By ELLENT. TORDESILLAS
US-CENTRIC Filipinos may not be aware that the Philippines and Iran share a lot of common experiences- from rising from devastating natural calamities to political upheavals.
Foremost is the harnessing of people power against an extravagant and tyrannical regimes.
Many Filipinos like to think that we “invented” People Power with the ouster of President Ferdinand Marcos on Feb. 25, 1986 and inspired other countries in Eastern Europe, and much later Arab countries, to go out in the streets and overthrow tyrants.
But the Iranians did it seven years earlier than the EDSA People Power. On Feb. 11,1979 angry Iranians, mostly students, drove out the United States- supported Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
In fact, during the struggle against the Marcos regime, the opposition utilized some of the methods used by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian revolution, to reach out to the masses through messages in tape casettes,while he was still on exile.
The other night, as Iran celebrated its 36th anniversary of the victory of its Islamic revolution, Ambassador Ali Asghar Mohammadi re-affirmed the role of his country, which straddles Asia and Europe, as “center of axis of peace and stability in the region.”
He quoted from the article of Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, “What Iran really wants” in the Foreign Affairs publication: “The post-revolutionary foreign policy of Iran has been based on a number of cherished ideals and objectives embedded in the country’s constitution. These include the preservation of Iran’s independence, territorial integrity, and national security and the achievement of long-term, sustainable national development. Beyond its borders, Iran seeks to enhance its regional and global stature; to promote its ideals, including Islamic democracy; to expand its bilateral and multilateral relations, particularly with neighboring Muslim-majority countries and nonaligned states; to reduce tensions and manage disagreements with other states; to foster peace and security at both the regional and the international levels through positive engagement; and to promote international understanding through dialogue and cultural interaction.”
Mohammadi touched on two important international issues where Iran plays an important role: non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and war against extremism.
Under President Hassan Rouhani, Iran last March agreed to talks with Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany known P5+1 powers in connection with its nuclear program towards an agreement that would end the wide-ranging sanction on Iran by the United Nations Security Council. The sanctions have seriously hurt the oil-producing country economically.
“Nuclear negotiations between Iran and 5+1 group of countries are still going on with hopes to reach its desirable results for all countries in due time,” Mohammadi said.
But he said the agreement should not be at the expense of the interest and integrity of his people. Quoting his Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Mohammadi said, “Iranian nation will not buckle under bullying, excessive demands and irrational behavior.
He said Iran is also looking for a good deal which upholds their right to access and use of peaceful nuclear program based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty or NPT’s laws and regulation.
“We respect and ask nothing more than the rule of law in its entirety,” the envoy said.
Mohammadi also stressed that Iran is in the frontline of war against violence and extremism which the international community is stepping up outraged by the brutality of extremist ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ) group.
“We believe that the evil nature of terrorism cannot be characterized as good or bad terrorism and resorting to blind violence with recruiting internationally dangerous extremist elements from all over the world for any motives is detrimental to international peace and stability,” Mohammadi said adding that, “We are against those that with their inhuman acts have damaged the image of Islam.”
Last year, Iran held the first International Conference on World against Violence and Extremism and the Philippines was represented by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Ging Deles.
Relations between the Philippines and Iran are cordial but it could be robust if not for the U.S. led sanction against Iran. It has not, however, prevented more exchanges in other fields like education, culture and sports.
Mohammadi cited the Iranian community in the Philippines in helping strengthen the relations between the two countries. He said last year hundreds of Iranian students graduated from Philippine universities.
They are members of the Global Half-Filipino-Iranian Association -the most solid ties that bind the Philippines and Iran.
