Remarks at the IWD 2017 gathering, “Women in Political Leadership”
Dear friends from all over the world, especially Albanians and Iranian refugees, and above all, our excellent not only guest but female leader Madame Rajavi.
Welcome to all of you.
It’s today, women’s day. Where? In Albania, exactly in Tirana, in a free country with a young democracy. And what was the biggest surprise? This young democracy with so many challenges and obligations surprised all of us (by) fighting for the liberation of Iranian refugees at Ashraf, later on, at Camp Liberty near Baghdad.
Albanians opened their doors for our refugees. Not only 50 or 80 or 100. No, nearly 3,000 out of 4,800 refugees threatened for life. That was such a surprise and a miracle. And Albanian political leaders were convinced that they have to guarantee freedom and safety for Iranian refugees in their country. Albania is not rich, when it deals with money, but it has a lot of rich resources and their richest resource is a human resource, and that’s dealing with human beings, giving them hope.
And I can tell you that the best message we got last year, and the happiest day was (when we heard) the message: we take them!
And that was a short time before the fight in Mosul took place, and they did it. Unexpected hope, and an enormous change done by human beings.
I was and I still continue to be grateful. Thanks God and our people for their encouraging decision.
And our Iranians also proved we are grateful. We are strong and tough, sharing the Albanian hospitality and their commitment and we are dealing together, for housing, for cooking, for restoring together. That’s very important not only for Albania, for all of us living with refugees.
Remember, the Iranians did whatever they (could) in the past years. Maybe at Ashraf, or at Camp Liberty. They changed the environment by flowers, by plants, and (changed it to) a green environment. I can’t imagine how they reached this goal but they reached it.
And that’s a symbol and a symbolic act for what they did during that time of (desperation).
And it was this kind of welcoming, this heartfelt feeling on both sides that I wish for all refugees in the world. It’s possible. I will never forget these days, in the autumn last year…
But let me express, it’s women’s day. But for me it is humanity which counts. A day for men and women, for children and elderly people, to enlarge and to increase our hope and solidarity….
Today, our most important highly recognized and (renowned) woman, our leader, not only (for) the Iranian community (but) I would say for all women of the world is Mrs. Rajavi…
She is fighting for human rights, for self-determination of women, for freedom (so that there will be) no longer suppression and she never gives up. And she suffered a lot but she continues to work for saving human beings.
We are not at the end of our long way but we will continue. Working with her for separation of religion and politics, and inspiring people to look in the right direction. What can we do for better life for all human beings? Look at what is happening in these days. Iranians are protesting against a lack of protection of environment. We saw these slogans, “don’t kill”. This time it is not a political killing; it is killing by a bad environment, being threatened by the poison in the air.
Today we are together, (let us) not forget this kind of suppressions, discriminations, being (inaudible) outside. Not belonging to the people you are born with.
And it is our duty, it is our human obligation – with all the challenges and the threatening conditions we have today – to stand up and to fight against them.
Not in a kind of confrontation, not in threatening other people but by winning them. Winning them for change of thinking and acting. It’s difficult, it’s hard, it’s full of resistance in both sides but believe me it’s possible.
Change is possible. Not everything is possible but people, human beings, can change much more than they believe they could undertake.
And so, I finish my short speech by welcoming you and let’s say we belong together and we fight together not with weapons but with our spirit, our mentality and our encouraging hope for human life.
Thank you.
