THE WHITE HOUSE

‫
ن ز


را او‬
Office of the Press Secretary ‫
روز‬
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 20, 2009  ‫واﺵ د‬
2009 ‫ 
رس‬20
VIDEOTAPED REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN
CELEBRATION OF NOWRUZ

Today I want to extend my very best wishes to all who are ‫اوز اه   رزوه د را  هﮥ   روزرا‬
celebrating Nowruz around the world. This holiday is both "  ' ‫ ه‬،  ‫ ا‬.%  !$‫"! ﺕ‬#   ‫در ﺱﺕﺱ ن‬
an ancient ritual and a moment of renewal, and I hope that  ‫ و ا"!وارم  ﺵ از ا‬,‫ اﺱ‬% )‫ﺱ و ه ز ا ز‬
you enjoy this special time of year with friends and .! "# 1 1‫ دوﺱن و اد‬2 ‫ۀ ﺱل ا دن در‬. ‫ و‬,-)
family.

In particular, I would like to speak directly to the people ‫ان ر‬3‫"  دم و ره‬$ ‫ر‬4  ‫  اه‬1.  
and leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Nowruz is ‫ م ور‬8%‫ از )ه‬7 %‫ روز ﺕ‬.% ,36- ‫ ا ان‬5‫اﺱ‬
just one part of your great and celebrated culture. Over
 "‫ اد"ت و ور ﺵ ن را  د‬،$"‫ ﺱ‬،%‫ ه‬.,‫ﺵﺱ‬
many centuries your art, your music, literature and
innovation have made the world a better and more
.,‫ اﺱ‬1‫ د‬: !3‫ﺕ و  ﺕ‬3 ‫ز‬
beautiful place.

Here in the United States our own communities have been ‫ < د  ه در ;ﺕ ﺱ   ? "ن‬،1!6 ‫ در ا =ت‬،>% ‫ا‬
enhanced by the contributions of Iranian Americans. We ‫رگ ﺵ‬A ‫  از ﺕ!ن‬.,‫ اﺱ‬1!‫ ا! ;رﺕ ﺵ‬1‫ر ادا د‬3‫ا ا ﺕ‬
know that you are a great civilization, and your 7"C‫ و ن را ا‬1!6 ‫ دﺱورده ﺵ اﺡام ا =ت‬."‫ه‬#
accomplishments have earned the respect of the United .,‫اﺱ‬
States and the world.

For nearly three decades relations between our nations 1‫ و ﺕر د‬1"‫ "ن دو ر ﺕ‬D‫د '  ﺱ ده روا‬A ‫ا !ﺕ‬
have been strained. But at this holiday we are reminded ‫  ه‬,‫ اﺱ‬,  G ‫ط‬$ ‫ د ور ا‬،  ‫ ا‬E‫ و‬.,‫اﺱ‬
of the common humanity that binds us together. Indeed,
you will be celebrating your New Year in much the same
 ‫!  ﺱل‬%A" ‫ از "ر ت ﺵ‬.!‫ را  ه ;"!  ده‬
way that we Americans mark our holidays -- by gathering  ‫د!ن‬#  . "#     !"%  ‫ار‬A# C‫د را ه‬
with friends and family, exchanging gifts and stories, and  ،1!%   1C ‫ﮥ ه!ا  و داﺱ و‬E‫د‬3 ،1‫دوﺱن و ا)اد اد‬
looking to the future with a renewed sense of hope. .‫ ا از ا"!وار‬1‫اﺡس ﺕز‬

Within these celebrations lies the promise of a new day, ‫ ا"! ا )ز!ان‬، ‫  ! ا ' روز‬،‫ ا   ه‬I ‫در‬
the promise of opportunity for our children, security for ‫  و ﺵ "ن‬2‫ ا ا‬,)"; ، ‫ ه‬1‫ ا اد‬,"%‫ ا‬،
our families, progress for our communities, and peace .!% ‫ رو ه‬% ‫ ا‬.!%  ‫ ا"!وار‬% ‫ ا‬.,‫ اﺱ‬J K
between nations. Those are shared hopes, those are
common dreams.
‫ان‬3‫  ره‬%‫ دارم  روﺵ‬:"  .,‫ز  اﺱ‬N ‫ ا‬KM)  ‫ ا‬L;
So in this season of new beginnings I would like to speak
  ‫ زن‬,‫ﺵ‬O#    ‫)ﺕ ! دار‬5‫  ا‬. C 7‫ا ان ﺱ‬
clearly to Iran's leaders. We have serious differences that
have grown over time. My administration is now Q"4  ,‫ﺱ <! اﺱ‬KP ‫ن  د‬%‫  ا‬,E‫ دو‬.,‫ اﺱ‬1!‫ ﺵ‬1‫ود‬A)‫ا‬
committed to diplomacy that addresses the full range of ‫ار  ده! و‬T ‫ رد رﺱ‬,‫ رو ﺱ‬S";  ‫ را‬KR ‫ از‬K
issues before us, and to pursuing constructive ties among ‫ ا ان و <ﮥ‬،1!6 ‫ "ن ا =ت‬1!‫!د ا >د ' ;"! ﺱز‬- ‫در‬
the United States, Iran and the international community.  ‫   ن‬.‫  رود‬S";  ! !‫!  ﺕ‬% ‫ ا  )ا‬.,‫ اﺱ‬
This process will not be advanced by threats. We seek ."‫ ه‬:$ ‫  اﺡام‬%3 ‫ و‬T‫د‬- 43‫ار ارﺕ‬T ‫اﺱر‬
instead engagement that is honest and grounded in mutual
respect.

You, too, have a choice. The United States wants the  ,‫ اﺱ‬:  1!6 ‫ ا =ت‬.! ‫ دار‬7‫ در ا د ا‬A" ‫ﺵ‬
Islamic Republic of Iran to take its rightful place in the
:KE‫ راﺱ" د در <ﮥ " ا‬1C   ‫ ا ان‬5‫ر اﺱ‬
community of nations. You have that right -- but it comes
‫ ه‬,"EW  X‫ ه"! – ا ا  ﺡ‬$‫" ﺡ‬%U ‫ ﺵ دارا‬.‫"د‬C ‫ار‬T
with real responsibilities, and that place cannot be reached
through terror or arms, but rather through peaceful actions 8% ‫ ﺕور   !د‬1‫  از را‬1C   ‫ و  ا‬,‫ اﺱ‬1‫< ها‬T‫وا‬
#‫ر‬A ‫!ۀ‬%‫  ن ده‬A" ,E ‫!ات‬T‫ ا‬X 4 ‫? از‬K ،‫ار‬A)‫ا‬
that demonstrate the true greatness of the Iranian people  ‫ ا‬S>%‫ و <"ر ﺱ‬.,) ,‫  ﺕان دﺱ‬,‫ و ﺕ!ن ا ان اﺱ‬,K $"$‫ﺡ‬
and civilization. And the measure of that greatness is not ‫ ن دادن ﺕا  ﺵ‬،," ‫ داﺵ ﺕا  ا و ان دن‬#‫ر‬A
the capacity to destroy, it is your demonstrated ability to .,‫ا ﺱ و ) !ن اﺱ‬
build and create.

So on the occasion of your New Year, I want you, the

‫ان‬3‫ دم و ره‬،‫ ﺵ‬K  ،‫ )ارﺱ"!ن ﺱل  ﺵ‬,3‫ﺱ‬%  ، ‫ ا‬%
people and leaders of Iran, to understand the future that
we seek. It's a future with renewed exchanges among our ‫ ا‬1!%   ‫ ا‬."‫ ا ه‬1!%  CU > ‫ا ان !ا"!   در‬
people, and greater opportunities for partnership and #‫ر‬A -) ‫ و‬، ‫ "ن دم‬1!‫د=ت ﺕ>! ! ﺵ‬3  1‫ ها‬,‫اﺱ‬
commerce. It's a future where the old divisions are   ‫)ت د‬5‫  در ن ا‬,‫ ا اﺱ‬1!%   ‫ ا‬.#‫ و زر‬,‫ا ر‬
overcome, where you and all of your neighbors and the !< ‫ن و ن در‬C ‫ ا  در ن ﺵ و ه‬1!%  ،!‫ ا‬1!‫ف ﺵ‬4
wider world can live in greater security and greater peace. ."% #!‫  ز‬,"%‫ و ا‬ZK- ‫ ﺕ  ﺕا" ه در‬2"‫وﺱ‬

I know that this won't be reached easily. There are those  !%‫  ه‬.,"  O; X$6‫[ر  ﺱ ﺕ‬%  ‫  دا  ا‬
who insist that we be defined by our differences. But let ‫ ا‬.!%% )<  ‫)ﺕ  دار‬5‫ار دار!  را  اﺱس ا‬-‫ا‬
us remember the words that were written by the poet  1!‫ﺵ ﺵ‬C  ِ !<‫ﮥ ﺱ‬K"‫  وﺱ‬S"; "E‫ﺕ را  ﺱ‬K ,‫ﺵ  اﺱ‬
Saadi, so many years ago: "The children of Adam are
' ‫ ز‬S% ) ‫  در‬،!C !? _`‫ دم ا‬%" : ‫ ور‬4
limbs to each other, having been created of one essence."
".!‫ه‬#
With the coming of a new season, we're reminded of this
precious humanity that we all share. And we can once ‫ را  هﮥ  در ن‬3‫ا‬# ,"‫ ا  ا‬، :M) ' ‫)ارﺱ"!ن‬
again call upon this spirit as we seek the promise of a new :‫ ﺕﺱ‬E< ‫  ا  روح‬C ‫ر د‬3? .!%  ‫"   د ور‬
beginning. ." > ‫ را‬1‫ز دور‬N !  ‫ و‬

Thank you, and Eid-eh Shoma Mobarak. .‫ روزﺕن ;"وز‬،‫ ه روزﺕن روز‬.‫ارم‬AC‫ﺱ‬P‫ﺱ‬

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