Letter from President of Iran to American People
Message of H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
To the American People
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
O, Almighty God, bestow upon humanity the perfect human being promised to all
by You, and make us among his followers.
Noble Americans,
Were we not faced with the activities of the US administration in this part of the
world and the negative ramifications of those activities on the daily lives of our
peoples, coupled with the many wars and calamities caused by the US
administration as well as the tragic consequences of US interference in other
countries;
Were the American people not God-fearing, truth-loving, and justice-seeking,
while the US administration actively conceals the truth and impedes any
objective portrayal of current realities;
And if we did not share a common responsibility to promote and protect freedom
and human dignity and integrity;
Then, there would have been little urgency to have a dialogue with you.
While Divine providence has placed Iran and the United States geographically far
apart, we should be cognizant that human values and our common human spirit,
which proclaim the dignity and exalted worth of all human beings, have brought
our two great nations of Iran and the United States closer together.
Both our nations are God-fearing, truth-loving and justice-seeking, and both seek
dignity, respect and perfection.
Both greatly value and readily embrace the promotion of human ideals such as
compassion, empathy, respect for the rights of human beings, securing justice
and equity, and defending the innocent and the weak against oppressors and
bullies.
We are all inclined towards the good, and towards extending a helping hand to
one another, particularly to those in need.
We all deplore injustice, the trampling of peoples’ rights and the intimidation and
humiliation of human beings.
We all detest darkness, deceit, lies and distortion, and seek and admire
salvation, enlightenment, sincerity and honesty.
The pure human essence of the two great nations of Iran and the United States
testify to the veracity of these statements.
Noble Americans,
Our nation has always extended its hand of friendship to all other nations of the
world.
Hundreds of thousands of my Iranian compatriots are living amongst you in
friendship and peace, and are contributing positively to your society. Our people
have been in contact with you over the past many years and have maintained
these contacts despite the unnecessary restrictions of US authorities.
As mentioned, we have common concerns, face similar challenges, and are
pained by the sufferings and afflictions in the world.
We, like you, are aggrieved by the ever-worsening pain and misery of the
Palestinian people. Persistent aggressions by the Zionists are making life more
and more difficult for the rightful owners of the land of Palestine. In broad daylight,
in front of cameras and before the eyes of the world, they are bombarding
innocent defenseless civilians, bulldozing houses, firing machine guns at
students in the streets and alleys, and subjecting their families to endless grief.
No day goes by without a new crime.
Palestinian mothers, just like Iranian and American mothers, love their children,
and are painfully bereaved by the imprisonment, wounding and murder of their
children. What mother wouldn’t?
For 60 years, the Zionist regime has driven millions of the inhabitants of
Palestine out of their homes. Many of these refugees have died in the Diaspora
and in refugee camps. Their children have spent their youth in these camps and
are aging while still in the hope of returning to homeland.
You know well that the US administration has persistently provided blind and
blanket support to the Zionist regime, has emboldened it to continue its crimes,
and has prevented the UN Security Council from condemning it.
Who can deny such broken promises and grave injustices towards humanity by
the US administration?
Governments are there to serve their own people. No people wants to side with
or support any oppressors. But regrettably, the US administration disregards
even its own public opinion and remains in the forefront of supporting the
trampling of the rights of the Palestinian people.
Let’s take a look at Iraq. Since the commencement of the US military presence
in Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed, maimed or displaced.
Terrorism in Iraq has grown exponentially. With the presence of the US military
in Iraq, nothing has been done to rebuild the ruins, to restore the infrastructure or
to alleviate poverty. The US Government used the pretext of the existence of
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but later it became clear that that was just
a lie and a deception.
Although Saddam was overthrown and people are happy about his departure,
the pain and suffering of the Iraqi people has persisted and has even been
aggravated.
In Iraq, about one hundred and fifty thousand American soldiers, separated from
their families and loved ones, are operating under the command of the current
US administration. A substantial number of them have been killed or wounded
and their presence in Iraq has tarnished the image of the American people and
government.
Their mothers and relatives have, on numerous occasions, displayed their
discontent with the presence of their sons and daughters in a land thousands of
miles away from US shores. American soldiers often wonder why they have
been sent to Iraq.
I consider it extremely unlikely that you, the American people, consent to the
billions of dollars of annual expenditure from your treasury for this military
misadventure.
Noble Americans,
You have heard that the US administration is kidnapping its presumed opponents
from across the globe and arbitrarily holding them without trial or any
international supervision in horrendous prisons that it has established in various
parts of the world. God knows who these detainees actually are, and what
terrible fate awaits them.
You have certainly heard the sad stories of the Guantanamo and Abu-Ghraib
prisons. The US administration attempts to justify them through its proclaimed
“war on terror.” But every one knows that such behavior, in fact, offends global
public opinion, exacerbates resentment and thereby spreads terrorism, and
tarnishes the US image and its credibility among nations.
The US administration’s illegal and immoral behavior is not even confined to
outside its borders. You are witnessing daily that under the pretext of “the war on
terror,” civil liberties in the United States are being increasingly curtailed. Even
the privacy of individuals is fast losing its meaning. Judicial due process and
fundamental rights are trampled upon. Private phones are tapped, suspects are
arbitrarily arrested, sometimes beaten in the streets, or even shot to death.
I have no doubt that the American people do not approve of this behavior and
indeed deplore it.
The US administration does not accept accountability before any organization,
institution or council. The US administration has undermined the credibility of
international organizations, particularly the United Nations and its Security
Council. But, I do not intend to address all the challenges and calamities in this
message.
The legitimacy, power and influence of a government do not emanate from its
arsenals of tanks, fighter aircrafts, missiles or nuclear weapons. Legitimacy and
influence reside in sound logic, quest for justice and compassion and empathy
for all humanity. The global position of the United States is in all probability
weakened because the administration has continued to resort to force, to conceal
the truth, and to mislead the American people about its policies and practices.
Undoubtedly, the American people are not satisfied with this behavior and they
showed their discontent in the recent elections. I hope that in the wake of the
mid-term elections, the administration of President Bush will have heard and will
heed the message of the American people.
My questions are the following:
Is there not a better approach to governance?
Is it not possible to put wealth and power in the service of peace, stability,
prosperity and the happiness of all peoples through a commitment to justice and
respect for the rights of all nations, instead of aggression and war?
We all condemn terrorism, because its victims are the innocent.
But, can terrorism be contained and eradicated through war, destruction and the
killing of hundreds of thousands of innocents?
If that were possible, then why has the problem not been resolved?
The sad experience of invading Iraq is before us all.
What has blind support for the Zionists by the US administration brought for the
American people? It is regrettable that for the US administration, the interests of
these occupiers supersedes the interests of the American people and of the
other nations of the world.
What have the Zionists done for the American people that the US administration
considers itself obliged to blindly support these infamous aggressors? Is it not
because they have imposed themselves on a substantial portion of the banking,
financial, cultural and media sectors?
I recommend that in a demonstration of respect for the American people and for
humanity, the right of Palestinians to live in their own homeland should be
recognized so that millions of Palestinian refugees can return to their homes and
the future of all of Palestine and its form of government be determined in a
referendum. This will benefit everyone.
Now that Iraq has a Constitution and an independent Assembly and Government,
would it not be more beneficial to bring the US officers and soldiers home, and to
spend the astronomical US military expenditures in Iraq for the welfare and
prosperity of the American people? As you know very well, many victims of
Katrina continue to suffer, and countless Americans continue to live in poverty
and homelessness.
I’d also like to say a word to the winners of the recent elections in the US:
The United States has had many administrations; some who have left a positive
legacy, and others that are neither remembered fondly by the American people
nor by other nations.
Now that you control an important branch of the US Government, you will also be
held to account by the people and by history.
If the US Government meets the current domestic and external challenges with
an approach based on truth and Justice, it can remedy some of the past
afflictions and alleviate some of the global resentment and hatred of America. But
if the approach remains the same, it would not be unexpected that the American
people would similarly reject the new electoral winners, although the recent
elections, rather than reflecting a victory, in reality point to the failure of the
current administration’s policies. These issues had been extensively dealt with
in my letter to President Bush earlier this year.
To sum up:
It is possible to govern based on an approach that is distinctly different from one
of coercion, force and injustice.
It is possible to sincerely serve and promote common human values, and
honesty and compassion.
It is possible to provide welfare and prosperity without tension, threats, imposition
or war.
It is possible to lead the world towards the aspired perfection by adhering to
unity, monotheism, morality and spirituality and drawing upon the teachings of
the Divine Prophets.
Then, the American people, who are God-fearing and followers of Divine
religions, will overcome every difficulty.
What I stated represents some of my anxieties and concerns.
I am confident that you, the American people, will play an instrumental role in the
establishment of justice and spirituality throughout the world. The promises of
the Almighty and His prophets will certainly be realized, Justice and Truth will
prevail and all nations will live a true life in a climate replete with love,
compassion and fraternity.
The US governing establishment, the authorities and the powerful should not
choose irreversible paths. As all prophets have taught us, injustice and
transgression will eventually bring about decline and demise. Today, the path of
return to faith and spirituality is open and unimpeded.
We should all heed the Divine Word of the Holy Qur’an:
“But those who repent, have faith and do good may receive Salvation. Your
Lord, alone, creates and chooses as He will, and others have no part in His
choice; Glorified is God and Exalted above any partners they ascribe to Him.”
(28:67-68)
I pray to the Almighty to bless the Iranian and American nations and indeed all
nations of the world with dignity and success.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
29 November 2006
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