NCRI, October 7 – World is now facing a growing threat from the Islamic fundamentalism which requires an in-depth study. Ayatollah Jalal Ganjei, chair of the NCRI committee on religious freedom together with other experts addressed this issue in a conference on October 5 in London’s Foreign Press Association.
Azadeh Zabeti, lawyer and deputy chair of the British- Iranian Lawyers Association started the conference by remarks on terrorist activities under the name of Islam and mullahs’ tyrannical rule in Iran over the past 26 years and called for an international cooperation against Islamic fundamentalism stemming from Iran. Zabeti then called on Ayatollah Ganjei to address the conference on this pressing issue.
NCRI, October 7 – World is now facing a growing threat from the Islamic fundamentalism which requires an in-depth study. Ayatollah Jalal Ganjei, chair of the NCRI committee on religious freedom together with other experts addressed this issue in a conference on October 5 in London’s Foreign Press Association.
Azadeh Zabeti, lawyer and deputy chair of the British- Iranian Lawyers Association started the conference by remarks on terrorist activities under the name of Islam and mullahs’ tyrannical rule in Iran over the past 26 years and called for an international cooperation against Islamic fundamentalism stemming from Iran. Zabeti then called on Ayatollah Ganjei to address the conference on this pressing issue.
He made a clear distinction in the beginning of his speech on the nature of Islamic fundamentalism and said: “Fundamentalism is not a religious phenomenon but it is a political movement using Islam as an instrument to impose an ‘absolute domination.’”
Gangei noted that the policy of appeasement, pursued with the Iranian regime, for political reasons or trade interests has sent a clear message to terrorist fundamentalists that if “you are in power you will be tolerated.”
In line with this policy, the Western governments, acting on behalf of the terrorist government in Iran, have been suppressing the freedom of the Iranian resistance movement for democracy in their homeland, as a sign of goodwill gesture to Tehran. To this end, the Ayatollah added that, the main opposition to fundamentalist regime in Iran, the People’s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI aka MEK), has been proscribed as a terrorist organization in the U.S. and the European Union.
“Islam in the Iranian Resistance is a source of hope for humanity. Inspired by Islam we defend democracy, human rights, equal rights for followers of different religions, separation of church and state, gender equality in every aspect of life and equal rights for all ethnic minorities. It is essential for humanity to become acquainted with this resistance and the Islam it represents,” stipulated by the Ayatollah reiterating that: “All restrictions on the activities of the PMOI, as the most important and democratic opposition to clerical regime in Iran, should be removed in particular the terror label.”
As the next speaker, Prof. Alison Assiter from the West of England University in Bristol, spoke of the spread of fundamentalism in the world and its threat and reminded that the book by Mohammad Mohaddessin (chair of the NCRI Foreign Affairs Committee), “Islamic Fundamentalism, the New Global Threat,” published in 1993, described terrorism as a main feature of the Islamic fundamentalism. Some doubted the connection at the time but pursuing events have proven the correctness of the assertion.
Revd. Ryder Whalley, Anglican priest also joined the debate on this topic and said that fundamentalists do not recognize anyone but themselves and there can be no exchange of views and ideas with them and they want to impose their ideas upon everybody.
Mrs. Elizabeth Sydney, President of the International Federation of Women against Fundamentalism and for Equality concentrated on the misogynist practices of fundamentalism in her speech and stressed that the mullahs claim they are acting upon God’s orders and this is most horrifying for true followers of Islam.
In the end the declaration of the conference was read out by Azadeh Zabeti. The document in part called for referral of the Iranian regime’s nuclear file to the UN Security Council and removal of the PMOI from terrorist lists. It also supported the proposal by the President-elect of the NCRI for democratic change in Iran rejecting the policy of appeasement of the mullahs or a military solution.
