Maryam Rajavi: Democratic Muslims are the Force to Defeat Islamic Fundamentalism

Maryam Rajavi’s speech at the ceremony in solidarity with the people of France
Auvers-sur-Oise,

Honorable deputies, elected representatives,
Dear friends,

I would like to express my appreciation for your presence and solidarity today.
With heavy hearts, we pay homage to 130 defenseless human beings killed and 350 injured in the inferno of fundamentalism and terrorism.
The conscience of humanity is left scarred by this savagery committed under the name of God and religion.
The people of Iran share France’s grief.
PMOI members in Camp Liberty, who lost 24 comrades in a rocket attack by the Iranian regime last month, offered their sympathies with the people of France by holding a memorial at their devastated Camp, which remains in ruins.
In a tribute, they stood under the national flags of France and Iran, and sang the Marseillaise and the Iranian national anthem on the rubbles of their Camp.
No one in the world today can feel the pain of the people of France any better than those who have been victims of Islamic fundamentalism.
And we, the people of Iran, the freedom-loving Muslims, are the principal victims of this evil phenomenon.
Extremism under the banner of Islam emerged in 1979 with Khomeini seizing power; it has to date murdered 120,000 political dissidents in Iran.

In 1988, upon Khomeini’s religious decree or fatwa, 30,000 political prisoners were massacred within a few months because of their beliefs. Today, the families of those victims feel the agony of the families of those massacred in Paris on November 13th better than anyone else.

These days, we can hear the voice of mothers of execution victims and political prisoners in Iran who express their sympathy with the people of France.

Yes, we respond to the cold-hearted masterminds of the Paris massacre, by expressing our solidarity with the victims.

The terrorists have targeted not only the people of France, but also the tolerance of French society.

They have targeted the life in friendship, cultural and ideological tolerance.

Under the banner of Islam, they targeted coexistence between Muslims and Christians in France. But as President Hollande said on Monday, “We are not engaged in a war between civilizations because these murderers do not represent any civilization.”

Their attacks once again revealed that there are two opposing fronts: freedom-loving people and advocates of democracy and separation of religion and state, tolerant and democrat Muslims versus tyrants, savages, fanatics, ISIS, Bashar Assad and Iran’s mullahs.

This is why a few hours after the carnage in Bataclan, the mullahs hypocritically denounced the attack but at the same time rejoiced by assailing France on a scale unprecedented in the past three decades and even blaming French officials for the massacre.

On the one hand, Daesh slaughters dozens of young people; on the other, the mullahs warn that if France does not accept continued rule of Bashar Assad, more attacks will be on the way. What a disgusting division of labor!

But why must this murderous dictator remain in power while the Syrian nation wants him out?

While has half of the Syrian population been driven out of their homeland?

Assad’s continued rule translates into further displacement of the Syrian nation, the influx of millions more refugees to Europe and provides a safe haven for Daesh.

Two parties will be seriously hurt by Bashar Assad’s ouster: One is Daesh which would lose its breeding grounds. The other are the mullahs whose regional front would crumble and disintegrate.

Some people suggest that to eliminate Daesh, we should cooperate with Assad. It is foolhardy to join forces with the murderer of 300,000 Syrians to combat Daesh. For the very existence of Daesh from day one has depended on Bashar Assad and the Iranian regime.

A few days ago, the US Secretary of State said that Bashar Assad and Nouri al-Maliki deliberately released 2,500 extremist prisoners who joined forces to form Daesh.

The United Nations Third Committee recently issued a resolution, condemning the belligerence of Al-Qaeda battalions, IRGC and Iranian-backed groups such as Hezbollah and Asa’eb in Syria and calling for their expulsion from that country.

Yes, this is the right policy.

Dear friends,

Extremism under the banner of Islam has nothing to do with Islam and it is contrary to the genuine message of Islam and the traditions of its Prophet.

Anything that promotes terrorism or dictatorship counters the teachings of Islam.

Anything that violates people’s freedoms and denies women’s equality is against Islam.

Murderers ascribing their crimes to Islam is the worst kind of exploitation of Islam and Muslims.

We should therefore avoid two things that fulfill the desires of Daesh: Attribution of such attacks to Islam in any form or fashion, and being ambivalent as Muslims.

Muslims who believe in democracy are the most effective force which could fight and defeat this global danger.

Thus, as a Muslim woman and on behalf of the Iranian people’s Resistance, I would like to emphasize a few points:
1. The November 13th tragedy and the massacre of defenseless people under the name of Islam is an attack on Islam and Muslims.
2. Democratic Muslims stand with France in her struggle against Daesh and for ouster of Bashar Assad. Defeating Daesh cannot be achieved without Assad’s ouster.
3. The people of Iran are appalled by the mullahs’ jubilance over the Paris tragedy. The mullahs have demonstrated that they are siding with the criminals.
4. Fundamentalism under the name of Islam — whether the Shiite variant (embodied in the velayat-e faqih dictatorship in Iran) or the Sunni variant as practiced by Daesh — is the enemy of Muslims and humanity. Its heart beats in Tehran under the rule of religious fascism.
5. As genuine Muslims, we espouse democracy, secularism, gender equality, freedom and tolerance.
6. We reject Sharia laws and mandatory enforcement of Islamic edicts as well as religious discrimination.
7. We call on all Muslims, particularly Muslims in France, to unite in a front against terrorism and extremism under the banner of Islam.

Once again, we pray for the speedy recovery of the wounded and for the return of security and relief to France.

In conclusion, I would like to pay tribute to the memory of the great friend of the Iranian Resistance, Danielle Mitterand, on the anniversary of her demise and honor the genuine values of France which she defended all her life.

I thank you all very much.