March 6, 2015

The National Council of Resistance of Iran’s President-elect Maryam Rajavi warns:
Tehran mullahs won’t give up the nuclear bomb
She sees Iran’s influence growing in neighboring Iraq

Maryam Rajavi is the President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the largest opposition organization in exile. On Saturday, Rajavi is going to take part in a conference held by her organization in Berlin on the International Women’s Day.
Thousands of people are expected to participate. A number of speakers will address the audience including the former speaker of the parliament, Rita Süssmuth (Christian Democrat), former Minister of Justice,  Sabine Leutheuser-Schnarrenberger (Liberal), Gunter Verheugen (Social Democrat) and former head of the Protestant Church of Germany, Wolfgang Huber.   
She warns that Tehran mullahs will not give up the nuclear bomb. She also warned against Iran’s growing influence in the neighboring Iraq.

Q. Mrs. Rajavi, the West and Iran are getting close. Is Tehran a reliable negotiating partner?

Maryam Rajavi: The mullahs’ regime has never been a reliable negotiating partner and it cannot be one. This is a proven fact. We have been witnessing 30 years of concealment and deception. The Iranian Resistance divulged a secret nuclear site just in the midst of the recent talks. I think this regime will never give up its nuclear program, voluntarily.

Q. The nuclear talks are in their final phase. Will Tehran really forget about the bomb?

Maryam Rajavi: Given the present policy of the West, especially the US, they will never forget about the nuclear bomb. They have been continuing their project to this very day, because they feel the price they pay for not abiding by international laws is much too small. This regime must be compelled through international pressure and sanctions to fully implement the UN Security Council resolutions, fully halt its enrichment activities, and accept intrusive inspections.

Q. In Iraq, Iran as well as the West, are fighting against the terrorist “Islamic State”. What is Tehran’s objective in its neighboring country?

Maryam Rajavi: The mullahs seek not to fight and annihilate the ISIS but to spread fundamentalism and gain control of the entire region. Iraq is the best stepping stone. The Iranian regime is the godfather of ISIS and has had the greatest role in formation and expansion of its growing grounds. It also has great interests in the continued existence of ISIS. Any form of engaging this regime under the excuse of fighting ISIS, would be very dangerous for the region and the world.

Q. How much influence does Tehran have on the policy in Iraq?

Maryam Rajavi: Unfortunately, as a result of the wrong policy of the US and the West, the hegemony in Iraq has fallen into the hands of the Iranian regime step by step since 2003. With the fall of Nouri Al-Maliki this influence was undermined to a great extent, but the only solution for Iraq and the first step in any attempt to solve the problem of Islamic fundamentalism is the eviction of Iran’s regime from Iraq.

Q. What is the role the Shiite militia play?

Maryam Rajavi: The militias are fully under the control and command of the Iranian regime. They have an extremely destructive role. Under the name of fighting ISIS, they have carried out the genocide of the Sunni populace. This is a crime against humanity and fuels the Shiite-Sunni sectarian war for years to come.

Q. You are Muslim. What are the details of the solution you propose for fighting Islamic fundamentalism?

Maryam Rajavi: The first step is evicting the Iranian regime from Syria and Iraq. Reliance on genuine Islam, i.e. a democratic and tolerant Islam, is the cultural and religious answer to this ominous phenomenon. And finally, the ultimate solution is replacing the Iranian regime, the godfather of fundamentalism and terrorism, with a democratic and sovereign government. The People’s Mojahedin of Iran believe in a democratic and tolerant Islam. As opposed to the fundamentalists, the PMOI is led by women and is the antithesis of this phenomenon in Iran.

THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS HAS TERRIBLY DEGRADED IN IRAN

Q. Hassan Rouhani is considered a moderate president in the West. Has he really opened up the atmosphere in Iran?

Maryam Rajavi: Executions have increased under Rouhani. Just this past Wednesday, 21 prisoners including six Sunni political prisoners were executed. The situation of human rights has terribly degraded during this period. Women face more persecution. The final months of 2014 were marked with acid attacks on women. This is Rouhani’s record.

Q. What is the social atmosphere like in Iran?

Maryam Rajavi: The people of Iran are fed up with the suppression of their basic and fundamental rights. They want change. Public dissent is on the rise. 70% of the populace lives below the poverty line. 12million are starving. In contrast to government propaganda, inflation and high prices are soaring and unemployment is unprecedented in dimensions. Conditions are ripe for change. The mullahs want to overcome such an explosive situation by added repression.

Q. What is the role of the opposition? What kind of freedoms does the opposition enjoy?

Maryam Rajavi: Genuine opposition enjoys no freedom except enduring torture and execution. Nevertheless, we have a powerful network inside Iran which is active on various grounds like organizing anti-government protests and collecting information that reveals the regime’s human rights abuses and its nuclear program.

Q. What is your recommendation to Germany on its Iran policy?

Maryam Rajavi: Germany must not remain silent regarding the rising number of executions, violations of human rights in Iran and the regime’s meddling in Iraq. The activities of front companies that work for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) must be terminated and their agents expelled from Germany.
Germany’s interest is in siding with the Iranian people and their future not in short-term political and economic interests. Just as the global security and peace interests threatened by the clerical regime are all the more important for Germany than the short-term interests.