[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 171 (Thursday, November 19, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1664-E1665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 STATEMENT PUBLISHED BY MRS. MARYAM RAJAVI OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF 
   RESISTANCE OF IRAN, CONDEMNING THE RECENT TERROR ATTACKS IN PARIS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. TOM McCLINTOCK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 19, 2015

  Mr. McCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following statement 
published in the Washington Times on November 18, 2015, by Mrs. Maryam 
Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, condemning the 
recent terror attacks in Paris.

       On behalf of the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance 
     for freedom and democracy, I strongly condemn the terrorist 
     attacks and massacre of defenseless people in Paris on 
     November 13, 2015.
       I extend my condolences to the Republic's President and 
     government as well as the French people for the loss of life 
     in these attacks, which are true examples of crime against 
     humanity.
       I express my heartfelt sympathies to the victims' families. 
     Today, our hearts bleed for the French nation. The people of 
     Iran deeply feel the bitterness of these crimes.
       In these difficult moments, the Iranian people can 
     empathize with the French people

[[Page E1665]]

     and share their grief, because for the past 37 years they 
     have been suffering under the religious and terrorist 
     dictatorship, which is the Godfather of ISIS.
       Today, humanity's conscience is in shock and disbelief, 
     wondering how such crimes can be committed in the name of God 
     and under the banner of religion.
       Fundamentalism has nothing to do with Islam, whether it is 
     under the pretext of Shiite extremism and religious tyranny 
     or velayat-e faqih (absolute clerical rule) or under the 
     pretext of Sunni extremism and Daesh (ISIS).
       Such inhumane crimes have no connection to Islam, and are 
     evils that represent enmity to peace and humanity everywhere.
       Crimes committed by the religious fascism ruling Iran, 
     including 120,000 political executions, hostage-taking and 
     export of terrorism, have nothing to do with Islam or the 
     Iranian people.
       For this reason, I urge all Muslims to strongly condemn the 
     crimes committed in Paris and to not allow the conduct of 
     these ruthless terrorists to occur in the name of Islam and 
     Muslims.
       I also call on them to stand firm against such extremism, 
     which violates the true teachings of Islam.
       The Assad regime in Syria and its prime sponsor the mullahs 
     ruling Iran are the chief sociopolitical enablers of ISIS, 
     with their slaughter of 300,000 innocent people and 
     displacing of more than half of the Syrian population.
       As long as this dictatorship rules in Damascus with the 
     backing of the religious fascism ruling Iran, ISIS will 
     continue to thrive and extend its scourge of death from the 
     Middle East to Europe.
       At the same time, Iran's ruling mullahs, who are the 
     primary beneficiaries of these crimes, are brazenly blaming 
     the French government for the attacks.
       According to what they published in a news agency 
     affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), 
     their demand is for France to abandon its firm policy against 
     the Assad dictatorship in light of the November 13th massacre 
     and to instead ``coordinate its efforts with the Islamic 
     countries,'' namely the mullahs in Tehran.
       In such circumstances, it has become increasingly vital for 
     France to insist on the removal of Bashar Assad from power 
     and to adopt a more decisive policy in resolving the Syrian 
     crisis.
       Experience has shown that firmness is the most effective 
     and the only principled and correct approach to confronting 
     terrorists.
       Once again, I extend my most sincere sympathies to the 
     people of France and pray for a speedy recover for the 
     injured.

                          ____________________