President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that the Iranian people have always realized the sensitive situation of their country, the region and the world and they have decided on the basis of their national interests.
''Anyone who calls the Iranian people terrorists does not have the right to sympathize for the people,' President Rouhani said on Sunday, addressing a session of the cabinet and describing the plots by the ill-wishers against the Islamic Iran.
The president, meantime, congratulated the Christians on the New Year of 2018, expressing hope that the new year will be an auspicious year for all the Christians worldwide, Muslims and Iranian nation.
Referring to recent protests in some cities in the country, he said, “This should be clear for all that we are a nation of freedom and based on the Constitution and citizenship rights, the people are completely free for criticizing and expressing their protests.”
'But the procedure of expressing criticism and protest should be in such a way that would lead to the betterment of public life and country’s situation,' he said.
'Solving some problems is not easy and needs time and the Iranian government and people should join hands to resolve the problems,' President Rouhani said.
Noting that certain economic problems originate in the past years and some others pertain to these days, the chief executive said that the Iranian people and government should give each other helping hands to solve these problems.
However, public criticism is not confined to economy alone; rather it also includes corruption and lack of transparency, he said.
The Iranian people seriously urge fighting corruption and they also want to know why some issues are not explained to them properly, the president said.
“People are entitled to criticize all affairs in the country and we believe that the government and country belong to the people and they should be able to express what they want to,” he said.
Stressing that expression of criticism is totally different from hostility and damaging public property, he said, “We welcome criticism and responsible organizations should pave the way for people's legal protest, even their rallies and legal gatherings which are their rights.”
However, a correct, legal and logical way should be adopted for voicing criticism, President Rouhani said, noting that if the method selected for expressing criticism disrupts public life, movement and investment , it is certainly a false one and will please the enemies.
Elsewhere in his speech, President Rouhani described national security and cohesion, peace, unity and brotherhood in Iran as the biggest asset in the region, saying, “In our country, all ethnic groups and religions live together brotherly and they showed in the elections how they are sensitive towards their national interests and their country’s future.”
President Rouhani said that his administration will adhere to what has been stipulated in citizenship rights and whatever has been promised during the election campaigns and the government wants the youth, academics, women, men and all people from cities, towns, and villages to be vivacious.
Of course, this does not mean that all problems have been solved, but social and economic indices reveal that the country has taken several steps forward compared to four years ago, he said.
'Although some steps have been taken, people's purchasing power has not yet been fully improved.' he said, adding, some problems are still in place which should be resolved.
Referring to the problems facing the country such as dust storms and unemployment, among others, he said that corruption should be dealt with seriously and the public should be able to supervise the officials’ deeds.
However, the government will never tolerate those who damage public property and disrupt social order or create chaos in the society, President Rouhani said.
Noting that the US President Donald Trump has been taking actions against the Iranian nation since the first day he took office and is still creating problems for the Iranian nation’s trip to the US, visa issuance and banking and financial issues, President Rouhani said that one who works against the Iranian people cannot be sympathetic towards them.
Similarly, one or two Arab states which have been against the Iranian people over the past few years cannot feel solidarity towards us, he said.
President Rouhani also appreciated all security officials and disciplinary forces for showing restraint and patience durnig recent protests.
The president also called on the ministers and officials to address the problems in due time and make the public aware of the problems as soon as possible.
-(IRNA)
