Friends of a Free Iran , European Parliament, Strasbourg
Mr. Struan Stevenson, Vice President of the EPP-ED and the co-chair of the Intergroup, Friends of a Free Iran:
"Those who think that by denying Mrs. Rajavi the right to speak in the EP they can somehow achieve peace, should know that by appeasing the mullahs, they will have war and violence." He said, "The pressure by the mullahs’ regime show that Mrs. Rajavi is the only leader of the only opposition which the regime fears. This makes it clear that this movement has the power to overthrow the regime and establish democracy and human rights."
Friends of a Free Iran , European Parliament, Strasbourg
Wednesday morning, July 5, 2006, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance who had been invited to address the formal session of the EPP-ED Group, the UEN and the GUE/NGL at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, was welcomed by a large number of MEPS from six Parliamentary Groups, the EEP-ED, the Socialist, the UEN, GUE/NGL, the Liberals and the Greens. Two EP Vice Presidents were among the delegation.
Mrs. Rajavi took part in a press conference along with a large group of MEPs. Some 80 journalists attended the conference.
Mr. Struan Stevenson, Vice President of the EPP-ED and the co-chair of the Intergroup, Friends of a Free Iran, welcomed Mrs. Rajavi’s presence at the conference and said, "The EPP-ED voted unanimously in May to invite Mrs. Rajavi to speak in the EPP-ED Group meeting. Two other Parliamentary Groups, the UEN and the GUE/NGL had also invited her. The clerical regime immediately began to exert direct and indirect pressure against the EP and launched complaints to the European Union. In a letter, the regime’s ambassador in Brussels wrote a letter to the EP President, formally demanding that the EPP cancel the meeting and block Mrs. Rajavi’s entry into the EP." He added, "Nevertheless, the EP Conference of Presidents unanimously voted that there should be no restriction on Mrs. Rajavi’s entry or on the political group which has invited her. The clerical regime’s pressures to cancel this program accelerated. The regime announced formally that if the meetings were held, it would reject the P5+1 incentive package and would not negotiate. Despite the fact that the hearings were scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday, Mrs. Rajavi sent a letter to the President of the three groups, requesting that the meetings be postponed so as to deny the regime any pretext to blackmail.
Mr. Stevenson added, "Those who think that by denying Mrs. Rajavi the right to speak in the EP they can somehow achieve peace, should know that by appeasing the mullahs, they will have war and violence." He said, "The pressure by the mullahs’ regime show that Mrs. Rajavi is the only leader of the only opposition which the regime fears. This makes it clear that this movement has the power to overthrow the regime and establish democracy and human rights."
Mrs. Rajavi lauded the EP’s political groups for standing up to the mullahs’ pressure and rejecting their demands to withdraw the invitation. She said: by postponing the meetings we challenged the mullahs and exposed their deception beforehand. Addressing the ruling mullahs, Mrs. Rajavi said they should abandon the nuclear project, suppression and the export of fundamentalism and terrorism. We would welcome that. But as we have always said, a viper never gives birth to a dove.
She added: Those who advocate the policy of appeasement no longer have any excuses. The mullahs believe that the necessary resolve to adopt a firm policy in dealing with them does not exist. They view the incentive package and the U.S. decision to join the talks as confirmation for their conduct, including the resumption of uranium enrichment. They say the more aggressive we are, the more likely the west would retreat.
Mrs. Rajavi insisted: The solution to this crisis is neither war nor appeasement, but democratic change by the Iranian people and the Resistance. The Iranian people demand change. Instead of offering incentives to the regime, Europe must stand with the Iranian people and their resistance for peace and freedom. This is the only way out of the crisis.
During the meeting, Mr. Mogens Camre, Vice President of the UEN said, "Mrs. Rajavi took a very responsible and wise position to show the real intention of the clerical regime. This major campaign against the leader of the Iranian opposition and her speech highlights two facts: 1. the clerical regime suppresses the freedom of speech of its opponents, even in Europe. 2. The importance and the status of the Resistance movement show that the Iranian Resistance is the main solution for establishing a democratic Iran."
Dr. Andre Brie, a member of the EP’s Foreign Affairs Commission for the GUE/NGL, was the next speaker. He said, "The decision by Mrs. Rajavi demonstrated her sincerity in her views and platform. This decision tells the international community loud and clear that if you can prevent the mullahs from obtaining nuclear weapons, please do what you can. But so long as this regime remains in power, you cannot find a solution."
The next speaker, Mr. Paulo Casaca, Co-Chair of the Intergroup for a Free Iran, said, "In Portugal we knew what dictatorship was. For this reason we have a sense of solidarity with the Iranian Resistance which if fighting for freedom. We understand that the regime’s main preoccupation is this opposition."
On Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Rajavi took part in a luncheon held in her honor by the Intergroup for a Free Iran. Some 50 MEPs attended, including Edward McMillan Scott, EP Vice President from Britain, Astrid Lulling, a member of the EP Presidium, Mogens Camre, UEN Vice President, Tunne Kelam, head of the Estonian delegation in the EPP-ED and Erik Meijer, EP Foreign Affairs Committee member.
In brief remarks, Mr. Paulo Casaca said, "The Iranian Resistance under the leadership of Mrs. Rajavi has vast support in the European Parliament. We respect the movement’s democratic character and conduct." He described Mrs. Rajavi’s decision to postpone her address to the three parliamentary groups as being responsible and foresighted, which reflected her leadership capability.
In her remarks, Mrs. Rajavi said: In December 2004, in this very building, I proposed democratic change by the Iranian people and their organized Resistance as the third option instead of war and appeasement. Change in Iran is an absolute imperative and within reach. But the policy of appeasement only emboldens the mullahs and its continuation will make war inevitable. A negotiation with the mullahs is nothing but a mirage. The mullahs have come to the conclusion that the West lacks the resolve to deal with its aggressiveness. More incentives only expedite the making of a catastrophe and increase its dimensions.
On Wednesday evening, at the invitation of a number of MEPs, Mrs. Rajavi outlined the views of Iranian Resistance about women in the future Iran.
Mrs. Piia-Noora Kauppi, head of the Finnish delegation in the EPP-ED Group, chaired the meeting. A number of women MEPs, including Edit Bauer, Avril Doyle, Gitte Seeberg, heads of the Irish and Danish delegations in the EPP-ED respectively and Dr. Romana Jordan Cizelj attended the meeting.
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Kauppi elaborated on the achievements of Mrs. Rajavi in realizing the rights of the Iranian women as well as her view on the mullahs’ misogyny and the violation of women’s basic rights.
In her remarks, Mrs. Rajavi pointed to the great challenge posed by the mullahs by virtue of their nuclear project, meddling in Iraq and exporting fundamentalism. She said the effective solution for Iran is democratic change in which women play a unique role.
Mrs. Rajavi later met a number of distinguished MEPs and chairs of delegations. A number of MEPs bid Mrs. Rajavi farewell upon her departure from the European Parliament.
Friends of a Free Iran
European Parliament
Strasbourg , 6 July 2006