MARYAM RAJAVI AND THE FIGHT FOR SEPARATION OF RELIGION AND STATE IN IRAN INU- The Iranian Regime is a theocracy based on a mutilated version of Shiite Islam, which punishes people for not adhering strictly to the state religion. This is not how Iran should be and it is not how Shiite Islam is supposed to be practised. True Islam, as Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, notes, bears hardly any resemblance to the bastardised version practised by the mullahs. Maryam Rajavi has spent the past 50 years fighting for a secular, democratic Iran and has outlined the need for the separation of religion and state in Iran in countless speeches and writings. Here, we shall summarise Maryam Rajavi’s points. Rejection of compulsory religion Maryam Rajavi explains that there is no place for compulsory religion in a modern society and notes that the medieval Sharia laws, the excommunication of opponents, and despotism dressed up as religion are actually violations ...

Hostages in Iran must not be forgotten On November 4, 1979, a day forever ingrained in my memory, Iranian militants, backed by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, took over the embassy, and I became one of 52 American hostages held at their mercy. (AP Photo) In October, President Trump chose not to recertify the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, giving Congress 60 days to decide on the future of the agreement. As Congress weighs action and the administration consults with our European partners, policymakers must consider Iran’s history of holding Americans and dual-nationals hostage, including those held captive today. On the 38th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, it’s the least we can do. In 2016, the Obama administration admitted that the nuclear deal and hostages run along “ parallel tracks .” As a candidate, President Trump came to a similar conclusion, stating “We have four people over there, pris...

THE PEOPLE OF IRAN MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN AS THE REGIME'S FIRST VICTIMS by Jazeh Miller The nuclear threat and Iran’s belligerence has been the topic of many hot debates in recent weeks and months. Leaders from all across the world are slamming the Iranian regime for its spread of chaos across the Middle East including its support of various militias and proxy groups. It is also being criticised for its nuclear program and its violation of the spirit of the nuclear deal. However, very little attention is being paid to the Iranian regime’s blatant abuse of human rights at home. The people of Iran have suffered under the clerical regime for many years. What is even more incomprehensible is the Iranian regime’s disregard of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that is in place to respect the dignity of everyone and to ensure that all people are treated equally. Iran is one of the worst offenders of executions and many people are sentenced to death every year. The Iranian ...

Blackwell Letter to Haley: U.N. Must Investigate Massacre in Iran—30,000 Dead in 1988 WASHINGTON—Former Ambassador Ken Blackwell sent a letter to current Ambassador Nikki Haley on Friday, urging the top U.S. diplomat at the United Nations to investigate horrific state-sponsored mass murders in Iran in 1988 that were finally confirmed with evidence just discovered last year. In addition to having held several elected offices and been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to other presidentially appointed offices, Blackwell served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission under President George H.W. Bush 25 years ago. He has remained active in the senior ranks of U.S. statesmen in foreign policy over the subsequent quarter-century. In his letter to the current holder of the most prestigious ambassadorship in America’s Diplomatic Corps—the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Security Council, Blackwell wrote to Haley about recently discovered evidence of “the ma...

Investigation of Argentina’s “Dirty War” Set Precedent for Inquiry into Iran’s “Summer of Blood” In the 1990s, I and my distinguished colleague Charlotte Ponticelli had the privilege of working with Dr. Clyde Snow, one of the world’s foremost experts in forensic anthropology, who played an instrumental role in bringing justice to Argentina by uncovering the mass graves left behind by the country’s “Dirty War.” His actions and investigation helped uncover the truth about what was an incredibly deadly series of crimes carried out over nearly a decade. Holding the regime in Argentina accountable set a valuable precedent and demonstrated the global community’s commitment to upholding justice and human rights, which must be maintained today. After Argentine president Isabel Perón was deposed in 1976, a military junta took over the presidency and government, establishing a dictatorship and placing all levels of government under military control. During the regime’s rule between the 1...