Mir-Hossein Mousavi calls for expansion of Green Movement's reach

GVF -- In a video address to the Iranian people, Mir-Hossein Mousavi has said that the new Iranian year is “the year of pervasiveness and resistance on the righteous and legal demands of the Iranian people.” He also said that “we do not have the right to retreat and to move away from these demands and regard it as a betrayal of the nation and Islam and the martyrs’ blood.”

In addition, Mousavi’s wife also spoke to the Iranian via video which was made available on Mousavi’s official website Kaleme. The couple’s address came just days before the Iranian new year on 20 March 2010.

The leader of the Iranian opposition called for the full implementation of the constitution by everyone. He congratulated the Iranian people both inside and outside Iran, on the New Year. “Our people are [now] tied together and this is one of the benefits of the Green Movement.”

“The reach of the movement is so far that people from the other side of the world consider themselves as interconnected to the deep Iranian and Islamic identity ... They try to participate in the destiny of their country, especially the youth inside and outside Iran; the group with the most victims and casualties.”

Mousavi also called on Iranians to take an active role in supporting the families of the victims of the post-election violence during the New Year celebrations and to comfort them by their presence.

The former prime minister referred to the previous year as “a special year for our nation.”

“You participated in the election in an extensive and unprecedented way and demonstrated your will for change, reform and independence of the country and the governance of justice and freedom. But the response that you were given for this presence, unfortunately led to the people’s outpouring onto the streets with slogans of ‘Where is my vote’ and ‘Give me my vote back’.”

“The roots of this problem began on the day of 12 June [election day],” Mousavi said. “It wasn’t even 5pm yet when an important election campaign centre of mine was under attack and at 8pm the headquarters of my election campaign was under severe attack and until the next day the front page for Kaleme Sabz [Mousavi’s newspaper] was changed several times with the presence of security forces.”

During the address, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who many regard as the most important figure in the Iranian Green Movement, said that the response to the [post-election] protests did not correspond with the great proud people of Iran. “The people didn’t expect the crimes of Kahrizak [prison], the issue of [the attacks on Tehran University] student dorms, the killings of 20 June and even 15 June and the events that followed Ashura [27 December].”

He also recalled the great demonstrations of 15 June: “That day will always bear witness to how [high] the spirits of the people were.”
 
There are no exact figures from the spontaneous marches of 15 June, but some estimate the total number of Iranians present at the demonstrations to be as highs as three million.

“On 12 June people wanted to take part in free elections in order to have a say in their destiny and to shape their own future [but] later events led to an awakening among our nation,” Mousavi said. “The nation discovered new problems and perversions and new demands with a wide spectrum were shaped.”

The veteran politician also stressed on the need to abide by the constitution and called on all parties to respect the rule of all without any exception. “Any retreat from the full implementation of the law is a betrayal of Iran and Islam,” he added.

Mousavi predicted that the coming year would be a difficult one, but said that the Green Movement would stand firm in demanding its legal rights and that there was no place for any kind of withdrawal or retreat.

The popular reformist foresaw a difficult year for Iran’s economy, unemployment, poverty and a weakening of the middle class.

With regards to foreign policy, Mousavi said that a “threatening situation had been created against us.” “We have the worst condition in terms of foreign policy and international relations and it seems that we will witness further sanctions and pressure.”

The 2009 presidential candidate also emphasised on the importance of deepening the reach of the Green Movement among different sectors of society and different ethnic groups and provinces while adding that there was a need to create jobs and to aid one another through the tough times ahead.

“Let us live more modestly and think of the people by reducing lavishness and to greatly reduce the problems that the people are facing. Attending to the families of the [Green Movement’s] martyrs and wounded and interacting with them will certainly make lord almighty happy and shine a light of hope.”

In the end Mousavi said that the will of the people will inevitably prevail, no matter what and that the people’s demands were not at all “extraordinary.” “It is not right for others to decide for the Iranian people instead of themselves.”

“One must be afraid of turning against the demands of the people.”