Free and democratic alternative as exemplified by the NCRI and the MEK.

Iran’s resistance members and supporters of The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran) will attend an international conference on July 17^th following a couple of years of remarkable developments that have involved Iran’s political environment. The “Free Iran Rally” will this year be held online due to the ongoing presence of Covid-19 rather than the usual rally that takes place in Paris.

Iranian expatriate communities, together with political representatives will “attend” the rally online with the overarching aim to take cognizance of the remarkable events that have taken place worldwide as well as in Iran itself over the last two years.

The events in Iran have been both brave and positive, especially the uprisings and protests that have taken place against the Iranian regime as well as tragic, in terms of numbers of Iranians who have fallen ill and died as the result of COVID-9 and those who have been arrested or even killed because they have taken part in protests.

One of the main aims of the Iranian resistance is that the international community recognizes what is going on in Iran. Iran is presently a powder keg and ready to explode. The NCRI and the MEK resistance movement is hoping that this year’s online rally points Iran’s future towards freedom and democracy. It remains to be seen whether governments can step aside from remaining quiet about Iran’s current regime and become prepared to criticize the regime rather than remain muted.

Much of this reticence has been fed by the fact that the regime has so far won the war on the news about its pretense of dominance over alternatives to its legitimacy. Apologists for the regime have made out that the mullahs have had a tenacious control over events in Iran, whereas the real picture is one where the regime is on its last legs. It is hard to see how the regime will survive for long in the future and the Free Iran Rally hopes to paint a picture of a realistic and more democratic alternative.

The Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has been forced to address the growing influence of the MEK, especially amongst the youth of Iran and the students. He has named the MEK as an organization that “rejects the foundations of the revolution.” He has called on Basij militias and other Iranian hard-line forces to counteract what he has called MEK’s influence as it has manifested itself in student protests and general uprisings across Iran.

Developments in Iran that have shaken the regime have included the two protests in 2018 and 2019 in which ordinary Iranians denounced the regime leadership and called for radical change. The protests have called for a renouncement of both main factions within the regime and for a free and democratic alternative as exemplified by the NCRI and the MEK.

A massive boycott of Iran’s sham parliamentary elections took place in February, earlier this year. The election had one of the lowest participation rates ever and indicates the Iranian electorate’s dissatisfaction with the regime. Following this was the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, which is still ongoing in Iran and elsewhere in the world. The Iranian regime has marked itself as one of the world’s most incompetent handlers of the disease anywhere.

Iran needs and wants change. The Free Iran Rally will address the Iranian people’s concerns and spell out more clearly what the main opposition movement (PMOI / MEK Iran) is signaling in terms of what could be a viable alternative. The 10-point plan as outlined by the NCRI’s president-elect, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, will be the cornerstone of a plan to lead Iran to free and fair elections, the abandonment of the nuclear power plans, separation of the state from religion and peaceful relationships with neighboring countries.

It will be the people of Iran who determine just what happens politically in that country. The Iranian resistance (PMOI / MEK Iran) only wants the international community to recognize the importance of that desire for change and support the people of Iran when they rise to demand the removal of the mullahs.