THE PRESIDENT: Today I want to extend my very best wishes to all who are
celebrating Nowruz around the world.
This holiday is both an ancient ritual and a moment of renewal, and I hope that
you enjoy this special time of year with friends and family.
In particular, I would like to speak directly to the people and leaders of the
Islamic Republic of Iran. Nowruz is just one part of your great and celebrated
culture. Over many centuries your art, your music, literature and innovation
have made the world a better and more beautiful place.
Here in the United States our own communities have been enhanced by the
contributions of Iranian Americans. We know that you are a great civilization,
and your accomplishments have earned the respect of the United States and the
world.
For nearly three decades relations between our nations have been strained. But
at this holiday we are reminded of the common humanity that binds us together.
Indeed, you will be celebrating your New Year in much the same way that we
Americans mark our holidays -- by gathering with friends and family, exchanging
gifts and stories, and looking to the future with a renewed sense of hope.
Within these celebrations lies the promise of a new day, the promise of
opportunity for our children, security for our families, progress for our
communities, and peace between nations. Those are shared hopes, those are
common dreams.
So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak clearly to Iran's
leaders. We have serious differences that have grown over time. My
administration is now committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of
issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among the United States,
Iran and the international community. This process will not be advanced by
threats. We seek instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual
respect.
You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the Islamic Republic of Iran
to take its rightful place in the community of nations. You have that right --
but it comes with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached
through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions that demonstrate the
true greatness of the Iranian people and civilization. And the measure of that
greatness is not the capacity to destroy, it is your demonstrated ability to
build and create.
So on the occasion of your New Year, I want you, the people and leaders of Iran,
to understand the future that we seek. It's a future with renewed exchanges
among our people, and greater opportunities for partnership and commerce. It's
a future where the old divisions are overcome, where you and all of your
neighbors and the wider world can live in greater security and greater peace.
I know that this won't be reached easily. There are those who insist that we be
defined by our differences. But let us remember the words that were written by
the poet Saadi, so many years ago: "The children of Adam are limbs to each
other, having been created of one essence."
With the coming of a new season, we're reminded of this precious humanity that
we all share. And we can once again call upon this spirit as we seek the
promise of a new beginning.
