The Response to Civil Protests is not Repression, Prison, and Execution (31 January 2010)

Seyyed Mohammad Khatami, former president, on the first day of the ceremonies for the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Republic, in a meeting with some political figures, said that he hopes that this year all the Iranians participate in the 22 Bahman (11 February) rally that will be held to commemorate the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. 

Khatami, while restating that the main outcome of the Islamic Revolution was the Islamic Republic said: “At that time the Islamic Republic was proposed, this was accepted and approved by the people not an Islamic state and this is a very important point.”

Khatami continued that the other main outcome of the Islamic Revolution was the constitution and the fact that today it is being said that the constitution is the base does not mean that the constitution is something above all human, but rather because it was written, edited and approved by the people to become the principal law for the society.”

He stressed: “If there are any objections it is because the constitution is not being fully honoured. If these shortcomings are by the parties and groups it is bad but it is even worse if these shortcomings are by the government; or if there are any objections it is due to the odd and biased interpretation of the constitution; or if there are any criticisms it is to discover whether the constitution is truly being guarded or not?!”

Khatami stated that the great honour of Islam and the revolution was the democratic nature of it and recognising the fact that the republic part of the revolution is not in contradiction to the Islamic part of it, as the Islam that was introduced in the revolution promoted the republic as well, the Islamic Republic itself is the result of a great human movement throughout our history.”

Khatami added: “Our people have suffered a lot from tyranny throughout history and this is why they have been against tyranny and dictatorial governments, the governments that have no representative among the people; and today the governments that have no roots among their own people become dependent on foreigners.”

He restated: “The Islam that is in the Islamic Republic is not the Islam that does not recognise the right of the people, does not recognise the freedoms of the people, and does not want justice; such Islam is in no way in accordance with the Islam that is in the Islamic Republic.”

Khatami then added: “The Islam and Islamic Republic that we wanted was not this one where the government is not under people’s watch.”

He emphasised: “Today we defend the revolution and if we have any objections or anything to say, we say let us speak our mind; the response to the civil protests is not pressure, repression, imprisonment and possibly execution. These will only make the crisis deeper and make the tendencies to exit from the boundaries stronger.”

He added: “How could it be possible that people have the power but the government not be based on the will of the majority of the people? Therefore elections are very vital and important for us and if we show sensitivity toward this issue it is because having free, competitive and healthy elections is a practice based on the Republic part of the Islamic Republic and the fact that truly all the organisations of the government should be based on the free will of the people is not some minor issue.”

The former president, by pointing out that the life of the political parties and groups is in the freedom of assemblies and parties, stated: “The freedom that we are talking about is freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, freedom of expressing that opinion and freedom of employing that opinion and that the people be asked to give their input about that opinion.”

Khatami said: “The requirement for freedom in its true meaning, which in short is the power of the people over their own destiny, is the freedom of speech and assembly; and how could it be possible that there are parties but they don’t have any platform to express their views?! And cannot hold gatherings?!”

He emphasised: “It should be allowed that in a calm and civil environment people have a chance to come and then it would be clear what poeple’s tendencies are. And more important than all these are the elections, that should be free, healthy, and trustworthy.”

He stressed: “See what kind of atmosphere has been created these days. There is not only oppression and brutal confrontations and arrests but also there is the atmosphere of accusation and allegations; and the fact that there are extreme limitations on one side for its speeches and communicating with people and on the other side there are some in complete freedom that I believe by fabricating lies and allegations are pushing the society toward violence (a blind violence that only God knows what would be its outcome).”

Khatami added: “How wonderful it would be if all the loved ones who are in [political] prisons were among us and we could all participate in the 22 Bahman (11 February) rally together!”

Khatami continued: “Some have the authority to lie and say such person has written a letter and in the letter has been said such things [ed. referring to the government’s alleged fabricatation of a story that Khatami had written a letter to the supreme leader]; while no one knows what is in this [so-called] letter and there was no such a thing at all. Then the same people try to create tension and portray differences among those who have the honour of being accepted by the people and then say that they have differences among themselves while it is not like that at all.”

Khatami warned: “These are wrong and evil methods being used in order to disappoint people and to say that those who were accepted by the people have forgotten about the people and betrayed them but it is not like that at all.”

While reiterating that they (the reformists) have always invited people to peace, Khatami said: “People have the right to protest. They have the right to know that their votes are effective. People have the right to have proper freedom and good economy.”

At the end, Seyyed Mohammad Khatami reminded: “We never affirm defiance and violence and we pray to God that people also don’t be treated with violence.”