Iran experienced enough to defuse enemy plots: Journalist

Press TV has conducted an interview with Seyyed Mostafa Khoshcheshm, a journalist and political analyst from Tehran, about remarks made by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on the importance of unity in the country.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Tell me what is behind this, now the Leader today has talked about the attempt to create division especially between the people and officials in general. Tell me your analysis of this.

Khoshcheshm: Well, as a matter of fact the Iranian Leader touched something very important, which is called bipolar symptom on the political stage that’s of course a little bit different from bipolar symptom in clinical psychology of course. It happens in all societies, having and pursuing different views is very good. It’s no good if you have just one single voice in your society; then, all people think like you and you all see the developments and happenings through one single view, and you are suffering from a lack of other views. So, critics play a very outstanding role and very good role because they provide you with other aspects of the matter with other views, different views and they can provide you with further knowledge, the things that you don’t see, but this has its own criteria, you should do the criticism according to standard views and criteria.

In a way that if you’re opponent, or the person who’s criticizing you, is pursuing a wise view and you find it more understandable and better than you and wiser than your view; then you have to give in and accept his view. That’s a sound rationing and rational reasoning and that’s what all rulers and officials should do in every society, but the problem starts when it becomes a game, that is when officials or people start opposing each other only because of the fact that it’s been expressed by your opponent or from the opposing camp. So, if the opposing camp says it’s night, you say no it’s day. Why, because you just want to stand opposite to the other side. This symptom grows bad, it becomes a symptom in the society, in the political community of any country when it’s election time.

Officials and nominees they want to gather more votes; so, they need capital, the social capital, more votes. So, they start opposing each other and this happens very frequently, but when it’s not election time even at the time of election is not very good, because sometimes it causes overstatement of differences, but when the election season is over you continue with the same approach, then, you are overstating differences and this gives wrong quotes to your own society and to the enemies of your country and remember that Iran has been under tyrannical rulers for 25 centuries. And the Islamic Republic is only 30-40 years old, that’s nothing compared with 2500 years. That means the Islamic Republic is just past its toddling time.

Press TV: Looking at what you’re saying isn’t there a difference? We’re talking about the Islamic Republic, we’re talking about Islamic rules and Islamic ethics and personality even in the public sector, even with politician. Isn’t there differences as far as how far individuals or parties can go and the way they talk to each other? In general, I want you to talk about that aspect as opposed to a regular secular society compared to one calling itself an Islamic Republic?

Khoshcheshm: I was explaining the same thing that the Islamic Republic is just like a child after only 40 years as a political system, but it has had the experiences that even a grown-up and old-man has never had in his life. Remember that the Islamic establishment has been faced ever since it was born, it’s been faced with various plots, with coup d'état, with a threat of war and war, eight-year war and with black-ups that was done by the United States at the time of the hostage crisis and call for revolutions and so on so forth.

So, it’s gathered lots of experience and one of them was the developments that happened at the time of the Tehran University unrest in the 1990s. Also the 2009 post-election unrest, we have that experience and now Iranians are wiser than before and they understand that sometimes overstating differences and being trapped by this polar symptom, it causes lots of damage to your society. So, we are living in a society that’s been under constant threats of enemy states for the last four decades. And we have to be much more watchful than some other states, that’s why we should tolerate each other much more and much better. That’s one point.

The other point is that, exactly I know you’re short of time but I have to explain, that’s the point that I raised just a few nights after the endorsement of the nuclear deal, I said: ‘From now on Iranians will, no matter if they are the cons or pros of this deal, they will support the deal, but in Washington they will not.’ One reason was the Iranian Leader, the other one the religious rules of Muslims that have been stated in the holy Qur’an in the text that says you have to stay loyal to your agreements. And you can see now today that Iranians no matter they are opponents of the deal or the pros they never sabotaged the deal, but in Washington you see that they are sabotaging the deal. 

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