Analysis by PMOI/MEK
Iran, April 15, 2021—On the occasion of the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, the Iranian Resistance held an international online conference on Wednesday, April 14, declaring interfaith solidarity in face of fundamentalism brewed and spread by the regime ruling Iran.
The event, titled “Islam the Religion of Mercy, Brotherhood, and Equality,” features speeches from international dignitaries from 37 countries and personalities from the Muslim world. Speakers pointed out that the Iranian regime has long been described as the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The mullahs ruling Iran use their extremist and fundamentalist interpretation of Islam to advance their own fanatical interests inside Iran and across the region.
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) was the keynote speaker of the conference. In her speech, Mrs. Rajavi emphasized that the mullahs’ evil ideology consists of exporting terrorism and fundamentalism to countries in the region to preserve the regime’s internal and external balance of power.
“[The mullahs] have imposed compulsory religion and a series of religious forms of discrimination,” said Mrs. Rajavi, adding that the regime in Tehran has established misogyny and gender apartheid, monopolized the country’s economy, and engaged in savage plunder and exploitation.
“Their four-decade-long record of crimes and oppression reveals [the mullahs] as being the pharaohs of this era: The execution of 120,000 political opponents, the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners, and the slaughter of at least 1,500 young men and women during the November 2019 uprising,” Mrs. Rajavi said.
With regard to the current circumstances of the Iranian society, Mrs. Rajavi stated that the ruling religious fascism in Iran has stepped into a phase of failures and defeat despite all the bloodshed and clampdown that it has committed.
“Yes, the time has come for the decline and defeat of religious fundamentalism and reactionary ideology,” she said.
The Iranian Opposition leader expressed that so long as the clerical regime has not been overthrown, it will not abandon repression, religious discrimination, and misogyny. It will not abandon its meddling and crimes in Middle East countries because it relies on these policies for its survival.
Mrs. Rajavi once again retreated that the only solution for the peace in the region and the Middle East and is the overthrow of the mullahs by the Iranian Resistance and through the uprising of the Iranian people.
Former Algerian Prime Minister, Sid Ahmed Ghozali, confirmed Mrs. Rajavi's words by saying that the fight against dictatorship will not only serve the Iranian people but also people in neighboring regions. “The Iranian Resistance provides an alternative to dictatorships. This is the specific characteristic of the Iranian Resistance. It has enormous experience and has made enormous sacrifices for the Iranian people,” Mr. Ghozali said.
Riad Yassin Abdallah, Former Yemeni Foreign Minister and Ambassador to France recalled that the regime’s meddling in Yemen is butchering thousands of people. “They are planting bombs and depriving the people of food and We need to understand that what they are doing is not supporting peace and security and is not related to any religion,” Riad Yassin said.
Aiham Alsammarae, former Iraqi Minister of Electricity
Aiham Alsammarae, former Iraqi Minister of Electricity reminded that the people of Iran have been living under the tyrannical regime for 40 years and that the mullahs have built their rule on false interpretations of Islam.
Jalal Ganjei, Chairman of the NCRI Committee on Freedom of Religions emphasized that the Iranian regime poses a threat to all countries in the region. “They wish to establish their fundamentalist rule in all countries of the region,” Mr. Ganjei said.
Middle East and Foreign Policy expert Dr. Walid Phares
Middle East and Foreign Policy expert Dr. Walid Phares said the militias of the Iranian regime that is spreading terrorism across the Arab and Islamic countries. “The Iranian regime tries to portray itself as the protector of Islamic countries but most of the people in the region know the danger of this regime,” Dr. Phares said.
Tahar Boumedra, Human rights lawyer and former chief of the UN human rights mission in Iraq, explained that the regime of Iran kills in an unprecedented manner. He reminded that in summer 1988, more than 30,000 political prisoners were executed which he described as the worst massacre in Iran’s modern history. “The massacre did not stop there. It continues to this day. Let’s not forget the killing of 1,500 protesters in November 2019,” Boumedra said.
Elona Gjebrea, Secretary of the Albanian Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee and former Deputy Minister of Interior of Albania, raised concern about the regime’s terrorist activities against members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) in Albania. “We know the terrorist threats of the Iranian regime in Albania have continued. Albanian authorities have condemned these activities,” Gjebrea said.
Dr. Khaled Alyamani, Former Foreign Minister of Yemen, said the mullahs are destabilizing the regional and international peace. “Iran’s wealth should be used for the welfare of the Iranians, not to support nuclear projects and destabilize regional and global security,” Alyamani said.
Rt Reverend John Pritchard former Bishop of Oxford
Rt Reverend John Pritchard former Bishop of Oxford said the Iranian regime is misusing religion to carry out atrocities. Activists of all sorts are being arrested and sentenced to long periods of prison or even executed over bogus charges of “waging war against God.” “Christians are not allowed to observe their faith in public. Their homes are raided, and belongings are confiscated simply because they are Christian,” Reverend Pritchard said.
Rabbi Moshe Lewin, spokesperson of the Chief Rabbi of France
Rabbi Moshe Lewin, spokesperson of the Chief Rabbi of France, emphasized the need for coexistence between different religions. “When the world is threatened by fundamentalism, it’s more important than ever to have this inter-religious dialogue. Iran needs a society at peace that enables each Iranian citizen to live decently,” Rabbi Lewin said.
Struan Stevenson, former President of European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Iraq 2009-2014, said the Iranian regime’s meddling in Iraq has caused objections by the Iraqis. “Under orders from Tehran, (Qassem) Soleimani led the popular mobilization forces to lead a genocide against Iraq’s Sunni population. Soleimani was a terrorist, and his elimination was entirely justified. The elimination of Abu Mahdi Muhandes has left the Iran-backed militia leaderless,” Stephenson said.
Marc Ginsberg, former US Ambassador to Morocco
Marc Ginsberg, former US Ambassador to Morocco and White House Middle East Adviser, also stated that the Iranian regime carries out atrocities under the banner of Islam. “It’s important to recognize the continuous dangers that the Tehran regime poses to the Middle East and across the globe,” Ginsberg emphasized.
Jacques Gaillot, renowned French Bishop and Human Rights defender, also joined the event in support of the Iranian people’s struggle for justice and said, “We are all Abraham’s sons. We are equal. We are not here for ourselves. We are here for others. We cannot ignore each other. We are connected to each other.”
