Woman opposition leader in Iran campaigns against rampant executions

In his latest damning report, Professor Javaid Rehman, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, identified two major waves of massacres in the country as acts of genocide, in addition to the ongoing crimes against humanity. These genocides include the 1982 and 1988 massacres, orchestrated by Iran’s religious dictatorship, which executed its enemies solely for their religious and ideological beliefs.

The Iranian regime viewed members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), its sworn enemies, as “enemies of God,” apostates and hypocrites, while also labeling Marxists as apostates. Consequently, all members and sympathizers of these groups who remained steadfast in their beliefs – even if they had not participated in the war against the regime – were sentenced to death.

While the details of the 1982 genocide remain largely unknown to the public, the 1988 genocide, which involved the brutal massacre of 30,000 political prisoners – 90% of whom were members of the MEK resistance – has become a dark chapter in modern world history. This massacre, conducted in a few weeks during a scorching summer and in total silence, is now recognized as a crime against humanity. Even those directly involved, such as former President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19, 2024, have acknowledged and defended their roles in the atrocity.

Maryam Rajavi, leader of the Iranian opposition, stands in stark defiance of the religious doctrines of Khomeini and Khamenei. As a Muslim woman, she has taken on a leadership role and is the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran. She challenges not only the misogynistic tenets of the regime, but also its entire oppressive structure. Rajavi champions gender equality, the separation of religion from the state, and fights for an Iran free from executions and nuclear weapons, becoming a symbol of freedom for that nation. The courage and sacrifice of women during the 2022 uprising was inspired by her leadership and vision of Iranian women’s emancipation.

One of the key issues Maryam Rajavi has confronted head-on is the regime’s use of the death penalty. She launched a widespread campaign called “No to the Death Penalty” in Iran, aiming to galvanize international support. Iran holds the grim world record for both political executions and executions per capita. According to Amnesty International, 74% of the recorded executions worldwide in 2023 took place in Iran.

Rajavi asserts, “The God I worship is a God of kindness, mercy and forgiveness.” For her, the death penalty defies the immense mercy and compassion that God extends to all his creations. She firmly believes that, in light of human progress, the death penalty is inexcusable in modern times.

In her book “The Roadmap to Democracy,” Rajavi writes: “Our motivation to resist until victory is not hatred or revenge. Our motivation is love for freedom and humanity. This is the philosophy behind our perseverance.”

The religious dictatorship’s use of executions “in the name of God” began with the execution of Kurds immediately after the 1979 revolution. These acts continued with the 1982 genocide, during which hundreds of children and young people were executed daily, culminating in the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners in the summer of 1988. These medieval-style executions, such as the recent execution of 29 individuals on the day now called Bloody Wednesday, August 7, 2024, persist to this day.

Although hatred and resentment dominate Iran’s current Shiite religious dictatorship, for Maryam Rajavi, who rejects fundamentalist, radical and jihadist Islam, the Moslem faith she embraces is “a religion of hope and mercy, emancipation, freedom, love, friendship, peace, progress and tolerance. It is a religion that embodies all the beauties of the earth and the true depths of human values.”