26-05-2025
Kansas City leaders from both parties want a free Iran. We all should
This month, a bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives supported Iranian dissident Maryam Rajavi's 10-point plan for a free Iran. The initiative — House Resolution 166 — was cosponsored from both sides of the aisle, representing an array of ideological leanings. From the Greater Kansas City area, Missouri Reps. Emanuel Cleaver and Sam Graves and Kansas' Sharice Davids are among them. It was led by California Reps. Tom McClintock, a Republican, and Brad Sherman, a Democrat.
The legislators recognize the right of the people of Iran — especially the rebellious youth, led by the Mojahedin-e-Khalq or MEK, the pivotal opposition — to confront the suppressive forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps inside Iran. This is consistent with the inalienable rights that the U.S. Constitution recognizes for people to choose their destiny and a government to serve them — if needed by abolishing the existing regime.
These lawmakers fully understand that a viable change has to come from within Iran, and the change can happen when led by an organized resistance. Building upon the support from the Iranian American community, Congress has closely monitored the organized movement for freedom inside Iran, led by MEK. The movement enjoys a vast network of devoted resistant units, whose main function is to defend people against the repressive forces of the regime and to tear down the wall of repression. This is going to pave the way for a continuous wave of uprisings when the people reclaim the streets — leading up to the regime's fall.
An absolute requirement for the toppling of the Mullahs' regime is a democratic political alternative equipped with an organization of thousands of committed members. And no one has ever understood this better than the mullahs' regime. To curb this real existential threat — embodied in the movement led by Rajavi — the mullahs' regime advanced two propaganda objectives: to suggest the regime can reform through its so-called reformist factions, and to demonize MEK — labeling it a cult, terrorist and unpopular. The above propaganda provided the appeasement policy in the West ammunition to appease the mullahs. Additionally, the narrative has served the regime advancing repression inside and terrorism outside against the dissidents.
The recent uprisings in Iran, however, put an end to the claim that the regime can reform. In search of an alternative, the focus has naturally turned to beyond the regime. Feeling the existential threat from the MEK, the pivotal organization of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, led by Rajavi, the mullahs see the only way out by propping up the remnants of the deposed monarchy — abolished through the 1979 revolution — as an alternative. The objectives are to prevent the support for NCRI from reaching a critical mass, to push aside the people yearning for freedom by limiting their choices to the dictatorships of the past (monarchy) and the present (theocracy), and to assist the appeasers arguing there is no viable alternative to the regime.
In light of the above, H.R. 166 discredits the regime's propaganda, which uses it cyber-army and political affiliates advocates for the remnants of the monarchy. The legislators stress that a free Iran is possible through a secular democratic republic — an absolute no to dictatorships under the monarchy and Mullahs. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has argued the same: 'Iran will never return to the dictatorship of Shah … The remnants of the past monarchy failed to gain any traction during the (2022-2023) uprising. … Shah's supporters were exposed for heavily relying on collaboration with IRGC.'
This resolution recognizes Maryam Rajavi as the embodiment of the organized freedom movement in Iran, adamant about a regime change by the people. It advocates her platform for complete gender equality, freedom of expression and assembly, separation of religion and state, secular democracy and a non-nuclear Iran. An official dialogue with this important voice of political reform sends the message that the U.S. stands with the people for a free Iran.
Saeid Sajadi is a practicing physician from Overland Park and a representative for the Iranian-American community for a free Iran.
