[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1029]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           THE IRANIAN OPPOSITION PROTESTS ARE TO BE ADMIRED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, there's a grim update coming out of 
the nation of Iran. Last week, the Government of Iran executed two of 
the 11 people who had been arrested and sentenced to death for 
peacefully protesting the government. They were hanged. Iran announced 
yesterday that nine more people sentenced to death will be hanged in 
the public square.
  On Saturday, 16 more protestors went on trial for their lives. 
Hundreds of people were arrested in December when liberty advocates 
again protested in the streets of Iran by the thousands and at least 
eight people were murdered by the government.
  What was their crime? Speaking out against the rigged presidential 
election last June, speaking out against a dictator who murders his own 
people, Ahmadinejad.
  The people reject the Tiny Tyrant of the Desert, Ahmadinejad, and 
they're killed in the streets and sentenced by the government-
controlled courtrooms to die for peacefully objecting to fraudulent 
elections.
  So death by hanging from the Liberty Tree was their fate, but their 
silent voices are still heard proclaiming freedom throughout the land 
of Iran. They died martyrs for their country; they died for human 
dignity; they died alone but not for themselves alone but for every 
Iranian that believes in the human right of freedom.
  Next week on February 11, Iran will mark the 31st anniversary of the 
Islamic Revolution. The revolution promised the people of Iran liberty, 
but it has imposed tyranny. The occasion is usually marked by 
government-run rallies throughout the country, but the leaders of the 
freedom movement are asking the people to once again risk their lives 
and stand in opposition to government tyranny and government-controlled 
rallies.
  The government is accused by opposition leaders of executing two 
protestors to scare the people into silence on the anniversary of the 
revolution. Now, the Tiny Tyrant in the Desert, Ahmadinejad, says, The 
Islamic Revolution opened a window to liberty for the human race. What 
a lie. The Iranian Government doesn't know what the word ``liberty'' 
even means.
  The head of the Islamic Revolution Guards in Tehran, Brigadier 
General Hossein Hamedani, warned in the media that the opposition 
movement would be barred from making an appearance on February 11. He 
said, ``Any voice, color, or gesture which is different from that of 
the Islamic Revolution and from the Iranians' voice should be driven 
out of people's marches,'' saying violators would be ``severely dealt 
with.'' So much for freedom of speech. So much for freedom to peaceably 
assemble and protest the government.
  Plus, those in the media are being controlled as to what they can 
report, allowing only government propaganda to be preached to the 
people. Is this what the Iranian Government calls liberty? This is 
tyranny by Dictator Ahmadinejad.
  The United States should not remain silent about the oppressions of 
the Iranian people. The next great hope for the world and world peace 
is that the people of Iran remove their illegitimate regime and put in 
a government that is duly and legally authorized by the people. The 
United States should stand with the Iranian people with their request 
for freedom and let them know we support their voice for freedom over 
tyranny, liberty over oppression. And while the dictator may kill the 
body of those freedom fighters, he will not succeed in killing the 
spirit of freedom that they have proclaimed when they lived.
  The Tiny Tyrant of the Desert, Ahmadinejad, is trying to intimidate 
his people and intimidate the world. He is trying to divert attention 
away from his unpopular government. He is threatening the world again 
saying Iran will ``deliver a telling blow to global powers on February 
11.'' Could this be a threat? Another advance in Iran's quest for 
nuclear weapons?
  Our quarrel is not with the people of Iran. Our quarrel, the world's 
quarrel, is with the Government of Iran. The legitimate government of 
Iran is the world threat to peace. Ahmadinejad and his henchmen are 
waging internal war against the Iranian people, and he desires to rage 
war against other nations. We should join hands with the sons of 
liberty and the daughters of Iran in protest of tyranny, oppression, 
and murder in that country.
  Iran needs a regime change because a nuclear Iran is not a nuclear 
option.
  And that's just the way it is.

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