MP says taboo of US relations must be removed

EghtesadOnline: Vice-Speaker of Majlis (parliament) Ali Motahari said that the taboo of the US relations must be removed, calling for resumption of diplomatic relations in the remaining period when US President Barack Obama is at the White House.

News ID: ۷۳۶۰۳۴

20 August 2016

He made the remarks on Thursday evening in a conference of government supporters in the Zanjan province, according to IRNA.

The conservative MP with maverick streak is the son of martyr Ayatollah Motahari, companion of late Imam Khomeini.

Ayatollah Motahari was assassinated by terrorist Mujahedeen-e Khalq Organization in 1980.

He said that the experience of administration of the country since 1979 proved that the Islamic Republic of Iran enjoys pious and capable administers, but, there are failures which must be removed by reform of the governing structure and amnedments must be made to the Constitution to remove the bottlenecks.

When the administrative structure has bottlenecks, even the pious characters and good administers and well-wishing scholars could not operate well, he said.

Motahari said that unfortunately good faith of the early days of revolution has dwindled and the administrative system is suffering from power thirsty, partisan conflict and intolerance, so that the administers are not allowed to think about national interests.

He said martyr Motahari had named six diseases for Islamic movement; one influence of opportunists, penetration of alien thoughts, extremist modernization which may put pressure on Islam context because of time necessity.

Another disease is that the good faith lost the ground in comparison with early days of revolution and imposed war.

Concerning foreign policy, the 11th government was successful to get Iran out of isolation and now, Iranophobia has reduced in the world.

He said that among most Arab countries, Iranophobia still exists, which should be removed.

He said that implementation of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is important opportunity which should be used in the optimal way.

Motahari said that Iran should take advantage for presence of the President Obama at the White House and that such a president may not come to the US again, a man who is wiser than former presidents and it seems that he is away from Islamophobia.

The MP said that relations with the US should not be a taboo; some people imagine establishment of relations with the US is the end of revolution.

'It is a mistake. If we had relations with the US, we would not have the banking problems now,' he said.

On foreign policy, it is necessary to get closer to Islamic states, misunderstanding should be removed and the most difficult problem is the issue of Shia and Sunni divide which should be removed.