{"id":18720,"date":"2020-01-13T15:07:31","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T20:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/?p=18720"},"modified":"2020-01-14T11:17:40","modified_gmt":"2020-01-14T16:17:40","slug":"the-2020-california-convention-for-free-iran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/2020\/01\/13\/the-2020-california-convention-for-free-iran\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2020 California Convention for Free Iran"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DOHgSwVScq8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 1em;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 16.1px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\"><i>Supports the Uprising in Iran, Lauds the Elimination of Qassem Soleimani, and Mourns the Victims of the Plane Shoot Down.<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/img.einnews.com\/medium\/104830\/patrick-kennedy-at-california-c.jpeg\" \/><\/i><\/p>\n<div class=\"pr_quote_positioner\" style=\"width: 0px;height: 25em;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;float: left;background-color: #ffffff\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"pr_quote\" style=\"background: url('\/\/www.einpresswire.com\/images\/quote_136.png') no-repeat left top;margin: 20px 10px 20px 0px;padding: 25px 10px 10px 25px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;clear: left;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 1.2em;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;float: left;max-width: 200px\">\n<p><b>The U.S. must now recognize the window of opportunity for geopolitical transformation in the region and maintain the maximum pressure and continue to hold the IRGC accountable for their terrorism.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<div>\u2014 Nasser Sharif, CSDI<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA, January 13, 2020 \/<a href=\"http:\/\/www.einpresswire.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\">EINPresswire.com<\/a>\/ &#8212; Simultaneous with protests in universities in Iran, during which students tore down pictures of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his former henchman Qassem Soleimani, more than a thousand Iranian Americans from across California participated in the \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/www.iacnorcal.com\/events\/california-convention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\">2020 California Convention for Free Iran<\/a>,\u201d on Saturday, January 11, 2020 to support protesters and to call on the United States to maintain maximum pressure on the clerical regime.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">In a video message, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance addressed the event and said, \u201cThe elimination of the terrorist Quds Force commander, Qassem Soleimani, a few weeks after the November uprising delivered a crushing blow to the strategy of export of fundamentalism and terrorism\u2026For this reason, the political groups and parties, Iranian and non-Iranian, who benefit from the continued rule of the mullahs\u2019 regime are reeling over the Soleimani\u2019s termination.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">A memorial ceremony was held in honor of the 176 victims of the Ukrainian passenger airline which was brought down by a missile fired by the IRGC, and the participants called for putting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the regime\u2019s president Hassan Rouhani on trial for being direct-ly responsible for this crime against humanity and three days of coverup.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">Former members of congress and prominent Iran policy experts spoke at this event. Former Con-gressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) highlighted the importance of Iranian people\u2019s democratic alter-native to the regime and said, \u201chistory showed us how Mandela went from prison to presidency. I call Maryam Rajavi the modern-day champion against fascism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">General James Conway (Ret.) who served as the 34th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps said, \u201cthe best option for us and for the people of Iran is regime change within Iran &#8211; by Iranian people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">Former Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) addressed the audience and said, \u201cWhen it comes to end-ing the regime in Tehran, watch not simply what we say but what we do. There is not a division in the United States about bringing down the regime in Tehran.\u201d \u201cWe are united as a people, Demo-crat or Republican, liberal and conservative, we want the destruction of the regime in Tehran,\u201d Mr. Torricelli noted.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">Bipartisan members of U.S. Congress issued statements to declare their solidarity for the people of Iran and their quest for freedom and democracy. In their respective messages, Congressman Brad Sherman, Congressman J. Luis Correa, and Congressman Paul Cook recognized bi-partisan sup-port for pro-democracy protests in Iran. Congressman Sherman commended, \u201cMaryam Rajavi\u2019s advocacy for democracy, women\u2019s rights and minority rights in Iran.\u201d Congressman Correa and Congressman Cook both called on the international community to \u201ccompel the Iranian authorities to free all detailed protesters.\u201d Several California Assembly members, State senators, and other local officials also issued statements in support of the democracy movement in Iran.<br \/>\nAt the event, Ambassador Lincoln Bloomfield, Jr. discussed the key role Iranian resistance mem-bers of the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) are playing in Iran protests and urged the U.S. to maintain pressure on the Ayatollahs. Ambassador Bloomfield added, the \u201csovereignty of Iran belongs to the people, not to the corrupt dictators.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">During his speech, Professor Ivan Sascha Sheehan applauded the resilience and effectiveness of a \u201ccohesive, organized political opposition movement,\u201d in Iran as seen in the ongoing protests in, success of Iranian dissidents in Albania, and the evolving U.S. Iran policy favoring the Iranian people.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">Professor Sheehan, released a new book, Iran\u2019s Resurgent Resistance, highlighting the experience of a bipartisan U.S. delegation visits with MEK opposition at Ashraf 3, in Albania, where the movement has a large presence.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">Mr. Mohammad Shams, a renowned master of classical Iranian music also performed for the con-vention attendees.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">The Convention, organized by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.californiasdi.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\">Californian Society of Democracy in Iran<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.iacnorcal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external nofollow noopener\">Iranian American Community of Northern California<\/a>, made the following policy recommendations:<br \/>\n1. The Iranian regime is in a weak political, social, and economic position. The U.S. must now recognize the window of opportunity for geopolitical transformation in the region and maintain the maximum pressure and continue to hold the IRGC network across the region accountable for their terrorism.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">2. Iranian people and their resurgent resistance are stronger than ever. The U.S. should incorpo-rate the people\u2019s democratic aspiration, capabilities and the right to self determination as a cen-terpiece of their strategic decisions on Iran.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin: 0px 0px 10px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">3. The regime will be brought down by the Iranian people. The U.S. can help by diplomatically recognizing the democratic alternative to the Iranian regime, led by Mrs. Maryam Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI).<\/p>\n<p class=\"contact\" dir=\"auto\" style=\"margin: 1em 0px;color: #000000;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 14px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;background-color: #ffffff\">Nasser Sharif<br \/>\nCalifornian Society of Democracy in Iran<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>&nbsp; Supports the Uprising in Iran, Lauds the Elimination of Qassem Soleimani, and Mourns the Victims of the Plane Shoot Down. The U.S. must now <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/2020\/01\/13\/the-2020-california-convention-for-free-iran\/\" title=\"The 2020 California Convention for Free Iran\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":18736,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[34,5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18720"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18720"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18720\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18737,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18720\/revisions\/18737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18720"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18720"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irandemocratic.org\/public_html\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18720"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}