West must let Syrians decide their fate: Commentator

Press TV has interviewed Ibrahim Mousawi, a political commentator in Beirut, to discuss the remarks made by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei that holding elections is the only solution to the crisis in Syria.  

Following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Well listening to the Leader’s perspective, again what he has been saying from the very beginning that the situation in Syria can only be resolved via elections, do you think that this time around especially those Western entities that have been supporting this assault against the Syrian government perhaps will listen a little closer that the only way to solve this situation is through elections?

Mousawi: Well I believe that the things that have happened recently in Syria and especially after the Vienna conference that took place two days ago I believe that things are going to change to the benefit of the Syrian government and the Syrian people. What [Ayatollah] Seyyed Ali Khamenei has pinpointed out is very important at this very crucial time. We see that only the Iranian government, only the Iranian Leader, only the Iranian people are in a position to make re-battling of the American arguments and to counterattack the conspiracies against the region not only against Iran itself but also against all the conspiracies to partition the region in Iraq, in Syria, everywhere.

Now you will not hear in any place in the world a higher voice and more clearer voice about these American conspiracies, about the American meddling in the countries’ affairs higher than what the Iranian Leader, what the Leader of the Islamic Ummah is saying - Imam Khamenei. This is very clear, this is very strong and this is very brave actually, very courageous, and this is a lesson for all of the people and for all of the leaders of the world in order to follow and emulate, in order to attain sovereignty and independence from all the Western powers.

I believe it is time for the Western countries to come back to their senses and to understand that the political solution to eradicate terrorism and to go into direct elections that the Syrian government, the Syrian President and everything should be ordered and should be taken decision about by the Syrian people themselves. I believe what has been revealed so far in Vienna and what Iran has been able to achieve by putting itself a very crucial and pivotal player in the formula, in the equation, is more than enough at this time to prove that when the people have steadfastness, when they have clear vision, when they have courage and when they have the insistence and determination, they will reach wherever they want to reach.

Press TV: And what about we look at the situation, Ayatollah Khamenei also talked about the situation in Iraq that it cannot be allowed to be partitioned. I want to look at that aspect of it because we have seen since the invasion occurred of Iraq and beyond, we have seen little by little situations to try to hint at dividing the country would actually be beneficial for all those. We saw in Baghdad, we saw the barricades going up between Shia and Sunni communities when in the past they had not had problems and we see a lot of the inklings of saying basically these people who have lived together for ages and forever all of a sudden can no longer live together, it needs to be partitioned.

Mousawi: Well this is very good point actually you are alluding at and I believe what Imam Khamenei has clearly put in this position is very important, is very crucial because he said that the kind of interference by the Americans is not helping, is not conducive to peace, is not conducive to public good, is not conducive to the countries. It is not helping in any way. This is not for the public good.

The Americans, they are pursuing, they are following their own interest which are necessarily in complete opposition and diametrically opposition against the people and the benefits of the people of the region. I believe that before the American invasion [of] Iraq, the Iraqi people, yes they were living under despot Saddam Hussein but they did not know this kind of sectarian or this confessional divide that is taking place now. And I can allude to you things that I myself have experienced when I went to conference in Malaysia few years ago. They were talking about how the Americans were dealing with the Iraqi people. They would tell an Iraqi Sunni Muslim why do you go and pray in an Iraqi Shia mosque and they would tell the same to the Iraqi Shia Muslim why do you go and pray in the Sunni mosque?

They do not know that there is this mixed marriages and that the love of Ahl al-Bayt [peace be upon them] that those who visit Imam Hussein, those who visit all Imam’s, they are Sunnis and Shias necessarily. There is no such divide. I believe the Americans, whenever they come to any place you have to say goodbye to peace, you have to say goodbye to unity and goodbye to prosperity.

It is time for the Iraqi people to be aware of the conspiracies and I believe that Imam Khamenei has been very clear and has been very distinct in diagnosing the problem and diagnosing the disease which is the American interference.

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