OPINION:
The surging tides of dissent in Iran, reminiscent of the seismic anti-monarchical revolution of 1979, beckon us to engage in a profound re-evaluation of Western policy. While some may be swayed by the siren call of engagement with the clerical regime, a growing chorus of dissenting voices resounds, urging us to adopt a more resolute approach. A formidable coalition comprised of esteemed former government officials from North America, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East implores the international community to seize this historic opportunity and wholeheartedly embrace the fervent aspirations of the Iranian people for a democratic republic.
However, today, we are confronted with reminders of past failures. This month, two disturbing incidents thrust the question of Western policy towards Iran back into the glaring spotlight. First, the French authorities shockingly announced their intention to prohibit a momentous opposition rally scheduled to be held in Paris on July 1. Ostensibly justified by purported “security threats” emanating from Tehran, this decision represents a dismal capitulation to the demands of the Iranian regime, which views the rally’s organizer, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), as an existential threat to its oppressive rule.
Second, hours after the French ban, authorities in Albania, home to thousands of members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) members—a vital constituent of the NCRI—launched a brazen assault on their residence, Ashraf 3, near Tirana. In a shocking display of force, 1,200 policemen, apparently acting at Tehran’s behest, unleashed their unwarranted onslaught, which resulted in the wanton destruction of property, the loss of an innocent MEK member, and the injury of over a hundred others.
Such acts represent a stark violation of international conventions, including the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the European Convention on Human Rights. Not surprisingly, the mullahs rejoiced over the attack. The police operation against Ashraf-3 “was a result of the Islamic Republic’s powerful diplomacy and a set of efforts by various bodies,” IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news boasted Wednesday, citing an “informed security source”.
The U.S. and Europe find themselves in the midst of a disquieting chapter. The assault on the mullahs’ primary opposition not only undermines the deeply cherished aspirations of the Iranian people but also erodes the very foundations of democratic values that the U.S. and Europeans hold dear—human rights and freedom of speech and assembly. It is a disturbing display of acquiescence to the extortionist and hostage-taking tactics routinely employed by a fundamentalist religious dictatorship that has plagued the world for four long decades.
Moreover, this assault on the NCRI lays bare the regime’s deep-seated paranoia, underscoring the pivotal role played by the MEK in galvanizing nationwide uprisings and striking severe blows to the regime’s fragile grip on power. Other so-called alternatives, like the remnants of the former monarchy, are further exposed as obsolete and inconsequential, reflected in the chants of “No to theocracy, no to monarchy, democracy, equality.” The regime’s relentless focus on the NCRI and its President-elect, Maryam Rajavi, speaks volumes, laying bare Tehran’s mounting fears over this existential threat. It is high time for the international community to pay heed.
In this moment of moral reckoning, Western governments and activists must rise to the occasion and condemn the Iranian regime’s brazen transgressions that have now reached the very heart of Europe. Tehran’s repression of dissent cannot be met with apathy, for such complacency unwittingly lends legitimacy to their oppressive practices, further solidifying the chains of tyranny during times of societal upheaval.
The onslaught against Iran’s primary democratic resistance movement goes beyond mere restrictive measures. It represents profound violations that pierce through the cherished liberties enshrined within the European continent.
Suspicions abound that the French ban may have been precipitated by an extraordinary 90-minute telephone conversation that took place on June 10 between the presidents of the Iranian regime and France. The regime has persistently demanded stringent curbs on the activities of the NCRI and MEK in Europe, particularly in France. Furthermore, as reflected in the remarks by a State Department spokesperson, the Albanian deadly assault seems to have received the tacit approval from the US administration, which is desperately trying to strike a temporary deal with Tehran over its nuclear weapon program.
Free nations cannot afford to succumb to the dictatorial decrees of tyrants. As a community of nations that upholds the principles of democracy and human rights, we must resolutely reject the deployment of coercion and fear tactics by despotic regimes like Iran’s.
The world should stand in unwavering solidarity with the Iranian people, for the defense of cherished democratic values, particularly in the West. Together, we can ensure that the suffocating grip of the mullahs on power is loosened, and that the yearnings of the Iranian people for freedom, justice, and dignity find vibrant realization.
The time for action is now—for the sake of the Iranian people, for the cause of liberty, and for the preservation of our shared democratic values. We must send an unequivocal message to the ruling despots in Tehran: The international community stands united and resolute in its dedication to the ideals of democracy, and it will not yield to the demands of dictators upon free nations.
- Mr. Ridge was America’s First Homeland Security Secretary and Governor of Pennsylvania
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