During an international conference held in Brussels on September 15, Belgian MP Kathleen Depoorter delivered a speech. The event held in Brussels to commemorate the first anniversary of Iran’s 2022 uprising. This conference was organized by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
The text of Belgian MP Kathleen Depoorter’s speech follows:
Good afternoon and welcome in Brussels, Mrs. Rajavi, we’re so glad to have you here.
Thank you all for convening this very important anniversary, this conference in Brussels, this anniversary of the nationwide uprising. The fact that it changed Iran, it changed Europe, as we heard, and it changed all of our lives.
Islamic fundamentalism’s primary target has been women, and that’s why I’m here. As a woman, as a politician, as a sister and a daughter, I want to support you all. The merciless suppression of women is enshrined in the Iranian misogynistic doctrine, and therefore it is not a coincidence that women have played a significant leading role in the uprising.
Therefore, it’s also not coincidental that they have this capable leader, Mrs. Rajavi, who they really adore, who is an example for all of us, such a voice for women all over the world, for women’s rights all over the world.
According to statements of the regime’s official security officials, the leaders of the protests were, as I said, young women, young women who formed Resistance Units and who courageously advocated for regime change.
I do applaud them, truly, and I’m proud of them. I’m proud of every girl who goes on the street, as we have seen, who screams out for her rights and wants democracy. As we reflect on the events of the past year, as we have seen in the movie, it becomes evident that the Iranian regime is trapped in a deepening crisis.
The conflict between people and state has significantly escalated, the social situation has grown volatile, and the organized resistance has gained strength, and this is all because of you here and in Iran. The people of Iran, from all walks of life, united in their pursuit of a democratic and secular republic.
They chanted slogans, as we have seen in the movie, “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the mullah,” and they’re making… By this sentence, they are making clear that they have no intention of replacing the ruling theocracy with a monarchy.
Another slogan and it’s been said before, another slogan, “With or without hijab, moving forward to a revolution,” makes clear that this is not a religious fight, it is a social fight, it is a political fight, it’s a fight for their rights, nothing more or less, they want to determine their destiny, they have the right to do it.
The uprising, and the courage of you all, created awareness, also international and political awareness, and Mr. Verhofstadt pointed it out. Also in the European Union, there is some awareness, but I would ask, that you have nine months left, don’t lose yourself in the debate, go for it, and get it done, the strategy is fine, but now get it done, the people of Iran are waiting for you.
Because we should say things as they are, it can be critical to the European Union’s soft, or should I say, appeasement policy, and its lack of action regarding human rights violations in Iran, we can’t accept the fact that women’s rights are not respected, that human rights are not respected in Iran, that there’s no democracy in Iran, that women can’t have a political mandate.
So, the European Union continues its engagement with that regime that has a record of executions and torture, they betray their own values, how can we justify the fact that any economic investments are made, that trade agreements are made with this regime, a regime that takes the life of its own citizens, of its own daughters, of its own sons.
So, stop the hypocrisy. In conclusion, I would like to speak directly to the PMOI Resistance Units inside Iran, and especially to these many brave young women who might be watching us today. Make no mistakes. You are the ones who fear the regime. And you are the ones who will ultimately determine your fate and rid yourself of this medieval regime. No one else can do it for you.
But we stand with you with all our hearts. And we will keep on reflecting and amplifying your voices until we all together achieve a free and democratic republic of Iran.
Good luck to you all.
