Many U.N. diplomats left the General Assembly hall as President Ahmadinejad began his address. (photo credit: New York Times)
Impressions of President Ahmadinejad’s speech [CORRECTED on 9/26/09.]:
- His tone was low-key, quiet, deceitfully tame — it was clear he didn’t want to make splashy, provocative headlines this time around.
- The speech was aimed at temporarily mollifying critics (or at least not giving them fresh ammunition against him), and buying time so the West doesn’t act decisively and Iran can finish building nuclear weapons without interference.
- It was dangerous precisely because this strategy is likely to work.
- Ahmadinejad repeatedly denounced Israel and the Jewish people as evil, “inhuman,” and conspirators dominating the world, as was expected.
- Yet in his 35-minute remarks he seemed to be making a calculated effort to appear somewhat reasonable (at least in contrast to Libyan leader Qaddafi and his 96 minute rant, which began with him being introduced as “the King of kings”) — he didn’t deny the Holocaust, he didn’t call for the annihilation of the U.S. and Israel or say that both countries were doomed and “nearing the end of the road” as he did in 2008.
- Noteworthy was that Ahmadinejad once again began his address by praying, “Oh, God, hasten the arrival of Imam Al-Mahdi and grant him good health and victory and make us his followers and those who attest to his rightfulness.”
- To read the official transcript of Ahmadinejad’s address, please click here
- To watch the video of Ahmadinejad’s address, please click here
- He began his address in 2006, 2007 and 2008 with this prayer as well, asking Allah asking him to hasten the coming of the Islamic Messiah, known as the “Twelfth Imam,” or the “Mahdi,” or the “just and promised One”
- In his first address to the U.N. General Assembly in 2005, Ahmadinejad ended his speech with such a prayer.
- That said, Ahmadinejad’s address in 2009 contained more references to the coming of the Mahdi than any of the others.
- He referred at least twice to a Shia Islamic eschatological notion of “entezar.” This is the capacity for a Shia Muslim to wait patiently for the coming of the Islamic Messiah.
- EXAMPLE #1: “Piety, having faith in Allah and His judgment of human behaviour or conduct in the next world, belief in the primacy of justice in everyone’s lives, seeking one’s happiness, well being and security in the happiness, well-being and security of others, respecting humanity, making efforts to expand love and compassion against hostility, were all primary in the teachings offered by the Messengers of God, from Adam to Noah, from Noah to Abraham, Moses, Jesus Christ and finally Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). All of them came to do something to eliminate war and ignorance, to eradicate poverty and uproot discrimination in order to spread happiness in the entire world. They are the best gifts that God Almighty has granted to human beings. If the belief in Entezar, that is to say, waiting patiently for justice to return, turns into a common one, and we join hands to achieve prosperity for all, then there will be more real and increasing hopes for reform.“
- EXAMPLE #2: “There will come a time when justice will prevail across the globe and every single human being will enjoy respect and dignity. That will be the time when mankind’s path to moral and spiritual perfection will be opened and his journey to God and the manifestation of God’s Divine Names will come true. Mankind should excel to represent God’s knowledge and wisdom, His compassion and benevolence, His justice and fairness, His power and art, and His kindness and forgiveness. These will all come true under the rule of the Perfect Man, the last Divine source on earth, Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh), an offspring of the Prophet of Islam, who will re-engage, and Jesus Christ (pbuh) and other noble men will accompany him in the accomplishment of this grand universal mission. And this is the belief in Entezar: waiting patiently for the Imam to return, waiting with patience for the rule of goodness and the governance of the best, which is a universal human notion and which is a source of nations’ hope for the betterment of the world. They will come, and with the help of righteous people and true believers will materialize man’s long-standing desire for freedom, perfection, maturity, security and tranquillity, peace and beauty. They will come to put an end to war and aggression and bring complete knowledge as well as spirituality and friendship to the whole world. Yes, indeed, this bright future for mankind will come. Dear friends, in waiting for that brilliant time to come and in a collective commitment, let’s make our due contributions to paving the way and preparing the conditions for building that bright future.”
- Ahmadinejad tried to make the claim that Iran’s elections last summer were been free, fair and “glorious.”
- He said: “Our nation has successfully gone through a glorious and fully democratic election, opening a new chapter for our country in the march towards national progress and enhanced international interactions. They entrusted me once more, by a large majority, with this heavy responsibility.”
- He then called the Islamic Republic of Iran “one of the most democratic and progressive governments of the world.”
- These are lies so outrageous they would be laughable if so many thousands of Iranians hadn’t been arrested, tortured and killed for trying to practice true democracy.
- One shrewd proposal Ahmadinejad made: he indicated in his speech and in an interview with the Washington Post and Newsweek that Iran wants to buy from the West nuclear materials for medical purposes. “These nuclear materials we are seeking to purchase are for medicinal purposes. . . . It is a humanitarian issue,” Ahmadinejad told the Post. “I think this is a very solid proposal which gives a good opportunity for a start” to build trust between the two countries and “engage in cooperation.” The Post notes that “nuclear research reactors are used to create radioactive isotopes for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The Iranian president said that about 20 medical products are created at a reactor in Tehran but that more fuel is needed.”
- “Iran’s medical reactor was supplied by the United States during the shah’s rule,” reports the Post. “But according to David Albright, a former weapons inspector who is president of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, Iran received additional uranium only from Argentina after the 1979 revolution. Argentina cut off those supplies sometime in the 1980s. Albright said Iran’s latest move is ‘clever’ because there is ‘implied blackmail’ behind the idea. If the material is not supplied, Iran could announce that it has no choice but to make the material, which is nearly 20 percent enriched; the material Iran is now producing is 3 to 5 percent enriched and suitable only for energy purposes. Allowing Iran to purchase the new material would require a waiver of international sanctions. While weapons-grade material is more than 90 percent enriched, making material for the medical reactor could put Iran on the next step to reaching that level.”
- Full Washington Post interview with Ahmadinejad.
- Ahmadinejad speech reflected the fact that he knows he’s walking a fine line. He desperately wants to stay true to his End Times theology and prepare the world for the coming of the Mahdi, but he also needs to keep the world community from unifying to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
- “Delegations from Argentina, Australia, Britain, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand and the United States left the room as Ahmadinejad began to rail against Israel, a European source said.”
- The Canadians — God bless them — were the first to leave.
- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was not in New York for the U.N. meetings told reporters: “It is unfitting that somebody like that would be giving those kinds of remarks before the United Nations General Assembly. . . .There are times when things are being said in this world that it is important that countries that have a moral compass stand up, make their views known and our absence there will speak volumes about how Canada feels about the declarations of President Ahmadinejad….President Ahmadinejad has said things, particularly about the state of Israel, the Jewish people and the Holocaust, that are absolutely repugnant…
- That said, I suspect Ahmadinejad’s attempt to appear “reasonable” enough to most U.N. leaders to avoid draconian economic sanctions just may work.
- Though I pray I’m wrong, I don’t expect the West to take the decisive action necessary to stop Iran from getting the Bomb.
- That means that, humanly speaking, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu may be the only world leader who understands the depth and magnitude of this threat and may be willing to do something to save not just his country but the world from the apocalyptic, genocidal death cult that currently runs Iran.
- Please pray for wisdom for world leaders as they meet at the U.N. this week. Please pray for the Lord to change Ahmadinejad’s heart, and that of the Ayatollah Khamenei. Please also pray for wisdom and guidance for Prime Minister Netanyahu as he addresses the U.N. today and as he seeks to build support for action against Iran.
- Time is running short.
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