Excerpts of the speech of Tony Clement, Former Minister of Treasury of Canada, at the Free Iran 2022, is as follows:
Greetings to dignitaries, honored guests, parliamentarians and fellow attendees. We are doing this obviously virtually again, rather than in person because of the unfortunate threats that were made to us and to the organization in Albania, but hopefully we can gather again soon in safety, and we’ll be able to exchange our views in person.
I was part of the Canadian government from 2006 to 2015, I was a member of Stephen Harper’s cabinet during this time and I witnessed then, and indeed since, the state-sponsored terrorism and domestic repression of the Iranian regime. So much was happening at that time on our oil soil to intimidate and coerce Iranian-Canadians who did not comply with the Iranian regime’s talking points and political agenda.
Eventually, my colleague, John Bird, had to close our embassy in Tehran and close the Iranian embassy in Ottawa. Since that time, things have only gone worse with the Iranian regime’s internal repression and external terrorism promotion.
This speaks to the total illegitimacy with this regime and the need for international solidarity in rejecting this regime, much like we are seeing right now as a result of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, where the western world has united against the Russian invasion in favour of Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity I think it is a case and point that the world can make these judgements based on the actions and activities of an evil regime.
And of course, I would like to say that there is a democratic alternative in Iran that operates within the NCRI and the MEK and of course, Mrs. Rajavi’s 10-point plan, and it is necessary, I believe for free nations to recognize this clear democratic alternative.
The regime in Iran has a number of activities that seem to downgrade or denigrate this positive alternative. They imply a false choice between itself and the defunct monarchy, and you know, they try to emphasize that Iranians have to say no to Shah, and but we know that this is just the way the prop up dictatorial and totalitarian regime rather than promote a democratic republic.
The gathering, this year, has been set against the backdrop of many important events. There is a rise tide of protests and the impact of opposition actions by MEK resistance units in Iran that encourage the people of Iran to voice their opposition to the regime and shatters the regime’s air of invincibility and intimidation which they seek to use to denigrate the morale of people who wish to confront this regime.
Khamenei and Raisi regime today symbolizes a retrenching and weak regime that finds no remedy but to suppress its people, especially women, and is at the height of its internal political, internal and social isolation as the people resist and fight back.
Externally, externally, it has not found the capacity to agree to the water downed nuclear deal that is on the table and has pushed the talks, nuclear talks to a dead end and really put itself in a corner. It is isolated on the world stage, and really it is threatening the security, the world security, as it is probably one of the major threats to the world security that we see on the world stage today. It can only get worse if they seek to operationalize nuclear weapons, there is no doubt about that.
It has continued to put billions of dollars in the funding of these proxy conflicts throughout the region while denying the Iranian people the necessary services and essential goods they need to have a decent life. It has launched a terrorist plot across Europe, we have seen that in respect to our own conference, in the United States and in Latin America.
The Iranian regime has targeted dissidents in exile in a bid to shut down the voice of the Iranian resistance. It has, really the time has come, to heed the aspirations of the Iranian people and the resistance’s call for this regime’s end. It does lack any international organizational legitimacy and is a threat to its people, the region and indeed to the world. The world would be a better place if this regime is replaced by a democratic republic in Iran.
Now, of course, it is of course the aspiration work of the Iranian people to see this and we can say with certainty and with a high degree of confidence today that the democratic alternative to this regime is here in the National Council of Resistance of Iran and the MEK and obviously those organization share our democratic values for free society based on universal human rights and political legitimacy, based on popular suffrage and rule of law and the separation of religion and state.
So, these are worthy aspirations of course is for the Iranian people to decide these things but they deserve to have this choice, and it is clear that Iran will not remain under a religious dictatorship, it is becoming clear and clear and Iran will not go back to another dictatorship of the past as it was with the monarchy which has obviously rejected for clear reasons.
Iranians are struggling to move forward to the future which is a free, democratic, secular and non-nuclear republic that they have so dearly paid the price for in thousands upon thousands of lives.
Now, we in the west, in the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and other liberal democracies, we must finally give due recognition to the Iranian resistance, the NCRI and the MEK, led by Madame Rajavi and her vision for a future free Iran as outlined in the 10-point plan.
Let me say in conclusion that I want to salute the resistance units in Iran with great sacrifice and risk themselves and their families that they want to rise up and pave the way for the voicing of protests against this regime. Their resistance is what will guarantee liberty and the downfall of this very terrible regime. We wish everybody well.
Certainly from my perspective, as a former Canadian cabinet minister and someone who cares deeply about the future of the Iranian people, my voice will never be sacrificed or will be stopped in voicing my support for the resistance and for a future free Iran. Thank you very much.
