MARYAM RAJAVI: THREE MAJOR COMMITMENTS OF THE IRANIAN RESISTANCE: REGIME CHANGE, UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE AND PEOPLE’S SOVEREIGNTY, AND SOCIAL FREEDOM AND JUSTICE

Speech to the Free Iran Global Summit

The Free Iran Global Summit, a major online and live conference encompassing over 30,000 points spread across 100 countries, was convened on Friday, July 17, 2020, in a direct link to Ashraf 3, home of the Iranian opposition, Mujahedeen-e Khalq.

The summit, held in commemoration of the July 20 anniversary of Iranians’ historic uprising in 1952 against domestic reactionary forces and colonialism, to restore the nationalist and democratic government of Dr. Mohammad Mossadeq, as well as the anniversary of the founding of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the sole independent and democratic alternative to the current regime in 1981, was met with widespread participation and enthusiasm by Iranian compatriots.

Over 1,000 political dignitaries from various countries participated in this summit to voice support for the Iranian people’s uprising and in solidarity with Resistance Units.

Maryam Rajavi, expressed her gratitude to all compatriots and supporters of the Iranian Resistance and all participating dignitaries. Maryam Rajavi’s remarks follow:

Fellow compatriots,
Courageous youth and Resistance Units,

Hail to all of you, especially the city of martyrs, the arisen people of Behbahan and millions of our outraged compatriots who stood up against through a huge twitter and cyber storm against the inhuman death sentences against young people.

Indeed, the mullahs’ regime has not and will not be relieved of the convulsions produced by that fierce uprising. That is why, terrified of more uprisings around the corner, the mullahs’ criminal judiciary resorted to sentencing three detained November protesters to execution. But it was proven that such action will backfire.

I take this opportunity to commend you all, members and supporters of the Iranian Resistance, who are taking part in this summit from thousands of locations in five continents.

I would also like to express our thanks and gratitude to lawmakers, and hundreds of political dignitaries across the world who have joined the Free Iran Global Summit.

Voice of Resistance Units and Rebellious Cities

This summit echoes the voice of the Iranian people’s 40-year Resistance against religious dictatorship and fascism and for freedom and democracy.

This is the voice of the largest, the longest-standing, most sophisticated, and most serious organized resistance in Iran’s history, with the roaring river of its martyrs’ blood, and the moving chants of massacred Mojahedin who continued to insist on their belief to the end, against the most murderous and cruel rulers.

This summit echoes calls for the clerical regime’s overthrow, which were heard during successive uprisings from December 2017 and January 2018 to November 2019 and January 2020. It is the people’s calls for the regime’s overthrow after the conclusion of “reformer vs. principlist” theatrics that was aimed at preserving this very regime.

This summit is the voice of Resistance Units and rebellious cities across Iran who have put an end to a history of despair, incredulity and inaptitude, replacing it with the pledge of “we can and we must.”

Today’s summit represents our enchained homeland in three of its most prominent features:

A rebellious and revolutionary Iran;
An Iran united in solidarity;
And a free and democratic Iran of tomorrow.

Three major pledges of the Iranian Resistance

We have come together to underline three monumental and historic commitments that we have pledged to accomplish.
Our first commitment is that we, the people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance, will overthrow the clerical regime and will reclaim Iran.

Our second commitment is that we, the people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance, will build a free and democratic Iran.

And our third commitment is to remain faithful to our people’s sovereignty and their vote; to not seek power at any cost, but to establish freedom and justice at any cost; to never return to the dictatorships of the Shah and the mullahs. And, as the majority of elected lawmakers in the U.S. and Europe have pointed out, we want to establish a democratic, secular and non-nuclear Iran.

The uprisings are a brilliant model for the larger operation of overthrowing the regime

From all indications, the ruling theocracy is at the point of being overthrown.

Although the virus of the ruling religious fascism and its accomplice, the coronavirus, have joined forces to demoralize and pacify our people and society, we saw during the November 2019 uprising that the protests suddenly erupted in 900 locations across the country. This created a brilliant model for the great uprising that will overthrow the regime.

The uprisings that spanned from December 2017 and January 2018 to November 2019 and January 2020 were not about reforming the regime and had nothing to say to the mullahs. They did not ask anything from the mullahs. Rather, these uprisings sought to overthrow the clerics.

In the midst of these uprisings, this generation delivered the thunderous chants of “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the (supreme) Leader.” “We don’t want the Shah or the Leader, we don’t want a choice between bad and worse.”

This generation chants “Our enemy is right here. They lie when they say it’s America.”

This generation is a constant nightmare for the mullahs. Indeed, the clerics have come face-to-face with a rebellious generation against which they are vulnerable.

The Iranian Resistance relied on precise and well-documented reports to register the figure of 1,500 martyrs during the November 2019 uprising. The actual figure is much higher. A multitude of documents obtained by the NCRI’s Security and Counterterrorism Committee from within the National Emergency Organization, which relate to Tehran alone, are the tip of the iceberg and confirm this fact.

These uprisings checkmated the Iranian regime’s political apologists, advocates, lobbyists and paid operatives, because the protests completely discredited their deception and lies.

They kept saying that it would be inconceivable for the people of Iran to turn to uprisings and revolution to overthrow the mullahs.

They kept saying that change in Iran will not happen except from within the regime itself.
And time and again, they repeated the mullahs’ false claim about the PMOI/MEK’s lack of popular support. They were searching for young and teenage MEK members when suddenly they saw with their own eyes throngs of young people overwhelming the streets of Iranian cities. And they were irritated when they saw that two progressive students [who supported the MEK] were detained.

This explains why the mullahs and their mob of interrogators and functionaries have unleashed against the Resistance and the PMOI/MEK. They see themselves about to be overthrown and are in agony over the fact that these uprisings and rebellious youth have adopted the roadmap and the strategy of the PMOI/MEK.

A force capable of overthrowing the regime is lurking in the heart of Iranian cities

The volcanic uprising in November washed away all unfounded claims.

It was proven that it is possible to inspire and organize protests.

It was proven that despite all the repression and crimes, our people have a spectacular desire and readiness to continue their uprising.

It was proven that the masses of people, particularly toilers, destitute people and the youth, stood face-to-face against the regime.

And it was proven that a force capable of overthrowing the regime has emerged and is lurking in the hearts of Iranian cities. This is the very force the regime’s Interior Minister described as “a fighting force of about 600,000-strong” who, he said, destroyed regime centers one after another during the November uprising.
It is this rebellious force, which despite unrelenting arrests, empowers resistance units to constantly regroup, reproduce and multiply themselves.

Over the past two years, the emergence of rebellious cities and the operations of resistance units against repression, aimed at breaking the suppressive atmosphere, fueling the engine of the uprisings, and mobilizing the people, have made the regime feel the danger clearly and vividly.

In the history of liberation struggles in Iran, Resistance Units and rebellious cities and their key role in the strategy of uprisings, was discovered and formulated by Massoud (Rajavi, Leader of the Iranian Resistance). And this is the secret to uprisings and ultimate victory.

Over the past two years, the resistance units have overcome martyrdoms and many arrests, and have challenged the enemy face-to-face with its closed circuit cameras and agents in various cities across Iran. They have carried out an average of 20 operations a day to confront the repression, to publicize the resistance or to expose the regime. These very activities serve as the spark for the uprisings and have overwhelmed the regime.

Hail to these courageous youths, hail to the resistant and steadfast political prisoners, and hail to this generation which is determined to fight on and to make sacrifices, giving up their belongings and their lives every day to keep ablaze the flame of uprisings, and to save the enchained nation.

These are telltale signs of the great Army of Freedom. Out of the countless who are suppressed, the force which will save and free Iran is rising up.

Yes, the sun is rising and the blood-drenched caravan of martyrs sings:
Rise up now friends,
Fearlessly soar like an eagle,
Charge against the enemy,
onwards to victory, onwards to prosperity!

In the final analysis, the mullahs have no solutions

In the wake of the uprisings in December 2017 and January 2018, Massoud [Rajavi] said: “To contain this uprising, the mullahs’ supreme leader has no other option but to solve a number of economic, social, political and security problems, in which case it would pave the way for his own regime’s overthrow.”

This is precisely the focal point of vulnerability for the mullahs. If they continue to pursue their current path and course of action, namely their belligerence, missile launches, terrorism, intimidation and closing ranks, they will inevitably crash head first.

And if they make the slightest retreat, namely, if they change their behavior and abandon their suppression, terrorism and belligerence, then they would undermine the very existence of the rule of the velayat-e faqih (absolute clerical rule).

For this reason, today, Khamenei calls for the creation of “a young and Hezbollahi government” and sees a monolithic Parliament and a murderous Judiciary as the only way out of the vortex of crises and the only way to preserve the regime.

Less than two weeks ago, in an open session of the parliament on July 5, the deputies were talking of impeaching and even prosecuting Rouhani for committing treason. They unloaded on (the regime’s Foreign Minister) Zarif their endless fear and horror over the reinstatement of the snapback mechanism regarding the nuclear program.

The mullahs and their Revolutionary Guards had made a vital bet on the termination of the arms embargo on October 18, as was stipulated in the JCPOA. For this reason, the international community’s decision to activate the snapback mechanism, would be the coup de grace shot to the regime’s windfall achievements under the JCPOA and the policy of appeasement. Before all else, snapback would blow up the bubble of the regime’s longevity and will accelerate its downfall.

So, accusing Rouhani and Zarif of committing treason for which they must be impeached is a cowardly and nervous preemptive gesture.

We say let the supreme leader devour and dispose of his own internal factions as much as he wants.
The final word is that the mullahs have no solutions and their regime is doomed to fall in its entirety.

The strategy of inflicting mass human casualties during the coronavirus pandemic to fend off popular uprisings and the threat of overthrow

Fellow compatriots, dear friends,

To date, the accelerating outbreak of the coronavirus has taken the lives of at least 72,000 people in Iran. Let us observe a minute of silence in homage to these innocent victims.

More than any other time, this carnage uncovered the appalling reality of how the mullahs have destroyed the country’s healthcare, nutrition and social welfare foundations, leaving our people vulnerable to the virus more than any other country in the world.
One must absolutely refrain from comparing the coronavirus crisis in Iran with the situation in other countries. In March, Khamenei openly said that he sought to create an opportunity and a blessing out of the coronavirus crisis.

I have repeatedly declared, on behalf of the Iranian Resistance, that the abnormal surging trend of the number of coronavirus victims in Iran is a product of the criminal policies of (the mullahs’ supreme leader, Ali) Khamenei and (his president, Hassan) Rouhani. The strategy of launching mass casualties as a barrier against the threat of an uprising and eventual overthrow is exactly designed to pacify and demoralize the Iranian society, rendering it hopeless and paralyzed.

They sent people back to work without offering them any help in prevention and treatment. At the same time, they blame the people for the spread of the virus, claiming that they did not observe hygienic protocols.

The regime’s officials say that the disease launched a surprise attack in the month of July. “Nurses are falling like autumn leaves” and at least 15,000 of the medical staff in Iran have been infected.

We hail the selfless physicians and nurses who have suffered tremendously over the past few months, but have not stopped for a moment to endeavor at the cost of their own lives to save the lives of their fellow compatriots. To show appreciation, let’s applaud them one minute.

Dear friends,

In these critical circumstances, the ruling mullahs have refused to allocate any considerable budget to fight the disease, and even to pay the nurses’ salaries.

The regime’s Health Minister says that despite his repeated appeals since the beginning of the outbreak (in February), for the first time, only 300 million Euros was provided to the ministry in June. That is only 3.5 Euros per person to confront the pandemic. The meager sum cannot be compared with any other country. But even this limited budget is squandered in the regime’s cycle of pervasive corruption.

On the other hand, during the breathtaking coronavirus crisis, the mullahs continued to launch expensive satellites into space. Concurrently, they pursued their belligerent and terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria and escalated their ominous nuclear activities to a new level. The regime’s Defense Minister recently told the mullahs’ parliament, “The number of missiles we manufactured over the past four years was equal to our production in the prior ten years combined.”

The question is, where do they get the money to spend on such activities? Obviously, by emptying the baskets of our deprived people.

The mullahs have increased the number of bases for the IRGC Bassij Force to 54,000. If they had spent one-tenth of this money to build hospitals, the casualties of this disease would not have been so high. We know that there are only 954 active hospitals in the country.

On May 21, 2020, in the Fadak City of Kermanshah province, the regime’s municipal agents ruthlessly razed a shack where Asiyeh Panahi lived.

Asiyeh was a mother to seven children. She was poor and did not have any support. She had just finished building her 40-square-meter home after great suffering, and she did not want to let them destroy it. She cried out again and again, “Don’t raze my home!” But they dragged her on the ground for so long that she eventually died.

How many more Asiyehs have to lose their homes? How many more people have to slide into poverty and starvation? How many more have to suffer death by attrition every day?

Today, many women breadwinners are living in rubbles, tunnels and holes underneath the ground, or they live in slums and tents.

Why are these women and 38 million others living in the slums and shanty towns? Why is it that more than seven million people have been forced to live around the cemeteries? Yes, everywhere we look, we can only see the mullahs’ destruction. And we will definitely bring an end to this.

The ruling mullahs must answer why the value of the country’s official currency has plunged so much? Why is there no ability to create jobs? Why is Iran one of the four countries in the world who have the highest inflation rates?

By the way, you must tell us what ended up happening with the three trillion dollars’ worth of oil revenues under Khamenei’s rule?
And you must say where did Khamenei amass 100 billion dollars in his executive headquarters?

Where have the IRGC, the State Security Force’ (SSF), Astan-e Qods, and the Mostazafan Foundation get their hundreds of billions of dollars?

The 15 institutions and foundations under Khamenei’s control have a total of one trillion dollars’ worth of assets.

Yes, this is the direct outcome of driving at least 60 million Iranians under the poverty line.
The mullahs’ depraved and criminal regime must be cursed.

Our commitment before the Iranian people and history

Compatriots, dear friends,

We pledged to overthrow the regime, take back Iran and restore all the violated and plundered rights of the people of Iran.

Our people must enjoy the right to be healthy, to have shelter, right to employment, to organizing and having syndicates, right to autonomy of ethnic minorities, the right to equal participation in running the society’s affairs, gender equality and popular sovereignty.

They must be free of religious slavery, and sexual exploitation. They must enjoy freedom of expression and opinion, freedom of choice. They must be pulled out of poverty, and be free from fear; this means ending torture, executions, and social and economic insecurity.

We have pledged to restore all these freedoms and rights. We make this pledge before the Iranian people and history. This is our pledge to 120,000 martyrs who fell for freedom.

Today, in Iran, one of the greatest battles and one of the greatest tests of our time rages on between freedom and religious fascism, between democracy and religious fundamentalism. This is a battle intertwined with the destiny of contemporary humanity and global peace and security.
We urge all governments and international bodies to stand with the people of Iran in this historic showdown against the greatest threat to world peace and security.

The recent resolution adopted by a majority in the US House of Representatives provides a credible model for all governments and the international community to follow regarding Iran and the Iranian people.

The trial of the regime’s diplomat-terrorist in Belgium

The Iranian regime’s leaders planned to launch a major terrorist attack against the Free Iran Grand Gathering in Paris, in 2018. The terrorists in possession of the bomb were arrested by the Belgian Police. The regime’s terrorist diplomat who had handed them the bomb, has been in jail for more than two years.

Two days ago, the trial of this diplomat and his three accomplices began in Belgium.
For the first time, a serving diplomat faces trial in Europe for direct involvement in terrorism. This is a great disgrace for the regime and it shows that the regime spares to effort and will commit any crime and pay any price to annihilate its alternative.

Enjoying diplomatic privileges, the arrested regime diplomat directed this plot under the supervision of the senior Intelligence Ministry officials.

The trial of the four detained terrorists as the perpetrators of this terrorist act is a necessary step. But as I emphasized when I testified as a witness for seven hours and provided ample documents and evidence, the real decision makers were Khamenei, Rouhani, Zarif, and Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi. This is indispensable to stop the mullahs’ unbridled terrorism the mullahs.

This is a sufficient and definitive case based on which the UN Security Council can prosecute Khamenei and his accomplices for being the world’s the leading sponsors of terrorism. Of course, this is in addition to the case of the massacre of political prisoners in 1988. And, it is an imperative to end the mullahs’ unbridled terrorism.

Compatriots!

We are on the eve of several unforgettable historical landmarks.

The uprising on July 21, 1952, in support of the great Dr. Mossadeq, the anniversary of the founding of the National Council of Resistance of Iran in Tehran in 1981 upon Massoud (Rajavi)’s initiative, the Eternal Light Operation and the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in 1988 upon Khomeini’s fatwa.

From the uprising on July 21, 1952, to the uprising in November 2019, our nation has paid the price of its freedom. Without any doubt, it is worthy of freedom and it is going to achieve freedom.
The mission of our generation is to overthrow the mullahs’ criminal regime and to restore the trampled rights of all the people of Iran. To accomplish this mission, we have had to endure nothing but torture, flogging, executions, and slanders.

As I have reiterated time and again, we have not come to gain something for ourselves; we have come to sacrifice and pay the requisite price.

We are determined to restore freedom and people’s sovereignty in Iran, and this will happen.

Long live freedom
God bless the people of Iran