American Human Rights from the Point of View of Ayatollah Khamenei
The Reason for Addressing the Issue of Human Rights
The issue of human rights posed by American leaders, both now and in the days before, was just a means to gain benefit. They do not believe in human rights. These are the ones who, in front of their eyes, the Zionist regime is putting the Palestinian people under pressure, killing and torturing them in the worst way, and they do not even verbally condemn that actions.
The issue of human rights is a means for deceiving people and exerting pressure; that is if they want to put pressure of public opinion on a government, to accuse it of violating human rights while introducing themselves as the advocators for human rights in the world; even if they find it necessary, they would invade a country and overthrow the government in the name of defending the human rights! (Khamenei, 1990/12/23)
Islam is the Greatest Pioneer of Defending Human Rights
Today, the Iranian nation must be vigilant because the enemy by various names – including in the name of human rights – tries to attack the Revolution and Islam. The United States defending human rights is something at which one has to laugh and cry. On the one hand, it is funny because this government is taking the lead in violating human rights whereas it claims to defend them! On the other hand, it is something for which one should cry because the worst calamity for humanity is seeing that human concepts and values fall into the hands of these vicious politicians. They accuse Iran of violating human rights, while Islam is the biggest guarantor of human rights. Islam emphasizes human rights. (Khamenei, 1990/11/28)
The Islamic Republic is the pioneer of human rights. It is a sign that the flag of human rights has been raised in the country by faith in Islam. We do not need anyone to advise us on human rights. (Khamenei, 2009/120619)
Now, the political elites, statesmen, and intellectuals in the Islamic world have a curtail responsibility toward the ummah. All Muslims must hear the liberating message of Islam. They have the obligation to shed light on the Islamic identity of Muslim nations.
Our intellectuals and knowledgeable people must help Muslim youth to understand Islamic approaches towards the concepts of human rights, freedom, democracy, women’s rights, fighting against corruption, elimination of discrimination, poverty alleviation, and campaigns against ignorance. We should never believe or be deceived by the western media campaigns on the fight against terrorism or weapons of mass destruction. (Khamenei, 2003/02/29)
The United States and its supporters have issued accusations against Iran, saying: “You are against human rights, you do not respect women’s rights, you want to make nuclear weapons and so on.” These are just excuses. In reality, they say that why have you made Muslims throughout the world become awakened and no longer be like a submissive lamb? (Khamenei, 1996/02/09)
Today, the Great Satan, which is itself the embodiment of evil and cruelty against mankind, has raised the banner of advocating human rights and is inviting nations in the Middle East to embrace democracy. What the United States is trying to do in these countries in the name of democracy is installing submissive and obedient politicians with the help of machinations, bribes and misleading propaganda and through apparently popular but actually rigged elections; the politicians who will become American tools for achieving its wicked and domineering goals.
One of the major goals pursued by the United States is to suppress the waves of Islamic Awakening and once again drive Islamic values into isolation. All the political and propaganda tools of the United States and other hegemonic powers are being utilized to delay the Islamic Awakening movement and, if possible, suppress it. (Khamenei, 2006/01/09)
Human rights are fulfilled in the light of Islamic justice and Islamic law, and in the judiciary system, human rights must be meticulously addressed – not with the false standards that today the West offers; rather with Islamic standards. (Khamenei, 1993/01/13)
The United States’ Hostility to Islam and the Islamic Republic
The main hostility of the United States and its allies is towards religion, and especially Islam; Because Islam serves the oppressed masses. It opposes the United States and its allies’ tyranny; because Islam advocates for the independence of the oppressed people. (Khamenei, 1991/05/01)
It is a lie that they say we defend human rights; these arrogant powers and today the Great Satan are against humanity and human rights. No mockery of Islamic values is bitterer than claiming that the Americans are defending human rights. (Khamenei, 1991/10/09)
Human rights will be fulfilled in the shadow of Islam and the Islamic state; it is Islam that says: Legislation is not but for God. He has commanded that you worship not except Him.”
This sentence denies any tyrannical rule. No one has the right to rule the people unless he is qualified to do so and the people have accepted him. (Khamenei, 1992/10/03)
They accuse the Islamic Republic of not respecting human rights. Their purpose is to attack the implementation of Islamic boundaries because we enforce Islamic boundaries. The Holy Quran says: “These are the limits of God, so do not transgress them. And whoever transgresses the limits of God – it is those who are the wrongdoers” (Quran, 2:229). The limits are the divine limits. We give priority to Quran over the perceptions of western intellectuals who have created and invented knowledge and regard it as an advanced level of knowledge that is more valuable and authentic than divine religions. (Khamenei, 1994/06/03)
The enmity of our enemies is rooted in the resistance of the Islamic Republic against global arrogance and against the hideous habit of dividing the world into the oppressor and the oppressed. Other issues are excuses. They want to discourage the Islamic Republic from showing resistance against bullies, thugs, blackmailers and global oppressors. (Khamenei, 2014/05/21)
The Reality of American Human Rights
Those who talk about human rights; those who claim to hold the banner of human rights are lying. Human rights are respected, but when there is no Muslim involved! They do not look at people being killed. (Khamenei, 1992/10/06)
The United States and the United Kingdom are among the countries that claim to defend human rights and freedom; in the meantime, they are supporting the criminal Zionist regime in killing the Palestinian people and the people in African, Asian and other countries. Certainly, if the United States had not supported Israel, it would not have survived. In fact, it is the United States that is bombing southern Lebanon. If respecting human beings is a criterion, it cannot be achieved except through Islam. (Khamenei, 1989/06/17)
The United Nations and its Human Rights Committee along with other organizations have shown no reaction to the claims made by the United States and its allies. (Khamenei, 1990/05/23)
The United States’ goals are totally colonial, expansionist, anti-human rights and anti-nations rights. (Khamenei, 2002/11/22)
Today anyone who wants to know the meaning of the kind of human rights and democracy that the Americans want to promote in the Middle East can take a look at Iraq. Today Iraq is the testing ground for the claims of the United States. (Khamenei, 2003/07/30)
The Western Human Rights Adopting a Dual Approach Towards Muslims
Regarding democracy and human rights, the Islamic world is not in need of the erroneous and often violated prescription offered by the West. Democracy has been underlined by the teachings of Islam, and human rights are among the loftiest Islamic precepts. (Khamenei, 2006/01/09)
The arrogant governments, headed by the United States, conceal their true character with the help of comprehensive and advanced propaganda tools. By claiming that they support human rights and democracy, they deceive public opinion in different countries. They speak about the rights of all nations while each day Muslim nations feel- with their bodies and souls- the fire of discord more than the past. (Khamenei, 2013/10/14)
Human rights according to Western culture are anti-human and are equal to the rights of cruel individuals. This [bogus] definition of human rights has nothing to do with human rights. We support human rights and Islam supports the rights of humans. No other doctrine respects the value of human dignity as much as Islam. One of the Islamic principles that have always been presented when introducing Islam is the principle of “human respect.” We will not wait for the West to teach us about human rights or advise us on protecting the rights of humans. We are the first supporters of human rights ourselves. But human rights are defensible under the protection of Islam, where the rights of human beings count. (Khamenei, 1992/12/16)
6-Under the pretext of defending human rights, freedom, and democracy
Today, the flag that the great powers of the world bear is the flag of human rights, freedom and democracy. They use deceptive titles, but they both lie to the people of the world, and their own people. Their goal is to dominate the world.
They advocate Western interests with “human rights”; they use “democracy” as a means to invade the countries; they say “we fight against terrorism,” but instead they target defenceless people in villages and cities with bombs and weapons.
Today, modern ignorance prevails throughout the world. Ignorance means fighting against righteousness, monotheism, human rights, and the way God has provided for humanity to attain felicity and prosperity. This ignorance still exists today, in the modern form and in using knowledge, advanced technology, nuclear weapons and a variety of weapons to the benefit of those who own industries that destroy human lives.
Americans have no right to speak about human rights. Those who have stained their character by doing shameful acts such as building Guantanamo and Abu Gharib prisons and the bombing of residential areas in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere. They are truly exemplifying the violation of human rights; they are so impudent that are still talking about human rights.
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