INTRODUCTION OF A RESOLUTION "CONDEMNING THE INACTION BY THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN IN ADDRESSING THE POISONING OF IRANIAN SCHOOL GIRLS, THE DAUGHTERS OF THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION" AND THE...
Sheila Jackson Lee (Democrat, TX) \u2014 2023-4-20

I rise today to announce the introduction of a resolution Condemning the Inaction by the Islamic Republic of Iran in Addressing the Poisoning of Iranian School Girls, the daughters of the Iranian Revolution, and to announce the creation of the Iranian Women Congressional Caucus. prgtoken This resolution recognizes the bravery and resilience of women who have faced tremendous challenges in their fight for equality and human rights. prgtoken We have all witnessed the courage of women and youth leading the 2022 protests in Iran, calling for social freedom and political change. prgtoken As stated in the resolution, these protests stem from more than four decades of organized resistance against the Iranian dictatorship, led by women who have endured torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and death. prgtoken The uprising last year in Iran started with the murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman arrested by morality police in Tehran on September 13, 2022, for allegedly violating Iran's strict rules requiring women to cover their hair with a hijab, or headscarf. prgtoken Since the protests started in September, after the murder of Mahsa Amini's, women and men have taken to the streets, risking their lives for a free and democratic Iran. prgtoken Over 500 people have been killed, over 15,000 arrested. prgtoken Iranian courts have issued numerous death sentences linked to the protests, convicting people of being ``enemies against God'' and ``spreading corruption on Earth.'' prgtoken As a long-time advocate and fighter for justice and equality, I am inspired by the ongoing revolution led by Iranian women, despite the tortures their people face daily imposed their government. prgtoken Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has been, for decades, the leading voice against the regime's abuses. prgtoken Her Ten-Point Plan for the future of Iran, which she presented to the European Parliament in 2006, provides a roadmap for a secular, democratic, non-nuclear republic where the rule of law is upheld. prgtoken Mrs. Rajavi's Ten-Point Plan stresses ``Complete gender equality in the realms of political, social, cultural, and economic rights, and equal participation of women in political leadership. Abolishment of any form of discrimination; the right to choose one's own clothing freely; the right to freely marry and divorce; and to obtain education and employment. Prohibition of all forms of exploitation against women under any pretext.'' prgtoken As co-chair of the Iranian Women Caucus, and on behalf of all its members, I support Mrs. Rajavi's vision of a society where both men and women reject compulsory religion, compulsory hijab, and compulsory government. prgtoken The current regime's human rights abuses have their roots in past dictatorships, characterized by widespread human rights violations, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and political suppression by SAVAK, t