On February 11, the 43rd anniversary of the Iranian revolution, members of the United States House of Representatives were in attendance of an online conference to renew their support for the Iranian people and their fight for freedom and a fair democracy.
During the event, U.S. lawmakers referenced the 1979 revolution which overthrew the monarchical dictatorship of the Shah. They praised the Iranian people for their spirit and aspirations for a better future for Iran and voiced their support for the establishment of a democratic, secular republic.
The President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Maryam Rajavi sent a video message to the conference to praise the efforts of American legislators in their support of a free Iran.
She said, “We hope that Congress shapes US policy in a way that mistakes committed during the Shah’s regime are avoided and that US policy distances itself from approaches that appease the mullahs.”
The NCRI said, “The conference on Friday witnessed the bi-partisan support of 50 members of the House of Representatives. These lawmakers are co-sponsors of House Resolution 118, which calls for a democratic Iran, and with 250 co-sponsors enjoy the support of a majority of the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Congressman Brad Sherman, a Democrat from California, discussed how following the revolution, the Iranian people hoped for democracy but were instead forced to live under the mullahs’ corrupt regime. He said, “For too long, the Iranian people have been deprived of their fundamental freedoms, for which reason they rejected dictatorship in 1979 and oppose religious tyranny today. And that’s why I became the chief sponsor of House Resolution 118, expressing support for the Iranian people’s desire for a democratic, secular, and nonnuclear-nuclear republic of Iran and condemning violations of human rights and state-sponsored terrorism by the current Iranian regime.”
His fellow Californian Democrat, Congresswoman Judi Chu, spoke about the bipartisan bill condemning the Iranian regime’s support of terrorism and explained that it is a sign to the Iranian people that they are not alone in their struggles. She gave her support for the fight to establish freedom and democracy in Iran, and hoped that the future republic would be able to work well with other countries to build a safer world for future generations.
The NCRI said, “The majority of the 1988 genocide victims were members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) organization. Following Khomeini’s fatwa, the so-called “Death Commissions” were formed across the country. These commissions were tasked with identifying condemning to death those prisoners who refused to disavow their beliefs. The regime’s current president Ebrahim Raisi was a member of Tehran’s Death Commission.”
Congresswoman Chu also highlighted the fact that Raisi has been allowed to continue suppressing the Iranian people and their democratic aspirations, rather than being held responsible for the violence he has incited on innocent civilians for the past four decades.
Praising the brave souls who gave their lives for a free Iran, Congressman Joe Willson, a senior Republican from South Carolina, said, “We will not forget these dissidents who were abused or killed at the hands of the regime, and we stand with those in pursuit of a secular, democratic Iran.”
Highlighting the decades of abuse that the regime has inflicted on Iran, Democrat Congressman Brad Schneider from Illinois, urged the U.S. government to “always stand with those who exercise their political rights,” and stated that they “must continue doing everything we can to speak out against Iran’s human rights abuses and hold the regime to account.”
Congressman Blake Moore, a Republican from Utah, warned the world’s community to ‘remain vigilant’ in regards to the regime’s reign of terror internationally. Through proxy groups, the mullahs have already spread violence and religious extremism across Europe and Asia.
The NCRI said, “The conference and its attendees vowed to continue their support of the Iranian people and their calls for regime change and the establishment of the democratically elected republic in Iran. The conference also called on the Western governments, including the U.S., to adopt a firm policy vis-à-vis the ruling theocracy in Tehran, adding that this was the only way to prevent the regime from spreading chaos in the region.”
Full Video of the Bipartisan Congressional Iran Briefing:
