In his Friday, January 16, 2009 sermon, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati gave the regime's main sermon, at Tehran University. Jannati, who is secretary of the regime's Guardian Council, holds a key regime post; in the capacity of his position, he has the power to reject candidates in elections, and can also reject laws that the Majlis has already approved if he thinks that they are not shari'a-compliant. Jannati is an official mouthpiece of the regime, and the views that he expresses in his sermons are explicitly those of the regime.[1]

Furthermore, it is known that the main themes and topics of the official Friday sermons given at Tehran University and elsewhere in the country are chosen in advance every week, by a committee headed by Iranian Expediency Council chairman Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani; the list is then distributed to the official regime preachers. The regime's main weekly sermon is delivered at Tehran University, and is attended by thousands; it is also broadcast by Iranian TV.

The following are the highlights of the main regime sermon at Tehran University on Friday, January 16, 2009, delivered by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, as reported by the official Iranian news agency IRNA, the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), and Iranian TV's Channel 1, all on January 16, 2009. It should be noted that while IRNA did not mention Jannati's more extreme statements, ISNA and Channel 1 did:[2]  

"God Bless the President of Venezuela"

Ayatollah Jannati said, "The matter [of Gaza] does not give rest to men of honor. It is impossible to view these sights, of children, the flowers of the land, and unarmed people, killed with such cruelty. Praised be the people across the world [who demonstrated], [and] the students [who entrenched themselves at Mehrabad airport in Tehran] and declared their support for the Gaza residents. The Majlis and the [Iranian] government outdid themselves, and sent messages to government heads and foreign ministers, and they are acting courageously. [Majlis speaker] Dr. [Ali] Larijani held meetings with the heads of other parliaments in the world, during which many of them condemned [the Gaza] matter – but who is listening to this?"

Referring to U.N. Security Council Resolution No. 1860, Jannati said: 'How can they be called human beings? How can [anyone] see these wretched people and ignore them? Here begins our heavy obligation and responsibility, to show the corrupt superpowers, the corrupt, and those who defend the corruption that it is incumbent upon the Islamic Republic of Iran to be the savior, to gird [its] loins, and to advance with the knowledge that God will also help.

"Hizbullah, inspired by Islamic Iran, has successfully struck powerfully, with its masses, at Israel and America, and at the rest of the Western countries that supported Israel. Now the same situation is [recurring] in Gaza. Wherever Iran has toehold, it will save and rescue them.

"God bless the President of Venezuela, who enthusiastically and courageously expelled the Israeli ambassador. Shame on the useless Arab rulers who, unlike Venezuela – which is not even an Islamic country – have not severed political ties [with Israel]. Does this cost you anything? Are you afraid of America? You should be afraid, because you lack faith and courage, and your peoples have no respect for you. So why shouldn't you be afraid? You fear for your positions. You should be afraid."

"The Worst Are Saudi Arabia and Egypt – Because They Are the Great Regional Powers"

"But come and join your people. In every country, the people are ready... Of course, the worst are Saudi Arabia and Egypt, because they are the great regional powers.

"When a demonstration took place somewhere in Saudi Arabia, it was silenced. They do not give people room to breathe there. At least in Egypt, there were some [demonstrations], but even there, silence rules. Sometimes we see [Mubarak] obeying America, and sometimes, we see that he is an ally of Israel.

"What is left for the people to do? They should fear the day when the people’s revolution, the rage of God, and the rage of the people grab them by their clothes and drag them down to collapse."

"People Are Truly Amazed When They Watch a President [Obama]... Saying: 'My Only Concern Is To Find a Dog for My Daughter'"

Jannati continued: "Evaluate yourself, your regime, Islam, the Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] and your leaders – because the world is on a steep decline towards collapse. People are truly amazed when they watch a president [Obama] laughing and saying: 'My only concern is to find a dog for my daughter.' Phooey on you and those who voted for you! Is this how it should be? A president is not ashamed to be thinking about a dog, rather than about [the Israeli] foreign minister? This is how it is – they want to rule the world."[3]

"Every Time I See That Woman’s [Livni's] Face, I Wish Somebody Would 'Waste' a Bullet On Her"

"On the other hand, every time I see that woman’s face, I wish somebody would 'waste' a bullet on her. I watched her say... First, she goes and shakes hands with the Egyptian president. Shame on him for shaking the hand of a woman – especially an enemy.

Jannati continued, "This person [Livni] said that our [i.e. Israel's] war is a defense of values. See how a human being expresses themselves in such an insane way. Is killing children defense of values? Is destroying mosques and hospitals and using phosphorus bombs against humans [defense of values]?

"Nothing remains of the Security Council and the European Union. Under these conditions, the heads of the Arab Muslim regimes want to hold a conference, but again Saudi Arabia and Egypt object to participating and are trying also to influence others to refuse to participate. This is the time to act to carry out justice, for the love of God, and for fighting against the oppression and corruption.

"Thank God that our brave, heroic, and dear leader [Khamenei] stands at the head, and that his words of encouragement strengthen the soul and revive the hearts. His messages crosses the borders of Iran and inspires with these words: As long as Iran stands, people will protest.

"I hope that the day will come – as conveyed in a message by our dear leader – when we will all celebrate the victory of Hamas in Jerusalem, God willing.

"Bravo to the fighting spirit! Bravo – [because] even though the Palestinians are wallowing in their own blood, they have not surrendered and have held out for 20 days so far. [We] hope that God will protect them and will wreak the vengeance of the weak..."

Endnotes: 

[1] IRNA, ISNA, Iranian TV Channel 1 (Iran), January 16, 2007. On January 17, 2007, in an article on the sermon, The Associated Press reported, "Statements made at Friday prayers do not represent government foreign policy, neither do they constitute official statements by the state." The International Herald Tribune, January 17, 2009, http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/17/news/ML-Iran-Israel.php, and other sources.

[2] Another segment of the sermon, reported by IRNA, concerned Iran's Five-Year Economic Development Plan (see http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/13161.htm).

[3]  In Iranian culture, dogs are considered filthy and are not kept as pets, except by outcasts.