By Kayhan Life Staff
Days away from the probable signing of a renewed Iran nuclear deal, 11 Iranian opposition groups have come together to urge the leaders of Britain, France and Germany to abandon “the failed and catastrophic policy of negotiating with and appeasing the Islamic Republic,” which has allowed Iran “to bring its nuclear and ballistic missile programs to an irreversible stage.”
In their Feb. 21 letter, the groups have called on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to embark on “a policy of maximum support for the Iranian people” and begin “a serious and effective dialogue with the democratic and national opposition of Iran, which wants a free and secular Iran.”
The signatories include the Constitutional Party of Iran (Liberal Democrat) and Farashgard (Iran Revival) Institute for Voices of Liberty (iVOL), Iran Change, Iran Liberation Congress, Iranian Liberal Graduates, Iranian Secular Democracy Movement, Iranian Secular Democratic Party, Pan-Iranist Party (Abroad), Society of Social Democracy for Iran, and the New Iran (Nahad Mardomi).
The signatories describe the Islamic Republic as an “inhuman” and “anti-Semitic” regime that has “killed hundreds of innocent people from Lebanon to Argentina solely for their Jewish faith, and in an attempt to wipe Israel off the map, has been an accomplice of Bashar al-Assad in the slaughter and displacement of millions of Syrians.”
The letter comes at a time of nationwide protests in Iran. The economy is on the brink of collapse, and repression of dissidents is at an all-time high. Teachers, investors, pensioners, nurses, judiciary, oil workers, and ordinary citizens have all taken to the streets to protest against water shortages, unpaid wages, human rights abuses, systemic corruption, and mismanagement.
According to a “highly confidential” leaked document from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the real inflation rate for basic food items in November 2021 was between 86 and 268 percent; the official rate is just over 40 percent.
In the letter, the 11 opposition groups call on Germany, France, and Britain to increase “the cost of repression of the Iranian people for the Islamic Republic by imposing comprehensive, effective, and smart sanctions on the regime.”
They end by expressing the certainty that the Islamic Republic will be overthrown, adding: “the day after liberation, the Iranian people will remember who stood by them in difficult times and who aided their oppressors.”
Below is the text of the letter.
[aesop_content color=”#000000″ background=”#abcdef” columns=”1″ position=”none” imgrepeat=”no-repeat” disable_bgshading=”off” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up” revealfx=”off” overlay_revealfx=”off” aesop-generator-content=”Your Excellency Emmanuel Macron, Your Excellency Boris Johnson, Your Excellency Olaf Scholz, Distinguished leaders of the European nations participating in the Vienna talks, The Islamic Republic, the regime you are negotiating with in Vienna, is the same fundamentalist regime that since its inception 43 years ago, has had terror, hostage-taking, and sabotage, as an integral part of its ideology and nature, and its most important tools for blackmailing the free world. This Islamist revolutionary regime has carried out hundreds of terrorist attacks around world from killings and bombings to issuing fatwas calling for murder of innocent citizens to the hostage taking of your nationals, with which you are acutely aware. The Islamic Republic is the same inhumane, misogynist, and anti-LGBTQ oppressive regime that, despite decades of attempts at dialogue and UN resolutions by the international community, still enforces medieval Sharia law which includes stoning, Qisas, amputation, and flogging. It carries out large-scale executions and imprisonment, often with the aim of suppressing and silencing political opponents. The Islamic Republic is the same anti-Semitic regime that has killed hundreds of innocent people from Lebanon to Argentina solely for their Jewish faith, and in an attempt to wipe Israel off the map, has been an accomplice of Bashar al-Assad in the slaughter and displacement of millions of Syrians. In the past 43 years, the policy of the West, especially Europe towards the Islamic Republic, has been appeasement and the payment of ransoms in order to normalize and attempt to change the behavior of this inherently abnormal regime. This policy not only did not change the evil behavior of the Islamic Republic, but it also led it an increase in its terrorist activities, criminality, and nuclear and military ambitions by raising more ransom. It’s track record is clear, more insolence on the international stage and more criminal suppression of the people of Iran. Nearly two decades of counterproductive negotiations and flawed deals such as the JCPOA have only given the Islamic Republic a chance to buy time. By deceiving the international community, it has brought its nuclear and ballistic missile programs to an irreversible stage. Today, it is time to put aside, once and for all, the failed and catastrophic policy of negotiating with and appeasing the Islamic Republic. It is time to choose another policy: Maximum support for the Iranian people to end more than four decades of medieval rule and replace it with a secular democratic system that serves Iran’s national interests through peaceful coexistence and cooperation with neighbors and all countries in the world: becoming an effective force in establishing stability and peace. This is the only way to prevent the world’s largest terrorist state from achieving the atomic bomb – a catastrophe that will plunge the entire region into a nuclear arms race. To that end we urge you, as a first step, to stop the ongoing negotiations with the Islamic Republic to resuscitate the flawed JCPOA agreement, and to instead enter into a serious and effective dialogue with the democratic and national opposition of Iran, which wants a free and secular Iran. The Iranian people prefer to keep their money and assets in trust with foreign banks rather than having them confiscated and plundered by the Islamic Republic and financing the corrupt and criminal leaders of this regime and its allies. Just as the money released after JCPOA was spent on more repression and censorship inside, and terrorism and warfare outside Iran, instead of improving the lives and enlarging the Iranians’ table. Today, the Islamic Republic, at the lowest level of popular legitimacy in its history, has relied on its repressive agents and its mercenaries and terrorist proxy forces to maintain power. Therefore, we call on you to increase the cost of repression of the Iranian people for the Islamic Republic by imposing comprehensive, effective, and smart sanctions on the regime. The national uprising of Iranians for freedom and democracy, despite the heavy and bloody costs incurred in recent years, especially in nationwide protests of January 2018 and November 2019, is becoming more widespread and more facets of Iranian society are joining it. However, this movement like similar ones, including the liberation movements from communism and fascism in Europe, needs the solidarity and support of freedom fighters around the world and, if necessary, to prevent a major human catastrophe, foreign humanitarian intervention. As the late Vaclav Havel said: “Just as many showed their solidarity with us when we were striving for freedom, so now we must show solidarity to those who are only striving for it in uneasy conditions.” Sooner or later, the Islamic Republic will be overthrown by the brave and courageous people of Iran, and the day after liberation, the Iranian people will remember who stood by them in difficult times and who aided their oppressors. With sincere respect, Constitutional Party of Iran (Liberal Democrat) Farashgard (Iran Revival) Institute for Voices of Liberty (iVOL) Iran Change Iran Liberation Congress Iranian Liberal Graduates Iranian Secular Democracy Movement Iranian Secular Democratic Party Pan-Iranist Party (Abroad) Society of Social Democracy for Iran The New Iran (Nahad Mardomi)
“]
Your Excellency Emmanuel Macron,
Your Excellency Boris Johnson,
Your Excellency Olaf Scholz,
Distinguished leaders of the European nations participating in the Vienna talks,
The Islamic Republic, the regime you are negotiating with in Vienna, is the same fundamentalist regime that since its inception 43 years ago, has had terror, hostage-taking, and sabotage, as an integral part of its ideology and nature, and its most important tools for blackmailing the free world. This Islamist revolutionary regime has carried out hundreds of terrorist attacks around world from killings and bombings to issuing fatwas calling for murder of innocent citizens to the hostage taking of your nationals, with which you are acutely aware.
The Islamic Republic is the same inhumane, misogynist, and anti-LGBTQ oppressive regime that, despite decades of attempts at dialogue and UN resolutions by the international community, still enforces medieval Sharia law which includes stoning, Qisas, amputation, and flogging. It carries out large-scale executions and imprisonment, often with the aim of suppressing and silencing political opponents.
The Islamic Republic is the same anti-Semitic regime that has killed hundreds of innocent people from Lebanon to Argentina solely for their Jewish faith, and in an attempt to wipe Israel off the map, has been an accomplice of Bashar al-Assad in the slaughter and displacement of millions of Syrians.
In the past 43 years, the policy of the West, especially Europe towards the Islamic Republic, has been appeasement and the payment of ransoms in order to normalize and attempt to change the behavior of this inherently abnormal regime. This policy not only did not change the evil behavior of the Islamic Republic, but it also led it an increase in its terrorist activities, criminality, and nuclear and military ambitions by raising more ransom. It’s track record is clear, more insolence on the international stage and more criminal suppression of the people of Iran.
Nearly two decades of counterproductive negotiations and flawed deals such as the JCPOA have only given the Islamic Republic a chance to buy time. By deceiving the international community, it has brought its nuclear and ballistic missile programs to an irreversible stage.
Today, it is time to put aside, once and for all, the failed and catastrophic policy of negotiating with and appeasing the Islamic Republic. It is time to choose another policy: Maximum support for the Iranian people to end more than four decades of medieval rule and replace it with a secular democratic system that serves Iran’s national interests through peaceful coexistence and cooperation with neighbors and all countries in the world: becoming an effective force in establishing stability and peace. This is the only way to prevent the world’s largest terrorist state from achieving the atomic bomb – a catastrophe that will plunge the entire region into a nuclear arms race.
To that end we urge you, as a first step, to stop the ongoing negotiations with the Islamic Republic to resuscitate the flawed JCPOA agreement, and to instead enter into a serious and effective dialogue with the democratic and national opposition of Iran, which wants a free and secular Iran. The Iranian people prefer to keep their money and assets in trust with foreign banks rather than having them confiscated and plundered by the Islamic Republic and financing the corrupt and criminal leaders of this regime and its allies. Just as the money released after JCPOA was spent on more repression and censorship inside, and terrorism and warfare outside Iran, instead of improving the lives and enlarging the Iranians’ table.
Today, the Islamic Republic, at the lowest level of popular legitimacy in its history, has relied on its repressive agents and its mercenaries and terrorist proxy forces to maintain power. Therefore, we call on you to increase the cost of repression of the Iranian people for the Islamic Republic by imposing comprehensive, effective, and smart sanctions on the regime.
The national uprising of Iranians for freedom and democracy, despite the heavy and bloody costs incurred in recent years, especially in nationwide protests of January 2018 and November 2019, is becoming more widespread and more facets of Iranian society are joining it. However, this movement like similar ones, including the liberation movements from communism and fascism in Europe, needs the solidarity and support of freedom fighters around the world and, if necessary, to prevent a major human catastrophe, foreign humanitarian intervention. As the late Vaclav Havel said:
“Just as many showed their solidarity with us when we were striving for freedom, so now we must show solidarity to those who are only striving for it in uneasy conditions.”
Sooner or later, the Islamic Republic will be overthrown by the brave and courageous people of Iran, and the day after liberation, the Iranian people will remember who stood by them in difficult times and who aided their oppressors.
With sincere respect,
Constitutional Party of Iran (Liberal Democrat)
Farashgard (Iran Revival)
Institute for Voices of Liberty (iVOL)
Iran Change
Iran Liberation Congress
Iranian Liberal Graduates
Iranian Secular Democracy Movement
Iranian Secular Democratic Party
Pan-Iranist Party (Abroad)
Society of Social Democracy for Iran
The New Iran (Nahad Mardomi)
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[aesop_document type=”pdf” src=”https://kayhanlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Letter-to-European-Leaders-English-EDITED-FN.pdf” caption=”Letter to European Leaders ” download=”on”]
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