The honourable people of Iran!
The strong determination and steadfast will to establish The National Council of Tasmim by some of the signatories of The Statement of 14 Political Activists and internal and external activists have resulted from the reality that the Islamic Republic regime, after 43 years of imposing widespread oppression on our beloved homeland Iran and destroying the natural, economic, and scientific resources, fostering poverty and homelessness, violating women’s rights, suppressing and massacring opponents and dissenters, and undermining individual and social freedoms, has lost its legitimacy for a long time ago.
Our compatriots have shown over these years that they deserve, through democratic means and a collective struggle, to achieve freedom, equality, and prosperity by overthrowing the Islamic Republic regime. They aim to replace the Islamic Republic regime with a democratic system within the atmosphere of collaboration among all political forces and social, cultural, and scientific bodies. They aspire to establish a modern, prosperous, and thriving structure.
The National Council of Tasmim, in harmony and aligned with the enlightened people of Iran, strives and fights for the realization of the following aspirations:
- Total transition from the Islamic Republic relying on the people’s protest movements (avoiding violence while preserving the right to legitimate defence).
- Safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country with an emphasis on a decentralized system.
- Separation of religion from the government.
- Issuing a public call for the establishment of a Constituent Assembly.
- Efforts towards establishing a democratic and elective governing system (determining the type of government by the people’s votes).
- Full implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related covenants, emphasizing the elimination of any discrimination against women and gender equality in all economic, social, cultural, family spheres, promoting women’s participation in societal management, and emphasizing environmental protection.
These six core values constitute the core identity and primary motivation for the formation of The National Council of Tasmim. It’s evident that besides these six important principles, other progressive principles can also be added. However, our focus is on uniting the greatest assembly of forces by relying on these common grounds.
The National Council of Tasmim intends to strengthen the spirit of solidarity and belief in democracy among the opposition forces to create a large and valuable political, social capital that will also play a role in reconstructing the ruins left by the dark era of the Islamic Republic.
From the perspective of The National Council of Tasmim, Kurds, Arabs, Lurs, Turkmens, Balochis, Persians, and others – Shi’a vs. Sunni, Muslims vs. non-Muslims, devotees vs. the non-religious, with any ideology and creed – are Iranians of equal status. No one holds superiority due to differences when it comes to making important national decisions or gaining political standing.
The National Council of Tasmim is determined to have a non-partisan and nonideological structure. This council strongly emphasizes the principle that the victory of the majority at any stage should not imply the weakening or elimination of the minority.
The council strives, relying on common points of agreement and shared interests, to create the possibility of assembling the broadest forces of political, civil, and ethnic forces for democracy. We believe that this assembly and grand coalition will come together when each group and figure, while maintaining its political and organizational commitments, participates in its formation and strengthening of the Council by accepting the core values and credits of democracy.
The National Council of Tasmim intends to strive for the gathering of all parties, organizations, groups, and democratic elements inside and outside the country to establish a ’parliament’ of opponents to the Islamic Republic regime.
The ’Interim Parliament of Opponents to the Islamic Republic Regime’ aims to foster unity among democratic forces to establish a democratic and secular government. The National Council of Tasmim considers the presence of all democratic parties, organizations, groups, and figures both inside and outside the country essential for the establishment of this interim parliament.
We believe that if the ’Interim Parliament of Opponents to the Islamic Republic Regime’ achieves unwavering support from the people, it will be able to deliver security and stability for Iran’s neighbours, the people of the Middle East, Arab countries in the Persian Gulf region, as well as for all democratic nations and advocates of global peace.
Compatriots!
Our homeland is at a pivotal juncture; let us join hands in establishing the ’Interim Parliament of Opponents to the Islamic Republic Regime’ and supporting it to pave the way for freedom, prosperity, and solidarity.
13th of Tir 1401 / 4th of July 2022
Translated from Persian original Statement to English by Ahad Ghorbani Dehnari