Global Recognition: The NCRI’s Role as Iran’s Democratic Alternative

In the tumultuous landscape of Iranian politics, one organization stands out as a beacon of hope for a future marked by democracy, equality, and human rights: the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). Founded in July 1981 in Tehran, the NCRI has steadfastly opposed the religious dictatorship ruling Iran and championed the cause of a free and democratic Iran. The NCRI represents a diverse coalition of political figures and activists committed to building a pluralistic republic based on the separation of religion and state.

Since its inception, the NCRI has garnered support from a wide spectrum of Iranian society, including political figures, ethnic and religious minorities, and women, who constitute the majority of its members.

The NCRI has mounted a formidable challenge to the ruling mullahs, advocating for tolerance, democracy, and the recognition of women’s rights.

Central to the NCRI’s mission is Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-point Plan for the Future of Iran, a comprehensive roadmap for a democratic transition, which has been approved by the NCRI. This plan, which has garnered widespread support both domestically and internationally, encompasses key principles such as separation of religion and state, human rights, women’s rights, economic reform, freedom of religion, and autonomy for ethnic minorities.

The NCRI pledges to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and all international covenants on human rights, guaranteeing freedom of expression, association, and religion. Importantly, the NCRI recognizes the equal rights of women in all spheres of society, including the right to serve as judge or president of the country, contrary to the current restrictions..

Recognizing the importance of economic revitalization, the NCRI advocates for a market economy and private ownership, coupled with investments in science and technology. By fostering relations with the industrialized world, the NCRI aims to rebuild Iran’s economy and create opportunities for its citizens.

The NCRI advocates for the separation of religion and state, ensuring the rights of all citizens to practice their faith freely. Additionally, the NCRI recognizes the rights of  Iran’s divers nationalities, and has proposed plans for the autonomy of regions such as Kurdistan within the integral territory of Iran, granting them greater control over their affairs.

In the realm of foreign policy, the NCRI prioritizes independence, cooperation, and non-interference. Committed to peace and stability in the Middle East, the NCRI condemns aggression and expansionism, advocating for diplomacy and dialogue as the means to resolve conflicts.

Over the past forty years, the NCRI has not only advocated for its proposed programs in words but has also put them into practice. From championing gender equality, demonstrated in its membership where more than half are women, to other initiatives… Additionally, the NCRI and its primary constituent, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), have borne the brunt of the struggle against the religious regime, with over a hundred thousand lives sacrificed in the process. This steadfast role and approach have garnered significant international support from various political and diplomatic figures. Numerous political and international leaders have lauded the NCRI’s role as the sole viable alternative in their speeches, excerpts of some of which are highlighted below:

Former UK House Speaker John Bercow

The truth of the matter is appeasement fails. The only thing that dictators respect is strength. So, we must not allow them to foster an atmosphere of appeasement which is accompanied by the narrative that there is no alternative but a set of arrangements that will lead to chaos. And that too, we know, is wrong.

And you do not have to look into the crystal ball when you can read the book of the last 40-plus years. The National Council of Resistance of Iran is the living refutation of the thesis that there is no alternative. There is an alternative, it is a democratic alternative, it is a well-organized alternative, it is a conceptually coherent alternative, and it is an alternative grounded in principle and committed to an explicit program. If you will, Madame Rajavi’s intended contract with the people of Iran.

So, let’s not have any more of this substandard, down-market, low-grade drivel about there being no alternative. What an appalling admission of weakness, of error, of failure, of deceit on the part of the regime that it says there’s no alternative. They can’t defend their own record, they can’t defend their economic record, they can’t defend their human rights record, they can’t defend their record as terrorists, as torturers, as kidnappers, as hostage-takers, as would-be nuclear armors, as people who wish to oppress their own people and, if possible, others as well, so they’re left saying there is no alternative.

There is an alternative, and Madame Rajavi has articulated that alternative year after year after year in the form of the Ten-Point Plan, which is about human rights, equality between men and women, differentiation and separation between religion and politics, a passion for protecting the environment, and a recognition that democracy means giving people the chance to choose who governs them and, yes, the chance every so often to change that choice.

I just want to round off by saying this. You will notice in the dishonest lexicon, the dishonest use of the dictionary by the Iranian regime, how they say that there is no united opposition, no united opposition. They’ve stopped saying there’s no meaningful alternative. They say there’s no united opposition alternative.

Well, the answer to that is that there is a united alternative with growing and mass support amongst the people of Iran who believe in democracy, who believe in pluralism, who believe in parliamentarian, who believe in choice, who believe in equality, who believe in justice, who believe in the rule of law.

If what the butchers, the tyrants, and the demagogues from Iran’s government are saying is that there isn’t unanimity, well, of course, there is not unanimity. There is unanimity, that is to say, one view only, to be found only in heaven or in hell. Of course, there is no unanimity and Mrs. Rajavi and her mass movement cannot be expected to unite with the enemies of democracy, with people who don’t favor pluralism, people who don’t want democratic change, who don’t believe in equality, who don’t think there should be a right to regular and independently monitored elections, but amongst the mass of people for whom the flame of freedom will never be extinguished and for whom that flame burns brightly, there is mass support for change.

General Wesley Clark, Former Supreme Allied Commander of US forces in Europe

In a world of 8 billion people facing climate change, pandemics, and financial, and economic shocks, is there a place for a nation whose stated purpose, year after year, decade after decade, is to destroy a neighboring state and murder millions of innocents?

Should such a leadership be accorded international legitimacy? I think the answer to all this is no. So not by the method of its transformation into a theocratic dictatorship, not by the free consent of its people, not by its good works, not by its stated goal and national purpose, none of these attributes confer legitimacy on the Ayatollah’s regime in Iran.

They do control the production of oil and gas. They have formidable weapons. They threaten their neighbors. They have strategic relationships with some of the world’s troublemakers. They have a seat at the United Nations. But this cannot be a legitimate government. It cannot be. And it should not be accorded that recognition.

I think in the 21st century, there has to be an alternative to a war against this government that this government, Iran, seems to be seeking. There has to be. And that alternative has to be to listen to the people of Iran and give them the voice to shape their own government. But that cannot be done if those on the outside still treat this government in Iran as the legitimate representative of the Iranian people.

It’s time for the West, Iran’s neighbors, and the world community to look for and support other leadership for the Iranian people, to find and support that alternative representation, to look to ordinary people, to those with the courage to protest in schools and in the streets, and to look to this organization that has helped and supported these legitimate expressions of the Iranian people for decades.

I’ve watched the courage, commitment, incredible durability, and sustainment of this organization [NCRI and MEK]. I’ve gone through Ashraf 3. I’ve met the people who’ve been tortured by this regime.

Surely, the world community must come together and recognize there is an alternative to the Ayatollahs. And that alternative shouldn’t be sought in a war of conflict. No, this is the organization that’s persisted for decades, standing up for the rights of the Iranian people. Its program calls for democratic governance, freedom of religion, respect for human rights, and political rights.

It has intimate knowledge, gained over decades of the conditions inside Iran, and the needs of the people in Iran, and it knows how to improve their conditions morally, politically, legally, and economically.

Is it a political and moral force in current Iran? Absolutely. It’s the highest priority target of the Iranian regime. Could it become a transitional government if the current government collapsed? Most definitely. It has communications and representation almost everywhere inside Iran already.

It has a well-thought-out program and an aim to do better for the people of Iran and to bring Iran into a constructive partnership with other nations in the region and globally.

So why not? What does it take to move forward? Only this: To recognize that the government of the Ayatollahs is illegitimate and to act on that, to act on it in every international forum, to bring legal challenges, political challenges, demonstrations, and the expressions of the Iranian people inside Iran to the world for the world to make that judgment.

Former American VP Mike Pence

I know I speak on behalf of tens of millions of Americans in both political parties when I say the American people stand for freedom and the American people stand for a free Iran. A secular, democratic, non-nuclear Iranian republic that derives its just powers from the consent of the governed onward to a democratic Republic.

The Iranian regime has proven time and time again that it is incapable of moderating. Every olive branch extended by Western nations over the past 40 years has been unceremoniously broken in two. Only a renewed commitment to maximum pressure can change the future of Iran, and that must include recognition and strong support for the organized Resistance so well represented here today.

While the regime has never been weaker, the Resistance movement, I can tell, has never been stronger. Resistance Units in Iran are the wellspring of hope for the Iranian people. They are an engine for change from within during uprisings and continued protests. And every day they gain strength while the regime withers. With MEK’s leadership, teachers, workers, and retirees have courageously taken to the streets in hundreds of cities, and 31 provinces. Students from more than 130 universities, even high school students have brought new energy to the cause of a free Iran. Protests used to be isolated and sporadic, but as we can see from all over the world, protests are continuing everywhere across the country, especially in the past nine months.

The regime has not been dormant. It has gone on to brutally murder hundreds in the streets. Tens of thousands have been unjustly arrested. And over 3,600 members of Resistance Units have been arrested or involuntarily disappeared. Innocent civilians have been sentenced to death. Yet nine months into this uprising, the Resistance network is only stronger. The Iranian people remain defiant and continue to demand their freedom. And we pray and we hope and we have confidence this is not just another protest, but the beginning of a revolution for freedom, freedom in the making for all of Iran.

But as I’ve said before, one of the biggest lies the ruling regime has sold to the world is that there’s no alternative to the status quo of tyranny and repression in Iran. But there is an alternative. A well-organized, fully prepared, perfectly qualified, popularly supported alternative called the MEK. And thank you, Maryam Rajavi, for your outstanding leadership and personal courage. You’re an inspiration to the world.

It was my great honor, along with my wife Karen, to visit Ashraf 3 in Albania just last year. We heard firsthand about how the MEK has committed democracy to human rights and to the freedom and liberty of every citizen of Iran. The Ten-Point Plan for the future of Iran will ensure freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and the freedom of every Iranian to choose their elected leaders.

Just last month, I was proud to join a group of more than 100 former world leaders calling on President Joe Biden and leaders of the European Union to join us in supporting the Iranian resistance and specifically Maryam Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan.

We want peace to come at last to Iran. Supporting the resistance is a prerequisite for peace. The regime in Tehran wants to trick the world into believing that the Iranian protesters want to return to the dictatorship of the Shah. But as I’ve seen firsthand and heard from the leaders of this movement and from the families that comprise it, the Iranian people do not want to replace one dictator with another. The Iranian people want to be free.

Former US National Security Advisor Gen James Jones

The regime with its repressive grip stifles the fundamental human rights of the Iranian people. Its belligerent posturing and nuclear ambitions pose a grave threat, undermining the concerted effort of the international community to foster enduring peace. We cannot and will not idly stand by as the voices of the oppressed and silenced and the hopes of millions are dashed.

We must recognize that underneath the regime’s enthusiastic embrace of what they see as appeasement is an unmistakable fear. They fear the growing impact and influence of the opposition forces inside Iran. They recognize that the National Council of Resistance of Iran is a threat to their tyrannical rule, a formidable threat to their tyrannical rule. This recognition in itself is a resounding confirmation of the potency and efficacy of the NCRI under the visionary leadership of Madam Rajavi.

Mrs. Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan which mirrors the democratic values cherished by the international community, which Americans recognize as being truly Jeffersonian, stands as the beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards a democratic Iran where freedom, justice, and human rights will prevail. The Global support for the NCRI’s goals and ambition resounds across nations, capturing the attention of senior leaders and legislators from numerous countries, as we’ve heard earlier today.

The powerful solidarity displayed by 117 former world leaders from 45 nations in a joint letter to their respective heads of state speaks volumes about the global recognition of the significance of democratic values espoused by the Iranian Resistance.

But the momentum does not stop at that point. Over 3,600 legislators from 61 countries, including an absolute bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, whose members we heard from earlier, have also voiced their support for the NCRI and its transformative vision for a democratic Iran which symbolizes a collective belief in the Iranian people’s struggle for democratic regime change.

So, the time has come to bid farewell to the failed policy of thinking that the regime can ever be trusted to join the family of free nations. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Iranian people and their unwavering Resistance movement. That is what is most important. That is where we should be in our beliefs. The people of Iran deserve no less.

Former Canadian PM Stephen Harper

This latest round of protest has been led by the women of Iran. But to be clear, these protests are much more than a feminist movement against the hijab. They are rooted in over 40 years of organized resistance with women like Maryam Rajavi playing a leading role. Because the women of Iran have long understood that their rights and their equality and even their personhood can only be realized with the overthrow of the regime and its primitive ideology.

And another important point, these protests are looking forward, not back. They want an end to the theocratic dictatorship of Khamenei and Raisi, but they are not calling in any way for the restoration of the monarchical dictatorship of the Shah. As I said, the Iranian people demand a free, constitutional, and democratic state.

There is a viable alternative to the regime. Never believe the propaganda from the regime, again, far too often repeated in our Western nations, that the only alternative to the regime is chaos. To them, I ask, how could a change in the status quo in Iran really be worse? How could something be worse than a theocratic regime with an apocalyptic ideology, relentlessly pursuing nuclear weapons, and openly listing the nations it wishes to wipe off the face of the earth? We could get worse than that, really? How could it be worse than a regime that at great expense of the suffering of its own people, funds terrorism and war from Syria to Lebanon to Yemen and Iraq to Ukraine and beyond? We could get worse than that, really?

The only realistic policy in dealing with this regime is not fear and weakness, it is determination and strength. It is not to soften sanctions, it is to toughen them. It is not to accept human rights violations, it is to condemn them. It is not to excuse the regime’s institutions, it is to list them as agents of terror. It is not to get another pathetically ineffective nuclear deal, it is to make the regime understand that its nuclear ambitions will never be tolerated.

I’m not here to tell the Iranian people who their government should be. That is for them to decide in open and free elections. But there are alternatives. I am a signatory, also a signatory, to that open letter supported by over 100 former presidents, prime ministers, and leaders from around the world that offers comprehensive policy recommendations to all governments on the matter of Iran. It highlights the missing link of Western policy toward Iran. That is the failure to reach out to organized Iranian Resistance and to support viable alternatives to the regime.

That is the future that you, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, have consistently and tirelessly advocated. A commitment to free elections, freedom of assembly and expression, pluralism and the rule of law, human rights and gender equality, the separation of religion and state, and the autonomy of Iran’s ethnic minorities and of course, a non-nuclear state at peace with the world. That is your vision and it is worth fighting for. It is the vision of the vast majority of the Iranian people. They understand that the regime represents a perversion of Iran’s great historical Islamic and Persian traditions.

As you continue your fight for that alternative vision, please know that millions around the world stand with you in wanting to see that better future for Iran, its neighbors, and the world.

Polish MEP Ryszard Czarnecki

Today, after the developments of the past nine months, there is no doubt that the future of Iran lies in this alternative. The Iranian Resistance Movement, led by Madame Rajavi, is currently working to bring democracy and freedom to Iran through her Ten-Point Plan for a secular and democratic republic. This plan represents a comprehensive vision for a better future for the Iranian people. Last month, Madame Rajavi was invited to the European Parliament, where she was received by a far greater number of members than many heads of state. This demonstrates the admiration and support that the European Parliament has for her and her movement.