Iranian president lectures on Islam and a rational perspective to world view

Iranian President Muhammad Khatami on Friday evening gave a lecture at al-Assad library in Damascus. It was attended by Syrian vice presidents, cabinet ministers and high-ranking state officials and scholars from all parts of Syria.

The Iranian president said that counting on reason in knowledge and behavior was not only a moralistic and religious will, but the basic principle of the Islamic culture, which helped produce different theories of philosophy, jurisprudence and literature in the Western hemisphere.

He asserted that some aspects of the new civilization such as globalization and secularism are closely connected with the reality of the Muslim society "and hence all out-efforts must unceasingly be exerted to revive and renew civilizations and culture in line with the orientation of reason and logic."

He continued, "Fortunately, the basic principles of the Islamic culture aiming at achieving, justice, peace and reality are the best means to open dialogue."

He indicated the prominent cultural achievements of the former Islamic civilization, "which confirm our abilities to establish a firm and strong cooperation in the field of civilization on the basis of dialogue within the framework of human goals."

He said that on this basis the challenges facing the Islamic world due to expansionist forces' practices, social, security and economic disorder or disputes among the Islamic states, should be discussed under the comprehensive framework of the nation and changes taking place at all levels.

The Iranian president concluded by saying that solutions of these changes should be compatible with the Arab group and the will of the world community and should have a "significant role in the unity of the Islamic world."