SADDAM SPEECH, IRAQ TV
Iraq News, 10 August 1999
By
Laurie Mylroie
The central focus of Iraq News is the tension between the
considerable, proscribed WMD capabilities that Iraq is holding on to and
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V. SADDAM SPEECH, IRAQ TV, AUG 8
VI. IRAN DAILY, SADDAM IS A CURSE, AP, AUG 0
[con't]
People were fought or dismissed on account of their other stands or
even their names. For example, all people called 'Umar, Abu-Bakr, or
'Uthman were excluded from the lineage of the descendants of 'Ali Bin
Abi-Talib and Al-Husayn except for some selections according to a
particular purpose or purposes related to the jurisprudence of Caliph
'Ali, peace be upon him. These are often quoted and purposely used for
certain aims or at least according to a formula that is meant to appear
contradictory and not in harmony with the jurisprudence of the Islamic
state and its history.
No matter how bright the links are within the overall march and
genuine origin, these often fade when separated from their main source.
Their influence will weaken the way the fragrance of a good perfume
weakens gradually when it is taken out of its flask, or the way a
glowing ember weakens when separated from other embers. This
characterization of the behavior of Iranians toward Islamic history
encouraged the Shah of Iran to celebrate the passage of 2,500 years on
the establishment of the Persian state, ignoring Iran's history within
the state of Islam regardless of the position of the Iranian people or
even the position of some Iranians at that time. It was the same
characterization which made the Iranian ruler when the great principles
of true Islam were absented seek to destroy Baghdad in 1980 in order to
occupy Iraq the way Korsch destroyed Babylon in collaboration with the
Jews in 539 BC.
What I said explains why the Iranian students are not taught the
history of the Islamic state and even why the religious schools there do
not teach the history and jurisprudence of the Islamic state when Iran
was part of it and, consequently, how and why Iran attacked Iraq and the
war broke out for eight years.
This will explain why the aggression took place at the hands of those
who led Iran against Iraq and why the war continued or eight years and
why all efforts, including those of the Islamic Conference and its
committee, which was formed to stop the war and establish peace between
Iraq and Iran at that time, failed. This will also explain how the war
stopped only in the battlefield when God supported the faithful, the
people of continuous history and great faith and pure examples and
symbols as a whole, over those who wanted to dissociate Iran from that
history and to replace all elements of love with hatred after
deviating from the principles of great Islam.
This also explains why and how the US administrations, which claim to
embrace the principles of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, are forging
an alliance with the hateful Zionism, which committed aggression against
the lands and rights of the Arabs and Palestinians.
The US administrations support the Jews to kill the women, elderly,
and children in Palestine, the cradle of Christ, peace be upon him, and
in other Arab areas.
This explains why and how the US administrations forged an alliance
with others to kill and starve the people of Iraq, destroy Iraq's
pillars of civilization and even archaeological monuments. Thus, one can
say that every period following the deterioration and stagnation of
Baghdad, and indeed the whole Arab and Islamic nation -- with a
relatively few known exceptions -- seemed to have been frozen as it was
in the previous periods of time in all walks of life and in all domains,
including the social ties at that time.
For almost eight centuries, development had stopped. It continued to
retreat because of the Ottoman foreigner, in reality, and despite his
claims that he is ruling in the name of Islam, ran the state in
accordance with a narrow view related to the legacy, apprehensions, and
wishes of his nation and people. He neglected the Arab nation, in terms
of its meanings, message, great leadership of faith and its banners,
development and other sublime meanings, and as a genuine reference for
the interpretation of the principles of Islam and everything related to
it and to give advice about the path to be chosen. The Ottoman foreigner
also neglected the history of the Islamic state and its great models. If
this foreigner wanted to refer to a part of the Islamic state's legacy,
he would be selective and formal in the way he deals with this legacy.
This is based on the prejudices of this ruler, who is not a believer and
who does not have a broad mind, rich allegiance, deep heritage, and
great principles.
Therefore, the people and nation did not interact with the Ottoman
ruler, and he remained isolated from the people in his opinion,
position, and decision. The position and opinion of the people remained
theoretical wishes without any practice. All this happened after the
traits of the ruler were far removed from interaction with the people.
At best, history froze, as if the last chapter of it prior to the fall
of the Ottoman rule is, at best, similar to the last chapter that
preceded the Ottoman rule of Baghdad, and all other Arab countries in
general.
Based on this and on the high meanings stored by Baghdad and the power
that can be enlightened--under certain conditions--we can explain why
the sun did not rise on the people of Baghdad and others during the
state ruled by the Ottomans in the name of Islam, when the eye of
Baghdad was absent. We can also explain how the sun rises on many sons
of the Islamic community and all the sons of Arabism--the holders of the
pen, sword, banner, and great principles--when the light shines from the
eyes of Baghdad--the city of history and glory.
Brothers, we celebrate the Great Victory Day on 8 August because we
want to reassert the value and meanings of heroism that is related to
its genuine origin and deep-rooted base of faith and the nation
that has always waged jihad and carried the banner of God. This nation
has always faithfully preserved the relevant principles and the
responsibility of the leading role as a decisive element in the conflict
once it takes place. We also want to stress the significance of
construction and the role of man as a believer in progress and in
exalting love over hate and the objective of construction over
backwardness and the spirit of destruction, and endeavoring to connect
the present to its genuine sources of faith and deep-rooted past. This
achieves two victories, one within one's soul, derived from the
individual's feeling that he is a living part of a whole, and not an
outcast--and this makes one pleased as he performs his duty toward God.
The other victory is over the enemies, when only the impossible prevents
their death. It is not just one victory when achieved by any of the
above descriptions. It either introduces the melancholy of loneliness
into a road shared by no one else or the gloom of despair, which, no
matter how intense the feeling of self-content, preserves in this case
the sense of defeat before the enemy, thus burning their backs with the
lashes of triumph and perhaps the consciences and minds with scars and
bruises caused by the triumphant's gun bombardment.
We would like to say to the whole world, including the Iranian
peoples, that the victory won by the Iraqis is a great humane victory
because it is a victory of progress over backwardness, of faith and
truth over falsification, and of construction over destruction. Had this
victory not been accomplished, God forbid, and had another, different
thing been achieved by Satan's act, materialism, promoted by the West,
under the leadership of America, in the Middle East region and perhaps
in other places, would have created a horrific situation of destruction
caused by the backward condition that is secluded in a lacerated image
albeit dressed in religion or in some aspect of it.
Faith would have been defeated after being shunned by the people's
souls and minds as a result of what would have befallen them under the
slogans of religion.
Zionism and America would have won the battle, as people would seek
their protection, prompted by a false hope for peace and stability which
the two might provide for the people against the ghoul of backwardness,
destruction, and sectarian war. The Iranian people would have remained
captives of deception for a long time after they would have wasted their
resources, suffered subsequently bitter disappointment, and immersed in
the crimes of aggression and destruction. Indeed, the victory has
salvaged the Iranian people from all that. It rescued the peoples of the
world from the domination of Western materialism, whose view and way of
life would have had the upper hand for a long time to come at the
expense of balanced, spiritual principles and the correct moral aspects
of life.
Therefore, it is the right, indeed the duty too, of peoples and
nations, not only the Iraqi people, to chant: "Long live 8 August 1988"
as a day of victory for all peoples, for righteousness over falsehood,
and sublime morals over the abysses at the lowest bottom.
Long live the people holding the banner, principles, and sword of the
victory.
God is great.
Great people: We realize that we have burdened you with the style of
this address. Based on what you have listened to or read on such
occasions, you realize that we endeavor, as best as we can, to make our
speeches in a simple style, be it for the young, middle-aged, or
elderly. Yet the simplified style, dear people, is not always capable of
expressing the meaning of what we want to state when discussing
intellectual matters. In fact, our problem in that is not with the
Iraqi people, but with others, whom you know. It is with people who
allege that through their hostility they can express a thought. Thus, it
is inevitable that we deal with the wrong premise of their thought and
replace it with a correct one, as we think and believe in. We also deem
it appropriate, even at the level of the general human standards
common to all people wherever they set or act on a fair and objective
basis. Our excuse in this, valiant men and praiseworthy women, beloved
boys and girls, is that, on this occasion as well as on others, we, in
Iraq, have begun to communicate with gestures and by eyes and not only
by speech. We also communicate when our souls meet in the space of great
love and become so exalted that a constant pledge is held to build our
country, uplift the status of its faithful people, and defend our dear
homeland and the great principles of our glorious nation. Therefore, I
hope you will understand what we say, for you are capable of
understanding and you are the brains of the Arabs.
A simplified speech, brothers, in this respect, might take a course
that could fracture the foreheads and split the hearts of your
opponents. However, this is not our intention. Now they have come to
know that you can, in the name of God, cleave foreheads and tear livers
in the battlefields. Instead, we try to cure the sick souls and hearts
and open, in the best manner, the eyes to the facts as they are,
whenever the minimal guess is possible. We are performing our national
and human duty after seeking the assistance of God.
Based on the knowledge of more than 8,000 years of civilization and
the eternal heritage of our nation, we state: Go, both of you to Pharaoh
and speak gently to him [part of Koranic verse]. Meanwhile, we are
maintaining, concomitantly, the essence of the stands of mujahid people
and their leadership, which believes in God, homeland, nation, and
people. God is great.
Glory and sublimeness to the martyrs of glorious al-Qadisiyah. Life of
pride and sublime morals to our wounded and the living ones. Among the
believers are men who have been true to their covenant with God; of them
some have died, and some still wait, but they have never changed in the
least. [Koranic verse].
Greetings to our POW's in the cages of captivity in Iran, and great
pride in their patriotic stands there.
Greetings to the true believers wherever they are.
Long live our glorious nation.
Long live Iraq. Long live Iraq.
Long live Palestine, free and Arab. Long live the people of Palestine
and the mujahidin of the great cause.
Glory to the Iraqi families that had the order of honor for the loss
of their sons, our honest sons, in the fields of honor and jihad,
families that have patiently endured the pain and hurt with hearts
replete with faith and sublime morals.
Long live friendship with peoples.
May God help all the Iranian families that were struck with the
calamities of the war, and yet they still adhere to and entertain a good
intention and love for relationship with Iraq because they realize and
understand the causes of the conflict and those who had triggered it.
God is great.
God is great.
Shame upon the despicable.
VI. IRAN DAILY, SADDAM IS A CURSE
Iran: Iraqi Accusations 'Unfounded
Monday, August 9, 1999; 11:19 a.m. EDT
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Accusations by Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein that Iran harbors hostile intentions toward his country
are ``unfounded,'' an Iranian official was quoted as saying Monday.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Saddam's
comments were made ``to compensate and cover up for his own defeat and
humiliation,'' the Neshat newspaper reported.
On Sunday, Saddam accused Iran of joining the United States and
Israel in laying siege to Iraq, and continuing to harbor hostile
ambitions against his country.
Asefi said Saddam's comments mean ``he is still unwilling to abandon
his unwise practices in his relations with other nations,'' according to
the newspaper, monitored in Dubai.
Iranian papers criticized Saddam on Monday, and one called him a
``curse'' on the Muslim world.
``In a century which has come to symbolize appalling human tragedies,
the name of Saddam tops a rather long list of proverbial biblical curses
which have fallen on the Islamic world,'' the Iran Daily said in a
commentary.
The paper said that Saddam has ``wielded the sword with all the
finesse of a blind drunkard against his neighbors.''
In the Sunday speech marking the anniversary of the end of the
Iraq-Iran war of 1980-88, Saddam also accused Iran of betraying its
Islamic principles.
``Iran, like Iraq's other neighbors, is mounting a siege that incites
the American and Zionists aggressors to kill the Iraqi people,'' Saddam
said, apparently referring to Iran's support for U.N. sanctions imposed
on Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
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