By Ali Latifi
At the Free Iran rally last year, a number of prominent speakers took to the stage to address all those in attendance and all those watching from afar. Every year, tens of thousands of Iranians from around the world attend the annual gathering held in support of the Iranian Resistance and the people of Iran.
The last gathering was significant because it was held in Ashraf 3, in Albania. It is the new home to the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK). Many of the speakers spoke about how the Resistance has greatly progressed in the past few years, drawing attention to the worldwide support that it now has.
Former undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Robert Joseph was one of the guest speakers at the event. He expressed his great pleasure at being invited to speak and his pride in being a “small part” of what he described as “a great day for the cause of freedom in Iran and in fact the cause of freedom throughout the world”.
At the time of the event, the MEK’s Resistance Units had been very active across Iran, and they still are to this day. Amb. Robert Joseph emphasized that the members of the Resistance Units are “risking their lives every day in Iran” and said that they are the frontline in the battle, “a historic battle between good and evil”.
He said that many will reject this description of a battle between good and evil, considering it to be too simplistic and too emotional. However, he maintains that it is impossible to be dispassionate when you consider that more than 100,000 people have been killed by the Iranian regime, just because they voiced their calls for freedom and democracy.
Amb. Robert Joseph said that the evil that we see in this world must be acknowledged, otherwise, it is being tolerated, which means it is being encouraged. He gave the example of Hitler in Germany and Pol Pot in Cambodia. He said that the international community must stand up to the regime and make it be held accountable for its numerous crimes against humanity. The crimes the regime is responsible for, he said, amounts to “evil”.
Speaking about the regime’s violence, Amb. Robert Joseph said that the regime has fought the people with bullets, missiles, armored vehicles, imprisonment, torture, and so on. But he encouraged the people by reminding them that the regime cannot, and will not, “triumph over your spirit”. He paid tribute to the people of Iran and the entire Iranian Resistance for not being overcome by bitterness, but rather letting hope and optimism prevail.
Amb. Robert Joseph said that the strength of the Resistance is the truth. It is the most “powerful ally” of the people and the Resistance and nothing can change the facts of the past few decades. And another great strength is that an alternative to the regime already exists and is led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi whose 10-point plan to a future Iran will lead the people to freedom, democracy, and a peaceful Iran.
