CALL FOR A GATHERING; JUNE 13, 2015; VILLEPINTE-PARIS

The Middle East is in state of peril and chaos that is unprecedented in recent history. There are wars raging in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, and these are increasingly taking on the appearance of one overarching sectarian conflict.

Islamic fundamentalism is growing on both sides of this divide, becoming more than an isolated geopolitical concern and leaving the West struggling to understand how to prevent it from threatening the very heart of modern, democratic societies.

And at the center of all of this stands the Iranian regime, tying together the forces of Shiite extremism, driving recruitment for their Sunni opponents, and using a perversion of the Muslim faith to justify domestic abuses and dangerous regional policies. Almost two years into the tenure of Hassan Rouhani as the regime’s president, the human rights situation in Iran has been on a slippery slope and reform and moderation are as elusive as ever. Notwithstanding the issue of Iran’s nuclear program, Tehran faces a moribund economy, rampant and pervasive state corruption, a restive and disillusioned population, intensifying factional feuding, and further regional isolation.
On June 13, Iranian communities the world over will gather in Paris in their biggest gathering ever, to stand up to Tehran, to highlight its egregious polices as the epicenter of Islamic extremism, and to call for a new Western policies that address the changing dynamics of the most volatile and strategically important region of the world while supporting democratic and anti-fundamentalist local movements and populations.
 In addition to Iranians, some 1,000 political figures, activists, and religious leaders will participate in this rally, representing over 100 countries, five continents, and a range of socio-political backgrounds.
Each of these figures will join in condemning the policies of the Islamic Republic and express support for the Iranian resistance and its call for regime change and a free, democratic, non-nuclear Iran.
The June 13 Paris event is the highlight of a wide-ranging, global campaign by Iranians and their supporters from all walks of life.  The problems and issues addressed by that campaign are not localized to Iran but address the entire crisis in the region, and the Western policies that may address it.

 

We urge all persons who are concerned about those issues to join us in Paris on June 13.
Organizing Committee:
Comité organisateur du Grand Rassemblement du 13 juin 2015
Sponsors:
• Belgian Committee of Parliamentarians for a Democratic Iran
• International Parliamentary Campaign in Defense of Ashraf
• French Committee for a Democratic Iran
• Friends of a Free Iran in the European Parliament
• The British Parliamentary Committee for Iran Freedom
• German Solidarity Committee for a Free Iran
• Italian Committee of Parliamentarians and Citizens for a Free Iran
• Committee of Friends of a Free Iran in the Danish Parliament
• The Dutch Group of Friends of a Free Iran
• Friends of a Free Iran in Sweden
• Friends of a Free Iran in Norway
• Swiss Committee in Defense of Ashraf