A glimpse at the life of Maryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi is the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).
Born December 4, 1953 in Tehran, Rajavi began her political activism nearly four decades ago. Rajavi attended the Sharif University of Technology in Iran where she earned a B.S. in Metallurgy. After serving as an organizer in the anti-Shah student moment for six years, Rajavi joined the social section of the People’s Mojahedin of Iran in 1979. She was a parliament candidate in 1980 and was named joint-leader of the PMOI in 1985, a position she held until 1993 when she became Secretary General. Additionally in 1993, she became the President-elect of the NCRI.
Rajavi believes, “Fundamentalism has become the primary threat to regional and global peace. The mullahs ruling in Iran manipulate the religious beliefs of more than one billion Muslims to expand their rule and export crisis and tension beyond Iran’s borders.”
Maryam Rajavi leads the struggle for democracy in Iran. With thousands of supports, she leads a global campaign that encompasses the most prominent political and social personalities, former senior U.S. officials and military leaders, lawmakers and political dignitaries in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. Some of these officials include Rudy Giuliani, Newt Gingrich and General James Jones. The international recognition and credibility from this campaign has brought the NCRI increased support in fighting for a regime change and democracy in Iran.
At a conference in June 2012, Rajavi led a gathering that featured declarations by more than 4,000 parliamentarians from 40 countries to support the Iranian Resistance. The parliamentarians, which included majorities in the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and 28 national parliaments, called for the providing protection for the residents of Ashraf and Liberty and urged the international community to recognize the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
Rajavi has also successfully fought to remove the PMOI from the terrorist list in Europe and the U.S., and exposing the behind-the-scenes deals to appease the clerical regime. Her efforts led to the delisting of the PMOI in the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States.
In March 2013, on International Women’s Day, Rajavi released her latest book, entitled “Women Against Fundamentalism” written in French. The book compiles the experiences of women in the Iranian Resistance fighting against Islamic Fundamentalism. In that spirit, women hold key positions in the Iranian Resistance, making up half the members of the NCRI.
In her fight for change and democracy, Maryam Rajavi also is eager to bring attention to Iran’s rich, but endangered, artistic and cultural heritage. Many famous performers, filmmakers, artists, painters, sculptors, poets and writers have expressed their support for her platform for a free and secular Iran.
Latest Speeches by Maryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi’s Speech at solidarity conference of Jordanian parliamentarians with the Iranian Resistance
I call upon Arab and Muslim governments of the region to actively support residents of Liberty and the Iranian people’s Resistance, and I hope that esteemed parliamentarians take the initiative for their governments to take this courageous step.
Maryam Rajavi’s speech at EPP Group conference at the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, September 30,2013
Over the past two months, the mullahs and their lobby abroad have launched a campaign to give the impression that Rouhani will initiate fundamental changes. Through demagoguery and deception and by taking advantage of the weak American and European conducts, they seek to gain fresh concessions from the West and break the sanctions.
Speech by Maryam Rajavi on the Occasion of Month of Ramadan, Paris – August 3, 2013
The regime is trying to destroy every aspect of the democratic process in the region. Some mistakenly believe that the Iranian regime seeks to impose the domination of Shiites over Sunnis. In reality, however, the regime intends to expand its sphere of influence and hegemony in the region in order to preserve its own fragile grip on power in Tehran.
Maryam Rajavi’s speech at the Solidarity conference of Arab nations, July 13, 2013
The regime’s new president is among the senior elements of its war machine and export of terrorism and suppressive apparatus. So far as it concerns the nuclear program and regional meddling, he has no differences with Khamenei and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And, even in this short period of time, he has spared no opportunity to support the Syrian dictator. We urge Arab governments to avoid harboring any false illusions in this regard and demand a complete halt in relations with the regime. These relationships harm the people of region especially in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and other countries.
Latest statements by Maryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi calls for the formation of a united front against Iranian regime, August 3, 2013
In a meeting On the Occasion of Month of Ramadan, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance called on all Muslims to come together in a united front against this regime and the terrorism and fundamentalism that it instigates. She said, “This regime is the enemy of all Muslims and all Arab and Islamic countries and the most formidable enemy of God and the people.”
Maryam Rajavi: Expecting religious dictatorship to become moderate is a mirage
“Talking about a moderate president in the religious fascism ruling Iran, where the power and all key institutions are controlled by the Supreme Leader, is nothing but deception,” Mrs Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the Iranian Resistance said.