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Major cleric: Iranians will defend their rights on nuclear energy

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Nov 19, IRNA-- The Iranian nation would insistently defend its
legal rights on nuclear energy as forcefully as it defends its 
territorial integrity, stressed Tehran`s Substitute Friday Prayers 
leader Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani here today. 
Speaking in the second sermon in today`s Friday Prayers at Tehran 
University, the ayatollah said that the Islamic Republic has, from the
very beginning, followed a transparent policy on its nuclear 
activities. 
"Tehran is not after development of atomic weapons and believes 
that it is religiously forbidden (Haram)," underlined Ayatollah 
Kashani. 
He stressed that authorities of the Islamic Republic have 
repeatedly stated that Iran is seeking nuclear energy only for 
peaceful purposes and in accordance with its technological and 
scientific needs. 
However, regretted the ayatollah, that all western governments 
have failed , so far, to realize Tehran`s peaceful intention in this 
connection, although the inspectors of the UN nuclear watchdog have 
repeatedly visited Iran and announced that there was no proof of 
Tehran`s involvement in developing atomic weapons. 
Touching upon Tehran`s participation in a recent meeting in Paris 
with the European three big countries (Britain, Germany and France), 
Ayatollah Kashani said that the European side have finally realized 
that they should continue their talks with Iran until they could 
"reach a positive point leading to closure of Iran`s nuclear case in 
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)." 
"The whole world should notice that the Islamic system of Iran and
its officials will defend the country`s legal rights on nuclear energy
as forcefully as they defend its territorial integrity," stressed the 
ayatollah. 
He added that the leading part of Iran`s legal rights is the fact 
that getting access to a peaceful nuclear technology is the legitimate
right of the Islamic Republic. 
The Friday Prayers speaker further noted that if the world 
"respects Iran`s rights then everything will be settled without any 
tension or trouble." 
He also thanked Iranian negotiating team, including those from the
Foreign Ministry and Supreme National Security Council, which have 
been involved in efforts to deal with the Europeans and specially 
thanked the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Hassan 
Rowhani for his consistent efforts in this regard. 
Rowhani is the top Iranian negotiator in Tehran`s nuclear talks 
with the Europeans. 
Referring to the worsening situation in the Iraqi city of Falluja,
Ayatollah Kashani said that massacre of the innocent civilians in 
Falluja by the American forces was a crime which did not occur in 
the past centuries or was very rare." 
He noted that such crimes have been committed while the US claims 
that it is the most civilized country of the world and that it is to 
"spread its civilization throughout the globe." 
What is nowadays happening in Falluja, stressed the ayatollah, was
only an example of the US "civilization which is totally hated by the 
world nations," Kashani noted. 
He called on the Islamic and Arab world to break their silence 
and show their disagreements with what was happening in Iraq. 
Ayatollah Kashani stressed that the US and the Zionist regime of 
Israel should notice that they had no choice but facing a lasting 
disgrace and failure for what they have been doing in the world. 
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