and also urge the prison authorities to honour the rights of prisoners based on the very existing imperfect laws and regulations; and do not further damage the honor and dignity of our nation in the eyes of the world.

Mir Hossein Mousavi

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Mousavi’s Message Regarding the Terrorist Attacks in the City of Zahedan

Mousavi’s Message Regarding the Terrorist Attacks in the City of Zahedan
Sunday, July 18, 2010 at 12:15pm

The full text of Mir Hossein Mousavi’s statement is as follows:

In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful

The criminal operations that took place in [the city of] Zahedan was definitely a move with the aim of creating division among the Shi'a and Sunni brothers and was a hatred act against the unity of the great nation of Iran; from this action the foreigner would seek benefit as well as those whom their interests lay in division among the cultures and ethnic groups. Given the sensitive situation that we are in today, it is necessary for everyone be cautious about the conspiracies that target the unity of the nation.

I express my condolences to all the families of martyrs, injured and my brothers and sisters in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan and I hope that awareness, Islamic brotherhood and national unity of the brave people of the eastern part of our proud country counteract the malicious desires of our enemies.

Mir Hossein Mousavi

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Mousavi's Note Regarding the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929

Mousavi's Note Regarding the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1929
Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at 7:07am

Summary: We must all realize that the intent behind sanctions is not to bring the government to its knees. If we look back at the experience of August 19th, 1953 and the bitter fate of Iraq and Afghanistan in contemporary history, it should serve as a clear warning that some governments see their own survival in the continuation of this crisis, in intensified hostilities and even go as far as encouraging the use of a military offensive. It is up to the Green movement to create reconciliation by remaining true to its principles while confronting this clear risk. Resistance to potential foreign threats and invasion is a necessity and amongst other areas, should be an area of focus for the Green movement.

Translated by Negar Irani

Mir Hossein Mousavi, Prime Minister for 8 years during the time of sacred defense of our country, responds to the Security Council Resolution 1929 against our nation, providing solutions for facing the consequences that lie ahead for Iran as a result of these sanctions. According to Kalame, the main content of this statement is as follows:

Unfortunately, the Security Council's resolution 1929 was finally passed. This resolution and other resolutions could have easily been avoided had we used some tact and wisdom. If we are discussing this resolution today, it is not to pour further salt on a wound, rather because ignoring the consequences of this resolution will only make matters worse. Even if we state that this resolution is a pretext, it does not minimize the effects of tumultuous and manipulative policies. Of course swearing at and insulting other countries may have an effect on a small domestic audience with limited awareness, however, in reality it does nothing but further deteriorate the situation outside our borders. Unfortunately, unlike certain politicians in our country who put their own personal interests above that of our country's national interests, we doubt that the authorities of the countries imposing sanctions on us define their own interests outside the framework of their country's national interests. I am hopeful that our nation paid close attention to the vulgar response given by Russia's Foreign Minister to one of the speakers. In his response he pointed to a fact that has been repeatedly witnessed in international relations, mainly that for Russia (and other countries, such as the United States, China, Turkey, Brazil and others) the most important criteria is protecting Russia's national interests - although understanding this simple point seems to be difficult for those [in our country] who are unfortunately too wrapped up in their own short term interests to even notice it. To me, however, it abundantly clear that this resolution is going to have an adverse effect on our country's security and economy. It will lead to a reduction in our GDP, higher unemployment, more economic and social pressures on our people, result in a widening of the gap between the development of our country vis-a vis our neighboring countries and in effect serve as the last nail in the coffin that was being prepared over the past twenty years. Anyone with any common sense will know that the passing of this resolution will only lead to the further isolation and vulnerability of our country.

The fate of other countries in the region that have proudly fallen for the empty rhetoric of such short sited nations is a pitiful fate that we should all be conscious of.

Currently, it is important to focus on solutions that will minimize the threats to our independence, territorial integrity and the legitimate rights of our country. It goes without saying that safeguarding our freedom, the rights of our citizens and defending our national security will not be possible without the free and informed consent of our citizens. Green social networks must focus on solutions designed to safeguard us from this undesirable event. Before pointing out some of these possible solutions, it is important that we condemn this cruel and unnecessary resolution. We are being condemned while Palestinian land is still easily occupied by others who are given the right to nuclear bombs, while we are deprived of the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Surely this resolution is against our country. We must nevertheless also keep our eyes open to the effects of other existing, yet chaotic and adventurous policies.

The first and most essential solution to countering this resolution is to ensure that our nation is informed in an honest and forthright manner. It is our people's right to better understand the details of this resolution and the additional sanctions that are being added to it. Our people need to understand the effects of these sanctions on the unemployment rate, on inflation, on our GDP and the ability of our nation to progress. In other words, they need to understand how it effects their bottom line. Referring to this resolution as a torn piece of paper is not going to solve the problems and challenges facing our nation. If our people have to face and fight an adversity that was not of their choosing, we must at least gain their trust; a trust that will only be developed through transparency and a government that is truthful and forthright.

One of the points our people must to be made aware of, is the predictable security risks resulting from this new resolution. Many of our citizens are unaware of extent of the dangers associated with the path that we have fallen into due to ignorance and exaggeration.The witty rants and boasts by certain individuals pretending that nothing has happened is nothing but betrayal of our people. If our nation’s readiness is the most important element in fighting the potential dangers we face, then it is incumbent upon us to inform them as much as possible about the potential security consequences associated with the current situation we find ourselves in. If this is too difficult a task for those responsible for our government, they should at least allow non-government owned media outlets to freely inform our citizens of the necessary analysis with compassion and without exaggeration of the facts.

These new conditions require that we expand the current limited circle of advisers to the nuclear issue. As far as I am aware, unlike the era when Mr. Khatami was president, we currently have less people and individuals with far less experience than in the past, handling this sensitive matter. One of the main reasons why we find ourselves in this undesirable and critical position is due to this limited circle of advisers. Governments of countries that have dealt with the nuclear issue successfully, in addition to having legitimacy, observe national alliances, building upon collective and even relative consensus. What is wrong with allowing our country's parliament to make decisions with regards to the principles governing our country's nuclear policy the same way they made decisions with regards to the American hostages? Instead, our parliament is left with no recourse but to come up with last minute, dictated legislation designed to justify the incorrect decision making processes of our government. Why is it that a select few are making secretive decisions about matters that affect the future of our entire nation? Were our people not supposed to be in charge of their own destiny? Why should our people be in agreement with every decision we make? Are the principles associated with referendum meaningless in our society to the extent that every time some one refers to them they have to face a barrage of insults and threats? Should we not instead allow our people to be involved in sensitive and important decisions that effect our entire nation?

Under the current conditions, a rift between the people and the government will only result in a higher risk of danger from foreign influences and those with bad intentions. The rigged elections, the oppression that occurred after the elections, the mismanagement and corruption, the deceit and confusing economic and cultural policies have lead to a crisis and lack of confidence in the government and a distancing of the people from the ruling powers. Today, more than ever it is vital that we begin to pay attention to and address the solutions that were set forth in the Green movement's statement #17. A repressive and illegitimate government that is at war with its own people is ill equipped to effectively deal with foreign threats. Under these circumstances, they [the illegitimate ruling government] have to either pay an unfair ransom, or put the country under imminent risk. As a result, creating a safe backdrop for free, fair, competitive and non-selective elections, and ensuring freedom of press, freedom of political prisoners, taking care of the families of those martyred and harmed becomes even more vital. If our people are our main asset for dealing with the serious situation we currently face, then their opinion and viewpoint should be respected. Before making any decisions, we must carefully consider the impact of these decisions on the lives of teachers, white collar workers, laborers, salaried workers, the poor and all those working hard to make a living in our society. It is not fair to have the youth who are seeking jobs pay the price of arbitrary and adventurous decisions made by the government. Let us all bear witness to a bunch of hollering, baton carrying thugs who do nothing but threaten the lives, livelihood and dignity of our people in broad day light, and speak of bombarding our parliament in broad day light all under the pretext of pro-government support. Is this how we run the world?

Fostering hatred, creating enemies and continued factional killings have only led to the regime becoming even more empty handed. A brief look at the events that took place in New York and Geneva last year only shed more light to the weakness of this government. In order to overcome this dangerous crisis of management in our country will have to utilize every capacity at our disposal. The danger we face is significant enough that referring to important personalities such as Mr. Hashemi, Khatami, Rohani, Aghazadeh, Larijani and others is a necessity. Is it not unfortunate that our former president [Khatami, someone with wide international support and respect] would be prevented from traveling abroad, when his presence would have been instrumental in defending our nation's rights when it comes to nuclear technology? Everyone in our country is aware of the fact that most of the qualified managers and individuals who should be used as an elite force to run the country when in crisis have been excluded from all important policy making decisions. How should we view this obvious, extremely concerning and controversial reality?

The current activities of the IRGC (Sepah) are questionable to say the least. On the one hand the IRGC and Basiji forces are aiming their weapons directly at the people of our nation instead of at our enemies, playing a key role in the oppression and interrogation of political forces and those opposing the regime. On the other hand the IRGC has also become involved in our nation's economy in an unprecedented manner. Certainly, restoring the IRGC's original responsibilities will lead to reviving the honorable role of this institution as defenders of our sacred nation. It will also reduce the dangers resulting from greed and malice, enable a more healthy economy, reduce corruption and further encourage the private sector. An IRGC that is more concerned with the volatility of the dollar on the open market and interference in the affairs of banking, the stock market and export and import contracts cannot be trusted with the security of our nation and our revolution. Unfortunately we are currently witnessing the deterioration of popular support for the IRGC. If this trend continues, it is foreseeable that the IRGC will become exceedingly more interested in defending its own interest in the stocks of companies and institutions in is invested in rather than defending our nation. Eventually this interest will transform them into authoritarian power that works against the best interest of our nation. If love and trust of the armed forces is considered one of their greatest assets, today the activities of the IRGC as it relates to the economy and our security have led to the significant decrease of their social capital.

We all know that the brave and chivalrous forces within the IRGC are fed up with this type of behavior. Let us not forget the people's hatred of the financial and security institutions during the time of the monarchy and to what extent they were instrumental in the people's anger. As a result of the resolution and sanctions imposed on our country, reviewing the role of the IRGC and Basiji should be a key concern for everyone looking for the best interest of our nation, regardless of our background or affiliation. Here I would like to also reiterate that the attack of the Basiji on Mr. Karroubi and Khatami , the events that occurred on June 4th of this year and the recent attack and insult of our parliament only further facilitates the interests and goals of those who have imposed the sanctions on our country.

The last point we need to focus on is that the sanctions are not designed to bring the government to its knees. If we look back at the experience of August 19th, 1953 and the bitter fate of Iraq and Afghanistan in contemporary history, it should serve as a clear warning that some governments see their own survival in the continuation of this crisis, in intensified hostilities and even go as far as encouraging the use of a military offensive. It is up to the Green movement to create reconciliation by remaining true to its principles while confronting this clear risk. Resistance to potential foreign threats and invasion is a necessity and amongst other areas, should be an area of focus for the Green movement. We must demonstrate to our people that the way out of this crisis is to return to the principles and solutions presented by the Green movement since its inception a year ago. The Green movement should use its influence and power in the international arena to show foreign powers that it will not allow them to take advantage of the weakness and illegitimacy of the current ruling government and harm the territorial integrity and interests of our nation.

The Green movement will continue to focus on building awareness within all sectors of our society and in doing so will not allow the oppressors [ruling government] to escape from accountability and responsibility towards our nation by creating a crisis and unnecessary military conflict. We will continue to fight the systematic suppression and intimidation of opponents of this government and will not allow them [the ruling government] to focus on their own short term interests and in doing so compromise our national interests.

Mir Hossein Mousavi on Facebook
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Mousavi’s Condolence Message for the Passing of Allameh Fazlollah

Mousavi’s Condolence Message for the Passing of Allameh Fazlollah
Monday, July 5, 2010 at 9:00am

Following the passing of Allameh Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Fazlollah, the leading Lebonese Shiite cleric and scholar, Mir Hossein Mousavi in a message expressed his deepest condolences for the loss of this leading spiritual leader.

The full text of Mir Hossein Mousavi’s condolence message is as follows:

In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful

I express my condolences for the departure of the spiritual scholar and innovative intellectual, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Fazlollah, one of the caring Marjas (senior religious figure) of the Islamic world, to the Lebanese nation and his followers and respected family.

He was a warrior figure and a noble scholar who always by relying on the abundant knowledge and conscious view without obduracy was influential in solving the problems for his nation and Muslims of the world. It is hoped that his enlightening approach and vision would be followed by committed scholars and his caring students. Today the Muslims need brave, knowledgeable and innovative scholars like him so that in today’s transforming world they can, besides the freedom-seeking intellectuals and committed scientists, open the path to the future and achieve the stature they deserve among human society.

Mir Hossein Mousavi

Mir Hossein Mousavi on Facebook
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