Source: Khatami.ir

The public relations division of former president Mohammad Khatami’s office reports that the  former reformist president had a meeting with a group from the youth and students association of the faction of Imam’s Line forces  in commemoration of the beloved prophet [Mohammad] (PBUH)’s birthday.

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami congratulated the attendees on the birthday of the prophet (PBUH) and the sixth [Shia] leader [Imam], Imam Ja’far Sadegh, and said “In these blessed days, in Unity Week [that is officially dedicated to focusing on the unity between Shia’s and Sunni's in Iran], I am happy to be among you young people who are both concerned about religion and the fate of your country.

I congratulate these [joyous] occasions to the Iranian people and all Muslims around the world and I wish God will give us the privilege to better understand the path of these honorable figures and so that we can follow on it as much as we are capable”. Go to Khordad 88.

Former Iranian president, Mohammd Khatami, speaking to a group of student and youth members of the Path of Imam Forces Organization, maintained that the reformists cannot retreat in the face of all the “deviations” and “damages” that the “Islamic” and “republic” aspects of the system have suffered.

Parleman News reports that the opposition leader maintained that in response “to all the shouts that we have endured,” we cannot retreat until all the “deviations that have taken shape in the Islamic Republic system are remedied.”

He added: “If people believe that their votes were not respected, then reformists have the right to say that the Islamic and republic aspects of the system are threatened.”

Mohammad Khatami declared that “Imam, the constitution and common sense state that people should determine the outcome of elections and elections need to be healthy with complete transparency.”

In the Islamic Republic, according to the former president, people’s acceptance is a “real and vital” matter and if this acceptance is damaged, “then it is our religious duty to find out what has gone wrong.”

He once more urged for an end to political pressures, and the security atmosphere of the country as well as freedom of all political prisoners.

The Opposition Leader expressed deep regret that a group of “extremists” are stopping the society from reaching a meaningful “understanding.” He also criticized the National Broadcasting Seda Va Sima for restricting its reports and activities to a limited point of view.

Reformists have repeatedly accused Seda va Sima of one sided support of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the expense of all other voices in the society.

Mohammad Khatami spoke out against the harsh media restrictions against the opposition claiming: “They slander reformists and prominent Revolutionary figures any which way they want and refuse to even give them a chance to defend themselves.”

He added that “everyone has gotten into the habit of speaking on behalf of the people but really speaking their own thoughts. Then they claim it is what people are saying.” He continued: “It is vital to speak about the people and not on their behalf; and then speak out our own minds.” Go to original article.

Mohammad Khatami, the soft-spoken former Iranian president who has come under criticism for not being brave enough in his rhetoric and actions, on Monday issued a polite but firmly worded rebuke of the current hard-line establishment.

Khatami’s statement appeared to be a response to supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s insistence that reformists like Khatami had forfeited their ability to participate in the country’s political establishment by refusing to accept his divine ratification of last year’s presidential elections.

Khatami also filled in some of the blanks in opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi’s recent interview, forcefully slamming the foreign policy of the government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“It is easy to create tensions in the world, but difficult to eliminate them,” he said in an account of a meeting with students posted on his charity’s website, Baran.org.ir (in Persian). “Detente requires courage and finesse, and the system has to take steps to that effect. We should not embark on adventurism in the world under pretext of having won so many enemies. We should hold back from speaking in a manner to inflict heavy costs.”

But, like Mousavi, he failed to articulate a way forward, offering no specific on a course of action other than to say, “We have to mobilize our efforts.”

Khatami insisted on his longstanding position that Iran would each its democratic aspirations if it would only return to the original path of the 1979 revolution charted by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

“Everyone may have had his own interpretation of reforms, but we mean reforms within the framework of criteria born out of Islam, the revolution and the nation’s will,” he said. “In the face of any possible deviation from Islam and Imam Khomeini’s line, we have to give warning.”

He continued, “Go and ask the former revolutionary militants if the ongoing conditions reflect what they were after. Ask them if these arrests, blame games, vendettas and the imposition of costs on the nation were what the revolutionary forces sought. If not, our conscience necessitates that we close ranks in order to improve conditions.”

Though he failed to articulate any course of action, he urged supporters to remain steadfast.

“We should not retreat from our demands, and we should keep fighting even if certain groups beat us on the head,” he said. “Unfortunately, certain hard-line groups in the society are opposed to any compromise within the society.” Go to LA Times.

Iran’s ex-president Mohammad Khatami criticized on Monday Tehran’s foreign policy, saying the Islamic republic must refrain from an “adventurous” approach despite Western powers imposing sanctions on the country.

The reformist cleric, under whose presidency Iran had suspended the enrichment of uranium, said the revolution of 1979 had created a lot of “enemies” for Tehran, but the Islamic republic should not exacerbate the situation.

“We have big enemies… they did all sorts of things like imposing wars, committing terrorist attacks, coup attempts and imposing sanctions,” Khatami, a strong backer of Iran’s opposition movement, said in a speech that was posted on the website of his organization, Baran.

“But it does not mean that we have to face them with an adventurous policy and intensify it. Wisdom and politics demand that we act logically and not give a pretext to others,” he said implicitly referring to Tehran’s defiant stance when it comes to its nuclear program. Go to AL ARABIYA.

In his latest remarks Mohammad Khatami blasted the violent treatment of the people and the “absolute freedom of violence-spreaders” and called on the Islamic Republic supreme leader to be the leader of all Iranians.

Speaking to central committee members of Khane Ahzab (House of Parties), Khatami warned against the “supreme leader’s affinity with a certain faction,” noting, “We want Islam and the Constitution; we want the supreme leader, who has an important role in the constitutional framework, to be the leader of the whole country and all the people. “

According to the Baran Foundation’s news website, Khatami declared “the supreme leader’s affinity for one political faction a betrayal of ayatollah Khomeini, the revolution and Islam,” adding that if policies and behaviors create that impression in society they must be changed.

Leadership of Lies

Mohammad Khatami’s remarks are published while in recent days and weeks rumors had spread about the behind-the-scenes compromise of the former Iranian president with ayatollah Khamenei.  The rumors, spread by media outlets supportive of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, indicated that in a letter to ayatollah Khamanei, Khatami had conceded the legitimacy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s administration.

The rumors were denied by Khatami but last week the Irandokht magazine claimed that in his letter to the supreme leader Khatami had written, “The reformist faction and we recognize the present administration’s legitimacy but extremism must be stopped.  Extremism exists both on this side and on the other side.”

Yesterday, Mohammad Khatami again denied the rumors about the letter, announcing, “Some have a mission to lie, ‘so and so has written a letter,’ or ‘so and so is stated in the letter’; but neither anyone is aware of the contents of it nor such things exist.”

Emphasizing that the green movement’s leaders have not turned their backs against he people, Khatami clarified that these rumors “pursue the wrong and treacherous aim of creating hopelessness among the people, to say that popular figures have turned their backs on the people, which is not true.” Go to Rooz Online.

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, former president, in a meeting with a group of political prisoner who were arrested after the election and were temporary released on heavy bails said: “unfortunately we are witnessing arrests and imprisonments of recognized figures who are devotees of the revolution. It was believed that after the events of the past few months, we would witness the ruling of wisdom, security and relative peace in the country and the society and the legitimate demands and rights of the people would be considered but in the recent days instead of balance and peace we are witnessing heavy accusations and a new wave of oppressions and arrests.”l

Khatami added: “Some portray black as white and white as black using the official stages and from mosques’ podiums make false accusations against individuals and tell lies…. Of course these false accusation, allegations and wrongful remarks although influence those who don’t have strong logical minds but the public and true believers can distinguish these remarks and even if they get influenced for a moment but they will not have long-term effects and over the long run they (these false accusations) will have a negative effect against those who are making these false accusations.” l Go to original article.

Iran’s supreme leader called on the opposition today to distance itself from the Islamic republic’s Western enemies, in a warning ahead of expected new antigovernment protests next month.

Despite intensifying pressure, opposition backers are expected to take to the streets again on February 11, when Iran marks the 31st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Opposition Iranians have seized on occasions marked in the Islamic revolutionary calendar to revive their protests and messages of rallies on that day have circulated on the Internet.

“All parties with different tendencies should clearly distance themselves from the enemies, particularly influential elites should avoid making ambiguous comments,” Khamenei said in a speech reported by state television.

Referring to the state-sponsored rallies usually on the revolution anniversary, he said the “enemies are worried about the huge presence of our nation” on that day.

But in a sign of continued opposition defiance, reformist former President Mohammad Khatami accused the authorities of launching a “new wave of pressures” and he defended people still protesting over the outcome of the election.

“Unfortunately we are witnessing these days a new wave of pressures and a new round of arrests,” said Khatami, who backed opposition leader Mir Hossein Musavi in the presidential poll. He was speaking at a meeting of freed postvote detainees.

Khatami, who was president from 1997-2005, said those handling Iran’s affairs had “done nothing but caused more problems,” in hard-hitting criticism of Ahmadinejad’s conservative government.

“The people have realized that many of the protesters were not ill-wishers and their protests were right,” Khatami said. “The major part of the protesters are committed to the constitution and peaceful ways to voice their protests.” Go to Radio Free Europe.

More than 40 people have been arrested on the basis of tip-offs after police circulated photographs of demonstrators at a December rally which turned deadly, a police website reported on Tuesday.

But the reformist ex-president Mohammad Khatami defended the protesters and condemned the new wave of arrests of government critics launched after the bloody protests during the Shiite mourning rituals of Ashura on December 27.

Despite the roundup, Khatami, a key figure in the opposition camp which has infuriated hardliners with its street protests, defended the protesters.

Khatami, who was meeting with a group of released post-vote detainees, slammed those in power who “commit violence with complete immunity” against demonstrators.

Khatami also accused Iran’s leadership of lying to the people.

“Many lies have been told these days and many promises have been made but people see those in charge of their affairs have not done much,” the former president said.

“So people realise that many of the protesters are not ill-intentioned and their protest is reasonable,” he said in comments carried by his Baran Organisation’s website. Go to AFP.

Source: Khatami.ir
Date: December 23, 2009

The former president of our country, Mr. Mohammad Khatami, expressed his grave disappointment from the attacks on the mourners of Ayatollah Montazeri, and objected to lies that some [in the establishment] spread around in the name of the Islamic Republic. He also alluded to news of his writing a letter to the supreme leader and called it a forged document and a big lie. Go to Khordad 88.

On Saturday night in Tehran, members of a pro-government militia broke into a mosque where former President Mohammad Khatami, a reformist leader, was speaking, forcing him to break off before concluding his remarks. “about 50 vigilantes armed with chains, batons and pepper spray disrupted a speech by Mr. Khatami at Jamaran Mosque in Tehran, the home mosque of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution.” Citing a report on the event by an Iranian news source, the American Web site Tehran Bureau said that the disruption came after Mr. Khatami had seemed to draw an explicit parallel between the opposition movement and the struggle of Imam Hussein, the revered Shiite martyr whose death is being commemorated this weekend. According to the report, Mr. Khatami said, “Imam Hossein’s rebellion arose from his willingness to die for the sake of freedom. He fought against those who wanted to govern society in the name of religion and abolish freedom.”

Khatami and Nouri at Dar Al Zahra.

“Release the detained students as well as the other political prisoners and return the safe environment for dialogue to the universities” says the former President.

Video here.

Khatami’s Video Message to Students: Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, former president, could not attend the gathering in Tehran University, titled “Swear to every moment of these Red days that the aroma of the Greenest season is in the air”, that was held on Dec 14th in …person due to security issues, but in a video message addressed to the students said that the student movement has always been the frontier for the other social movements. He added that for more than hundred years, the Iranian people have been paying heavy prices for freedom, independence, and prosperity and having control over their fate. Khatami expressed sorrow that this year’s national Student Day many of the students were in prison and on this day that the students should have been honoured even more of them were arrested and attacked. Khatami addressed the authorities who before the Student Day had claimed that they would confront the student protests culturally by handing out flowers to the students; and said: there is no need for the flowers, just release the detained students as well as the other political prisoners and return the safe environment for dialogue to the universities. He emphasised that three bases of independence, freedom and Islamic Republic have been the roadmap for student movements, but we want freedom with in entirety. He stressed that what is important at this critical stage is to maintain calm and peace while keeping pressure for the lawful and legitimate demands of the nation. At the end he added that protests are students’ undeniable right and he believes that students won’t commit defying acts but want to express their views. Go to original article.

Khatami, who was speaking for the members of central branch of the Islamic Society of Physicians, emphasized that one of the proud features of religions and particularly Islam is giving value to the dignity of human and said that in the reformists’ view of Islam and that of the Islamic Revolution, human deserve to determine their own fate and that’s why the 56th principle of the constitution explicitly recognizes people’s right to determine their fate.

He added that any thing and any action that obstructs this God-given right is against our beliefs and the Islamic Revolution’s idea and these kinds of actions are in contrast to the God’s will, Islam ideology and spiritual religions. He continued: “People determine their government and governments are chosen by the people and are responsible in front of the people. This has its bases such as elections, free election, and providing requirements for the kind of election that people’s votes are truly accounted and any action in contrast to these is in contrast to Islamic view.” Go to original article.

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, former president, met with a group of student activists of University of Tehran, Sharif University, Alame-Tabatabai University and Amir-Kabir University. At the beginning of this meeting Khatami said: “I am very pleased to meet with you and I believe it would be better if others who have responsibilities in the system would listen to others [views] as well.” l

He added: “If we want to manage the society, we should have wider and brother communication channels, not that the connection only exists through special channels; and authorities should not expect that only what they approve of be said because if they listen to all ideas maybe great reforms could be achieved.” By pointing out the fact that these kinds of meetings could solve many problems he added: “Regretfully having these kinds of meeting has limitations which I hope would be eased.” See More.