The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI / MEK Iran), reported on Monday, March 8, marking International Women’s Day.
Transcript of remarks by Catherine Noone at the online conference marking International Women’s Day 2021.
Defend the rights of Iranian women
Good afternoon Madam Rajavi, distinguished guests, and all other women, who are with us today throughout the world. Happy International Women’s Day. It’s an honor for me to speak at this conference to defend the rights of Iranian women who have been strong enough to resist for so many years to finally sweep the misogynistic Mullahs out of Iran, and I wish them well.
Violence against women is something we all wish to address, especially on International Women’s Day. The situation in Iran, as we all know, is particularly vast, at least a decade of foot-dragging in the adoption of any law to protect women from violence has placed Iran at the very top of the list of countries with the highest records of violence against women.
66% of Iranian women experienced violence
They say and imagine this, they say that 66% of Iranian women experienced violence in their lifetime. That’s just staggering. Women’s security and equality, freedom, and social justice will never be realized in Iran under Mullah’s misogynistic regime.
Why? Because violence against women is effectively sponsored by the government, and it is in the law, it is institutionalized by the law. Iranian women are smart enough not to believe the empty promises of the regime, instead, as other speakers have alluded to, they spearhead and lead the protest to overthrow the misogynistic regime, and courageously pay the price for doing so.
Moving towards final victory
It’s great to see you, Madame Rajavi, and I’m very pleased to meet you in Paris a couple of years ago. I admire you for the strong resistance you have built up through all of the ups and downs and always moving towards final victory, and you have my full support.
I’ve been informed today of a meeting that our foreign minister attended in Iran. In fact, he’s just back and I spoke to him today, because I, like others, was very concerned to hear about this. And it’s important to emphasize that that meeting was in the context of Ireland’s role on the Security Council, we’re a new member of the Security Council. And there’s even in the context of nuclear security.
Iran must not become a nuclear power
And I think above all, one thing we all want to ensure is that Iran does not become a nuclear power. And this is an agreement that was put in place some years ago that Trump had done away with, and now the Biden administration is keen to reactivate and reestablish, and it is purely from a security point of view.
For a while, Minister Coveney was there because I, like many other Irish politicians, since I’ve known Hussein and since he’s come to Dublin to visit us, and since we’ve gone to different events in Paris, and other places, we have all emphasized the Human Rights atrocities that we have learned about and that we are so aware of.
Women and their treatments in Iran
And he was very mindful of that. When making his trip, he told me that during his meeting with the Foreign Affairs Minister there, that he raised the issue of women and their treatments in particular, and minors and the LGBT community.
So, I was very glad to hear that, and it certainly means that your efforts in working with us politicians throughout the world are not in vain and that that message was brought by our minister to Iran to the regime to let them know that it is not acceptable, their treatments and the way that they conduct their regime.
So, I just like to again say a very Happy International Women’s Day to the women, especially the Iranian women at this conference, and women throughout the world. We support you in your endeavors. And it’s an honor to speak with you today. Thank you.
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