Source: Mir Hossein Mousavi's facebook
Mir Hossein Mousavi in a video message for the Persian New Year and the Norooz called the New Year the year of Patience and Perseverance on the rightful and legal demands of the Iranian nation and emphasized: "The New Year is the year of resistance on these rightful and legal demands and we do not have the right to give up and back off from these demands as that would be a betrayal to the nation, Islam and the blood of the martyrs. We have achieved this constitution from the waves of the bloods of many martyrs and we cannot lose that easily and we all should return to that."
Full English translation of Mir Hossein Mousavi's
message for the Persian New Year addressed to the people of Iran is as follows:
(With special thanks to KHORDAAD88)
Kalemeh reports the
complete transcripts of this message as follows:
In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful,
The unified caravan of martyrs
I wish all of our people a Happy New year, as we approach the green spring and
this national holiday. I will especially make note of the families of those who
lost their lives while defending our independence during the [Iran-Iraq] war,
the veterans, the injured, and those who suffered in any way. I should also
mention the martyrs and those injured in 1388, [1][the year that is coming to an
end], since I see their fate as connected to that of the war-time martyrs; they
are all a apart of the caravan of martyrs that our country has produced over the
course of history. If we have a proud country and a free nation today, it is due
to their suffering and sacrifices.
Congratulating Iranians both inside Iran and abroad; [all] Iranians with a
common identity
I should also pass on good wishes to Iranians from various groups, tribes,
ethnicities, cultures and [political] parties; all of our people. This year, I
would particularly like to mention our countrymen living abroad. Today, our
people are united, and this is one of the blessings of the Green Movement. It
has become so extensive, that there are people on the other side of the globe
who identify themselves with the rich Iranian and Islamic cultures, strive for
the glory and development of Iran and the Revolution, and try to concern
themselves with the fate of their country. This is particularly true among our
youth, be it inside Iran or abroad, who have sacrificed the most and who have
experienced the most damage [in the events of the past year].
We should help and comfort the families who have experienced loss
As far as I have heard, the third and fourth generations of Iranians living
abroad are as active as the youth inside Iran, and I would like to use this
opportunity to wish a Happy New Year to them as well. The families of the
martyrs and the injured have had a crucial role in our movement; our people
should stay alongside these families and comfort them, particularly in these
first few days of festivities.
The year that has passed
The passing year has been a special one for us all. Our people witnessed a great
deal of energy and excitement in the days leading up to the election, and the
beauty of it was the love and unity that you saw between people of different
backgrounds and political inclinations. The election could have turned into a
great festival for our people and initiated a new movement in the history of our
nation. It was this movement that lead to very high voter turnout, with which
you demonstrated your resolve to see [progress], change, independence, [and the
authority of] freedom and justice. But, your active presence in the election was
met with a reaction that prompted you to go to the streets with the common
question: "Where is my vote?" The roots of this reaction go back to June 12,
[election day]. It was not even 5PM when one of my main campaign headquarters
was attacked. By 8PM, my central headquarters was also attacked and, before
being published the next morning, the main Kalemeh Sabz [2] headline was changed
several times on orders from intelligence officials.
A response by the government unworthy of the dignity of our nation
The lack of a proper and Islamic response to the elections by the government
created a negative image in the minds of our people and as a result was the root
cause of many of the events that occurred in our country. The response [by the
government] to the protests was not befitting of the grandeur, liberty and pride
associated with our nation. The crimes at Kahrizak prison, the atrocities at the
student dormitories, the killings on the 30th of Khordad, even the 25th of
Khordad and the events that followed, such as on the day of Ashura, took the
people of our country by surprise.
If the challenges were political in nature, then they should have been resolved
through political channels with convincing explanations to our people. This was
however not the case and the responses were unfortunately also not satisfying.
One of the most significant days was the 25th of Khordad when our people took to
the streets in masses, transforming this day into a decisive moment in the
history of our nation and a testament to the high spirit of our nation days
after the elections.
What did our people desire?
Our people while chanting national and Islamic slogans came out to the streets,
without creating any tension, to declare their point of view and cast their
vote. We expected a [the government's] response tailored to meet the gentle
spirit of our people, unfortunately, we however, witnessed a much different type
of response in the events that followed which only further complicated matters.
On the 22nd of Khordad the people of Iran participated in the elections in order
to determine their destiny and define the direction of their future. The events
that followed the elections, however, turned into an eye opening experience for
our people and our country. Our nation discovered major discrepancies and
glitches that lead to the formation of a broad spectrum of new demands. These
demands began with a request for a referendum on open and fair elections, and
later extended to other areas. The Green movement resulted in uniting people
behind the fact that all matters should be dealt with in the framework of the
Constitution and this became a slogan widely accepted by the majority.
Ignoring parts of the Constitution is tantamount to rendering it meaningless
The truth is, this slogan is of significant importance to the destiny of our
nation. The Constitution is a national covenant, without which there is no unity
and only chaos and darkness. It consists of a set of contiguous articles and as
such, ignoring or weakening one section only leads to rendering it meaningless
and void in its entirety.
One must look at the constitution as a whole. When the constitution was first
written, those involved in its inception, wrote an important introduction
designed to protect the integrity and continuity of the law. The articles
emphasize a set of values, aspirations and demands that are integral to the
constitution and cannot be separated. Now that our people have witnessed the
judiciary, political, electoral, etc. problems they realize more than ever that
the path to a bright future is returning to the foundation defined by our
constitution, without any interference by the various political factions.
Withdrawing our demands of unconditional execution of the Constitution is an act
of treason for Iran and for Islam. This is a demand that we will not abandon.
If an article in the Constitution is erroneous, the way to fix it is clear. We
must amend the Constitution in accordance with public opinion and the recent
state of affairs. [As of now], we do not have a free media or the freedoms
outlined in the constitution. We lack free elections, where candidates are not
cherry-picked, and fair competition. We do not have rights that protect the
people's privacy; rights that prevent some from searching through personal
letters with self-serving 'justification'. How can we assume to have a working
system and solve our problems while the national course of action taken is
against the Constitution?
We are facing many issues and difficulties in this New Year. Some of them relate
to the shape that our demands are going to take. And these are rightful demands.
They are a way to achieve national greatness and are a salvation for all parties
on the path of developing our nation. We will persevere with these demands, and,
accordingly, the coming year will be [known as] the year of persistence. We do
not have the right to turn away from them. Any distraction would be an act of
treason for the nation, for Islam and for the blood of our martyrs. Our
Constitution was created in a sea of martyred blood. It is not something that we
can lose easily and we must all return to [its principles].
Among all other things, I wish that the executive branch was at least
proficient.
Besides this problem, there are others too; problems that existed before, but
which are going to intensify this year, although I am wishing against it.
Economic prospects for the future are not good. I am not pleased with this
situation. I wish that despite all our issues, we would have seen an outlook to
solve these [non-political] troubles. But that was not so. Forecasts of economic
growth for the coming year are poor. First, in addition to drops in investment,
this would mean greater instances of unemployment and extensive and increasing
poverty. Our middle-class is shrinking more and more as we face these problems.
Second, our current [international] standing is not a pleasant one due to
ambiguous policies, as well as an adventurous and inept approach [to foreign
policy]. Looming upon us is a threatening situation. We have the worst possible
international relations and foreign policy, and it seems that with greater
sanctions we should expect [more economic pressure].
The Green Movement must expand its reach.
Faced with such a situation, the Green Movement must expand its reach to all
segments of society. The Green Movement must revive the timeless social and
Islamic principle of inclusion. We must lend a hand to neighbors and
neighborhoods both near and far, through job creation and other forms of
interaction.
Let us live more modestly; let us help our fellow men and women; let us reduce
the weight of people's problems
Let us make our lives more modest and, by foregoing unnecessary formalities,
make more room to think about how to reduce the load of problems that people
appear to have. Let us help and attend to the families of the martyrs and those
who have been injured-the just prophet looks favorably upon spending time with
these families. Moreover, doing this will rekindle the nation's hope.
The path that we cannot avoid
I believe that the path to realizing the greatness of our nation follows this
route and, without a doubt, the nation understands that there is no other
alternative. Thus, the nation is hopeful in following this path. God-willing, we
will reach our distinct goals, since our demands are not extravagant by any
standards. We demand a fair and healthy election-an election where being on the
ticket does not imply having been vetted and selected by a few in power. That
kind of election-the kind that we have been having up until now-does not reflect
the appropriate respect towards a nation as dignified as Iran. The Iranian
nation is great, progressive, and civilized. It should not be treated like a
nation of uncivilized, ignorant people, for whom matters need to be decided
because they cannot be trusted to run their own affairs and choose their own
government properly. I ask that the government respect freedom of speech and
freedom of the press so that the nation's thoughts and ideas are able to flow
freely and publicly. I am certain that the manifestation of these thoughts will
be Islamic. Only then will we see a productive and progressive Iran brimming
with justice and freedom. We must not be afraid to allow this to happen. In
fact, we must truly fear the consequences of not allowing this to happen. We
must truly be afraid of turning our backs on the demands of the people.
I will finish with a prayer from Imam Khomeini-a prayer that is relevant to our
situation today:
O Lord, be watchful of our martyrs and let them rest close to your kindness and
compassion. Heal our injured and our dead, and lead those who have been captured
by the enemy back to the bleeding hearts of their families. O Lord, in your
kindness, grant us patience and success.
[1] 2009-2010
[2] Mousavi's official newspaper during election campaign
Full English translation of Zahra Rahnavard's
message for the Persian New Year addressed to the people of Iran is as follows:
(With special thanks to KHORDAAD88)
Kalemeh reports the
complete transcripts of this message as follows:
In the name of God, the Compassionate and the Merciful,
We wish our countrymen, inside and outside the country, no matter where they may
be, a happy Norouz. Norouz, this ancient, eternal holiday.
[new year prayer] O savior of hearts and sights, guide of night and day, you who
transform our being and our condition, transform me to the very best.]
How strange that this ancient ceremony has been so elegantly woven with an
Islamic narrative, and not only with a beautiful Islamic narrative, but with the
modern society we live in today, and at a time when the green movement has
engraved its own beautiful signature on it.
Transform me to the very best is the very wish of the green movement. The green
movement wants to work for the betterment of its own condition, and the
circumstances of its nation. And evolution in any effort is a beautiful
symmetry. The green movement is not a movement that works to overthrow. It is a
movement that seeks evolution, an evolution from the status quo to a better
circumstance. But allow Hafez to light the way, and let us use the trust we have
in him every day of our lives:
To thy complain, love reacheth, if like Hafez
Thou recite the Koran with the fourteen traditions
These fourteen traditions, of which Hafez speaks, and has united with love,
tells us that it is something in which we can trust. It is not fortune telling,
I don't believe in fortune telling, and the Holy Koran states: "you are what you
are" - do not put the responsibility on someone else's shoulders. Rather, we
take inspiration from him:
Arrived the glad tidings that grief's time shall not remain:
Like that remained not; like this shall not remain.
Although, I am, in the Beloved's sight, become dusty and despicable;
Honored like this, the watcher shall not remain.
Since the veil-holder striketh all with the sword,
Dweller of the sacred territory, a person shall not remain.
Of the picture, good or bad, is what room for thanks or for lament
When, on the page of existence, the writing shall not remain?
O candle! reckon union with the moth of a great gain;
For till dawn, this commerce shall not remain*
Dear Hafez, who is our trusted guide on those cold, winter nights and in
celebrations, when we are pained and sad and when we are joyous, who "to our
complain, love reacheth" - we are encouraged to love one another. We have said
before too that the green movement is an enemy to no one, it only has a vision
and a demand.
In the midst of the new year, we want a return of freedom to our country. We
want the rule of law, which has been, in its modern form, a human effort of the
past few centuries, to return to our country.
We want deceit and darkness to end, we want an end to discrimination, be it
class discrimination, financial, cultural or discrimination against women. We
want respect for personal freedoms, and this doesn't mean we do not pay heed to
the collective and its concerns, but that we believe the individual too has a
right. And usually, in highly ideological systems, the individual is not allowed
to have an opinion or desire of his own. But this is what the green movement is
asking for.
Our people are the very creators of the green movement. The green movement is
not like a library where a few books have been placed. The green movement is the
very people and their visions. We are all together, we are countless. Our
country, in terms of ethnicity, language and geopolitics is one of the most
complex. But we thank god for the Koran which states: let's respect this reality
- which states that if there are numerous tribes and clans, they should make an
effort to get to know one another. Color and language, they are holy. They are
signs of god. This plurality is indeed quite beautiful.
The Green Movement is a collection of other movements such as the workers'
movement, teachers' movement, women's movement and others. It is also an
assembly of different social and professional sects such as artists, athletes,
human right supporters that includes all of us in the movement - this unifies us
all - as well as other groups. The Green Movement is like a prism that focuses
the light shone by every Iranian star - every citizen of this country - on a
beautiful canvass that is the Iranian society. The Green Movement demands
freedom, it demands change from the current state of affair in realization of
greater Islamic morals. The Green Movement is benign, not violent. We don't want
to stress the old saying that says: "You can't penetrate a solid rock with an
iron nail". Rather we want to go beyond such mentality. We want to say that in
this story, there is no solid rock or iron nail - just citizens of this nation,
calmly moving forward. I also want to wish our people and the establishment
success in realizing the higher ideals.
I would also like to talk about women. The highest ideals for women are freedom
and putting an end to discrimination. This is not only specific to women of Iran
, it is an ideal women across the world struggle for . In certain countries
[women] have had more success [ in removing discrimination] but we have not been
successful . This is a reality. I have always said that the Islamic Revolution
is an incomplete project. We were hopeful that the great ideals of Islamic
Revolution and its great leader Imam Khomeini would substantiate in the Islamic
Republic. Since the revolution succeeded very quickly we expected ideals such as
freedom, rule of law, equality, public welfare, eliminating class discrimination
and others will be realized in Islamic republic. But it did not happen. Pursuing
these very same ideals particularly women issues is the goal of green movement.
Our women suffer numerous discriminations such as legal, cultural and so on.
Some imagine that when the subject of ending discrimination and seeking equality
comes up for discussion that [gender] roles are forgotten, that we are talking
about a violent society of a Stalinist sort, where everyone acts in the same
way, where heads are cut off so that everyone can be the same size as everyone
else. This is not at all what I am talking about. The Green Movement recognizes
these roles. Not only the Green Movement but all anti-discrimination activism
across the world knows and recognizes these roles. It is not the case that in
the Green Movement when we talk of ending discrimination, we forget kindness,
the qualities of motherhood, creating love, bringing into being passion and
excitement, the continuation of human life. In fact, ending discrimination means
we want to make use of our religious teachings and customs in a certain way as
far as women are concerned. Like sweet basil, not in a heroic manner. What I
mean is that we should behave with kindness and in an enlightened manner, not
try to be heroes in the way we act.
Of course what I mean by "hero" here is not the meaning it has in our Persian
literature; here its meaning is [to act] angrily and violently. Wherever there
is discrimination, the scent of sweet basil is taken captive by this angry
heroism. That is to say the anger and excesses that the culture or a
[particular] system is liable to bring to bear on it. We are in fact pursuing
this matter very seriously alongside the [other] ideals of the Green Movement,
so that we can separate the bestowal of freedom on women from the areas of
authority in which it is currently entrenched (whether these be legal or
otherwise) and we can then raise women to the dignity and status that they have
in all the noble and valued cultures of the world, including our own beloved
Islam. And we want to raise women to that dignity both from a cultural and from
a legal perspective.
Finally I would like to congratulate all those fine human beings who have, at a
high cost, preserved the great revolution, brought about victory in the Imposed
War [with Saddam Hussein's Iraq and his Western backers], and who have bestowed
nobility on the Green Movement. I would like to congratulate most humbly the
families of those in prison, the families of all the martyrs fallen in the
history of Iran, especially during the last thirty years. I hope that the
prisoners are free and that they are able to sit beside their families and their
'Haft Seen' (Seven 's's) tables at the New Year celebrations. I hope that they
alongside their families beside the Haft Seen table they bind the different 's's
in an eternally green chain made up of the green shoots of the Green Movement:
besides the seven splendid 's's, the 's's of pride (sarfarazi), happiness (saadat),
health (salamat) and other wonderful 's's. And we are without number, we are
together, we stand firm.
The Green Movement has paid a high price and stood firm in defense of its
ideals. Ultimately these are the ideals we want, these are the demands that must
be realized. It is not important who puts this into practice, what is important
is that these ideals be realized with pride, these ideals that are the very same
ideals of the great Islamic Revolution. I know that this will come about and I
hope that all of us will find contentment and happiness.
... Payvand News - 03/19/10 ... --