On June 30, 2024, at the Free Iran 2024 World Summit – Day 2 hosted at the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) headquarters in Paris, former U.S. Ambassador Mitchell Reiss delivered a powerful speech.
In his discussion of the battle of ideas, Reiss declared the regime in Tehran intellectually bankrupt, unable to provide prosperity, justice, or security to its people. In stark contrast, he lauded Madam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan for a free and democratic Iran as a model of governance that respects individual rights and human dignity.
1. Mitchell Reiss Highlights MEK and NCRI's Strengths in Three Key Domains #MaryamRajavi4FreeIran #FreeIran2024 https://t.co/I1y5wZ4PGM
— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) June 30, 2024
The full text of Ambassador Mitchell Reiss’s speech follows:
When I was at the State Department, one of my responsibilities was assessing trends to determine whether U.S. policies were working or failing, whether we were winning or losing. I want to do that today by briefly examining the MEK and NCRI efforts against the regime in Tehran across three different domains.
First, let’s look at the situation inside Iran. We see a regime that is brittle and insecure. Consider this. The morality police are now wearing bulletproof vests when they’re on the streets in Iran. Why is that? A regime that fears its own people and will not let them speak freely, will not let them vote in a fair and open election.
A regime that lacks all legitimacy. At the same time, we see a democratic resistance movement inside Iran that is strong, widespread, and growing. Their personal courage is inspiring. The trends here are positive, moving in the right direction.
Second, what’s happening in the battle outside Iran? Outside Iran, the regime, its allies, and its proxies continue to spread misinformation. Academics repeat and spread these lies. The MEK, NCRI, and their friends are making some progress in countering these perceptions, but we need to do more. We need to showcase Madam Rajavi, as we see her. An inspiring, committed, passionate, and democratic leader. More has to be done here to win more friends and allies around the world.
Let me turn to the third battlefield, the battle of ideas. What ideas do the mullahs in Tehran have to offer? They’re intellectually bankrupt. They can’t deliver the basic functions of every government. They can’t deliver prosperity to the Iranian people. The economy is failing. Inflation is high. Unemployment is high, especially among young people.
The mullahs also cannot deliver justice to the Iranian people. The justice system is arbitrary and corrupt. Iran today is a country where democrats and human rights advocates sit in jails, while criminals are on the police force and in the government.
The mullahs cannot deliver security to the Iranian people. In fact, they keep themselves in power by repressing the people, controlling what they read, what they say, and even what they wear. The regime’s only contributions to the world these days are violence and terror.
Now, let’s compare this record of repression with the vision articulated by Madam Rajavi. The battle of ideas begins with her Ten-Point Plan for a free and democratic Iran. It’s a model of governance with respect for individual rights and human dignity. On this battlefield of ideas, you are not just winning, you’ve already won. You’ve already won.
On this battlefield of ideas, the mullahs in Tehran are completely unarmed. They can’t compete. They have nothing. Your ideas, on the other hand, have appeal all over the world.
They’re enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Your ideals appeal to people all over the world who cherish freedom and democracy. These ideas, these values, are your greatest source of strength. They are why we stand with you and why we support you, and they are why you will prevail.
Thank you.
