Behshad Hastibakhsh's Address at the Pro-Democracy Rally in Vancouver -
Canada
Organized by the Iranian Unity and Solidarity
Council - February 11th 2004
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Today, the 25th
anniversary of the 1979 revolution is a solemn occasion as we express our
opposition to the ruling theocratic regime in Iran. We join people around
the world who feel the pain and outcry of over 70 million Iranians. We have
heard the outcry of those who have fallen victim to the practice of
organized terror and torture. We have heard the silent voice of political
prisoners who are often held captive without proper trial and reason. Among
these prisoners, there are many teenagers, university students, renowned
writers, journalists, scholars, and average men and women, who have been
kidnapped, interrogated, and denied basic human rights. These political
prisoners are the unknown soldiers of a non-violent civil disobedience
campaign to replace theocracy with true popular democracy.
We join this
campaign to express our solidarity with Iranians who in a country full of
natural resources, talents and human capital live in dreadful economic
conditions. These conditions are the result of a quarter century long
corruption, mismanagement, and tyranny in the name of God. We condemn the
fact that the ruling few in Iran deny basic human rights to religious
minorities, and thus act use the name of God in vain.
We are united in
our condemnation of Islamic theocracy and those tyrants whose actions are in
sharp contrast of democratic ideals and principles. We strongly condemn the
theatric like event, which the ruling establishment in Iran calls
parliamentary elections and holds to legitimize its power in the eyes of the
world community. What the Islamic government of Iran calls an election is
nothing more than a theatric performance with predetermined outcomes to
fortify the rule of few. As the Islamic government makes a mockery out of
democracy, we support the popular boycott of the upcoming elections in Iran.
Today, we are
gathered here to express our
solidarity with freedom loving
people of Iran in our common struggle against the ruling theocratic regime
which over the past 25 years has systemically violated human rights,
international laws and principles for the sake of its own survival.
The Islamic
government of Iran, which holds, sponsors, and trains terrorist
organizations all over the world, has maintained its grip on power with the
use of force, political intimidation, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and
public executions.
70 million
Iranians of all ages, socio-economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds are
now victims of a theocratic dictatorship.
Iranian
women, who in years prior to 1979 had gained substantial freedoms and
benefited from widespread socio-economic reforms of the time, are now
reduced to second class citizens. Under the laws of the Islamic government,
women are denied gender equality, deprived of their emancipated status,
denied equal social, education and employment opportunities. The pain and
sufferings of Iranian women are immeasurable.
The
governing establishment has a distinct record in suppressing student and
people’s demonstrations. Public outcries for peaceful non-violent
transition from theocracy to democracy have been systematically defied and
met with state-organized violence. The brutality of the theocratic regime
has no limits, as international demands for an immediate end to human rights
violations are too often equally ignored.
As the
majority of Iranians have lost confidence in the Islamic regime, we join
forces with ranks of democratic opposition to demand civil and political
freedom, separation of religion and state, equality and justice (especially
for Iranian women), and the immediate release of all political prisoners in
Iran.
We express our
solidarity with freedom loving people of Iran in their struggle against the
ruling theocratic regime. We endorse the principle of ‘Unity for
Referendum’, a principle shared by students and people’s movement in Iran,
and demand the peaceful transition of power to a democratically elected
government and a national referendum on the future system of governance.
We are united in our struggle and resolve. Our Mission is to Unify
the Democratic Opposition and Lead the Non-Violent Civil Disobedience
Campaign to Replace Theocracy with Democracy.
Today's Generation of Iranian
Women And Youth Lead The Pro-Democracy Movement in Iran.
We Have The Moral Obligation
to Break Our Silence, Seize the Moment, And Pave The Path Towards
Democracy.
We ask you
and all freedom loving people in the name of humanity to support the
student, women, and people’s movement, and to help them achieve long-awaited
freedom from the current fanatic government.
Today Only Unity.
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