Preserve Your Identity and Participate in Rally

Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi invited people to participate in the February 11 - the anniversary of the 1979 collapse of the monarchy in Iran - “while preserving [their] identity.”  Mehdi Karoubi meanwhile has denied any compromise with the Islamic regime, noting, “Neither protestors nor the regime are prepared or willing to compromise.”  Mir-Hossein Mousavi also denied any kind of connection between the green movement and foreigners, advising the government to “follow the path of moderation as do the protesters.”

Mousavi invited the Iranian people to participate in the February 11rally while at the same time asking them to preserve their specific identity.  This is interpreted to be a reference to the peaceful nature of the people and the movement.

Previously Karoubi and seyyed Mohammad Khatami, another leading pro-reform leader, had invited the public to take part in the anniversary rally.

Meeting with a group of students yesterday, Mousavi said, “The green movement is the movement of the youth, is not emotional and contains a very strong sense of rationality.”  

Emphasizing that, “The green movement will absolutely not allow foreign interference in its affairs,” Mousavi criticized the regime’s treatment of protesters, adding, “These attacks are designed to influence the grand ayatollahs and clergy and the religious community, but I openly declare that the movement is absolutely not beholden to the regime.”  

In his remarks, published by Kalame website, Mousavi added, “The force that has entered the political scene today, and whose only demand is to return to law and the main goals of the Islamic revolution, one of which is independence, is accused of having connections with foreigners questioned about whether or not it is influenced by them.”

According to the wartime prime minister, “The people’s opposition movement is independent and has no connections to foreigners, but will not be influenced by the regime’s threats or pressures either.”

According to Mousavi, “The green movement is everyone’s friend.  It is friends with workers, teachers, the women’s movement, even with people who do not share our views, because they are part of our nation, and they are our brothers and family members.  They are part of our nation and we love them all.”

Mousavi also criticized the abuse of slogans by the government: “On the one hand we (meaning the regime) send letters of advice to the heads of different countries and invite them to join Islam under the guise of international management and attempt to establish relations with them.  On the other hand, we cannot attain friendship with a single close and friendly nation in the region and in the world.”