![\"maryam-rajavi-500-congress\"](\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2015\/04\/maryam-rajavi-500-congress.jpg\" "\\"maryam-rajavi-500-congress\\"")
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Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran told the U.S. Congress on Wednesday that in the \u201cabsence of a firm policy vis-\u00e0-vis the regime in Tehran, there will be destructive consequences.\u201d To counter Islamic fundamentalists, democratic and tolerant Islam should be empowered, she explained.<\/p>\n
Maryam Rajavi appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade via videoconference on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Rajavi referred to the Iranian regime as the \u201cepicenter of fundamentalism\u201d in the Middle East and she told the assembled Representatives, \u201cWe can and we must defeat Islamic fundamentalism, whether Shiite or Sunni.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maryam Rajavi outlined several practical steps that Western governments might take toward this end, one of which was to \u201crecognize the Iranian people\u2019s aspirations to overthrow the mullahs.\u201d<\/p>\n
She told the hearing: \u201cToday, Islamic fundamentalism and extremism, under the name of ISIS or Shiite paramilitary groups, have launched a vicious assault on countries in the region and beyond including America and Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIslamic fundamentalism emerged as a threat to peace and security when Khomeini stole the leadership of a popular revolution in 1979 and established a religious dictatorship,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
The Iranian opposition leader also said: \u201cFor 36 years, we have resisted a religious tyranny and fought for democracy in Iran. The Iranian regime has served as the main source of this ominous phenomenon in the region and across the world. The primary objective of Islamic fundamentalists, including ISIS, is to establish an Islamic Caliphate and enforce Sharia law.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Islamic fundamentalist, \u201crecognize no borders,\u201d she said. \u201cAggressiveness and violence are two common features of Sunni and Shiite extremists. As such, searching for moderates among them is an illusion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rajavi said her movement had warned that the mullahs sought to acquire nuclear weapons to export fundamentalism and guarantee their own existence but little, if anything, was done to prevent this export.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, failure to stop the Iranian regime\u2019s post-2003 meddling in Iraq enabled it to gradually occupy that country, driving the unprecedented spread of fundamentalism. Similarly, crimes committed by the Quds Force and Bashar Assad in Syria and the massacre and exclusion of Sunnis in Iraq by Maliki, coupled with Western silence, empowered ISIS,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Rajavi emphasized that the mullahs’ regime is not part of any solution to current crises; it is indeed the heart of the problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe people of Iran, indeed, call the mullahs\u2019 regime as Godfather of ISIS and other fundamentalist groups. The ultimate solution to this problem is regime change by the Iranian people and Resistance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis regime is extremely fragile and vulnerable. As evident during the 2009 uprising, the overwhelming majority of the Iranian people demanded regime change. The regime\u2019s show of force is hollow and a result of weak Western policy.”<\/p>\n
\u201cOwing to the pivotal role of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI\/MEK) as a democratic Muslim movement, the Iranian Resistance has established itself as the antithesis to Islamic fundamentalism.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rajavi outlined the following practical steps necessary for defeating Islamic fundamentalism:<\/p>\n
1) Expel the Quds Force from Iraq and end the Iranian regime’s influence in that country;<\/p>\n
2) Enable full participation of Sunnis in power sharing and arm Sunni tribes to provide security for their communities;<\/p>\n
3) Assist Syria\u2019s moderate opposition and people to end Assad’s regime and establish democracy in that country;<\/p>\n
4) Recognize the Iranian people’s aspirations to overthrow the mullahs and end inaction vis-\u00e0-vis the gross human rights violations in Iran.
5) Provide protection for, and uphold the rights of members of Iran\u2019s organized opposition, the MEK, residing in Camp Liberty in Iraq.<\/p>\n
6) Empower the true, democratic and tolerant Islam to counter fundamentalist interpretations of this religion; and<\/p>\n
7) Block all pathways for the Iranian regime to acquire nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the president of the National Council of Resistance of Iran told the U.S. Congress on Wednesday that in the “absence of a firm policy vis-à-vis the regime […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42985,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[175],"class_list":{"0":"post-18250","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-president-elect","8":"tag-updated"},"yoast_head":"\n