NCRI – Lord Taverne, QC and former Minister, addressed a conference on the PMOI’s status in Ashraf City in Iraq at Westminster on December 15. He and many of his colleagues and jurists expressed concern over the Iranian regime’s role in Iraq and the Middle East. He said “to ask Iran to assist in bringing about stability in Iraq by disbanding the Shiite militias under its control is like asking Hitler’s help to disband the SS.” The following is the text of speech by Lord Taverne:
I was captivated by the video of Ashraf City. I want to congratulate all those who have now successfully, consistently and strenuously argued in favour of the PMOI. The judgment of the European Court of Justice in favour of the PMOI was truly a bright spot in an otherwise dark picture. It gives us a great deal of hope for the future.
As the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate, there has been a general cry for a change of direction. However, I am amazed there are still those who advocate engaging with the Iranian regime, suggesting that the mullahs could somehow be part of a solution. This shows the consistent failure of the leading figures in the west to appreciate the nature of this brutal regime. I have said this before and it deeply worries me that there is a disturbing parallel in western attitudes towards the regime in Iran and pre-war attitudes towards the regime in Nazi Germany. Hitler’s Nazi ideology was to conquer Europe and then to extend to the world beyond. It was a fanatical and ideological regime. The west did everything possible to accommodate the Nazis. They offered concession after concession, which Hitler gratefully accepted in order to advance his aims.
In Iran too we have a fanatical regime, which declared from the moment Khomeini took power that its aim was to establish a federation of Islamic theocratic states, under the control of Iran. In effect, the Iranian regime’s aim was to control the Middle East and to extend to the world beyond. Yet, the west has, as it did with the Nazis, attempted to appease the Iranian regime, most unforgivably by placing restrictions on the PMOI, including the group’s proscription.
Now Iraq has given the mullahs a golden opportunity to advance their ideological aims. To ask Iran to assist in bringing about stability in Iraq by disbanding the Shiite militias under its control is like asking Hitler’s help to disband the SS. Iran has been steadily and I regret to say successfully destabilising the Middle East, including Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. As ‘the most active state sponsor of terrorism’, the Iranian regime uses acts of terrorism around the world to advance its aims.
It is often said that we are not facing a conflict between Islam and the west. I think that is partially true. What we are facing is an absolutely fundamental struggle between the secular democracies and the fundamentalist theocracies – indeed a struggle between a secular approach to religion and a fundamentalist approach to religion.
Wherever fundamentalists hold influence, they present danger. However, most dangerous today are the Islamic fundamentalists in Iran, who use the resources of a nation to advance their ideology. The only solution is to support those secular and progressive Muslims who struggle for freedom and democracy. Therefore, the only policy to adopt in combating the Iranian regime’s brand of Islamic fundamentalism is to support Iran’s main democratic opposition.
Forget the call to continue appeasing Iran and that somehow we can divert the mullahs from their absolute determination to acquire nuclear weapons. Forget the call bring Iran into the discussions about the future of Iraq. Instead, the west should do everything it can tactfully and effectively do to support an Iranian revolution from within. All the signs coming out of Iran show that the Iranian people are prepared to stand up to their oppressors. One only has to look at the universities and the brave stand being taken by students. There is hope for change, but only if we back Iran’s effective opposition. The best hope for stability in the Middle East lies with Maryam Rajavi and her colleagues in the National Council of Resistance of Iran and PMOI.
