Reading: In the following page, you will find the text of Ayatollah Raisi’s speech at the UN General Assembly in September 2022, in which he criticized the “double standard” exhibited by Western nations towards Iran as a great injustice. Reading this material will give students the opportunity to become familiar with the style and political terminology used by the political leaders of Iran.
Listening: Here you will find the video of the above-mentioned speech of President Ebrahim Raisi.
Subject of Conversation: The foreign policy of Iran in the Middle East (سیاست خارجی ایران در خاورمیانه).
Each student will be required to choose a particular country in the Middle East, study the history of its relations with Iran over the last two decades, and present a brief Persian-language overview of those relations in the class. The presentation of the relations of Iran with different political or religious groups active in the Middle East will also be considered. The success of each student will depend on the correct usage of the political terminology, grammatical correctness, and the clear style of presentation.
Homework:
- Please carefully read the text and watch Raisi’s full speech, studying the vocabulary.
- Write down three interesting points from the former president’s speech. Explain why they stood out to you and share your thoughts on these ideas in writing.
- Prepare for the next day’s discussion.
Vocabulary:
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| سخنرانی | soxanrāni | speech |
| مجمع عمومی سازمان ملل متحد | majma’-e ‘omumi-ye sāzmān-e melal-e mottahed | General Assembly of the United Nations |
| عدالت | ‘a(e)dālat | justice |
| حمایت کردن | hemāyat kardan | to defend, to support |
| سرنوشت | sarnevešt | fate, destiny |
| حق تعیین سرنوشت | haqq-e ta’yin-e sarnevešt | right to self-determination |
| بشریت | bašariyyat | humanity, mankind |
| اظهار داشتن | ezhār dāštan | to express, to stress |
| مدعی بودن | modda’i šodan | to claim |
| حقوق بشر | hoquq-e bašar | human rights |
| حقوق ملت | hoquq-e mellat | rights of the nation |
| پایمال شدن | pāymāl šodan | to be trampled |
| علیه | ‘aleyh-e | against |
| داعش | dāeš | ISIS |
| به شهادت رسیدن | be šahādat residan | to be martyred |
| جنایت (جمع: جنایات) | jenāyat (plur. jenāyāt) | crime |
| به اسم خود زدن | be esm-e xod zadan | to take credit for, to be responsible for |
| تصریح کردن | tasrih kardan | to declare, to state, to clarify |
| عادلانه | ‘ādelāne | justly, fairly |
| قضایی | qazāyi | judicial |
| اعتراف کردن | e’terāf kardan | to confess |
| انسانیت | ensāniyyat | humanity |
| ظلم | zolm | oppression |
| زبون گردیدن | zabun gardidan | to become weak |
| سربلند بودن | sarboland budan | to be proud, to hold one’s head high |
| اجرا | ejrā | implementation, execution |
| محاکمه | mohākeme | trial, court proceeding |
| آمر | āmer | the one who commands, mastermind |
| مباشر | mobāšer | executor, agent |
| حصول نتیجه قطعی | hosul-e natije-ye qat’i | obtaining of a definite result |
| به شرح زیر | be šarh-e zir | as follows, as described below |
| بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم | bi-smi llāhi r-rahmāni r-rahim (Arabic) | In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful |
| تحیات | tahiyyāt | greetings |
| عقلانیت | 'aqlāniyyat | rationality |
| معنویت | ma’naviyyat | spirituality |
| اخلاق | axlāq | morality |
| معیار | me’yār | standard, criterion |
| نهایتاً | nahāyatan | finally, ultimately |
| سنجیده شدن | sanjide šodan | to be measured |
| مبتنی بر | mobtani bar | based on |
| وحی | vahy | revelation |
| نفی | nafī | negation, denial, rejection |
| پرچمدار | parčamdār | flag bearer, leader |
| سطوح (مفرد: سطح) | sotuh (sing. sath) | levels |
| اعم از | a’am az | including, among others |
| برقراری | barqarāri | establishment |
| ودیعه‌ای الهی | vadi’e-ye elāhi | divine promise |
| موجب شدن | moujeb šodan | to cause, to lead to |
| اگرچه | agarče | although |
| حرکت (جمع: حرکات) | harakat (harakāt) | movement |
| در قالب | dar qāleb-e | in the form of, through the framework of |
| انقلاب | enqelāb | revolution |
| منحرف شدن | monharef šodan | to deviate, to go astray |
| مانند | mānand-e | like, similar to |
| ماهیت | māhiyyat | essence, nature |
| تبلور | tabalvor | crystallization |
| فتنه | fetne | sedition, turmoil |
| کرامت | kerāmat | dignity |
| اصالت | esālat | authenticity |
| صیانت نمودن | siyānat na(e)mudan | to protect, to preserve |
| نظم | nazm | order |
| مدنی - سیاسی | madani-siyāsi | civil-political |
| بر اساس | bar asās-e | based on |
| عقلانیت منبعث از وحی | ‘aqlāniyyat-e monba’es az vahy | rationality derived from revelation |
| عناصر (مفرد: عنصر) | ‘anāsor (sing. ‘onsor) | elements |
| نوع‌دوستی | nou’dusti | altruism, humanitarianism |
| چندجانبه‌گرایی | čandjānebega(e)rāyi | multilateralism |
| نماینده | namāyande | representative |
| تمدن | tamaddon | civilization |
| تلاش | talāš | effort |
| سلطه‌گر | soltegar | oppressor, dominator |
| مبارزه کردن | mobāreze kardan | to struggle |
| اسارت | esārat | captivity |
| فلسطین | Felsetin | Palestine |
| تحمیل کردن | tahmil kardan | to impose |
| بر باور بودن | bar bāvar budan | to believe (in) |
| وحدت آفرین | vahdatāfarin | unifying |
| جنگ افروز | jangafruz | warmongering |
| انواع (مفرد: نوع) | anvā’ (sing. no’) | types, sorts, kinds |
| فشار | fešār | pressure |
| تسلیم | taslim | surrender |
| وادار کردن | vādār kardan | to force |