Today’s sermon by Imam Ali Khamemei
Posted by VINEYARDSAKER: at 2:59 PM
Labels: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran, speech, translation
Imam Khamenei Says Iran Protests Should End as Right Man Won
19/06/2009 In his first public response to days of protests, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Imam Ali Khamenei, called Friday for an end to the street protests over last week’s presidential election, and denied opposition claims that the election was rigged, praising the ballot as an “epic moment that became a historic moment.”
In a lengthy sermon at Friday prayers in Tehran, Imam Khamenei urged dissenters to pursue their complaints about the June 12 only through legal channels, insisting that the turnout — officially put at 85 percent — showed the ballot to be a reflection of the national will.
“Street challenge is not acceptable,” his eminence said. “This is challenging democracy after the elections.” He said opposition leaders would be “held responsible for chaos” if they did not end the protests. “It would be wrong to think that turning out on the street would force officials to accept their demands,” he said.
“The people have chosen whom they wanted,” the supreme leader said in his sermon which was broadcast live across the nation, adding, “I see some people more suitable for serving the country than others but the people made their choice. What I want was not told to the people – the president’s opinion is closer to my opinion.”
Speaking in front of an audience of thousands that included President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he endorsed the president’s policies and insisted that the margin of victory — 11 million votes — accorded to Ahmadinejad in the official tally was so big that it could not have been falsified. “How can 11 million votes be replaced or changed?” he said.
He went on: “The Islamic republic state would not cheat and would not betray the vote of the people.”
The opposition has been planning a new mass rally in Tehran on Saturday, to be addressed by the Ahmadinejad’s principal challenger, former premier Mir Hossein Mousavi.
Mosavi’s supporters have been protesting the defeat in presidential elections despite a decision to recount ballots in contested areas. For its part the Assembly of Experts held rioters responsible for chaos in Tehran and described them as enemies of Iranian unity.
The three defeated candidates – former parliament speaker Mehdi Karroubi and conservative ex-Revolutionary Guards chief Mohsen Rezai as well as Mousavi – have been invited to set out their grievances before electoral watchdog, the Guardians Council, on Saturday. The council has said it will make its decision on Sunday on any recount. Rezai told state television that official turnout was as high as 140 percent in some constituencies during last week’s vote. “When I submit (the list for) 170 constituencies where participation reached between 95 and 140 percent are these generalities or does this need to be examined?” he asked.
Imam Khamenei blamed “media belonging to Zionists, evil media” for seeking to show divisions between those who supported the Iranian state and those who did not, while, in fact, the election had shown Iranians to be united in their commitment to the Islamic revolutionary state. “There are 40 million votes for the revolution, not just 24 million for the chosen president,” he said, referring to the official tally that gave Ahmadinejad more than 60 percent of the vote.
He accused what he called arrogant Western powers, particularly Britain and the United States, of showing their hostility to the Iranian Islamic revolution in remarks casting doubt on the election. And he warned them not meddle in Iran’s affairs, accusing them of failing to understand the nature of Iranian society. “Today, top diplomats of several Western countries who talked to us so far within diplomatic formalities are showing their real face and most of all, the British government,” he said.
His eminence added that the election “was a competition among people who believe in the state.” He also spoke of the religious roots of “our revolutionary society.” “Despite all the diversions, our people are faithful,” he said, but urged young Iranians to lead more spiritual lives. “The youth are confused. Being away from spirituality has caused confusion. They don’t know what to do,” he said.
He said the June 12 elections had been a “great demonstration of responsibility by our nation” and its 85 percent turnout had shown “the hand of the Lord of ages supporting such a great development. This is a sign of God’s mercy for this nation.”
On Thursday the opposition remained firm in its demand for a new election, and it was not immediately clear how it would respond to the council’s offer of talks, which could take place as early as Saturday.
The Iranian authorities reported that at least seven people were killed in Tehran in the first days of unrest after the election.
IRAN SAYS PERMISSION DENIED FOR SATURDAY RALLY
Meanwhile, Tehran governor general Morteza Tamadon was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency as saying that the new rally called by Iranian opposition groups for Saturday has not been authorized. “I hope that this rally will not be held as no legal permission has been granted for this rally,” Tamadon said.
WINEP very anxious to see blood in Iran …
Clawson, afflicted with the LEBANESE syndrome of “Crowdo-mania” talked to LR in the CABLE, here
“…. Speaking at Friday prayer services in Tehran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei endorsed the disputed vote count that declared incumbent PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad the landslide winner, and warned opposition leaders they would be responsible for “bloodshed and chaos” if the protests continue.
News reports said thousands of people attended the prayer service, among them Ahmadinejad. “If on Friday, they can’t turn out [huge numbers] for prayers, and you just have Khamenei appearing in front of the Basiji, and there are no mass demonstrations,” the regime is in trouble, said the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Patrick Clawson in an interview Thursday.
Of the crowd at the Friday prayer service, Clawson said, “It was pathetic. They have had a week to organize for this moment, and that was the best they could do? The speech is a ‘screw you’ to the protestors and to [former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi] Rafsanjani. The kind words about him fit an Iranian stereotype: praise the guy you are about to arrest. No signs of a compromise.”
Kissinger threatens regime change in Iran if coup fails
Added by James aka adap2k on June 18, 2009 at 6:56pm
http://static.ning.com/socialnetworkmain/widgets/video/flvplayer/flvplayer.swf?v=
” I am sure that Americans would favour the emergence from the present situation of a truly popularly based government and it is very appropriate for the president to make clear that that is what he favours. Now if it turns out that it is not possible for a government to emerge in Iran that can deal with itself as a nation rather than as a cause then we have a different situation, then we may conclude that we must work for regime change in Iran from the outside but if I understand the president correctly he does not want to do this as a visible intervention in the current crisis.”
Exciled-Palestiniane 