By Maurizio Stefanini, the Global News Italia
“Onward to a Democratic Republic”: this goal and slogan was the title of the “Free Iran World Summit 2023” (free-iran/2023-paris) held on July 1st in Auvers-sur-Oise. A location in the Paris region that is the headquarters of the National Council of Iranian Resistance (en.ncr-iran.org), an opposition organization to the Islamic Republic regime, whose leader is Maryam Rajavi.
“This meeting is meant to be a living expression of the will of the Iranian people to create a democratic republic and fight all kinds of dictatorships, whether monarchical or religious,” Shahin Gobadi explains, spokesperson for the Iranian People’s Mujhaeddin Organization, which is the main promoter of the Council, and which has been fighting since 1965, first against the Shah, then against the Islamist regime. It has been 20 years since this event has been celebrated, between late June and early July. But, Gobadi recalls again, “this year takes on a special significance, because it comes after the beginning of the uprising that was ignited in Iran after the death of Masha Amini.” One sign of this leap forward is the 100,000 people who demonstrated in Paris in conjunction with the Summit, mostly Iranians in the diaspora, who came from all over the world to demand an end to the regime in Tehran. Another from the 3,600 parliamentarians from around the world who expressed their support for Maryam Rajavi’s proposed 10-point program to achieve the Iranian Democratic Republic. Still another from the large number of international political players who came to speak at the event in Auvers-sur-Oise.
Some were connected by video conference, such as former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo or former Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former U.S. security adviser John Bolton. Others were present, such as former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, former Italian Foreign Minister and current chairman of the Senate’s EU Policy Committee Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, former French Foreign and Health Minister and founder of Doctors Without Borders Bernard Kouchner, and Colombian Green leader Íngrid Betancourt. A female leader who recalled how the driving element of the uprising in Iran is women rejecting the compulsory veil and “religious fascism,” Maryam Rajavi reiterated the goal of “a revolution for freedom, democracy and equality” to defend minorities. “I speak as a private citizen but on behalf of millions of Americans of all parties to support the fight for democracy. The hope of free Iran has never been extinguished and we must not remain silent,” Pence said. “On support for the return to democracy in Iran, the commitment of Americans is bipartisan,” confirmed House of Representatives member for California Raul Ruiz.
“We will never allow Iran to have atomic bombs,” was another statement by Trump’s former vice president that received thunderous applause from Iranian opponents in attendance.” “Appeasement has never worked.” “As the free world stands with Ukraine it must stand with the Iranian resistance.” “Iran’s President Raisi like Putin should also be prosecuted for crimes against humanity and genocide.” Applause also for Pompeo: “When General Soleimani was threatening Americans and we took him out, we made sure he didn’t kill another American. We made sure he didn’t persecute another Iranian.”
“It has been 40 years that the National Council of Iranian Resistance has been organizing the struggle,” recalled former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper. “Even the Shah was powerful; a few months before his fall, Carter spoke of Iran as an island of stability. Now the situation is even worse, with inflation over 100 percent.” “It’s great to be here,” said Liz Truss, denouncing the axis that increasingly unites Iran with Russia and “an increasingly authoritarian China.” “Peoples who believe in freedom and democracy need to be together. If you let a people choose, they choose freedom.” “We are moving toward the next step,” predicted former French Foreign Minister Hubert Védrine.
Bolton also called the idea of being able to come to terms with the regime in Tehran “an illusion.” “See you again in the capital of a free and democratic Iran,” was the wish of former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša. Raul Ruiz recalled how the Iranian diaspora represents an important electorate in California. “We believe in Mrs. Rajavi’s 10-point plan,” reiterated Republican Representative for Texas Lance Gooden. Kouchner was keen to “insist” on one point he said was essential. “Iran is ruled by religious barbarians. But Iran also produces weapons and drones that are killing Ukrainians. These drones are manufactured by a state that threatens us. In this new world we see every year, there is a very dangerous alliance: Russia and Iran. Iran’s supply of weapons to Russia and the killing of the Ukrainian people.”
Former German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said he was “impressed by the patience with which the Iranian people have been working hard for decades to achieve democracy in Iran.” “Change is at hand,” predicts former House of Commons Speaker John Bercow. “This is a time when democracies must rise to the challenge of autocratic regimes,” according to General James Jones, 14th Allied commander in Europe and Obama’s first security adviser. “Gratitude” was expressed by former French Foreign, Defense and Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie to the “courageous actions” representing “universal values that everyone deserves.”
While Senator Terzi reminded the public, “it is a world of freedom that stands with you today for the values we are so proud of. There is a particularity in what is happening in Paris today. It is the triumph of the values guaranteed by the country France to allow the free voices of political refugees to express themselves freely. This is the value of democracy echoed by the thousands of people who say that Madam Rajavi is their leader. The majority of Italian lawmakers signed the document, which is clearly a firm endorsement of Madam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, the IRGC blacklist, and the commitment to pursue the promotion of freedom, justice, and human rights in Iran. The demonization that the regime is directing toward the People’s Mujahidin allows other actors, false oppositions and actors in past regimes, to present themselves and pretend to have equal status as the main opposition. This is a strategy that seeks to spread hatred against you and against us who support you.”
Maurizio Stefanini
Photo Credit: Valentina Camu