Credit to WT – 4 Augouth 2020 – Washington Times Publishes Special Report on Free Iran Gathering.
By Jennifer Jones-Kelley: The Washington Times ran a special section devoted to this year’s Free Iran Global Summit in its most recent digital edition. “Free Iran Global Summit: Iran Rising Up for Freedom” is a video description of the three-day online gathering of MEK supporters that was held July 17-20.
The Washington Times piece describes the Free Iran Global Summit as a three-day event that connected people at 30,000 connection points from more than 100 countries, including Iran, on five continents. Participants and attendees joined the Iranian people’s call for the overthrow of the clerical regime and voiced their support for the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) President-elect Maryam Rajavi’s Ten Point Plan for Iran’s Democratic Future. Participants also called for a firm policy toward the Iranian regime, including the closure of the regime’s embassies and the expulsion of its agents.
In addition to the virtual events, MEK supporters in world capitals held in-person gatherings. Berlin, Washington, D.C., and Paris were all sites of Free Iran rallies. The rally in Berlin was live-streamed to the Free Iran Summit on July 17. MEK Residents at Ashraf 3 gathered together for the summit as well, using their large conference spaces to watch the event. Mrs. Rajavi gave the keynote address. She delivered her remarks from Ashraf 3.
The Washington Times listed the commitments voiced by Mrs. Rajavi on behalf of the Iranian Resistance (NCRI).
- “The people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance will overthrow the clerical regime and will reclaim Iran.”
- “The people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance will build a free and democratic Iran.”
- “We will remain faithful to our people’s sovereignty and their vote and do not seek power at any cost, but establish freedom and justice at any cost.” (Source: Free Iran Summit)
Notable Figures
More than one-thousand dignitaries participated in the three-day summit, including current and former politicians from around the world, faith-based community leaders, and cultural figures. A bipartisan delegation of 18 U.S. Senators and Congressmen delivered remarks. Current and former members of Parliament also addressed the summit. Other speakers included former high-level cabinet members, ambassadors, retired generals, and policy experts.
#Iran Regime’s Digital Manipulation Campaign Failed to Suppress Voice of Dissent #FreeIran Virtual Summit shows positive power of cyberspace
By: @TrackerPayton and Ramesh Sepehrrad https://t.co/WzBwsWiaQo— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) August 14, 2020
The Washington Times included links to speeches from some of the event’s most notable speakers, including:
- Maryam Rajavi
- Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge
- Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy John Rood
- S. Senator Mike Braun
- S. Senator Ben Cardin
- British MP Bob Blackman
- Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani
- S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee
- Albanian MP Endri Hasa
- Chief Syrian Opposition Negotiator Dr. Naser Alhariri
- S. Senator Todd Young
- Former U.S. Army Chief of Staff General George Casey
- Former Prime Minister of Algeria Sid Ahmed Ghozali
- Former Vice President of European Parliament Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Common Threads
The one thousand speakers focused on a few common themes over the three-day conference. First and foremost was support for the Iranian people and their right to live in a free and democratic country. Many of the speakers spoke about the November 2019 Uprising and the will of the people to overthrow the clerical regime. Just as many focused on the regime’s cruel actions during the uprising that led to the deaths of 1,500 protesters and the arrests of 10,000 more.
One day of the summit was set aside to discuss the regime’s crimes against humanity. Specifically, participants spoke about the 1988 Massacre of 30,000 MEK members by the regime based on a fatwa by the regime’s founder Ruhollah Khomeini. Participants called for the perpetrators of this crime against humanity to be called to justice.
Finally, participants advocated for a firm policy in dealing with the Iranian regime. Participants spoke about how best to provide diplomatic support to the Iranian Resistance to help them in their stated goal of bringing democratic change to Iran.