I would like to congratulate the Iranians in the United States and Canada who are planning to protest later this month against the visit of the representatives of the Iranian regime at the United Nations General Assembly.
I would further like to declare my full support for the brave millions of Iranian people continue to protest for democratic change and organised Resistance force at Camp Ashraf in Iraq.
Over the past 18 months millions of courageous Iranians have demonstrated in the streets of Iran’s major cities calling for regime change. The fact that these men and women came out in the face of the Iranian regime’s most suppressive measures is an incredible feat of heroism. The Iranian regime has mobilised thousands of revolutionary guards and members of the Bassij militia from across the country in a vain attempt to prevent the demonstrations.
Although Iran’s leadership attempted to construct the image that the Iranian people’s widespread dissent and demands for democracy are a battle between Iran and the West they have failed. In fact, this is a struggle between the Iranian people and their dictatorial leaders. We in the West have a clear duty now to stand behind those Iranians demanding democracy and freedom.
From the days after the sham elections last summer the people of Iran have made their demands clear. Chants of “Down with Dictator”, “Khamenei is a villain, his leadership is null and void” demonstrate the Iranian people’s desire for an end to the entirety of this regime and its replacement with a true and democratic government.
Severely weakened by these demonstrations, the Iranian regime has answered the protesters with brutality, torture and execution. We have already seen several young Iranians executed with others sentenced to death already. Each of these individuals has been sentenced for the crime of being “mohareb”, which is a term which has long been used by the Iranian regime to refer to individuals with links to Iran’s largest opposition group the PMOI.
It is not simply Iran’s nuclear activities which must be condemned, but further the regime’s horrific record of human rights abuse. U.S and EU condemnation of these human rights abuses are a step in the right direction, but they must now be backed up by a firm policy.
This firm policy must include an end to all economic ties with the Iranian regime, thereby cutting the finance to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and Bassij militia which are the Iranian regime’s backbone and greatest tool used by the Iranian regime to suppress the people of Iran.
However, this must be coupled with support for the Iranian people’s democratic opposition movement. We must recognise Mrs Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI as allies of freedom and democracy and support their struggle and that of the Iranian people in bringing democracy to their homeland.
The United Nations should embrace the NCRI as the real representatives of the Iranian people.
The Iranian regime now fears for its future. Let us therefore stand behind the Iranian people and their desire for democracy rather than appease and continue to prop up a regime which massacres its people.
Lord Clarke of Hampstead
04/09/2010
