In his letter to the foreign ministers this morning, Mr. Rajavi reviewed Khatami's six-month record on human rights, export of terrorism and efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction. He pointed out that despite Khatami's sloganeering, the state of political freedoms has only deteriorated. His government officials, including the ministers of Islamic Guidance and Foreign Affairs, have reiterated that the fatwa to kill Salman Rushdie remains irrevocable, Mr. Rajavi added.
The NCR President said: As the clerical regime's officials have acknowledged, Khatami's interview with the CNN contained nothing new. All Khatami did was to use some hollow and non-binding phrases such as "dialogue between civilizations" and "the great American nation" to prepare the grounds for those interested in striking economic and political deals with the regime.
But, the theocracy ruling Iran is in such dire need to create an external crisis that Khamenei launched an all-out offensive against Khatami's policies and pointed out that even discussions about having relations with the United States will create rifts in the regime and would eventually devour it. Two days later, in a dramatic retreat, Khatami said, "We will continue to tread along Khomeini's path," and "we will persevere to do so." He added: "If we are seen to have turned away from our revolution and given up our identity, no matter what they would give us, we shall lose."
Even if Khatami, despite his past record in repression, censorship and export of terrorism, were to change colors overnight and become a reformist, he would not bring about any changes in this religious dictatorship where the Vali-e Faqih (the supreme religious leader) says the last word, the NCR President added.
Mr. Rajavi noted in his letter to the EU foreign ministers: Nine months since the EU Foreign Ministers meeting in Luxembourg in April 97, there has not been any change in the suppressive and terrorist behavior of the Iranian regime. Therefore, the spirit of the decisions of the Luxembourg summit make it imperative that the future session of the foreign ministers put more serious measures on its agenda to impose trade and political sanctions against this medieval dictatorship.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
January 22, 1998
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