IRAN: Speech by Roozbeh Farahanipour (08.16.03)

Roozbeh Farahanipour has sent me the transcript of speech given at the National Press Club by Roozbeh Farahanipour. Here is an excerpt:

" Before I start my speech I would like us to observe one moment of silence in honor of Iranian-Canadian journalist Sahra Khazemi, who was killed in prison a few days ago by the Islamic government in Iran.

The revolution is coming in Iran. In order to understand the reasons for the revolution, we must understand how we came to this point. Before 1953 the Iranian government and the Iranian people had a good relationship with the United States, especially with president Truman.

However, the CIA backed a coup in 1953 against Dr. Mossadegh. That's when our progression of democracy was stopped, and democracy was replaced with monarchy. Almost 25 years later, the people overthrew the unpopular government that was forced upon them, again showing that Iranians no longer will tolerate the monarchy. However because the various opposition groups at the time were unorganized, the clerics hijacked the people's revolution, and turned it into an Islamic revolution by Khomeyni’s referendum trick and "only unity" slogan.

This is the way that the religious apartheid began in Iran. This theocracy still rules Iran today. The clerics rule over Iran is the single biggest catastrophe in Iran's existence".