[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 196 (Thursday, November 20, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H4830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING COURAGE AND SACRIFICE OF AZIZ REZAEE

  (Mr. Ruiz of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the profound courage 
and sacrifice of a woman whose story embodies the enduring struggle for 
freedom and human dignity in Iran, a woman known simply and lovingly as 
Aziz, meaning ``dear'' or ``beloved.'' Her full name is Aziz Rezaee, 
and she is a mother of resistance.
  Aziz was born Zahra Norowzi in 1929 in Tehran. Like many mothers 
around the world, she married young, raised a large family, and worked 
to give her children a better future.
  The tides of Iranian history pulled her family into the heart of 
political repression and terror. Aziz endured a heartbreak that no 
parent should ever face, which is the loss of nine members of her 
family: three sons, two daughters, and two sons-in-law. They were all 
killed across two successive dictatorships that feared the voices of 
those seeking democracy and basic rights. This happened first under the 
Shah and later under the clerical regime that replaced him.
  Her children's only so-called crime was their involvement in Iran's 
democratic opposition movement, a movement that dared to say that the 
people of Iran deserved liberty, justice, and respect for human rights.
  During the rule of the Shah, three of Aziz' children were imprisoned 
and tortured. One was killed in the street by secret police.
  Aziz herself was arrested in 1975 and spent more than 3 years in 
prison. She was tortured. She was flogged. She was hung upside down. 
She was forced into solitary confinement. Yet, she never broke. The 
scars on the soles of her feet remain today, living proof of the 
cruelty she endured for simply wanting freedom for her people.
  Her son, Mehdi, only 19 years old when arrested, refused to bow to 
the torture inflicted on him. In a rare public trial before foreign 
journalists, he exposed the brutal acts of the regime and pledged his 
life to the poor and oppressed in Iran. That defiance cost him his 
life, but his voice continues to echo.
  After the 1979 revolution, the Iranian people hoped for democracy. 
Instead, a new tyranny rose, one just as ruthless as the one before. 
The new regime once again targeted Aziz' family.
  In 1982, her daughter, Azar, 6 months pregnant, and her husband were 
killed in a raid by the Revolutionary Guard. Aziz fled the country, 
forced into exile, where she continued her fight from abroad. Years 
later, more of her family members were executed.

  Madam Speaker, how much can one mother bear? How many sacrifices must 
one family make for freedom? Despite the unimaginable loss, despite 
being denied the right to return home, Aziz has never surrendered her 
hope for a democratic and free Iran.
  Today, in her nineties, living in a modest apartment on the outskirts 
of Paris, she remains steadfast. She continues to speak out. She 
continues to believe. She says: ``The movement to liberate Iran hasn't 
died. It is strong. It is alive. We are marching forward.''
  Aziz Rezaee's story is not only about suffering. It is about 
endurance. It is about resilience and resistance. It is a testament to 
the unbreakable spirit of the Iranian people who continue to demand 
basic human rights and who risked everything, including their lives, to 
achieve them.
  Madam Speaker, we stand here in the United States Congress, a place 
that symbolizes freedom and democratic voices. We must never take those 
values for granted. We must never turn our eyes away from those who 
fight for them around the world.
  Today, I honor Aziz, a mother of resistance, and all Iranians who 
stand bravely against oppression. I stand with the Iranian people in 
their pursuit of democracy, equality, and human dignity. I reaffirm 
that the United States will always support the fundamental rights of 
people seeking freedom.
  Madam Speaker, may Aziz' courage continue to inspire us like it has 
inspired me. May her sacrifices never be forgotten. May the day come 
soon when the people of Iran can live free in peace, justice, and 
democracy.

                          ____________________