On cultural issues:
- From the standpoint of the politicians who control the world power centers, concepts such as moral principles, purity, honesty, integrity, compassion and self-sacrifice are rejected as defunct and outdated notions, and an impediment to the accomplishment of their goals. They openly talk about their disbelief in the relevance of ethics to the political and social affairs.
- Pure and indigenous cultures as the product of centuries-old efforts of nations, the common denominator reflecting human profound feeling and love towards beauties, and the force which breeds diversity, cultural vividness, and social dynamism, are under constant attacks, and susceptible to extinction.
- The human soul has become frustrated and the essence of humankind humiliated and suppressed.
On politics and security:
- .Unilateralism, application of double standards, and imposition of wars, instability and occupations to ensure economic interests, and expand dominance over sensitive centers of the world have turned to be the order of the day.
- .Arms race and intimidation by nuclear weapons and weapons of mass-destruction by the hegemonic powers have become prevalent: testing new generations of ultra-modern weaponry and the pledge to disclose these armaments on due time is now being used as a new language of threat against nations to coerce them into accepting a new era of hegemony. Continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality.
- .A state of mistrust has cast its shadow on the international relations, whilst there is no trusted or just authority to help resolve world conflicts.
- .No one feels secure or safe even those who have stockpiled thousands of atomic bombs and other arms in their arsenals.
The Iranian president had more to say, the full text of his speech is available here.
He went from the aforementioned into a second portion of his address which predicted a “second coming.” I have omitted some segments of that prediction.
Here is a sampling:
- He will come to grant kindness, hope, freedom and dignity to all humanity as a girl.
- .He will come so mankind will taste the pleasure of being human and being in the company of other humans.
- .He will come so that hands will be joined, hearts will be filled with love and thoughts will be purified to be at service of security, welfare and happiness for all.
- .He will come to return all children of Adam irrespective of their skin colors to their innate origin after a long history of separation and division linking them to eternal happiness.
- .The arrival of the Ultimate Savior, Jesus Christ and the Righteous will bring about an eternally bright future for mankind, not by force or waging wars but through thought awakening and developing kindness in everyone. Their arrival will breathe a new life in the cold and frozen body of the world. He will bless humanity with a spring that puts an end to our winter of ignorance, poverty and war with the tidings of a season of blooming.
- .Now we can sense the sweet scent and the soulful breeze of the spring, a spring that has just begun and doesn't belong to a specific race, ethnicity, nation or a region, a spring that will soon reach all the territories in Asia, Europe, Africa and the US.
- .He will be the spring of all the justice-seekers, freedom-lovers and the followers of heavenly prophets. He will be the spring of humanity and the greenery of all ages.
- .Let us join hands and clear the way for his eventual arrival with empathy and cooperation, in harmony and unity. Let us march on this path to salvation for the thirsty souls of humanity to taste immortal joy and grace.
"...Long live this spring, long live this spring and long live this spring. Thank you."
Article comments
1 - Clav
John,
Perhaps your intolerance of the delegation who walked out on Ahmadinejad would be better directed at their bosses who gave them the orders to walk out: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Barack H. Obama.
I doubt the US delegation has the authority to take it upon themselves to walk out on a speaker; if they do so, they are following orders.
2 - John Lake
That may be a possibility, Clav, but seems inconsistent with the Obama policies and promises. It would be hard not to see a similarity with the tactics of the GWB White House, wherein we declined to discuss issues for fear of granting “terrorist nations” validity.
3 - Clav
I see your point about inconsistency, John, and it does appear to be inconsistent with Obama's past focus on appeasement in the Middle East. Nonetheless, unless Obama is losing control of his administration, presidents tend to tightly control their delegations to world organizations; they do not usually give them any significant free rein, certainly not to the extent of being able to walk out absent instructions. The members of these delegations are appointed by the WH; even the name given the group, delegation, derives from delegate, "to send or appoint (a person) as deputy or representative."
4 - Deciet of iran
It is my personal belief that Clav got the last word on john.
5 - Arie Berman
Any liar can make beautiful speeches. The issue is trust.
6 - John Lake
Ms. Susan Rice heads the delegation (Mission); hers is a cabinet level official. There is no indication to be found as to who gave the word for the walkout; perhaps Rice (no relation to Condoleezza), perhaps a group vote. But again it seems inconsistent with Barack Obama's general position..
7 - Fred Mcmurray
Dear Arie Berman...by "any liar" surely you must be referring to the Israelis and at minimum the previous US administrations re WMD etc etc etc etc infinitum. The Iranian President may be a "liar" but so far we have yet to "catch him in the act" as we have done with those other guys mentioned and so then speculation is all we can objectively lay on him. To me John Lake is being very objective and that's how we should all be. We need to stop being sheep.
8 - John Lake
In an odd turn of events, Susan Rice, America’s Ambassador to the United Nations has been asked to step down from that post. The reasons given for the request seem unrelated to the walk out on Ahmadinejad as he spoke to the General Assembly. There is sure to be more news on this issue.
9 - Arie Berman
@Fred Macmurray: Surely I mean Ahmadinejad, certainly not Israel.
My bias: Iranian actions and instigations are not consistent with the "peace and love, and freedom" message of the speech.
John Lake's bias: "... a wise global philosopher... his real concern for the future of the UN... intolerant of an American delegation which walks out on an important speech from a highly lucid speaker."
10 - Clav
@#8:
Do you mean she's been fired?
It probably has to do with her uninformed and naive remarks to the press following the assassination in Benghazi of Ambassador Stevens. It looks like the administration is trying to distance itself from the clueless statements regarding the Benghazi attacks made by Rice and others.
11 - John Lake
Just a coincidence that the call for her removal comes one day after the Oh, so last decade walkout.
There was speculation from every pundit with an opinion as to the cause of the planned or spontaneous rioting.
12 - Clav
Yes there was, John; including from me.
It wasn't rioting. It wasn't spontaneous. And it definitely wasn't in response to the silly film clip.
A shame that Ambassador Stevens had to pay the ultimate price for the ineptitude and leadership void in Washington.
13 - Igor
I can't find a news report that Rice was fired, or that she stepped down under duress.
14 - Clav
Igor,
I don't know what happened to it, but I posted an acknowledgement on this thread yesterday, in which I conceded that to date, the administration has neither fired nor asked Rice to step down.