 |
| Mohammad Mohaddessin, Chairman of the NCRI Foreign Relations Committee |
US President
Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and the Riyadh Summit, with leaders of
over 50 Muslim nations taking part, was a major turning point in the Middle
East’s balance of power. This development also signaled the end of eight years
of the Obama administration’s unbridled appeasement vis-à-vis Iran. And Tehran
has very specifically received the message.
For the first
time in many years the world is taking steps to stand on the right side of
history and alongside the Iranian people in their quest to realize their
rightful demands of freedom, democracy and peace in the region.
The Iranian opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran
(NCRI), led by Maryam Rajavi, welcomed the results of this conference. Mohammad
Mohaddessin, Chairman of the NCRI Foreign Relations Committee and author of the
book “Islamic Fundamentalism:
The New Global Threat,” shared his opinion and the Iranian opposition’s
stance in this regard.
1. At a time when ISIS in Iraq has suffered major defeats, can Iran
claim to deliver a solution? Especially since the Iran-backed Hashid al-Sha’bi
militias have apparently played a major role in this regard?
Let’s be
clear. Hashid al-Sha’bi and Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), as its true
commander, have not played a major role in the fight against ISIS. Iran-backed
forces have taken advantage of US airpower and only filled the void of ISIS on
the ground after their defeats. This means a large portion of Sunni areas in
Iraq is under their control. US inaction in the face of Iran in the past 16
years opened windows to most opportunities for this regime.
The most
important element threatening Iraq, and especially peace and tranquility in the
entire region, is the presence of IRGC and Shiite militias to replace the void
of ISIS. This is a major challenge facing the US today. The war against ISIS
will not render peace and security in the Middle East without the complete
eviction of Iran’s IRGC and militias from Iraq and Syria.
2.
There are voices, especially in
the US, heard claiming blacklisting the IRGC will do against international
efforts, and especially US forces in defeating ISIS. Will designating the IRGC
as a terrorist entity decrease regional crises?
First I
must ask does the IRGC truly seek the complete annihilation of ISIS. This is an
illusion promoted by Iran and its allies in the West to enjoy the pensions of
fighting ISIS. It is true that Iran and ISIS are facing off in some areas.
However, Tehran and its militias are seeking to replace the Sunni ISIS with
their Shiite flag. Such a mentality and objective itself religiously and
socially strengthens the very philosophy behind ISIS’ existence.
Look how
it all started. The crimes committed by Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and former
Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki provided the social grounds for ISIS’
birth by releasing al-Qaeda prisoners or allowing their escape. ISIS has also
enjoyed IRGC logistical, substantial and arms support. Many senior ISIS members
lived in Iran for years and Tehran dispatched them to Iraq and Syria with the
aim of launching a sectarian war.
Considering
my 38 years of experience with the Iranian regime, I strongly believedesignating the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization and expelling this
entity, along with its militias, from Iraq and Syria, will provide the best
support needed for the fight against ISIS.
3.
At a time when the
international community is focusing on fighting terrorism more than ever
before, why has the Iranian opposition NCRI emphasized on referring Iran’s
human rights violations dossier to the United Nations Security Council and The
Hague?
The
leaders of 55 Islamic countries and the US in the Riyadh summit highlighted
Iran’s role as the godfather of terrorism. US and Saudi leaders emphasized the
Iranian people are the main victims of the mullahs’ atrocities. This is a major
step forward, yet leaving a major question unanswered. What is the main
movement against this regime? Without a doubt the Iranian people have the
utmost motivation to confront this regime. Tehran’s practice of executions and
social crackdowns has continuously suppressed the Iranian people. Pressuring
the mullahs’ regime for this crackdown will directly support the Iranian people
to confront this regime. To this end, the UN Security Council’s role to
confront Iran’s systematic and flagrant human rights violations is also a
necessity for peace and tranquility in the region
4.
The world has remained mainly
silent over the summer 1988 massacre of over 30,000 political prisoners by
Iran. This silence, however, came to an end during this year’s presidential
election. What development led to such coverage by international media?
This
effort began 10 months ago. Long before the election the NCRI had launched a
widespread campaign inside Iran and abroad seeking justice for the 1988
massacre victims. This massacre is in fact an unprecedented example of
executing political prisoners. The fatwa issued by former Iranian regime leader
Ruhollah Khomeini for this massacre has no prior example in the history of
Islam.
“Considering the fact that the traitors
(members of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK)) never
believed in Islam, whatever they say is a deception. Those in the country’s
prisons who remain on their positions are considered mohareb (enmity
against God) and must be executed… it is naive to show merci to the moharebs… the
gentlemen responsible in this regard, do not give in to any temptations or
doubts…” he said.
Ruthlessness
runs wild in this text. Without a doubt, following the Nuremberg trials, this
is one of the gravest crimes that deserves an international tribunal.
Fortunately, the NCRI campaign in the second half of 2016 gained speed with the
revelation of a sound take of the late Mr. Hossein Ali Montazeri, Khomeini’s
former successor, in a meeting with senior officials involved in the 1988
massacre.
5.
There are those who believe
after eight years of Obama’s presidency his policy of appeasement vis-à-vis
Tehran has come to an end as Donald Trump entered the White House. Do you think
times have changed? What is the litmus test?
Without a
doubt during the past eight years the previous US administration acted as a
major backing for the Iranian regime. This “golden era” has now come to an end.
Naturally, Tehran is not enjoying the status quo, and yet we are still far from
specific actions punishing Iran for aggressive measures beyond its borders and
flagrant human rights violations. We hope such initiatives materialize as soon
as possible. The mullahs’ regime has to this day merely faced silence and
inaction in the face of its crimes, coming to this conclusion of a lack of will
from its correspondents. This has allowed Tehran continue its law violations.
6.
There are lawmakers who believe
the Middle East crisis and war against terrorism summarize in the war against
ISIS. Yet there are also others, such as US Defense Secretary James Mattis, who
believe Iran is involved in all Middle East turmoil. How do you analyze the
source of this phenomenon?
ISIS is a
horrifying and very vicious entity in the region. Some say ISIS and
fundamentalism or Sunni extremism are a far greater threat for the Middle East,
and Iran’s Shiite fundamentalism is a lesser threat. There is even this
mentality of using Shiite fundamentalism against ISIS and Sunni fundamentalism.
This approach is very dangerous and there are facts that must not go missed in
this regard:
1. From an ideological and/or theoretical perspective, ISIS is
preaching the same mentality the Iranian regime launched in modern history.
Imposing Sharia law with force and establishing an Islamic state.
2. The two puppet governments of Iran, being former Iraqi prime
minister Nouri al-Maliki and Syrian dictator Bashar Assad, paved the path for
the rise of ISIS by launching horrific killing sprees targeting the Sunni community.
They also released al-Qaeda prisons as I explained before. Tehran first
provided a safe haven for senior al-Qaeda officials after 9/11, and recently
dispatched them to Syria and Iraq to command ISIS forces.
To this
end, even if ISIS is defeated military, as long as the IRGC and its affiliated
proxies are roaming wild in Middle East countries, the social grounds are ripe
for their rise the moment American and coalition forces leave these lands.
7.
The international community is
concerned any conflict with Iran will lead to yet another large-scale war in
the region. Appeasement advocates believe Iran’s moderates should be boosted
against hardliners, with the objective of reforming Iran from within without
resorting to war. What is your solution?
There is
a simple fact about this regime that very often goes neglected. A religious
dictatorship such as the Iranian regime cannot be reformed. It cannot change
its behavior, knowing any fundamental change in policy and approach will result
in its complete overthrow. This can be seen in recent remarks made by Supreme
Leader Ali Khamenei, emphasizing last month any change in behavior will lead to
regime change.
Of the
past 38 years, Ali Akbar Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, and President Hassan
Rouhani, the so-called reformist, pragmatic and moderate faces of this regime,
have been president for 20 years. However, we have yet to witness any change in
this regime’s core policies. During their tenures Iran has witnessed
intensified crackdown and escalating foreign meddling. Mir Hossein Mousavi,
another so-called reformist, was this regime’s prime minister for eight years.
This is a total of 28 of 38 years during which the so-called reformist/moderate
faction has been in power, with no change to report at all.
This is a
long-lasting deceptive argument, warning all parties of any confrontation
leading to war with Iran. Quite the opposite. Since this regime has been
provided the utmost opportunities, they have plunged the entire region into
all-out war. Is the Middle East in peace? Is there not war? If Syria, Iraq and
Yemen are at peace, then what is war? The roots of all these conflicts lead
back to Iran.
The sole solution for the regional crisis, a subject to be
discussed in the NCRI’s upcoming July 1st gathering,
lies in the toppling of Iran’s regime. However, the important issue at hand is
that this regime is far weaker than it shows, and its overthrowing is at hand.
Another very important matter is that such a feat is only achievable through
the Iranian people and their organized resistance. This initiative has been
delayed due to 16 years of Western support for the Iranian regime, especially
the United States.
These three subjects, being the necessity to overthrow the Iranian
regime, this initiative being at reach and the role of the Iranian opposition
NCRI as the alternative for this regime, will all be discussed in the July 1st rally.
Comments
Post a Comment