Americans support democratic change in Iran

NCRI – The 2006 National Convention for Democratic Secular Republic of Iran was held Thursday, May 25, to support the third option proposed by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance.

Iranian communities from 40 different states attended this annual convention.

US Senators, House Representatives and their senior advisors as well as political and social dignitaries, former government officials and diplomatic missions in Washington took part at this annual event at Andrew Mellon Convention Center in Washington D.C.

In a message to the event, Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma expressed his support to the event and said: This year marks the centenary of the first effort towards establishing democracy in Iran with the convening of Iran’s first parliament. It would be easy to lose heart if we compare the high hopes of 1906 with the grim situation of today. But the democratic forces in Iran have assets they lacked one hundred years ago – an Iranian community dispersed throughout the world who will not let their homeland be forgotten; and a recognition that democracy and human rights are no longer the special privilege of the West, but the birthright of all humanity."

Former US ambassador to the Saudi Arabia, James Akins, criticized the policy of appeasement of the mullahs and also rejected a foreign military intervention in Iran and gave his full backing to the third option offered by Mrs. Rajavi for democratic change in Iran through people and the Iranian Resistance. He also called for removal of the PMOI from the State Department’s terror list.

Pierre Richard Prosper former American Ambassador at large for war crimes issues said: "Now the responsibility of promoting change within Iran does fall simply to its people. The international community must do its part. The international community must continue to take active steps to advance the cause of democracy and not fall in the false practice of appeasement. It must use its diplomatic context, trade, investments, and leverage constructively to convince the hardliners that there is a price to be paid for their misguided policies. The Security Council must stand up, pass meaningful resolutions and be prepared to back them up."

Eddy Bernice Johnson, Democratic member of the Congress from Texas, congratulated the Iranians for their second convention and stressed on the need to support the Just resistance of the Iranian people to achieve democracy and freedom. She also reiterated that the regime should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons in the absence of a firm policy.

Congressman Ted Poe, also from Texas, called for support to the organized Iranian Resistance to establish democracy in Iran which is needed more than any other time in that country.

Senior member of the International Relations Committee, Congressman Thomas Tancredo, joined others in supporting the resistance in his message to the convention and condemned human rights violations in Iran as it continues grossly under Ahmadinejad, mullahs’ appointed president. He also expressed concern over the regime’s defiance of the international community in its pursuit of developing a nuclear weapons program. He told the gathering: "With your continued dedication and hard work, democratic change will someday come to Tehran."

In a message to the Iranian convention, Congressman Michael McCaul, also a member of the Committee on International Relations, emphasized that members of the House of Representatives continue with their support to the Iranians to achieve democracy.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, member of the House Judiciary Committee, and also member of the HomeLand Security Committee, sent a message to the convention which in part said: "We must do everything in our power to ensure that Iran is never able to threaten the peace and stability of the region. To do this will require international cooperation and multi-lateral diplomacy."

In a video message to the convention, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance Iran said: "Forming an international consensus on Iran strongly depends on a firm policy followed by the United States and Europe. So long as the West sends a signal of “business as usual” to Tehran by keeping the PMOI on the terrorist lists, so long as the regime’s meddling in Iraq is ignored, so long as the mullahs’ proxies are given a share in the political leadership of Iraq and so long as the flagrant human rights violations in Iran are ignored, the world community will remain divided." She then concluded by insisted on the following demands:
– The clerical regime must face sanctions by the world community.
– This regime is the enemy of the Iranian people and must be expelled from the community of nations.
– The leaders of this regime must be put on trial for crimes against humanity, including the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners.
– The PMOI must be removed from the terrorist lists. The Iranian people’s Resistance must be recognized.