Meeting with Students of Universities of Tehran (17 November 2009)

In a meeting with the students of Universities of Tehran

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami: Authorities don’t expect that only what they approve of be said / I wish the authorities would ask Mousavi to lead the [Green] movement / People’s doubts about the election won’t be resolved by denial and repression

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, the former president, met with a group of student activists of the 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.”

He added: “If we want to manage the society, we should have wider and better communication channels, not the connection that 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 perhaps great reforms could be achieved.” In 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.”

Khatami, in asking the question: “What has originated the problems and why has this [crisis] happened?” said: “If there is a slogan in the society that the majority of the society doesnn’t approve of, we should not immediately say that the enemy and foreigners have been meddling. Although in an unhealthy environment enemies will take advantage as well, some actions are frankly reactions to the behaviours and policies which have been employed and, if there were no such policies, for certain there would not be such reactions.”

Khatami continued: “The Islamic Republic that people wanted was a republic that would fulfill people’s historic demands; freedom, independence, prosperity, the ability to criticise the government and free elections were its characteristics…. Seeking justice is in the depth of the consciousness of all of us ”

Khatami, in emphasising the fact that “We should remain on our fundamentals and values” said: “But we don’t want any violence, we want the situation such that people trust the system, and the government trusts the people, but unfortunately this issue has been damaged and this is our problem and it is in the hands of the rulers to change it. Our slogan during the election campaign was change, both social changes and change in the way the country is being managed.”

He reiterated: “The university environment cannot be restricted, university should question, criticize and be free; the interference of forces from outside the university is wrong.”

He added: “People’s doubts about the elections won’t be resolved by denial and repression… If we want to stay on the scene then elections, both with regards to policies and execution, should be such that they can be trusted and if not then our presence does not have any meaning. Assuming if I invited people to participate in [future] elections, who would go to the polls? If they [rulers] care and we also want people to participate, then the political situation and the way elections have been executed should be changed….We want the people’s authority in its true meaning, which the revolution was supposed to bring us,”

Khatami, by emphasizing the fact that those who have done so much for the revolution are being introduced as “the enemy” in a sociological war and security environment, stressed: “By guiding these peaceful and civilized protests on a right path, many issues will be reformed, and I wish the authorities themselves would ask Mir-Hossein Mousavi to lead this movement on the right path, not that this much restrictions have been put in place and this much insults are being said.”