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ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN Speech by H. E. Dr. Kamal Kharrazi "Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Official Visit to the United Kingdom" January 11, 2000 The Royal Institute of Intonation Affairs Chatham House |
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In the Name of God, the Almighty
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Scholars, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very delighted to address this friendly gathering. I hope the doors to serious dialog between the two nations will be furthered opened, and as a result, we could together contribute to better mutual understanding and move forward toward realization of our aspirations for freedom, justice and peace. Our world has now taken its first steps in the unchartered domain of the 21st Century. Where are we going, and what are we looking for in this new century? What kind of order will prevail in our world, and what will be the underpinning principles of this order? For some time now, we have been hearing the word "culture" from various places, used in different combinations such as: cultural right, cultural diversity, cultural capital, culture of peace, culture of dialog, and the list goes on. Is it really incidental that so much emphasis is being placed on culture in our contemporary world? It is very difficult for me to believe that there is any one here in our midst that believes the frequent use of the word "culture" and its combinations in the current literature is purely by chance. When a new situation emerges in the world, it is usually accompanied by its own symbols and words. The word "culture" presently takes the highest position in contemporary literature and we are using it in universities, social institutions, the media and our political dialog, because in the past century "culture" has not been accorded the importance that it truly deserves. Does culture have any relation with the new world order? The answer to this question is "yes", without a moment of doubt. Is it possible to talk about the world order without first drawing its cultural grounds and foundation? Major developments in the past two decades of 20th Century have brought the need to draw up a new order for the world into sharper focus; an order that takes stock of the past to bring peace, freedom and justice for all humanity. A new world order is evolving. Debate and discourse at the global level within international forums, especially in the United Nations, and in the form of multilateral, regional and bilateral discussions all clearly tell us that a new world order is being unfolding. The fundamental and challenging question relates to the cultural foundation on which this new world order will rest. By looking at the current international debate two trends are observable: one is the culture of exclusion" and the other "the culture of inclusion". To know more about the two cultures, we ought to address their characteristics: Characteristics of the Culture of Exclusion: 1. Centralization: The Culture of exclusion seeks to centralize political, social, cultural and economic relations and to promote and publicize a culture with a single voice by different norms. The advocates of centralization of power place themselves at the center of the world order and seek to bring other nations and countries under their umbrella of domination. They actively promote a patriarchal culture in international relations and think of themselves as having a special right to rule the world; a right that has no rational and defendable basis.
2. Authoritarianism and evading rule of law: The culture of exclusion seeks to evade rule of law, to maintain complete and total domination and to have unchallenged leadership. The advocates of the culture of exclusion do not consider themselves to be bound by any law and have no apprehension to use the law as an instrument to dominate the world. Law provides a framework that places limits on the conduct of individuals, societies and political powers. Good enforcement of the law safeguards the rights of people. Abuse of the law and its selective and evasive application will bring nothing but tyranny. John Locke, the great philosopher of your country very correctly said: "Wherever law ends, tyranny begins."
3. Discrimination and injustice: The culture of exclusion promotes and tolerates happiness of those in the position of advantage and the expense of misery of the downtrodden. In this culture, the element of justice is absent, and social and economic inequalities are in one way or the other justified, if not totally ignored. Discrimination and injustice emanate from self-centeredness and dark thoughts of racism. The followers of the culture of exclusion with their double standards and discriminatory conduct have clearly demonstrated that they have no respect for equality of mankind despite the clear stipulations of international law, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
4. Accumulation of wealth: The culture of exclusion seeks full enjoyment of life blessing for those who are considered "insiders". Accumulation of wealth and resources in the hands of monopolizers of power has further widened the gap between the world of the have and the have-nots. As a consequence of unjust distribution of wealth and material objects in the world, the wall of cynicism, mistrust and disbelief between these two worlds has become taller and impenetrable.
5. Militarism: This culture will have no choice but to resort to militarism and will put in place its desired order by using its iron fist. Resort to brute military power is the most unlawful way to prevail over nations and the world. Beating the drum of violence and fear tramples upon the rights of people, the law and morality. It disturbs social balance and substitutes sword and gun in place of dialog and conversation among peoples and nations. Characteristics of the Policy of Inclusion: 1. Cultural pluralism and diversity: Culture of inclusion supports cultural pluralism and diversity promotes listening to different voices. Proceeding from this culture and with the exchange of ideas and innovative creations, human sciences and arts will flourish. The products of human mind will appear in innovative artistic forms and the market of thoughts that will shape the image of mankind and the future world will thrive and reach the height of their development. 2. Democracy, freedom and participation: The culture of inclusion considers human being as free and with the power of reasoning. Accordingly, a human being, as a citizen of world can and should play a role in his country, in his own region and beyond, give effect to his desired order on the basis of rule of law, express his opinions freely and participate in the architecture of the new world. 3. Justice: Culture of inclusion seeks justice. This culture teaches us that a world without social, political and economic justice in the form of distributive justice and equality of opportunities will not bring peace and happiness. The people of the world need to enjoy a decent standard of living. By having access to equal opportunities and by putting their talents and interests to good use, they should be able to uplift their resourcefulness and capability. 4. Tolerance: The cultural of inclusion has the essence of tolerance. It could not be an inclusive culture without this valuable essence. Tolerance for beliefs or practices differing from and even conflicting with our own will lead to a more peaceful world; a world where humanity will enjoy dignity, security and the rule of law, and violence will give way to peaceful relations. 5. Collective security: The culture of inclusion embraces into its fold all talents and resources. It is a culture of cooperation and meeting of minds. In respect of security which is essential for survival of the world community, this culture focuses on collective participation. In the collective and participatory security system, relations are not based on accepting or resorting to domination as is the case in the culture of exclusion. They are based on confidence-building, convergence and cooperation. The culture of inclusion sees security as a shared possession, and not as an arena to sow the seeds of discord, conflict and military adventures.
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Audience, In the 20th Century the world went through negative and positive experiences. But it was primarily the culture of exclusion that caused tragic and destructive experiences of the past century. No one with free spirit and with a sound mind would wish to see the return of this culture in the new century. Let us not forget that the culture of exclusion is far from dead. It has its own theoreticians and proponents. There are powers that have the illusion to have the exclusive leadership of the world. The culture of inclusion says a big "no" to the culture of exclusion and its consequences. The culture of inclusion is the culture of free-minded, justice-seeking and peaceful persons. The new world order must be based on the culture of inclusion so that our world will manage to pass through the remaining traces of culture of obscurantism and move forward toward culture of new enlightenment and put our global house in order on the basis of rule of law and equity. If together we succeed to lay the new world order on the foundation of the culture of inclusion, the finished product of such an order will be a global civil society. A society that will gradually evolve on the foundation resulting from institutionalizing of the rule of law and participation by all in national and international affairs. The supporting structures of this global civil society are acceptance of diversity and pluralism as positive forces, promotion of tolerance, dialog, and human rights, balanced and sustainable development, justice and equality of opportunities. I believe the very reason why President Khatami's proposal for dialog among civilizations received such a wide global reception was for the fact that it is an effective way to promote tolerance and mutual accommodation. Dialog among civilizations can facilitate, on the basis of culture of inclusion, the establishment of global civil society as the new world order. Therefore, dialog among civilizations, culture of inclusion and the global civil society are the three pillars of the new world order in the 21st century. We are determined to promote rule of law, diversity and cultural pluralism, greater freedoms, civil institutions, tolerance and to strengthen good governance on the basis of Islamic teachings. Our foreign policy places great emphasis on reducing and removing areas of fictions and mistrust, dialog, cooperation and active participation in regional and international relations. This policy also seeks to promote peace and multifaceted sustainable development. It is true that we have put behind the era of Cold War and have now stepped into the domain of the next century, but we are still facing the remnants and ramifications of the culture of exclusion. In dealing with international issues, the two cultures of exclusion and inclusion are clearly visible. Can we really have any hope to overcome the formidable challenges we all face as community of nations by relying on the culture of exclusion? The days of culture of exclusion have come to an end. The culture of inclusion, as a culture of reason, freedom, tolerance and participation will be the culture of the new century. This culture has its own norms and applications and is not a phenomenon in abstract.
Strategies for the Cultural of Inclusion Now allow me, Mr. Chairman, to explain some of the strategies in the political, cultural, economic and security arenas of the new world order and to shed more light on the implications of the culture of inclusion on global issues.
A. Political Aspect The culture of inclusion considers politics as a means to serve the people, not as an instrument to consolidate power and domination. In the culture of inclusion politics and ethics are inseparable; if each goes its own way our world will fall into the abyss of violence, tyranny and insecurity. Confidence building is also of fundamental importance in the culture of inclusion. In the process of building confidence the gap between nations and countries is reduced and different parts of our globe move in a concerted fashion toward dialog, mutual understanding, and cooperation with the aim of realizing their common aspirations. The culture of inclusion is very pragmatic, fair, and peaceful when it evaluates world crises while presenting solutions for disputes. For example, looking at the question of Palestine we can not afford to conveniently ignore the fact that the occupation of Palestinian lands and the violations of their human rights of Palestinians continue. Illegal expansion of Jewish settlements and creation of geographical and demographic changes in the occupied territories, especially in Beit al-Moqadas, clearly demonstrate that Israel considers herself to be above the universally accepted rules of international law and the will of the international community. Proceeding from the culture of inclusion, the crisis in the Middle East can only be resolved when the fundamental rights of the Palestinian nation including the right to determine their own destiny are realized, the refugees and displaced Palestinians are returned to their homes and the occupied territories, including Beit al-Moqadas are liberated. In respect of Afghanistan, the approach based on the culture of inclusion is also pragmatic, peaceful and fair. Proceeding from this line of thinking we should take into view in our efforts to resolve this crisis, the cultural, ethnic, and political diversity of this nation and give all parties, ethnicities and groupings a chance to work for a durable and just peace. I do not need to repeat that the key to the resolution of problems in Afghanistan lies in the establishment of a broad-based government with the participation of all groups and ethnic communities in this country. Toward this end, the international organizations, especially the United Nations, can be of great help.
B. Cultural Aspects In respect of culture, the inclusive approach desires a world in which man is a "cultural being" with full cultural rights. A cultured nation has the right to think of culture, to create culture, to disseminate the culture and to safeguard his cultural heritage. The culture of inclusion is by definition a strong advocate of cultural diversity and pluralism. Civility is not a monopoly of any nation. Our world is a world of diverse cultures. These cultures are the product of creative human mind and intellect and have their roots in traditions, religion, and history. Cultural right tells us that cultures should thrive and interact in a free and creative world. In respect of the core issue of human rights, the approach of the culture of inclusion implies respect for human rights in all institutions of the international social, economic and political system. All national and international entities should participate actively in the global efforts to promote human rights for all individuals and societies and remove the existing imparities and discriminations.
C. Economic Aspects The culture of inclusion calls upon all nations to have an active role in human economic endeavors. Economic globalization and liberalization of trade are the order of the day. Amidst these developments, the culture of inclusion dictates that economic globalization must produce equal opportunities for all nations if we are to prevent marginalization of many developing countries. Globalization of economy worldwide requires creation of effective mechanisms in order to allow each nation to have a fair share in global economic cooperation. Otherwise, globalization of the world economy will not proceed on the foundation of fairness and sustainability and will not contribute to the well being of people all over the world.
D. Security Aspects The culture of inclusion rejects destructive arms race and believes in dialog, decision-making and participation in a global security networking that will allow nations to benefit from the fruits of new sciences and technologies. It also rejects the philosophy of militarism and considers security as a means to bring peace, not as an excuse for domination and aggression. With the prevalence of the culture of inclusion, we can be hopeful that international treaties and conventions such as the Non-proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty will be practically in force. If the culture of inclusion prevails, Israel will not be able to make the plan for a Middle East free of Nuclear weapons hostage to her policy of evasion and exclusion. We all know that Israel with her clandestine nuclear program is the only one in the Middle East that lies outside the binding rules of NPT and nuclear safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency and is a threat to peace and security in the Middle East. The culture of inclusion will put military activities on the foundation of universally accepted rules and puts an end to illegal acts and threats. The culture of inclusion seeks a global security network based on participation of all nations in the architecture of the world security, and not on rivalries and conflict.
Mr. Chairman Building a new world that enjoy freedom, justice, security and peace needs a fresh and profound look at assumptions and principles prevailing in the past century. In the new century we need to strike a balance between materialism and spirituality, between morality and power. We, must accept that we as human beings, regardless of color, race, language, nationality and religion are all citizens of the planet Earth and have a shared destiny. We are all on the same boat. This notion that you can build islands of prosperity on the oceans of poverty for our first class citizens is just an illusion; not to mention that such classification is a gross insult to the sanctity of human person who is born free and with the power to reason. We believe that gradual institutionalization of culture of inclusion and working toward global civil society based on rule of law and collective participation is the only way out of the current complex predicament in the world. Then, let us begin this new century by promoting this noble idea. Thank you for your attention |
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