Iran's PM never said "Israel should be wiped off the map"

Iran Forum

Did Iranian PM, Ahmadinejad actually say Israel should be "wiped off the map"? Turns out he may not have said it. In fact he may not have said many of the things quoted in Western media outlets.

?

the wording of the translations are different, but they mean the same thing...

he might not be talking abot the slaughtering of every single Jew, but he sure ain't talking about peace.

Transcript: Iran President’s speech threatening Israel
Fri. 28 Oct 2005
Iran Focus

Transcript of speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at “World Without Zionism” conference in Tehran

Reported by Iranian government-owned news agency ISNA on 26 October 2005 at 13:10 local time (for original Persian text see: http://www.isna.ir/Main/NewsView.aspx?ID=News-603209)

Tehran, Iran, Oct. 28 – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a keynote speech on Wednesday at the gathering of 4,000 students organised by the Association of Islamic Students Societies. The text follows:

I am grateful to God for giving me the great pleasure of speaking at this very important gathering. I thank God for seeing the pious faces of you, the valiant, aware, God-fearing and selfless children of the revolution, who understand with vigilance and intelligence the most important issues of our times and are active with great zest and in a decisive way in the most central issues of the Islamic world. I thank God for the presence of you dear young people.

The real question is what is Zionism? No doubt there have been many discussions in this conference on this issue and you have made studies in this regard, and you may know what I want to emphasize, but it is something worth mentioning.

We must see what the real story of Palestine is. Is the conflict in Palestine a war between some Jews on the one side and Muslims and non-Jews on the other side? Is it a war between the Jews and other faiths? Is it the war of one country with other countries? Is it the war of one country with the Arab world? Is the conflict only over the limited lands of Palestine? I think the answer to all these questions is negative.

The creation of the regime occupying Al-Qods (Jerusalem) was a heavy move by the globally dominant system and Global Arrogance against the Islamic world. There is a historic battle going on between the Oppressor World and the Islamic world and the roots of this conflict goes back hundreds of years.

In this historic conflict, the fronts have shifted many times. There were times when the Muslims had the upper hand and were active and forward-moving, while the Oppressor World was on retreat.

Unfortunately, in the past three hundred years, the Islamic world has been on retreat in the face of the Oppressor World.

I do not intend to go to the roots of the issue and I concentrate on a historical review of the events. In the past one hundred years, the last trenches of the Islamic world fell and the Oppressor World created the regime occupying Al-Qods as the bridgehead for its domination of the Islamic world. Bridgehead is a military term in warfare. When two divisions or armies are fighting each other, if one side advances and breaks through the front and captures a piece of enemy territory and builds up fortifications and strengthens its hold to make it a base for further territorial expansion, then we call this a bridgehead.

The occupying state (Israel) is the bridgehead of the Oppressor World in the heart of the Islamic world. They have built a base to expand their domination to the entire Islamic world. There is no other raison d’etre for this entity without this objective.

The battle that is going on in Palestine today, therefore, is the frontline of the conflict between the Islamic world and the Oppressor World. It is a battle of destiny that will determine the fate of hundreds of years of conflict in Palestine.

Today, the Palestinian nation is fighting the Oppressor World on behalf of the Islamic umma (nation). Thank God, from the day the Palestinian nation moved towards an Islamic struggle with Islamic objectives and an Islamic environment, and made Islam the dominating force in its behaviour and orientation, we have been witnessing the progress and successes of the Palestinian nation every day.

I must say that you have chosen a very valuable title for your gathering [World Without Zionism]. Many are sowing the seeds of defeat and despair in this all-out war between the Islamic world and the Infidel Front, hoping to dishearten the Islamic world.

Such people are using words like “it’s not possible”. They say how could we have a world without America and Zionism? But you know well that this slogan and goal can be achieved and can definitely be realised”.

If we take a look back, we had in our country a regime that was very violent, anti-popular, dependent on foreigners, and armed to its teeth. Members of SAVAK [the Shah’s secret police] controlled every move and a terrible reign of terror existed.

But when the dear Imam [Ruhollah Khomeini] said this regime must be destroyed, and we want a world without a client state, many of those who claim to be political gurus and other things said it’s not possible. The day when the Imam started his move, all the powers of the world supported that corrupt regime. Even after the massacre of Black Friday, the West and the East and regional powers all supported the regime. But our nation fought and now for 27 years we have a government that is independent of America. The Imam said the domination of the East and the West must be destroyed, but weak-minded persons, who only see the little world around them, didn’t believe him…

Our dear Imam ordered that the occupying regime in Al-Qods be wiped off the face of the earth. This was a very wise statement. The issue of Palestine is not one on which we could make a piecemeal compromise… This would mean our defeat. Anyone who would recognize this state [Israel] has put his signature under the defeat of the Islamic world.

In his struggle against the World Arrogance, our dear Imam targeted the central and command base of the enemy, namely the occupying regime in Al-Qods. I have no doubt that the new wave that has started in dear Palestine and which we witness today all over the Islamic world will soon wipe this scourge of shame from the Islamic world. This can be done.

We have to watch out for conspiracies. For more than 50 years, the World Arrogance has tried to give recognition to the existence of this fake regime [Israel] and they have make many efforts to first stabilize it and then take further steps.

Some 27 or 28 years ago, they took an important step in this regard and, unfortunately, one of the frontline countries made this mistake, and we hope that country [Egypt] will rectify its mistake.

Recently, a new conspiracy has been plotted and is underway. They have been forced to evacuate a corner of Palestine and this was imposed on them by the Palestinian nation. But they want to sell this as the final victory and use the evacuation of Gaza and the creation of a Palestinian state as an excuse to end the Palestinian cause and goal.

Today they are making an evil and deceptive effort to turn the struggle into an internal conflict of the Islamic world. They want to create conflict among Palestinian groups inside Palestine by making them greedy for political positions or high office, so that these groups abandon the decisive issue fo Palestine and turn on each other.

With the excuse of having cleared the Gaza Strip to show their good will, they want a group of Muslim nations to recognise this corrupt regime, and I am very hopeful and pray to God that the Palestinian nation and the dear Palestinian groups will be cautious of such sedition.

Today the unity of the front in Palestine on its goals is a pressing necessity. The issue of Palestine is by no means finished. The issue of Palestine will only be resolved when all of Palestine comes under Palestinian rule, when all the refugees return to their homes, and when a popular government chosen by this nation takes the affairs in its hands. Of course, those who have come to this land from far away to plunder this land have no right to participate in the decision-making process for this nation.

I am hopeful that just as the Palestinian nation continued its struggle for the past ten years, it will continue to maintain its awareness and vigilance. This phase is going to be short-lived. If we put it behind us successfully, God willing, it will pave the way for the annihilation of the Zionist regime and it will be a downhill route.

I warn all the leaders in the Islamic world to beware of this conspiracy. If any of them takes a step towards the recognition of this regime [Israel], then he will burn in the fire of the Islamic umma (nation) and will have eternal shame stamped on his forehead, regardless of whether he did this under pressure by the dominant powers, or lack of understanding or naiveté or selfishness or worldly incentives.

The issue of Palestine is the issue of the Islamic world. Those who are closeted behind closed doors cannot make decisions on this issue and the Islamic nation does not allow this historical enemy to exist at the heart of the Islamic world.


http://www.iranfocus.com/modules/ne...hp?storyid=4164

The above will give all a common basis on which to discuss.

very good. That is what we needed.

How can anyone read that and not understand the clear intentions to destroy Israel?

Notice how it is always referred to as "Zionist regime."

They do not recognize Israel as a legitimate country.

The neocons feel regime change in Iran is now more vital than ever because of the failiure in Iraq. Everything they say is now going to be geared towards convincing a sceptical public that another war should be waged. Is none of the following stuff worth considering when thinking about the suppossed threat Iran presents?

Fact: Iran's theocracy took power after the Shah was kicked out in '79. They have not started a single war, attacked a single country, or invaded anyone in all that time. On the other hand, they have been attacked by Iraq in a war the US encouraed (and let's not forget that the democratically elected prime minister Mosaddeq was removed from power in a coup led by British and US).

Iran does support groups with weapons, training, and money, which we can argue is wrong, but hardly uncommon, and the US and UK do it to a far larger extent, US/UK - #1 and #2 suppliers of military hardware in the world.

And finally and something most people do not take into considerations: have Iran any national security worries?

- Fact: like Iraq's regime, they have been put on America's "Axis of evil" list.

- Neighbour Israel has stockpiles of secret nukes and WMDs, billions of dollars of military aid and support from the US, and have demonstrated their willingness to use massive violence and destruction on another coutry when they attacked Lebanon.

http://media.salemwebnetwork.com/TownHall/Car/b/kn0831bd.jpg

h@ts: read post #6 and tell me what you think Iran's intentions are.

Actually, he did:

http://media.salemwebnetwork.com/TownHall/Car/b/PN081706.jpg

So the translators are wrong? Those guys who actually know the language? I suppose now you are going to say that it wasn't Ahmadinajad who participated in taking the American hostages in 1979?

This is the guy who said that the holocaust never happened. Or was the translaters wrong about that too?

Addressing about 4000 students gathered in an Interior Ministry conference hall, Ahmadinejad also called for Palestinian unity, resistance and a point "where the annihilation of the Zionist regime will come".

It's hard to exactly translate one language from another.

In English we don't literally mean "Wipe a country off of a map" That would be impossible. It would be more like killing every man woman and child of a country. So it's obvious that the translator put it in terms that American's understand. We knew what was meant.

Al Jezeera reports it the same way so where are YOU getting YOUR information?

And do you know who THEY are?

That figures!

Iran: Israel links may hurt Europe
POSTED: 7:03 a.m. EDT, October 20, 2006

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has warned Europe that it may pay a heavy price for its support of Israel.

"You should believe that this regime (Israel) cannot last and has no more benefit to you. What benefit have you got in supporting this regime, except the hatred of the nations?" he said in nationally broadcast speech Friday.

"We have advised the Europeans that the Americans are far away, but you are the neighbors of the nations in this region," he said.

"We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt."

Ahmadinejad's comments came on Jerusalem Day -- when Iranians are officially encouraged to show their support for the Palestinians.

These remarks were made a day after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Iran would "have a price to pay" if it continued down the path of its nuclear ambitions.

Olmert was speaking to reporters Thursday on his way home from a three-day trip to Moscow. Israel, along with the United States and other Western powers, rejects Tehran's claim that its nuclear program is peaceful, designed solely to produce energy.

The Iranian leader has long spoken out against Israel, saying the Jewish nation should be "wiped off the map."

He has not since repeated that phrase but often launches verbal attacks on Israel, whose right to exist Iran has not recognized since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

On Friday, Ahmadinejad said there was no justification for the "Zionist regime" -- a term he often uses when referring to Israel -- arguing that it is on the verge of disintegration.

"Efforts to stabilize this fake regime, by the grace of God, have completely failed," he said.

He also called Israel's leaders a "group of terrorists."

Ahmadinejad has also sparked outrage in the West by describing the Holocaust, in which 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis, as a "myth."

I don't have much of a problem getting Ahmadinejad's drift when he talks about the "zionist regime," but some can find other meaning in his words.

Hm...how about that part when he said homosexuality didn't exist in Iran? I nearly fell out of my chair laughing.