Youth Supporters of
MEK: Responsibility to Attend Iranian Opposition Convention
On July 1st thousands of Iranians will gather in Paris to support the
movement to obtain freedom and democracy for their homeland. The convention is
organized each year by the Iranian opposition movement (PMOI/MEK). Iranian
youth especially look forward to this event as it’s a time to come together and
support human rights.
Too often we hear about the
arrests, ill-treatment, and executions of Iran’s youth population.
Reports indicate 10 inmates were executed merely a few days
after the 2017 Iranian elections, including a 30-year-old Abdulkarim
Shahnavazi. Reports also emerged that 24-year-old
Diyako Hashemi was killed under torture by Iranian intelligence agents. Two men
in their 30s were sentenced to have their fingers amputated
and 90 children were also arrested in Sepidan,
central Iran. The Iranian regime has a history of raiding gatherings and
parties, and imprisoning the attendees, which has heightened during the past
few years.
Political prisoner Ms. Atena
Daemi was recently on hunger strike for 54 days protesting against the arrest
of her sisters. Political prisoner Arash Sadeghi was previously on hunger
strike for 71 days protesting against the imprisonment of his wife, Golrokh
Iraee.
3000 Executed Under Rouhani
Over 3000 were executed during
President Hassan Rouhani’s first term, including many in their 20s and 30s. By
targeting the youth and spreading fear in society, the regime aims to prevent
anti-government uprisings. It must be mentioned that many of those executed
haven’t received fair trials or proper due process.
Youth supporters of the PMOI
therefore believe the Iranian opposition convention is a perfect opportunity to
raise awareness and bring attention to the plight of their people
Voice of the Voiceless
Ehsan Qaraee, a civil
engineering student in Norway, will attend the convention for the 5thtime since he left Iran. While living inside Iran, Qaraee
recalled witnessing young children working and begging people in the streets to
buy flowers or gum from them, to make money for their family and put food on
the table. These children would have to leave their schooling behind.
“As
long as this regime is in power, I realized the suffering will continue. By
participating in the Iranian opposition convention, I can be the voice of those
children; voice of the voiceless,” Qaraee said.
He also mentioned that events
such as the upcoming July 1st convention
establish a sense of hope for Iran’s oppressed population.
“Gatherings
like this can bring hope among people in Iran, specifically to youth and women
who are direct targets of the regime,” he added.
Not only does Qaraee believe
this convention would benefit freedom-loving Iranians, but Syrians and all who
seek peace in the Middle East.
“The
only solution to end these human rights violations in Iran and the region is to
help the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance overthrow this barbaric
regime and establish a state based on democracy, freedom and respect to its
neighbors,” Qaraee continued.
In Syria, the regime of Iran
has aided President Bashar al-Assad with troops, money, and weapons, which has
led to increased bloodshed.
Supporting Iran’s Oppressed People
Nargis Rahmanfard, a psychology
student in London, has been attending the annual convention since 2004. She was
born in Ahvaz and left Iran along with her family when she was just 7 years
old.
“The
arresting of young people at parties, the poverty, suppression of ethnic
minorities, suppression of women in Iran are violations that do not have a
place in the 21st century,
yet are enforced every day to keep the regime in power,” Rahmanfard
said.
She spoke of Reyhaneh Jabbari,
a 27-year-old woman executed for defending herself against sexual assault by an
Iranian intelligence member. By putting her under torture, the government
demanded Jabbari recant her story, but Jabbari refused.
“She
was executed for defending herself against sexual assault by
a regime agent and until the very last minutes of her life she refused to back
down,” she explained.
Rahmanfard went on to highlight
the significance of this upcoming gathering and feels that as an Iranian youth
it is her responsibility to attend.
“I
believe that all freedom-loving Iranians have a duty to come together and
spread awareness about what is happening behind closed doors … As an Iranian
youth, I feel it is my duty to represent other youth my age inside Iran and
those that do not have the same opportunities I do,” Rahmanfard
continued.
“If
they are risking their lives in Iran, how can I, as a citizen living in a free
country, not do anything to take at least a little of the weight off their
shoulders?” she explained.
Maryam Rajavi’s 10-Point-Plan for a Future Iran
Qaraee and Rahmanfard are also
supporters of Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi’s 10-point-plan for
a future Iran. Rajavi is the President-elect of the
National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and advocates a free, democratic,
and secular Iran.
Qaraee and Rahmanfard both
support Rajavi’s call for separation of church and state and reiterated its
importance as its non-existent under the mullahs’ regime. Many are persecuted
and imprisoned simply because of their faith.
“In a
future and free Iran, Christians, Jews, Sunnis, Shias, Kurds, Baluchis, Arabs
and all others who make Iran beautiful should be able to live together in
peace,” Rahmanfard said.
The July 1st Paris convention will be a platform for Iranian youth to
unite, chant against the regime and join the call for its overthrow. They
support the movement for democracy led by Rajavi, with hopes that soon the
people of Iran will be freed from the mullahs’ dictatorship.
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