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Former Euro-Parliament VP recognizes 50 years of Resistance by PMOI for freedom in Iran

NCRI – The Former Vice-President of the European Parliament and President of the International Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ), Dr Alejo Vidal-Quadras, addressed a meeting of young people in Germany on Friday. He has been involved with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, PMOI (Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK) for 15 years and looks forward to celebrating the upcoming 50th anniversary of the “largest and most active political movement in Iranian history,” he said.

Dr Vidal-Quadras called on the young people, the young generation of the Resistance, to continue showing that they cannot be beaten down, even faced with horrendous and brutal repression. He also reminded them of the mass executions of more than 30,000 PMOI political prisoners in the summer of 1988 who were buried in mass graves in Iran meaning their families have no place to mourn for them. He declared this a “crime against humanity” for which those responsible must be tried and punished.

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Dr Vidal-Quadras went on to talk about the defining moments in the history of the PMOI. After being started by three students, the organization has gone through many ups and downs. One such down was when the SAVAK secret police brutally cracked down on them five years after their foundation with most of the leadership, including Massoud Rajavi, being sent to prison. Another low point was when Khomeini came to power in 1979 and executed tens of thousands of PMOI members over the space of a few years.

Despite the brutal repression, Dr Vidal-Quadras said, the PMOI has not only survived, but it has moved forward, stronger than ever. He highlighted that the PMOI is the “backbone of a nationwide resistance against the ruling religious dictatorship” and a “treasure of moral, cultural and political values in today’s world.” He praised the group’s members for being advocates of a tolerant and democratic Islam and for showing the world that Islam is the opposite of the Islamic extremism that has terrorized the Middle East.

Dr Vidal-Quadras gave a special mention to Mrs Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), praising her determination and hard work. He said it is very significant that a Muslim woman is the leader of the organized opposition; it represents a “revolution which can shake very positively the Islamic world.”

Dr Vidal-Quadras ended his speech with a word of advice to the Iranian people and youth. He said that the mullahs need to be evicted, and as soon as possible, if we are ever to have true democracy in Iran. He described the mullahs as not just an enemy to Iranian people, but an “enemy of humanity” too. He asked the audience to remember that Hassan Rouhani is not a moderate – “he exhibits a world record as a mass murderer,” not moderation. He also reminded the audience that the recent nuclear deal is not a result of the mullahs becoming moderate – it is because they were left no choice following sanctions and international pressures.

Finally, he thanked the many people who have sacrificed so much in their lives to fight for Iran and thanked the PMOI and NCRI for ensuring they will one day obtain democratic change in Iran. He said: “I consider out of the many things that I have done in my political life to defend civil liberties and democracy, my collaboration with you as the most important of all. Sometimes you are so kind to thank me for my help to your cause, but it is me that must thank you for the opportunity to participate in an undertaking so decisive for the future of Iran and of the whole world.” He said that, without a doubt, the eviction of the mullahs from power will be the “largest step towards global peace and stability that the world has witnessed since the fall of the Berlin wall.”

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