Statement Published by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, Condemning the Recent Terror Attacks in Paris

Floor Speech

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Mr. MCCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following statement published in the Washington Times on November 18, 2015, by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, condemning the recent terror attacks in Paris.

On behalf of the Iranian people and the Iranian Resistance for freedom and democracy, I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks and massacre of defenseless people in Paris on November 13, 2015.

I extend my condolences to the Republic's President and government as well as the French people for the loss of life in these attacks, which are true examples of crime against humanity.

I express my heartfelt sympathies to the victims' families. Today, our hearts bleed for the French nation. The people of Iran deeply feel the bitterness of these crimes.

In these difficult moments, the Iranian people can empathize with the French people and share their grief, because for the past 37 years they have been suffering under the religious and terrorist dictatorship, which is the Godfather of ISIS.

Today, humanity's conscience is in shock and disbelief, wondering how such crimes can be committed in the name of God and under the banner of religion.

Fundamentalism has nothing to do with Islam, whether it is under the pretext of Shiite extremism and religious tyranny or velayat-e faqih (absolute clerical rule) or under the pretext of Sunni extremism and Daesh (ISIS).

Such inhumane crimes have no connection to Islam, and are evils that represent enmity to peace and humanity everywhere.

Crimes committed by the religious fascism ruling Iran, including 120,000 political executions, hostage-taking and export of terrorism, have nothing to do with Islam or the Iranian people.

For this reason, I urge all Muslims to strongly condemn the crimes committed in Paris and to not allow the conduct of these ruthless terrorists to occur in the name of Islam and Muslims.

I also call on them to stand firm against such extremism, which violates the true teachings of Islam.

The Assad regime in Syria and its prime sponsor the mullahs ruling Iran are the chief sociopolitical enablers of ISIS, with their slaughter of 300,000 innocent people and displacing of more than half of the Syrian population.

As long as this dictatorship rules in Damascus with the backing of the religious fascism ruling Iran, ISIS will continue to thrive and extend its scourge of death from the Middle East to Europe.

At the same time, Iran's ruling mullahs, who are the primary beneficiaries of these crimes, are brazenly blaming the French government for the attacks.

According to what they published in a news agency affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), their demand is for France to abandon its firm policy against the Assad dictatorship in light of the November 13th massacre and to instead ``coordinate its efforts with the Islamic countries,'' namely the mullahs in Tehran.

In such circumstances, it has become increasingly vital for France to insist on the removal of Bashar Assad from power and to adopt a more decisive policy in resolving the Syrian crisis.

Experience has shown that firmness is the most effective and the only principled and correct approach to confronting terrorists.

Once again, I extend my most sincere sympathies to the people of France and pray for a speedy recover for the injured.

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