The Source of Power is People and their Satisfaction Must be Met (19 January 2010)

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, former president, in a meeting with a group of political prisoners 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.”

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 although these false accusations, 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 areget 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.”

Khatami continues: “There have been many lies said these days and many promises have been made, but people see that the system which is in charge of their affairs has not done much and has rather created problems. Therefore people see that a great number of protestors have no bad intention and their objects are justified.”

Khatami counted three important principles: satisfaction of the people, accountability and tolerance of those in power in making balance between people and the government , and said: “In today’s world s, when we speak of power we should seek its source. The source of power is the people and therefore their satisfaction must be met and the government must be held accountable in front of them. Satisfaction, tolerance and accountability are the difference between today’s societies and those in the past. Satisfaction is the essence of a government.” He added: “We should know that one cannot rule over people with anger and oppression. We talk about democracy and its compatibility with religion and we consider the correct way of defending the revolution’s values are these very reforms.”

In another part of his remarks Khatami added: “Should there be no accountability and tolerance and people’s satisfaction does not get counted , oppressions and force happen.” He reiterated: “This situation gets justified as defending the security of the society and we have even seen this in previous times…. On the other hand, in order to bash people they usually make up enemies or exaggerate the enemies in order to justify their brutalities.”

Khatami added: “We should try any approach to protect the principles and people’s rights and freedoms and prevent the situation fromto getting even more critical even though we are at a crisis and a new cycle of brutality [against people] has started and those in the government in complete protection commit these brutalities, and it is only natural that some ion the other side also react with violence and this is very dangerous.”

In another parts of his remarks, Khatami, regarding the parliamentary report of the disasters of Kahrizak prison (in which many detained protesters got tortures, raped and even murdered) said: “This report is a sad evidence of a disaster in the Islamic Republic. Of course there has been probably some hesitations and much of the truth has not been told but even this little is enough to shaken the back bone of those devoted to the establishment, Islam, and Iran, and I hope that with firm response and of course legally and swiftly this disaster getsis compensated as much as possible.”

Regarding Mir- Hossein Mousavi’s latest statement, the former president Khatami, in another part of his remarks, said: “Before this, also many devotees of the system had offered similar propositions with different wordings but in his latest and important statement Mr. Mousavi once again has described the logical demands of the people and the protestors, and in order to solve the crisis he has offered what everyone was saying in a devotional and useful statement. This way, people will also feel that those, who are following on their demands , are worried from about the situation getting more critical.”

Khatami added: “I am sure that if people are trusted [(by the government]), damages and insults are compensated, prisoners are freed, the [political] atmosphere is opened, parties and groups are allowed to work, media are permitted to work freely, and the security atmosphere of the society is turned into a political one , things will change and the interests of the people and the establishment will be met more at the same time.”

Khatami continued: “But for now for to have us to reach our voices to reach the people has become difficult and costly. We have no resources and our means of communicating with the people have become very limited. Of course, it is then natural for people to move towards the media which are located outside the country in this situation.”

At the end, Khatami warned if the wrongful actions and the radicalisms are not logically restrained, there is a possibility that the situation gets worse and more damaging, and he hoped that this does not happen.