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Unjust terror label on Iran opposition must be removed - MP |
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Tuesday, 27 December 2005 |
 NCRI, London – Speaking to a conference in London on December 13 where
a declaration by 405 members of both houses in support of the People’s
Mojahedin Organization of Iran was announced, Andrew Mackinlay, Labor
member of the Parliament described the support in Westminster
extraordinary and asked the government to consider this. Excerpts of
his speech are as follows:
Dear Friends it is an honor to be associated with a campaign standing
up for Iranian freedom and to argue with the British government which
should all reflect the absurdity and unfairness of attaching the terror
tag to the People’s Mojahedin of Iran.
The PMOI has demonstrated, has been examined and has been tested and it
has been proven not to be a terrorist organization and it is now the
time for the unjust terror label to be removed.
I believe that the United Kingdom government and other European Union
partners should recognize that in fact they have to look elsewhere if
they want to see progress in the Middle East. They should not flirt,
court or appease the Iranian regime but they should look to people who
are standing for freedom and democracy invariably in exile or some at
home whom we also solute, send greetings to those people who are facing
persecution, who are in the fear of knocking the door by secret police
or revolutionary guards.
I am here to point out that United Kingdom must look into these people
as the future for democracy and stability in Iran and contributing
stability to this troubled region.
Almost majority of members of the House of Commons and substantial
numbers of colleagues in the House of Lords have signed up to this
statement saying that the government should take away the terror tag,
should give status and recognition to the National Council of
Resistance of Iran and to recognize that appeasing the mullahs’ regime
has encouraged them to launch a campaign to bring disruption to the
Middle East.
It is really quite extraordinary that those who have been in this
parliamentary campaign have attracted so many of their colleagues’
signatures to the statement which call for ending the terror tag on the
PMOI.
The signatures reflect the view of the House of Commons from left to
right, from every political party in the House. I cannot think of other
comparable campaigns where so many support have been able to build up.
This sends a powerful signal to Tony Blair and Jack Straw, if I may say
to leaders of the other political parties to take note of what members
of parliament are saying on this occasion.
I also want to take the occasion to say that the irony, the paradox is
the fact that the people to whom the terror tag must apply is the
present regime in Iran and particularly the so-called undemocratically
elected president who has a track record of extremist statements, whose
finger prints are in the United States embassy siege in the late 1970s,
whose finger prints on the attacks on Salman Rushdie and whose finger
prints are on encouraging people to go outside Iran and stir up terror.
I believe that it is an act of terrorism for Iran regime to be seeking to procure and create nuclear weapons.
I want to conclude by saying that maintaining the terror tag, is an
affront to truth and justice and to say that we are increasing in
numbers as legislators who are trying to persuade our governments that
the future is held by those people who are bravely enduring persecution
and facing exile at present time. I send my greetings to them wherever
they are, and to Madam Rajavi in Paris for her fortitude in her
leadership of people who are standing for democracy in Iran.
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