"It seemed to me ridiculous that governments were treating as outlaws the people who were working for a better regime in Iran, a better regime which respected human rights and looked after their own people properly, and one that was working for democratic change. That was the PMOI (MEK) [the People's Mojahedin organization of Iran]," Lord Waddington, former UK Home Secretary told a gathering of more than 70,000 Iranians in Paris on June 28, 2008.
Text of his speech follows:
"It seemed to me ridiculous that governments were treating as outlaws the people who were working for a better regime in Iran, a better regime which respected human rights and looked after their own people properly, and one that was working for democratic change. That was the PMOI (MEK) [the People's Mojahedin organization of Iran]," Lord Waddington, former UK Home Secretary told a gathering of more than 70,000 Iranians in Paris on June 28, 2008.
Text of his speech follows:
Ladies and gentlemen,
I feel very humble standing in front of you in this great hall today. Thousands of you, tens of thousands of you, are working for, hoping for, democratic change in your country under the inspired leadership of Mrs. Rajavi.
I want to tell you briefly how I became concerned in your cause. I joined the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom because I could not stand reading day after day the appalling way in which the mullahs were treating their own citizens.
I could not stand reading everyday of the abuses of human rights which were occurring in your country. And I could also see in the way in which the regime exported terrorism and in the way in which the regime was set upon becoming a nuclear power. I could see a great threat to the whole world.
And, so, it seemed to me ridiculous that governments were treating as outlaws the people who were working for a better regime in Iran, a better regime which respected human rights and looked after their own people properly, and one that was working for democratic change. That was the PMOI (MEK) [the People's Mojahedin organization of Iran].
And so I joined with others in the action, which resulted in the PMOI [MEK] being delisted as a terrorist organization. That is something which we can celebrate today. It’s a step along the road. There are many more steps like when the PMOI [MEK] is also delisted in Europe. That’s our next task. And when that is done, let’s hope we’ll influence those in America to delist the PMOI [MEK] also in the United States of America.
We are on our way, ladies and gentleman. And, you have yourselves to thank for your enormous support for your great leader.
Thank you for listening to me.
