In an official declaration in December 1994, signed by all its 235 member organizations and personalities, including the chairs of its 18 committees, the National Council of Resistance of Iran described the U.S. State Department report against the People's Mojahedin of Iran as "worthless" and "abounding in distortions and contradictions." It said the report, submitted to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives on October 28, 1994, amounts to a rehash of the State Department's baseless allegations against the Iranian Resistance since 1985, dating back to the Irangate scandal and dealings with the Khomeini regime.
Stressing that despite congressional urging and emphasis, those
preparing it had stubbornly refused to hear the views of the
Mojahedin and other members of the NCR, the declaration underscored
the following points:
1- The report is released at a time when the clerical regime is beset by
internal and external crises. There are no prospects for the regime's
viability and survival as the crisis of Marja'iat (leadership) escalates,
discontent among different sectors of society incessantly mounts, and
popular protests and violent uprisings expand. In contrast, the
National Council of Resistance and the National Liberation Army of
Iran are prepared to overthrow the Khomeini regime and establish
liberty and popular sovereignty. The Iranian people's enthusiastic
support, in and out of Iran, for the Resistance's President-elect, Mrs.
Maryam Rajavi, during the week of national solidarity, the July 21
worldwide demonstrations and the Mehregan celebrations, testifies to
this fact.
Under such circumstances, lacking an alternative to their liking, the
advocates of the same policies that led to the shameful 1953 coup
d'Žtat against the nationalist government of Dr. Mohammad Mossadeq,
who reject an independent, free, democratic, advanced and modern
Iran, have published this report in a bid to appease the religious
tyranny and retard the rapid pace of developments favoring the
democratic and popular alternative. It is not without reason that for
the most part, the report repeats vituperations by the remnants of the
Shah's regime and proponents of the current one.
2- It must be stressed that only the people of Iran are qualified to
decide on the merits, or lack thereof, of the political alternative to
Khomeini's illegitimate regime. Although the ruling religious, terrorist
dictatorship has denied the Iranian people the chance to go to the
ballot box and elect freely, they have nonetheless extended the
highest degree of trust and support to the Iranian Resistance. If it
were otherwise, the National Council of Resistance would have had no
roots among the Iranian people and definitely been destroyed. In that
case, there would have been no need for 41 pages of distortions and
slanders. How can one describe a Resistance as lacking in roots and
credibility, and dependent on a country smaller than its own, and yet
deem such an onslaught against it by the State Department of the sole
super power in the world as urgent and necessary? Is it not a fact that
they have assessed the clerical dictatorship's overthrow and the
assumption of power by this very Council, as definite?
Like Dr. Mossadeq, the greatest "sin" of the NCR and its President, Mr.
Massoud Rajavi, has been to uphold and strive for independence,
democracy and human rights. It is not surprising, therefore, that this
report describes the Mojahedin and the National Council of Resistance
as "fundamentally undemocratic" and says that "they are not a viable
alternative to Iran's current regime."
3- The National Council of Resistance is committed to transfer power to
the people's representatives within six-months of the regime's
overthrow through direct, general elections for a National Legislative
and Constituent Assembly. The NCR guarantees the "individual and
social rights of the people, as stipulated in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, all general freedoms, including the right to hold
assemblies, freedom of speech and beliefs, the press, parties,
syndicates, councils, religions and denominations, and the freedom to
choose one's occupation." It emphasizes "political and social equality
among all citizens and abolishes all privileges on the basis of gender,
creed or ideology." It declares "all citizens equal before the law and
underscores complete social, political, cultural and economic equality
between women and men." These ratified documents have been
published frequently and are readily accessible to all. That those
preparing the report chose not to refer to them, only reflects their bias
and the report's lack of credibility.
4- The National Council of Resistance vehemently rejects and
condemns the report's false and erroneous statements about the NCR,
its history, past and present members; the unfounded allegations
against its President; and the redundant charges of lack of democracy
within the Council. The NCR reiterates: "Mr. Massoud Rajavi is the
Council's President and spokesman. As such, his views and stances
must be regarded as the culmination of the Council's deliberations and
decisions." The NCR's modus operandi and decision-making process are
based on formally announced democratic guidelines and bylaws, fully
implemented by its President in the 14 years since the NCR's
foundation. Mr. Massoud Rajavi has founded a lasting coalition in our
history which is the nationalist and democratic alternative to this
terrorist regime. Thus, it is only natural that he would be the first
target of accusations by the enemies of our liberation movement.
Precisely for this reason, this slander and these insults and accusations
are considered as an attempt to destroy a movement and constitute a
declaration of enmity toward the entirety of an enchained nation and
its combatants of freedom.
5- The National Council of Resistance emphasizes that such reports and
the policy of appeasement that placates the ruling mullahs only
embolden them to persist in internal suppression and export of
terrorism and fundamentalism to other countries. Due to the presence
of a nationwide and just Resistance and its military arm, the National
Liberation Army, however, the current Iranian situation is vastly
different from the time of the 1953 coup d'Žtat and the Irangate era.
Nothing can prevent this regime's overthrow and the victory of a
democratic and nationalist Iran. In this path, the National Council of
Resistance of Iran welcomes the friendship of all nations,
governments, forces and personalities who respect the just rights of
the Iranian people for democracy and independence.