Lula Calls on Ahmadinejad to Respect Diversity and Stop Financing Extremists

[struggle4progress]

Written by Renata Giraldi
Monday, 23 November 2009

Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva called today, November 23, on his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to adopt a democratic policy that respects diversity. Indirectly, Lula also brought up the need for Teheran to end its financial support of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance movement, which has an active destabilizing role in the West Bank and Lebanon.

According to Lula, some changes in course are essential for Ahmadinejad if he wished to end the international political isolation Iran is in right now.

"In the world we live geographical distance and cultural diversity should not be used as an excuse to keep peoples separated," said Lula. "The Brazilian foreign policy is marked out by its commitment to democracy and respect to diversity. We support human rights and our men and women citizens' freedom to choose with the same vehemence with which we repudiate all acts of intolerance and the use of terrorism" ...

"Iran can have a decisive role not only in the Middle East, but also in Central Asia. We trust its culture's millenary experience to forge a harmonious international order in its own region. The Iranian contribution will be particularly important to achieve unity among Palestinians, without which their aspirations for freedom will not be achieved," said the Brazilian leader ...

http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/11466/1/