Addressing the 36th National Award for Book of the Year and the 26th World Award for Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic of Iran on Tuesday, President Hassan Rouhani said “if (Americans) want to redirect Iran back to forty years ago, we will not accept this reactionary move.”
“You wanted us not to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the revolution so that you enjoy yourself in Iran. Look, it is the 40th anniversary of the revolution, and all the provinces are inaugurating hundreds of small and large projects,” Rouhani added.
The president added “the people of Iran were bare handed during the revolution, but they had high hopes of the end of the path of victory and they stood against all powers in fighting the dictator.”
Stating that the victory of the people of Iran in the revolution was the victory of light over darkness, he said, “Quran is a book that sheds light over darkness. This is the description of a real book in that stepping in the darkness is not possible without speed, precision and not facing obstacles.”
“Those who want to defeat the Iranian people are ultimately trying to defeat the people culturally, despite the fact that they started with pressures and talk of the economy,” he said.
The president noted “during the war with Iraq, the former Soviet Union refused to deliver the weapons that we had previously purchased, and delivered the most modern airplanes to Saddam.”
“In the meantime, Europe, the United States, and the Arab reactionaries were on Saddam's side and provided all the facilities and weapons to him, and we were fully besieged, but in spite of all these measures they could not win. Because we had the spirit of faith, belief and hope,” said Rouhani.
He went on to refer to the United States’ not allowing four American intellectuals to come to Iran for receiving the Book of the Year Award, he said “if the US claims that it has no bad intentions towards the Iranian nation and culture, then why it has prevented them to come to Iran?”
President Rouhani continued “this shows that the sanctions of the United States are against science, scientists and the pen and he wants to break the pens, fighting the thoughts and civilization of today’s world.”
KI/4534914; president.ir