More than 100 members of Congress co-sponsored a resolution on
Wednesday that condemned the Iranian regime and supported protests in
the country spurred by Mahsa Amini‘s death in September.
The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), was introduced to
the House Foreign Affairs Committee with 165 co-sponsors and supported the
protesters’ goal of a “democratic, secular, and nonnuclear Republic of Iran.”
The resolution also “condemned violations of human rights and statesponsored terrorism by the Iranian Government,” according to an advance
copy of the resolution obtained by the Washington Examiner.
The House of Representatives passed a resolution that praised the bravery
and courage of Iranian protesters last month. The new resolution goes further
to focus on policy and recognizes that protests against the regime have
occurred for four decades. It also supports opposition leader Maryam Rajavi’s
10-point plan for the future of Iran, which calls for the universal right to vote,
free elections, and a market economy, as well as gender, religious, and ethnic
equality.
“This is what the representatives of the American people on this resolution
have to say to the people of Iran and to the world: That the House of
Representatives condemns past and present Iranian state-sponsored terrorist
acts against United States citizens and officials, as well as Iranian dissidents,”
McClintock said in a press conference Wednesday, before praising the
protesters. “History stands with you [Iran]. Providence stands with you, and
freedom-loving people throughout the world stand with you. This is your
moment. This is your time. Godspeed to you.”
Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA) speaks at a press conference introducing the resolution that
supports the protesters in Iran.
(Misty Severi/Washington Examiner)
McClintock urged the U.S. government to work with European allies to hold
Iran accountable for “breaching diplomatic privileges” and condemn the
Iranian government’s killing of Iranian protesters.
Other members of Congress were at Wednesday’s briefing, including Rep. Bill
Johnson (R-OH), who slammed the Biden administration for discussing a
nuclear deal with Iran despite its “vile” treatment of its own citizens and its
decision to help Russia during its invasion of Ukraine.
“Here’s my message to President Biden if he’s listening, do not encourage
this behavior by continuing to talk about the nuclear deal,” Johnson said. “The
Iranian regime is fundamentally anti-American and hostile to all American
standards of human rights. Today we stand with all Iranians fighting for their
God-given rights, especially the women taking a stand in the name of
freedom. The Iranian regime should not be rewarded with a nuclear weapon
or pallets of cash. And I, for one, will continue fighting to ensure they never
will.”
McClintock agreed that the U.S. should not reward Iran with weapons or cash
that could be used to oppress the Iranian protesters.
“Not many years ago, this nation sent pallets of cash, accounting for more
than a billion dollars, to the dictators of Iran, which was used to oppress the
people,” McClintock told the Washington Examiner. “We owe it to them to
get resources to those who are fighting for their freedom.”
Uprisings took over the streets of Iran after the death of Amini, who died at
the age of 22 while she was in the custody of the country’s “morality police”
for not wearing her hijab correctly on Sept. 16, 2022. The protests have been
largely conducted by women who are protesting for women’s rights,
democracy, and a complete change to the Iranian regime, including the
toppling of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The protests are the largest threat to the Iranian regime since its founding in
1979.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4K-VD_OUQ4
Source:washingtonexaminer.com
