Berlin Conference

Maryam Rajavi: Recognize the Struggle of the Iranian People to Overthrow Religious Fascism

Distinguished guests, dear friends,
I greet you all. Thank you for your attention to the issue of Iran and the Iranian people’s Resistance for freedom.
Today, because of a brutal dictatorship, Iran is the epicenter of global insecurity. At the same time, because of a well-organized resistance for freedom and democracy, Iran is a real hope for peace and security in the world. This is the true face of Iran, which has made great contributions to human civilization, science, philosophy, art, and literature throughout history.

Iranian Regime’s Role in Regional Instability

Last October, on the day the Middle East war began, the Iranian Resistance declared that the head of the snake of warmongering in the region is the Iranian regime. This regime, which was on the verge of collapse after the 2022 uprising, turned to this foreign war to prevent another uprising and being overthrown by the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance.
In the 1980s, by insisting on continuing the war with Iraq, this regime caused the deaths of one million Iranians. It has also played a central role in fueling wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where millions of people have been killed, injured, or displaced because of these conflicts.

Today, one year later, as the German Foreign Minister said it was completely clear that the Iranian regime was behind the attacks.[1] And as senior members of the Bundestag stated, the biggest disruptor of peace in the Middle East is the regime in Iran.[2]

Without the warmongering of this regime, many conflicts in the region, with all their victims and damages, could have been avoided or ended much sooner. Without the orders, plans, and support of the Iranian regime, the wars in Yemen and Lebanon would not have started, and the proxy groups would not have been formed.

What Is the Solution to the Iran Crisis?

Amid this fear, bloodshed, and disaster, the question that has become more important than ever is about the solution.
For four decades, the European Union has followed a nearly constant political strategy of engaging with the regime. This policy relies on:
Granting the regime immunity from international punishments despite its brutal human rights violations, which, according to the July 2024 report by the UN Special Rapporteur, are equal to genocide and crimes against humanity; Turning a blind eye to the regime’s meddling in the region; and weakening the sanctions against it have led to visible results today.
• The regime has brought itself to the verge of producing nuclear weapons.
• A large part of the Middle East is now engulfed in flames.
• With its uncontrolled terrorism, the regime has turned Europe into part of its battlefield.
Between June 2018 and June 2024, the Iranian regime was responsible for at least 11 attacks in Europe, including the attempted assassination of Professor Alejo Vidal-Quadras, the former Vice President of the European Parliament. Fortunately, thanks to his own awareness and determination and the efforts of dear Amparo, he is with us today, more active than ever before.
On the anniversary of that terrorist attempt, several MEPs referred to it at the European Parliament session this week, and condemned the expansion of terrorism in Europe by the Iranian regime.
The regime also works with organized criminal groups to expand its terrorism. In fact, the regime has become an urgent threat to the security of Europe and the whole world. This policy can no longer continue.
Now, the EU Council of Ministers has begun discussions to place the IRGC on the list of terrorist groups.

There are growing calls to cut diplomatic ties with the regime, including the call from the Prime Minister of Hessen to close the regime’s consulates in Germany.[3]

These are positive steps that have been delayed for too long, and I hope they will be implemented soon. However, the ultimate solution to the crisis in the region and the grave situation of the Iranian people is the regime’s overthrow by the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance.

A Democratic Alternative in Iran Is the Key to Peace and Security in the Region

The National Council of Resistance of Iran has been the democratic alternative to the regime since more than four decades. This alternative includes various political, ideological, and religious tendencies who pursue a common goal, and reject all forms of dictatorship, both the Shah and the mullahs.
Several important factors have enabled this Resistance to bring about change in Iran, including long-lasting perseverance, social support, a belief in democratic Islam that opposes the ruling fundamentalism, and a position that promotes unity among different sectors of Iranian society, including Shia and Sunni Muslims, non-Muslims, and oppressed nationalities.
Our goal is to establish a republic based on the separation of religion and state, gender equality, and the autonomy of nationalities. A country without executions and torture, and a non-nuclear Iran in peace and solidarity with its neighbors and the whole world.

Dear friends,
The ruling regime has never been as weak, lacking a solution, and without a future as it is today. In the past month, they executed 150 prisoners, which is even more than the executions during the same period under Raisi.

This is the highest number of monthly executions in the last ten years. All of this is to escape being overthrown.
The people of Iran have repeatedly risen up in recent years to overthrow the regime.
We call on Germany, the European Union, and the whole world to support the solution of the Iranian Resistance.
The right to resist and fight against the Iranian regime and its IRGC, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, must be recognized for the Iranian citizens.
Recognize the struggle of the Iranian people for overthrowing religious fascism. This is the solution for Iran’s freedom and peace in the region.
Thank you all.

[1]  Website of the German Bundestag, October 16, 2024

[2]  Ibid.

[3]  German media, October 9, 2024