Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said Saturday that misunderstanding about democracy and religious values accounts for arguments currently prevalent in society.
Addressing a girl students summer camp in the northern area of Tehran, President Khatami said, "I, as the proponent of religious democracy, believe that no one in the world accepts anything other than democracy. Democracy has been inevitable so that it should comply with religious, ethical and moral values in our society."
"Every work we may do to put aside Islam or democracy, it would be an attempt to torpedo the basic goals of the Islamic Revolution," President Khatami made clear. "In our country, which is now passing through the most sensitive period of its history, any argument or conflict of this kind would be waste of energy," he said.
Khatami further said that the Iranian society ought to focus on fundamental needs, including provision of one billion jobs for youth and offer a successful pattern for the religious democracy, according to IRNA. "Today, two groups are the two blades of a scissors, preventing the genuine reform movement seeking religious democracy," he explained.
"One group consists of those with backward mentality who think the less freedom a society enjoys, the stronger religion will be. They oppose the democratic process and want to put down expectations of the youth," the president said.
"The second blade of the scissors the group including those who believe that religion should be put aside from the scene of life, in order to establish democracy and freedom," he noted. "The genuine reform movement calls for establishment of religious democracy and believes that we should not lose the youth by imposing unnecessary restrictions. At the meantime, we should tread the path of freedom and progress in a way compatible with our moral values," President Khatami mentioned.
Moreover, he urged the youth to make efforts to get acquainted with Iranian history and Islam and promote progress, freedom and independence. "Throughout the Iranian history, the corrupt and puppet regimes in Iran have always been involved in conflicts, so that the oppressed nation has been kept backward," the president expressed.
He said that the Iranian youth are followers of the religious values so that the democratic process should honor religion. Otherwise, democracy will not last long, he said. In addition, he expressed condolences to the students on the eve of martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Fatemeh Zahra (AS), the beloved daughter of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). (Albawaba.com)
