Universal convention of over 300 Iranian associations

PARIS - Feb. 8, 2014 - PRLog -- On the eve of the 35th anniversary of the anti-monarchial revolution, representatives of over 300 Iranian associations from all over the world held their first universal convention in Paris. This convention encompassed a wide range of intellectuals, political and human rights activists, women’s rights activists, scientists, experts, entrepreneurs of many professions, and students, as well as ethnic and religious minorities from Iran. Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, and a number of prominent politicians from the United States and Europe offered their speeches to this convention.

Representatives of the associations and the societies participating in the convention referred to the 35-year miserable record of the rule of the mullahs in Iran in their speeches, as well as in the declaration of the convention and declared that the sole avenue to establish democracy and freedom in Iran is through the downfall of the mullahs’ regime in its entirety and the establishment of a democratic republic based on the separation of the church and the state. Representatives stressed that they espouse the 10-point platform of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi for the establishment of a democratic and secular regime in Iran. The resolution is explicit in stating that the Iranian society is in an explosive state and the mullahs’ regime is in a position to be overthrown with the change of the regime at hand. Rouhani, the regime’s new President, is a continuation of the regime of Velayat-e faqih. His mission is but to preserve the system and avert its overthrow by the people. The cooperation of foreign governments with this regime under the false pretext of strengthening the “moderates” while ignoring the will of the Iranian people for regime change only serves the suppression, is against Iranian people’s interests, and will adversely affect the future relations of these countries with Iran.

The resolution condemned the silence by the international community in face of the barbaric and systematic violation of human rights in Iran and also the violation of commitments on part of the United Nations and the U.S. government to protect Camp Liberty residents and called on the United Nations, the United States, and the European countries to stand with the Iranian people and their legitimate demand to overthrow this regime instead of buttressing the mullahs and to act to secure the release of the seven Ashraf hostages, provide security to the PMOI members in Camp Liberty, and to transfer them to the United States and Europe as political refugees.

The resolution adds: The Iranian associations present in the convention that include thousands of prominent specialists, scientists, physicians, professors and managers stand ready to work shoulder to shoulder with the honorable specialists inside Iran who have refused to cooperate with this medieval regime to rebuild an Iran that has been destroyed in the 35 years of mullahs’ rule.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance was the key speaker to this grand convention. In her speech, she called the past 35 years of rule of the Velayat-e faqih as a “never-ending story of catastrophes”. She reiterated that this regime is a defeated system and is at the end of its rope in all respects and the Iranian society stands ready to change this regime.

She added that our roadmap for realizing the demands of the Iranian people is to struggle for the overthrow of the clerical regime on all fronts. Our goal is freedom, democracy, equality and the establishment of a republic based on the separation of church and state. On this path, we highlight the demarcation with the regime in its entirety and we also stress solidarity with all those true defenders of overthrowing the regime.

Maryam Rajavi expressed her gratitude for the precious endeavors of 302 Iranian associations and societies that support the resistance in holding the gathering and said: As I have repeatedly stated, we are not looking to seize power; rather, we are looking to transfer sovereignty to the Iranian people.

In addition to the representatives of the associations participating in this program, Dr. Saleh Rajavi, Chair of the National Council of Resistance of Iran’s Health Commission; Struan Stevenson, President of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Iraq; Bernard Kouchner, French Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007-2010); Patrick Kennedy, U.S. Congressman (1995-2011); Frances Townsend, Assistant to U.S. President on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism (2004-2008); John Bolton, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2005-2006); Mark Ginsberg, U.S. Ambassador to Morocco (1994-1998); and Emile Blessig, former French parliamentarian; offered speeches to the convention.

Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran

February 8, 2014