Fmr President advises West to deal with Iran in proper literature

27 June 2008

Tehran-Iran's former president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani advised the West on Friday to use an adequate literature and dialogue in dealing with a "big country" like Iran.

"You are too small to punish a big country like Iran. We have repeatedly advised that using the literature (of sanctions) in dealing with Iran will not be in favor of the west," said Ayatollah Rafsanjani in his second Friday prayers sermon, while referring to the EU's sanctioning the Melli Bank of Iran in Europe, to the US government's bill to exert more pressure on Tehran and to the G8's double-standard statement on Iran.

"With a great country like Iran, one should deal only with a proper literature, dialogue, logic and reason; otherwise, you would put the region in trouble without gaining anything," the Experts Assembly head warned.

He said the Islamic Republic of Iran wants nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes and is ready for dialogue to win global confidence.

"The West should stop following a wrong approach towards Iran," he announced.

Elsewhere in his sermon, Rafsanjani touched on his "highly effective" presence in the Conference on Inter-Religious Dialogue in Saudi Arabia and said, "Had it not been for Iran's presence, there would not have been any Islamic Unity."

Ayatollah Rafsanjani said that some extremist Wahabi figures had protested Saudi King for the address delivered to the meeting by the Iranian party, while majority of ulima present there had welcomed Iran's presence.

He then touched on "bloody and regretful" events in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan and said foreign presence has cost the region dearly.

On the World Day of Campaign against Drugs, the Expediency Council Chairman condemned drugs transit worldwide and referred to drugs as a "calamity" for mankind, especially Iran, hoping that Iranian youth will get rid of the illicit phenomenon.

He thanked all those involved in campaign against the dirty business.