Ceremony in honor of the great hero of French resistance, Raymond Aubrac, in Auvers-sur-Oise

We have gathered here to pay our respects to Raymond Aubrac after his recent unfortunate passing. He symbolized the collective conscience of France with all its wisdom.
We are here to express respect for his brave and heroic struggle against the Nazis and also the values that defined and characterized his life: humanitarianism, staying true to one’s principles, and resistance.
We pay our respects to his loyalty to the platform of the National Council of Resistance of France, which was formulated about 68 years ago. And we also recognize the lessons he left behind for future generations.
I would also like to honor the memory of my dear sister (Raymond’s wife) Lucie Aubrac, another great hero of the French Resistance. I consider her a symbol of the French women‘s bravery and courage. In 2003, Raymond and Lucie, along with other French personalities like Danielle Mitterrand, Abbé Pierre, Bishop Gaillot, Jean Ferrat, Jean-Luc Melenchon and Francoise Hollande, bravely protested against the June 17 police raid on this location and the residences of Iranian refugees.
Raymond Aubrac was one of the first founders of the French Committee for a Democratic Iran, which was formed in 2007 in support of the Iranian Resistance.

He was determined in his firm support for the Resistance and the residents of Camp Ashraf even in the most arduous of circumstances. He also applauded the perseverance of the Mojahedin members in Ashraf City, Iraq, who have been under a cruel siege.
We shall never forget the role of Monsieur Aubrac, who was like a father for the freedom-loving Mojahedin in Ashraf. He was concerned for them, because he believed in defending the values of resistance for freedom and justice.
To express his firm support, Monsieur Aubrac attended the great gathering of the Iranian Resistance last June in Villepinte. We were deeply honored and humbled when he visited us here at the headquarters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The memory of this visit will forever remain in our hearts and in our history.
What was the motivation behind such generosity and support for a movement that has been the subject of such suppression and demonization?
What was the motivation behind his untiring support for the residents of Ashraf who are struggling to free their homeland?
I think the first priority in all places and at all times for Monsieur Aubrac was to defend the values of resistance. Each and every single woman or man who participated in resistance counted for him as a sister or a brother. He became one with their pains and suffering.
It goes without saying that because of Iran’s culture and history, our situation is different from that of the French Resistance. But, if we salute Lucie and Raymond Aubrac, it is because of the values that are common among such acts of resistance. It is because of defending these values that the residents of Ashraf have become role models for Iran’s women and youth; because they have refused to surrender to the religious fascism ruling Iran, they are spawning hope and are defending freedom; they have waged a resistance. That is why each and every member of the Iranian Resistance loves Raymond and Lucie and are fully aware of the worthiness of all their efforts. Although they are no longer with us, but their hope, love and activism still encourage us.
They are also present in the French people’s conscience and the spring of change that is enveloping France. Through their resistance, they represented the essence of spring. Wherever a torch of resistance is burning, they are there.
Future generations both in France and the rest of the world will traverse the trails blazed by them. Both the biological and spiritual descendents of Raymond and Lucie will undoubtedly uphold and keep alive their values.
Again I thank you for being here. I would like to particularly thank Elizabeth from the bottom of my heart for representing the Aubrac family in this ceremony. You are now a member of our great family.
I thank you for being here.