Mullahs’ Iran
The
nuclear deal will not bring a moderate Iran. To achieve that, Iran’s democracy
activists need our support.
 |
| The Iranian "All For Freedom" gathering in Paris, June 27, 2014. |
By Lord Maginnis of Drumglass
July 19, 2016
A full
year has passed since the Iranian regime accepted a nuclear deal with the West
which would boost the regime and allow economic sanctions against Tehran to be
lifted. The reciprocal of that entailed an abandonment of the nuclear program
and hopefully could be a precursor to moderation — a softer, gentler Iran. Now
that year has passed with these hopes being far from reality. The sad lesson
must surely be apparent — the only real opportunity for change must lie in
giving tangible support to active and moderate Iranians like those who
assembled in Paris last weekend.
The
Iranian regime has increased its support for the murderous Assad regime; for
Hezbollah; for Shiite militias and other terrorist groups abroad. It continues
to directly participate in regional conflicts and at home the execution, in
record numbers, of its their own people. Far from being a moderate, President
Hassan Rouhani has exceeded the brutality and extremism of his predecessor, and
all the while the nuclear program remains largely covert, while more overt
segments show signs of further development. Ballistic missiles, executions, and
regional turmoil are not signs of moderation by any stretch of the imagination.
Just
because the Iranian regime is full of hard-liners does not mean that the
Iranian people are. Last Saturday, an impressive 100,000 Iranian expatriates
and their international supporters gathered in Paris in a massive show of
force. The keynote
speaker was Maryam Rajavi, the charismatic president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) who has
assembled a solid show of support among Iranians at home and abroad.
Mrs.
Rajavi has for some years presented a stark contrast to the Iranian status quo,
calling for a truly democratic Iran and saying, “A new era will dawn in Iran; a
society based on separation of religion and state, and gender equality will
blossom.” Her words, while drawing a strong reaction from the highest levels of
the Iranian regime were warmly received by both supporters in Paris and those
other supporters who still must run the gauntlet within Iran’s borders. It is
this moderation that not only brought thousands of Iranian supporters, but a
large contingent of leading international politicians as well.
The
most striking aspect of the NCRI’s international political support is that the
list of politicians attending would rarely, if ever, be seen together except at
this kind of event – a response to the national tragedy that exists under
Rouhani and the Mullahs. U.S. Democrats such as Howard Dean and Bill Richardson
were joined by Republicans Newt Gingrich and John Bolton. Likewise,
European politicians in attendance, parliamentary delegations, and global
political personalities covered the entirety of the political spectrum. In such
a polarized political era, to have such cooperation and agreement on a single
issue should not be understated.
Among
the more notable attendees was Turki bin Faisal Al-Saud, a prominent member of
the Saudi royal family, its former intelligence chief and a former ambassador
to the United States and UK. Surely this is a significant and major indicator
that the momentum is shifting against the Iranian regime. Prince Turki’s
attendance marked the first time Saudi support was given publicly to any group
so opposed to the Iranian regime. This was not simply a gamble, but a
purposeful and calculated statement by the Saudis, indicating an expectation
that the NCRI will continue to gain momentum that could ultimately lead to
regime change.
Tehran’s
immediate hysterical reaction to the gathering and its message included
summoning the French ambassador to Tehran with the aim of intimidating the
French for allowing a peaceful rally to take place in the “City of Light.”
Surely that’s a clear indication that the theocratic regime in Tehran is
feeling the heat and that NCRI opposition is, increasingly, making an impact
internationally.
The
huge numbers of grassroots supporters, the political attendees of every
political and democratic hue from so many countries is a huge endorsement. The
reaction of the Mullah’s regime sends a very clear message.
Though
regime change is unlikely to happen overnight, the NCRI is a viable, moderate
alternative that the hard-liners in Tehran regards as a threat. Western
governments and others in the region should take this message seriously and
perhaps reconsider their position in how they seek to reform a regime that has,
time without number, broken its commitments and been consistently so deceitful
and destructive.
Mrs
Rajavi and her formidable workforce have a clearly enunciated, pluralistic, and
democratic vision. The free world should not be content to relegate this to
merely a once-a-year event.
Lord
Maginnis of Drumglass is an independent member of the UK House of Lords and
prominent member of the British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom
(BPCIF), www.iran-freedom.org
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