NCRI – Iranians in France gathered in Paris on Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the main Iranian opposition People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, PMOI (Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK).
Mayor Jean-Francois Legaret, the Mayor of Paris’ First District; Mehdi Abrishamchi, Chairman of the Peace Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI); Rabieh Mofidi, central council member of the PMOI; Ayatollah Jajal Ganjei, Chairman of the Committee on Freedom of Religions and Denominations of the NCRI; and Fatemeh Rezai, a veteran PMOI (MEK) member and former political prisoner under the Shah’s regime, were among the speakers of the gathering. Former French Senator Jean-Pierre Michel and progressive Bishop Jacques Gaillot sent video messages of solidarity.
Mr. Legaret said he had stood for years beside the PMOI (MEK) because he supports the group’s message of tolerance among peoples and among religions. “We here in France share the values of your Resistance. … The PMOI is the antithesis to Islamic fundamentalism,” he said, adding that Iranian opposition leader Mrs. Maryam Rajavi is an inspiration figure who truly stands up for democratic values. “Women play a key role in your movement for liberty in Iran.”
Mr. Legaret, who is co-chairman of the Committee of French Mayors in Support of Ashraf Residents in Camp Liberty, Iraq, said his group has circulated a statement among the Mayors of France to declare their solidarity with the Resistance led by the PMOI (MEK) to achieve democratic change in Iran.
At every juncture the PMOI (MEK) was faced with the question of what must be done to achieve freedom for our people, Mr. Abrishamchi said. From its inception the PMOI (MEK) had a clear goal, the establishment of democracy in Iran, he said. The PMOI from day one separated itself from the fundamentalist mullahs; it has deep-rooted belief in progressive Islam, he added.
Mr. Abrishamchi said the PMOI (MEK) from 1991 realized that in order to bring freedom to Iran, it had a nationalistic duty to expose the nuclear bomb making projects of the mullahs.
Ms. Mofidi said that in its 50-year struggle for freedom and democracy in Iran, the PMOI (MEK) relied solely on support from its people. Iran’s young generation is drawn to the group’s progressive viewpoints in contrast to the mullahs’ fundamentalism and brutal suppression. She said that young Iranians are inspired by the democratic messages of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.
Ayatollah Ganjei said that the PMOI (MEK) through its perseverance and sacrifices gave hope to millions of Iranians longing for freedom. The PMOI (MEK) strongly believes in an end to exploitation of the masses, he added.
Ms. Rezai told the audience of the cruelties that the PMOI (MEK) members faced in the prisoners of the regimes of the Shah and Khomeini. Despite all the suppression, she said, the PMOI (MEK) have continued to carry the torch of freedom.
Bishop Gaillot said that the PMOI (MEK) members in Camp Liberty are “great witnesses to suffering; they have a right to United Nations protection.” In his moving remarks he said victory of Iranian people against the clerical regime and establishment of democracy in Iran are inevitable.
Senator Michel said that the PMOI (MEK) is struggling for a republic where all peoples are treated as equals. He vowed to stand alongside the resistance movement led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi.
A short video clip was broadcast outlining the 50-year history of the PMOI (MEK).
Representatives of Franco-Iranian women and youths associations also addressed the gathering.
At the end of the event, in a symbolic act, participants threw flower petals on a large emblem of the PMOI (MEK).
Similar gatherings on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the PMOI (MEK) have been held in major European cities including London and Berlin in the past few days.
