[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 26, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1541-E1542]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DECLARATION BY 5.2 MILLION IRAQIS IN SUPPORT OF THE IRANIAN MOJAHEDIN 
                              KHALQ (MEK)

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 26, 2006

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on June 17, 2006, more than 10,000 Iraqis 
accompanied by delegates from 121 parties and associations took part in 
the Iraqi people solidarity congress in Ashraf City, Iraq, the 
declaration by 5.2 million Iraqi citizens, 121 political parties and 
social groups, 700,000 women, 14,000 lawyers and jurists, 19,000 
physicians, 35,000 engineers, 320 clerics, 540 professors, 2,000 tribal 
sheikhs and 300 local officials were among the signatories of the 
declaration.
  Following is an excerpt from the declaration by 5.2 million Iraqis, 
partly printed in the New York Times, on June 23, 2006.

       The Iranian regime's leaders have repeatedly declared that 
     they have been the first winners of the war in Iraq. Mahmoud 
     Ahmadinejad said, ``God placed the fruit of the occupation of 
     both our neighboring countries (Iraq and Afghanistan) on 
     Iran's lap.'' He concluded, ``We must be prepared to run the 
     world.'' (January 5, 2006)
       After the elections in Iraq, Iran's Interior Minister 
     announced, ``From the ballot boxes in Baghdad and Iraqi 
     provinces, one can hear the Slogans of the Muslim people of 
     Iran.'' He said, ``This major historic Phenomenon attests to 
     the realization'' of Khomeini's motto ``of conquering Qods 
     (Jerusalem) via Karbala.'' (Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi, December 
     22, 2005)
       As Iran's rulers acknowledge, nuclear weapons are the 
     strategic Guarantee for their survival. Would nuclear weapons 
     not

[[Page E1542]]

     also empower them to separate the oil-rich southern territory 
     in Iraq?
       As a result:
       A. The Iranian regime prevents the establishment of 
     security, Stability and democracy in Iraq and poses an 
     immediate threat to our Country's integrity and liberty. It 
     is the main obstacle to our Independence and the quick 
     departure of the Multi-National Force.
       B. Presently, the main dispute is between democracy and 
     Dictatorship. The first and most important political 
     alignment in Iraq is between democratic and patriotic forces 
     with their various inclinations and thoughts on the one hand 
     and affiliates of the Iranian regime on the other.
       C. During the elections and formation of the new government 
     of Iraq, an Iraqi alternative was formed against the option 
     presented by Iran's ruling mullahs, thus providing an 
     encouraging prospect for the country.
       D. In this geopolitical situation and in this juncture of 
     History, democracy in Iraq and democracy in Iran are 
     interdependent, Guaranteeing each other's survival.
       E. The solution and the only encouraging prospect for 
     Neutralizing these threats come through eviction of the 
     Iranian regime from Iraq and recognition of the status of the 
     People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, which is the 
     principal bulwark against the Iranian regime's interventions. 
     Similarly, the MEK's disarmament upset the strategic balance 
     in this sensitive region of the world in favor of the Iranian 
     regime.
       The Iranian regime, however, launched an astounding 
     demonizing and Disinformation campaign against the MEK. 
     Iran's agents in the Interior Ministry kidnapped MEK members 
     while others discontinued the government's allocation of food 
     rations, medicine and fuel for residents of Ashraf City 
     contrary to all Islamic and Iraqi traditions. Through the 
     Iraqi National Security Advisor, the government announced 
     that the MEK ``may not even use their allocation of food.'' 
     (November 18, 2005)
       The Iranian regime's fingerprints are evident in paragraph 
     C of Article 21 of the Constitution. Contrary to all 
     international laws on Asylum, this paragraph disentitles the 
     accused of the right to asylum merely based on the unverified 
     charge of terrorism.
       Repeated calls by the Iranian regime and its operatives in 
     Iraq for Retribution of the MEK and confiscation of their 
     property (ex. Asshahed weekly, April 4, 2005), the Iranian 
     embassy's advertisements in the Iraqi press demanding 
     ``retribution of members of this organization as a more 
     important opening for democracy in Iraq'', setting 
     their ``prosecution'' or at least ``expulsion'' as a 
     ``test'' for the government of Iraq (Badr weekly, 
     September 5 and November 27, 2005) and urging their 
     referral to the ``Criminal Court'' (Asshahed weekly, 
     January 15, 2006) are the most obvious signs of collusion 
     with the Iranian regime.
       Having investigated the MEK's 20-year residence in Iraq and 
     stressing their readiness to defend the rights of the MEK in 
     any court of law, over 12,000 Iraqi jurists declared in 
     January 2006, ``The MEK has never interfered in Iraq's 
     internal affairs and the claim that the Organization 
     participated in the suppression of the Kurds or Shiites is a 
     sheer lie fabricated by the Iranian regime to tarnish the 
     image of its opposition and alternative.''
       We urge the following:
       1. Agreement of the government of Iraq with the People's 
     Mojahedin Organization of Iran and the coalition of National 
     Council of Resistance of Iran on a worthwhile legal and 
     political status for them in Iraq;
       2. Acknowledgment of MEK members' right to political asylum 
     in Iraq and ensuring respect for their right to own their 
     places and Properties;
       3. Modification of article 21C of the Constitution in the 
     Course of reviewing this clause, so that the Iranian regime 
     would not be able to manipulate it against its opposition;
       4. Commitment of the government of Iraq to international 
     laws, conventions and agreements on the status of the MEK in 
     Iraq, Particularly with regards to the principle of ``non-
     refoulement'' in relocating people from one country to 
     another as verified by the International Committee of the Red 
     Cross (ICRC) and the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) in the 
     case of the MEK;
       5. Coordinated measures by the government of Iraq and the 
     MNF-I to secure the release of the two abducted MEK members.
       We declare that:
       The terrorist designation of the People's Mojahedin 
     Organization of Iran, 120,000 of whose members and 
     sympathizers have been murdered by the Iranian regime and is 
     the prime victim of state-sponsored terrorism is neither 
     legitimate nor credible and should not be regarded as a basis 
     for relations with this organization.

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