Scores of Former Senior U.S. officials Welcome Congressional Invitation to Maryam Rajavi

WASHINGTON, April 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Scores of American dignitaries expressed their support for the Iranian opposition leader, Maryam Rajavi testifying before the US Congress.

Maryam Rajavi is scheduled to testify in a hearing "ISIS: Defining the Enemy" via videoconference on Wednesday before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade, chaired by Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX).

In a rare bipartisan initiative, about 20 prominent former US Government national security, and foreign policy officials as well as Military leaders in a joint letter welcomed the decision to invite Mrs. Maryam Rajavi to give testimony at a congressional hearing on the issue of Islamic extremism.

Maryam Rajavi, is the Paris based President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), the coalition of Iranian opposition groups. The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (MeK) is its principal constituent.

According to the former senior US officials "As a Muslim women advocating a tolerant and democratic interpretation of Islam, individual freedom, separation of religion and state, gender equality, and rejecting the implementation of Sharia law, Mrs. Rajavi represent the opposite of the misogynous Iranian regime's rules and all Islamic fundamentalists and extremists."  

They pointed out "Mrs.  Rajavi's personal experience in leading a popular movement against the religious dictatorship ruling Iran make her the right person to give testimony on this important issue."

The signatories of the statement included Rudy Giuliani - former NYC Mayor, Presidential Candidate; Howard Dean - former VT Governor, DNC Chairman, Presidential Candidate; Louis J. Freeh - former FBI Director, Edward Rendell - Former PA Governor, DNC Chairman; Tom Ridge - former PA Governor, Secretary Homeland Security; Mitchell B. Reiss - former Ambassador, Special Envoy to the Northern Ireland Peace Process; Michael B. Mukasey - former US Attorney General; John Bolton- former UN Ambassador; Frances Townsend - former Homeland Security Advisor to the President; General (Ret.) Charles (Chuck) Wald- former Deputy Commander U.S. European Command; Lt. Gen. (Ret.) David Deptula - former Deputy COS For Intel, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance,  U.S. Air Force; Linda Chavez -former Assistant to the President For Public Liaison; Robert Joseph, former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security; Patrick Kennedy - former Rhode Island Congressman; and John Sano - former Deputy Director CIA National Clandestine Security.

The American dignitaries stressed that Mrs. Rajavi's movement "published a book in 1993 called 'Islamic Fundamentalism: The New Global Threat'. Over the years, she has repeatedly drawn attention to the danger of this ominous phenomenon and called for a united front against Islamic fundamentalism."

They concluded by reminding "Her movement is also credited with being the first to expose the secret nuclear sites of the Iranian regime."