Hawzah News Agency -The word "Arrogance" has been one of the most widely used words in the literature of the Islamic Revolution and the statements of the Leaders of this Revolution. Imam Khamenei continuously emphasizes knowing Arrogance, standing up to it and confronting it. He believes that Global Arrogance is the enemy of humanity. In this regard, Khamenei News is publishing excerpts from his statements that explain the concept of Arrogance.
The definition of Arrogance based on the culture of the Islamic Revolution
In our culture, arrogance is used to refer to powers that exploit and exert pressure on large groups of human beings - that is, nations and governments - in favor of themselves through bullying and humiliating domination. Relying on their political, military, scientific, and economic capabilities and being inspired by a discriminatory outlook on humanity, they interfere in the affairs of nations and governments, plunder their wealth, oppress nations, and stigmatize cultures and traditions. The manifest examples of this have been displayed before the eyes of our nations by colonialism and then neo-colonialism. And recently ex-colonialists and their heirs have done the same through a full-scale political, economic, propagandistic, and even military invasion, and they have made nations feel the bitter taste of arrogance. In the course of this aggression, which has proven to be effective, Western powers have utilized the advances in science and technology as well as some of their national and indigenous characteristics. [Dec 9, 1997]
Arrogance is a Quranic word
Arrogance is a Quranic word and it has been used in the Holy Quran to refer to people like Pharaoh and the groups of people who are ill-wishers and who are opposed to truth. Arrogance existed in the past as well and it has continued to prevail until the present time. In all eras, arrogance has had the same structure. Of course, it has used different methods and tactics in different eras. There is arrogance today as well and it is led by the United States of America. [Nov 20, 2013]
Characteristics of Arrogance:
1. Haughtiness
One of the characteristics of arrogance is egotism. When arrogant groups - those people who have taken everything in their hands as the highest-ranking individuals in a country, in a group of countries or in a global system - consider themselves to be superior to other people, when they regard themselves as the pivot, when they place everyone, except for themselves, on the periphery, then a wrong and dangerous equation will be formed in global interactions. When arrogance views itself as superior and as the pivot and core [of everything], then the result will be that it grants itself the right to interfere in the affairs of other people and other nations. If arrogance considers something to be a value and if other people do not, this will grant it the right to interfere in their affairs and bully and pressure them. This egotism makes them claim to be the guardian of nations and to be responsible for global management. It also makes them consider themselves to be the boss of all the people in the world. As you can hear, American officials and politicians speak about the government of America as if it were the leader of all countries. [Nov 20, 2013]
2. Rejecting the truth
This egotism will lead to another characteristic and another criterion for arrogance which is the tendency to ignore other people's rights. They neither accept truth nor the rights of other nations. They do not at all acknowledge other people's rights. In international negotiations, someone says something which is right, but America does not accept it. It tries to deny such rights with different methods and it does not accept truth. This has happened many times. In the present time, one of the examples of this behavior is our current issues related to nuclear activities and industries. Imagine that someone says something which is true. If one is fair, reasonable and rational, he should give up when he faces the truth. But arrogance does not give up. It hears the truth, but it does not accept it. This is one of its characteristics. It does not acknowledge the rights of other nations either. It does not acknowledge the right of a people to choose, to do what they want and to adopt those economic and political measures which they want. They believe in imposing things on other nations. [Nov 20, 2013]
3. Considering crimes against others to be permissible
Another characteristic of colonialism and arrogance is that it condones crimes against nations and the entire humanity and that it is indifferent towards such crimes. This is one of the greatest disasters of arrogance in modern times. Modern times means the era of scientific progress and the era of the emergence of dangerous weapons. When these weapons became available to arrogant powers, they created a disaster for all nations. They do not attach any value on the lives of individuals - those individuals who do not follow, obey and surrender to them. [Nov 20, 2013]
4. Deception
Another characteristic of arrogance is deception and hypocritical behavior. You should pay attention to this issue. They try to justify the crimes which were referred to and they try to show that they were rendering services by committing these crimes. Global arrogance, which intends to dominate all nations, is frequently using this method in its entire life: the method of justifying crimes and taking on the appearance of rendering services. [Nov 20, 2013]
Why is "Arrogance" used instead of "Imperialism"
I did not use the term "imperialism". I used "arrogance". I wanted to avoid certain aspects that imperialism may have. I did not want to highlight those aspects. My focus was on the aspects that are conveyed by the term "arrogance". Therefore, I proposed the term, and it became common in the discourse of the Revolution. [Nov 20, 2013]
What meaning is conveyed by the word Arrogance?
An arrogant individual, an arrogant government and an arrogant group of people means those individuals and those governments which intend to interfere in the affairs of other human beings and other nations. They interfere in all the affairs of other nations in order to preserve their own interests. They think they are free to do anything and they grant themselves the right to impose different things on other nations and to interfere in the affairs of other countries. And they do not answer to anyone. [Nov 3, 2013]
Arrogance refers to a global power or a group of global powers. When these powers look at themselves, they see that they have financial, propaganda, and military facilities. Therefore, they think they are entitled to interfere in the affairs of other countries as if they owned them. This is what arrogance means. The spirit of domination was obvious in our country before the Revolution. That is to say, America was arrogantly holding this vast country and this great, ancient nation in its clutches. America was interfering in the critical affairs of our country. [Nov 3, 2009]
Arrogance means aggressive conceit, a lack of respect for the values of other nations and considering oneself entitled to interfere in the affairs of other countries. [Nov 4, 2002]
“Global arrogance” means this. It means bullying, considering oneself as superior, refusing to be committed to one’s promises and regarding oneself as free of any commitment. This is the meaning of arrogance. Arrogant individuals go back on their promises. [Aug 1, 2016]
What is the foundation of Arrogance, and what encourages it?
The fundamental goal of Arrogance and aggression in the world is to force all governments and consequently all nations to accept their logic of coercion, oppression and injustice and to move in that direction. [May 1, 2002] Arrogance has always advanced its goals through intimidation. [Nov. 27, 2011] Submission of nations, world politicians, and intellectuals of different communities to the bullying of the global arrogant powers encourages them to step up their bullying. [Jun 3, 2008]
The US is a clear example of Arrogance
The US is truly an arrogant power. And that is not just our problem. This is an issue for the world and the world of Islam. Americans show this spirit of arrogance in all parts of the world. After the Second World War when they defeated Japan, Americans established a base there, and they still have their military bases in Japan. In spite of their numerous scientific advances, Japanese people have not so far managed to force Americans out of their bases. Americans have established military bases in Japan. They are oppressing and persecuting the Japanese people. As newspapers and news agencies have reported, they rape Japanese girls and engage in other illegal activities. But they still have their bases in Japan. America has military bases in South Korea too. America is planning to establish bases in Iraq and stay there for 50 or 100 years. There are planning to do the same thing in Afghanistan as well because the geographical location of Afghanistan will enable them to have control over Southwest Asia, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and Iran if they manage to establish military bases there. They are making so many efforts there in order to establish permanent military bases there and stay. [Nov 3, 2009]