Tehran, YJC. A debate was held between two political activists with Reformist and Principalist tendencies.
Sadeq Zibakalam and Sattar Hedayatkhah discussed their views on elections
and the political atmosphere.
Sadeq Zibakalam started with "Elections have grown very important this
term and the Principalist are not much better off than the Reformist.”
Zibakalam then provided comments on Ayatollah Hashemi’s concerns and
said "Hashemi is concerned with economical and political problems that this
administration has left. For example during the Hashemi administration we held
friendly relations with Saudi Arabia, but that relationship exists no more.”
Sattarkhah, himself a 7th and 8th-term parliament
member, then said "I am so sorry that Mr. Zibakalam reduces Iran’s stature in
foreign policy to the size that it has to be tested through its relations to
Saudi Arabia.”
Zibakalam then said "Why do you say so much trite, unsuitable slogan
while the country needs other things?”
"I do not believe in what you call Islamic Awakening and I would rather
call it demand for democracy,” he added.
The Reformist debater then asked his rival for the reasons why some Arab/Islamic
countries’ embassies are closed in Iran and added "Open your eyes to how many
times they say ‘Death to the US’ and set the US flag on fire in these
countries.”
He then stated that he does not consider rivalry of the US to lie at the
core of the Revolution and asserted "Rivalry to the US has frustrated us.”
He also believed the administration’s foreign policy to be erroneous,
adding "The holocaust of which this administration gave talk was a mistake and
endangered the country.”
At the end of the session, Hedayatkhah answered Zibakalam by reading
sections of Imam Khomeini’s will relating to the country’s policy toward the US.