Iran

At the outset, Sir, I would like to congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly. I would also like to express my appreciation for the wise and persistent efforts of the Secretary-General during the current crucial world situation. Human society stepped into the third millennium with hopes and expectations. The United Nations designated the last year of the twentieth century as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the first year of the twenty-first century as the United Nations Year of Dialogue among Civilizations. Today, however, the world faces immense tragedies and grave concerns. One of the most brutal and savage manifestations of this was the terrorist attack against the American people. The decisive, immediate and unequivocal global condemnation of the terrorist attacks of 11 September represents the emergence of a public attitude and common political will all over the world to counter terrorism in all its manifestations, irrespective of motives, perpetrators or victims. The Leader of the Islamic Revolution of Iran spoke of the “jihad against this evil phenomenon” so as to highlight the genuine view of Islam and the Islamic Revolution vis-à-vis terrorism and violence. Immediately after the carnage of 11 September, and in the name of the people and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, I expressed sympathy with 29 the American nation and all the victims of that criminal act. And in the first days of the tragedy, in a letter to the Secretary-General, I underlined that, “Terrorism is the common problem of today’s world. It threatens peace, liberty, spirituality, knowledge, culture and global coexistence. A sustainable solution to this hideous and dangerous phenomenon requires vision, serious political will and active participation and cooperation of all members of the human society.” The threat of terrorism should not be underestimated, nor should its devastating consequences be measured only in the visible realm of politics. Terrorism is the chronic menace of our era, rooted in the mentality of violence, the logic of might and the practice of injustice and discrimination. When spirituality, ethics and justice find no room in the realms of politics, economics and culture, and when discrimination, marginalization, exclusion and the application of double standards push justice aside, the world is bound to face alienation, despair, extremism and lawlessness. In such a climate, terrorism finds fertile ground for growth. The disaster in the United States is so tragic and grave that thinkers are urgently called on to engage in deep reflection and dialogue on its real causes. For many years, our great thinkers have cautioned us to avoid submission to instrumental reasoning, warning of the threats and tragedies that it could generate. On the other hand, some of the great thinkers of our time have ascribed atrocities such as fascism to the reign of mythological speculation. They have attributed the emergence of fascism not to the expansion of rationality but to evading rationality and succumbing to the reign of myth. This does not mean that we will succumb to mythical speculation if we do not want to. We have the choice not to negate rationality. But at the same time, we must also combine rationality with empathy, the mind with the heart. Neither one can be without the other. Neither one can be neglected. If it is, it will lead to tragedy, no matter under what pretext, religion, race, nationalism or any other nation. The same mythical speculation is seen in modern cult ideology, which is a form of rationality that is reduced to instrumental reasoning and thereby stripped of all its moral and human aspects. Religion, tradition, philosophy and art descend to achieving only one goal, that of political ends. One of the most common features of these ideologies, which is regrettably prevalent, is the glorification of the self and the demonization of opposing groups and ideas. The advocates of this ideology in the West attribute to Islam, the religion of humanity, compassion and justice, such labels as terrorism. In the same manner, in parts of the Islamic world, the West is equated with suppression. Such polarization of the world and human beings would lead to horrifying political and security consequences for the whole world. The world has yet to overcome the horror and disbelief caused by the malicious terrorist attacks of 11 September against thousands of innocent people. At the same time, the most destructive modern weapons are being used in one of the most deprived parts of the world against an oppressed and dispossessed people. Once again, history repeats its sad experience that war triggers war. The time is ripe for us to analyse the history and consequences of exclusionary ways of acting, to initiate ways to engage intellectuals from different cultures in dialogue and to encourage the public to embark upon learning for the sake of dialogue and dialogue for the sake of learning and to reinforce the art of listening as sacred and invaluable. Angry politicians should be prevented from taking the initiative in ongoing developments. They should be made to yield to the judgement of wisdom and fairness. The American nation has experienced one of the most brutal forms of terrorism, in which the blind hatred of terrorists has prevented the recovery of the bodies of the victims of the 11 September tragedy. Today, other nations walk hand in hand with the American nation. Today, beyond mere rhetoric, one can see the convergence of the ideas of the peoples of the United States and Iran, who have also experienced, in earlier times, the mute but brutal massacre resulting from the use of chemical weapons. This convergence of ideas can also be discerned among all those refugees and displaced persons who are victims of war, suppression and terrorism — including State and non-State terrorism — in Afghanistan and Palestine. 30 We must have empathy for the suffering of people everywhere: in occupied Palestine, oppressed Afghanistan, New York, Washington or any corner of the globe. We shall rise to the challenge of promoting peace, security and development among all nations on the basis of justice, and we believe that in today’s interconnected world, we cannot live in islands of prosperity and progress while the rest of the world suffers from increasing poverty, illiteracy, disease and insecurity. Acquiescing to any act of terrorism, anywhere in the world, is inconsistent with any religious or ethical principle. Likewise, resorting to violence and revenge to counter such acts could hardly be justified because of ethical and humane considerations. Lacing the sacred realm of religion with violence and terror is a grave disservice to all religions and their followers. The divine religions call for peace, tolerance and compassion. They unequivocally repudiate — in essence and appearance — any thought or act of violence. I would like to quote the late leader of the Islamic revolution, Imam Khomeini, who said that “as followers of Islam, we always oppose war and desire peace and tranquillity among all States.” Let us accept that no country in the world is immune to terrorism. We should therefore seek solutions at the highest possible level. Today there is unprecedented momentum in the world for combating terrorism, which should not be lost. To this end, the United Nations can arrange and guide a genuine and legitimate endeavour in the international fight against terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran is an active partner in this global coalition and spares no effort for the success of the international community in uprooting terrorism through viable, just and non-discriminatory measures. By articulating a comprehensive definition of terrorism, the United Nations can overcome one of the major historical hurdles to avoiding further misuse of that term. The adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and its effective implementation by all States can be considered a first step for a coordinated international campaign against terrorism. Moreover, negotiations on the draft comprehensive convention on terrorism, based on internationally accepted definitions and principles, would provide an effective basis for collective measures in this respect. The 11 September attack indicated that the division between centre and periphery can no longer define the security order of the world today, for even the most marginalized sectors might be able to inflict blows on the biggest Powers. This development has taken on all the more threatening dimensions in the light of the emergence of the dangerous phenomenon of bioterrorism. The conflict-stricken regions of the world require urgent and comprehensive attention. After decades of war, insecurity and destruction, Afghanistan needs order, law, security and stability. The ongoing military operation in Afghanistan cannot, while inflicting destruction and casualties, address the root causes of the kind of terrorism that has been forced on the defenceless people of that country. On the contrary: it is more likely that the continuation of the current military approach could incite sentiments that intensify intolerance and violence in the region and the whole world. In the midst of the global terrorism crisis, the world faces an intensive and severe kind of terrorism in the Middle East. The occupation of the Palestinian territories, the expulsion of the Palestinian people from their homeland, the Judaization of Palestine — in particular Al-Quds Al-Sharif — the building of illegal settlements, the killing and terrorizing of defenceless Palestinian civilians in their homeland, and the destruction of historical sites, civil institutions and residential areas are all examples of this phenomenon. I would also like to underscore, on behalf of the Group of 77, the significance of poverty alleviation worldwide and the need for the support of the United Nations. Poverty breeds violence and intolerance. The recent slowdown in world economic growth and development caused by the terrorist attacks further aggravates the economic hardships of the developing countries. For a secure and hopeful life, the world therefore needs innovative approaches and collective measures. Let us therefore build a coalition for peace instead of war and hostility. The initiative of dialogue among civilizations is a step in this direction, and it offers a new paradigm of interaction among nations and cultures in a world that longs for peace and security. Can the United Nations take the lead in devising a programme to implement this fair and reasonable approach and become the focus of a global coalition for 31 peace based on justice? I have every confidence in the wisdom and the will of the Secretary-General — illustrated, inter alia, by the publication of a book, entitled Crossing the Divide — to define a new paradigm of dialogue among civilizations. World public opinion is supportive of this proposal. The adoption of the Global Agenda for Dialogue among Civilizations yesterday represents a beginning for the crystallization of this common desire and will of the global community. The achievements of the thirty-first United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference in establishing dialogue among civilizations as one of its strategic objectives and in adopting the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity represent yet another serious indication of this global trend, and I wish to pay tribute to UNESCO and its Director-General. Will politicians and statesmen also submit to this approach, to prevent the transformation of the clash among States into a clash among civilizations? I am hopeful; the future will be the judge.