Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeIran News NowWomen's Rights in IranMaryam Rajavi - Women's role in a solution to Iran's problem

Maryam Rajavi – Women’s role in a solution to Iran’s problem

Maryam Rajavi - Women’s role in a solution to Iran’s problemNCRI – On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, March 8, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi underlined the importance of women’s role in political leadership to fight fundamentalism and why they guarantee democracy for Iran’s future. The following is the first part of her message to mark the Women’s Day, where she addresses the danger of religious fascism posed by Tehran, and the three options for the Iranian problem: 

It is indeed a pleasure to be with you. Your gathering radiates with hope for realizing the ideals of the equality movement. Hope for building a new humane world and for removing the obstacles that have shackled humanity today in one form or another.

I salute the heroic women who have suffered and sacrificed for the ideal of equality. Pioneers and unsung heroines, who despite their relentless sacrifice, history has failed to acknowledge because of the primacy of male-dominated culture.

Indeed, we must have hope and struggle for a progressive, humane ideal. Tens of thousands of brave women have given their lives for this ideal in the struggle against the ruling fundamentalists in Iran in the past 27 years. A true pioneer and leader among them was Ashraf Rajavi, who was slain by the Revolutionary Guards 24 years ago in Tehran.

I salute all those women who by their sacrifice are the pride of the global equality movement.

Last year, people in four countries – Germany, Chile, Liberia and Finland – chose a woman to lead them. Theirs is an achievement for all women across the world.

In the past few decades, women worldwide have accomplished much. But the evil of inequality still reins, and violence, humiliation and hatred against women continues. To these problems, we must add Islamic fundamentalism. This phenomenon has nothing to do with true Islam and Prophet Mohammad’s religion of mercy and tolerance. With the backing and direction of the religious fascism ruling Iran, Islamic fundamentalism has not only endangered women’s achievements, but all of humanity’s.

Today, therefore, I would like to talk about the solution to this crisis and the role women can play in its resolution.

The urgent danger posed by religious fascism in Iran

Let us first review the scope of this crisis.

The religious dictatorship ruling Iran, which has massacred 120,000 political opponents, is on the verge of obtaining nuclear arms. It has also acquired long-range missiles that can carry nuclear warheads and can reach Europe. Nuclear weapons in the hands of a violent dictatorship, whose terrorist tentacles have reached many parts of the world, including Buenos Aires, Paris, Berlin, Beirut, Riyadh, Manila, Istanbul and Baghdad and instilled fear and perpetrated atrocities in those countries, is quite dangerous. But, there is even a bigger danger: The mullahs’ vigorous efforts to install a despotic empire under the banner of Islam.

To this end, they have infiltrated Iraq and aim to dominate that country. They are opposed to peace in the Middle East and have formed a front of fundamentalist forces in the region to confront change in Iran.

The Iranian regime’s President, appropriately likened to Hitler by the German Chancellor, says, "The waves of Islamic Revolution will soon sweep the world." He threatens everyone and despite the referral of the Tehran regime’s nuclear file to the Security Council, he repeatedly calls for stepping up activities to acquire nuclear weapons.

Thus a lethal mix has emerged, of nuclear arms and fundamentalism. Drawing from my experience with Khomeini, who propelled fundamentalism to power in Iran, and from my reading of the ruling mullahs’ regressive value system, I know that they have no limits in perpetrating horrific killings and mass destruction. Recent terrorist assaults have made this plain to everyone. Therefore, at issue is a crisis that is deepening exponentially because of the mullahs’ belligerence and hysterical threats and is pushing the region toward the precipice.

Three options for the Iranian problem

The fundamental question before the world today is what are the options? What can one do about the evil of fundamentalism that according to its president is bent on setting the region on fire to preserve itself?

Perhaps, you have come across many view points, positions and articles, each of which have offered an option in dealing with this threat. We can sum them up in two major categories: Appeasing the mullahs’ dictatorship or war and foreign military intervention.

Appeasement was justified by its supporters as an approach that could moderate the regime. Western governments claimed that they were appeasing the Iranian regime to thwart a war. But it was proven that it was appeasement which actually gave rise to war: 16 years of appeasement led to the ascension of Ahmadinejad. Three years of dialogue by the EU-3 pushed the mullahs closer to the bomb. War is not the solution to the Iranian problem either. Therefore, two years ago, on behalf of the Iranian Resistance, I announced the third option: Democratic change by the Iranian people and Resistance.

As far as this solution is concerned, two fundamental questions arise:

1. How can women’s active and equal participation in political leadership provide the necessary capacity and impetus to realize this option?
2. How can the Iranian Resistance guarantee that this option is democratic?

The answer to these questions accentuates the decisive and emerging factor in the Iranian Resistance’s success. The experience of the past two decades, especially the successful perseverance through the hardships of the past three years has proven this. That factor is women’s leadership. In this segment, I wish to explain that the serious presence of women in the leadership is the source of the Resistance’s power and capabilities. It is the guarantee for democracy. It is the source of the Resistance movement’s resilience in the face of fundamentalism and ensures its decisive defeat.

To be continued …