XPost: alt.religion.christian, alt.religion.christianity, talk.politics.mideast   
   From: al92653@xyz.com   
      
    Full Text of Ahmadinejad's Speech to the UN General Assembly   
   By Haaretz Service   
      
   25/09/08 "Haaretz" -- The following is a copy of Iranian President   
   Ahmadinejad's speech to the United Nations General Assembly early Wednesday   
   morning, as translated by the Presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran   
   News Service:   
      
      
   Mr. President, E xcellencies,   
      
   I am grateful to the Almighty for granting me another opportunity to be   
   present in this world Assembly.   
      
   In the last three years, I have talked to you about great hopes in the   
   bright future of human society, and some solutions for achieving sustainable   
   peace and expanding love, compassion, and cooperation.   
      
   I have also talked about unjust systems governing the world; pressures   
   exerted by some powers seeking to trample the rights of other nations,   
   oppression imposed on the majority of the global community, especially on   
   the people of Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Africa, Latin America, and Asia;   
   about challenges we are faced with, such as efforts to shatter the sanctity   
   of families, destroy cultures, humiliate lofty values, neglect commitments,   
   expand the shadow of threats, as well as about the arms race and the   
   unfairness and inability of the systems governing world affairs in reforming   
   the status quo.   
      
   With the occurrence of various new developments, the debility of existing   
   mechanisms has been revealed even more. However, at the same time, an   
   encouraging trend, which has originated in the thoughts and beliefs of   
   peoples, has blossomed and become stronger. Posed against the despairs   
   caused by the new developments, this trend has ignited the ray of hope for a   
   brilliant, desirable and beautiful future in the hearts of men.   
      
   Ladies and Gentlemen,   
   Dear Colleagues,   
      
   Today I would like to talk to you about the main reasons behind the   
   conditions ruling the world and the means to tackle them. Of course, you are   
   already aware of what I am talking about, but I think it is necessary to   
   remind ourselves.   
      
   It seems that the roots of problems lie in the way one views and perceives   
   the world and humankind, as well as in the important issues of freedom,   
   obeisance to God, and justice. The world, humankind, freedom and obeisance   
   to God, and justice, have been of utmost importance to humans throughout   
   history.   
      
   1. The World:   
   God Almighty purposefully created the world. This world is the bedrock for   
   the evolution and growth of a creature called man, and the laws governing   
   the world and all other creatures are at the service of man's quest for   
   loftiness. The world should provide the needed opportunities for the   
   fulfillment of the purpose behind man's creation. No phenomenon, creature,   
   or indeed anything has been created in vain. Together they all pave the   
   ground for the flourishing of mankind in a complex and purposeful system,   
   and they are, each, one of the signs of God Almighty. All are His creations   
   and He is the sole creator and ruler of the world. All existence including   
   power, knowledge and wealth come from Him.   
      
   2. Humankind:   
   God created the world for humans and humans for Himself. He created humans   
   from mud and in the soil, but He did not want them to remain in the soil and   
   with animal instincts. He kindled the light of guidance in their souls and   
   asked them to rise from the soil to the heavens and to Him with the help of   
   wisdom, prophets and perfect men.   
      
   The world will ultimately disappear, but God has created man for eternity   
   and has made them a manifestation of Himself. Creativity, mercifulness,   
   kindness, knowledge, wisdom, zeal, concealment of sins, splendor, justice,   
   bounteousness, generosity, greatness, love, glory, dignity, forgiveness,   
   insight, kingship and all other goodness and beauty are attributes of God.   
      
   God has not created humans for aggression, bloodshed, rancor, selfishness   
   and destruction. He made humans His vicegerents on earth and has asked them   
   to, on the one hand, make earth prosper by using their God-given potentials   
   and to prepare the ground for the growth of divine attributes in all humans,   
   and to provide all with a life full of beauty, amity, freedom, justice and   
   goodness; and on the other hand in pursuance of this path, to prepare for a   
   prosperous, everlasting life endowed by God's mercy.   
      
   God has obligated humans to live divinely and socially, for it is only   
   through social life and interactions with others that divine attributes may   
   emerge.   
      
   3. Obeisance to God:   
   God Almighty has tied their perfection and true freedom of humans to their   
   devotion and obedience to Himself. True freedom and obedience to God are in   
   balance and in fact are two sides of the same coin.   
      
   Obeisance to God means confessing to monotheism and obeying His commands,   
   and to be free from ungodly worship.   
      
   Obeisance to God means the acceptance of the absolute truth, the absolute   
   light, and the absolute beauty.   
      
   Obeisance to God means abandoning selfishness and animal instincts,   
   power-seeking and aggression, surrendering to righteousness, justice, love,   
   and perfection.   
      
   And in this way, humans can achieve their true freedom and flourish, they   
   can grow and manifest divine attributes, have affection for others, stand up   
   for justice, and fear no power or threat, and defend the oppressed. In such   
   an environment, one's freedom will not impinge on any others.   
      
   Contention and conflict are characteristic of materialistic freedom and   
   animal instinct. The essence of all divine religions and obeisance to God   
   and true freedom is disassociating from oppressors and instead obeying and   
   worshiping God, for:   
      
   - God is omniscient and knows all that is revealed or kept secret, and He is   
   kind and merciful.   
      
   - All creatures are humble before Him and resign to His will.   
      
   - God is alive and is the Creator of the universe and all life.   
      
   - God loves His creatures and desires nothing but goodness, blessings, and   
   perfection for them, and is against bullying, injustice, selfishness and   
   domination.   
      
   4. Justice:   
   Justice is the foundation of the creation of humankind and the whole   
   universe. Justice is tantamount to placing every phenomenon in its own   
   place, and providing humans with opportunities to actualize all their divine   
   capabilities. Without it, the order of the universe will collapse and the   
   opportunity for perfection will fade away. Without justice, it would be   
   impossible for human society to taste real peace, beauty, joy and happiness.   
   Justice is the main pillar of social life and without it, social life cannot   
   continue or grow.   
      
   Humans need to know God in order to realize a prosperous society in this   
   world as well as to strive for a beautiful eternal life, and to this end   
   they first have to know themselves and strive for loftiness in themselves   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
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