INSPIRED

XMAS CELEBRATION

14.30-18.30 SATURDAY 14 DECEMBER 2024

PORCHESTER HALL, PORCHESTER ROAD, LONDON, W2 5HS

Good evening, ladies & gentlemen,

It is a privilege to join you this evening, not only to celebrate the holiday season but also to recognize the extraordinary work of INSPIRED. This remarkable organization represents hope and determination, championing human rights and justice in Iran and beyond.

INSPIRED shines as a beacon of light for those suffering under oppression, offering unwavering support to individuals and communities striving for liberty. Your presence here tonight reinforces this mission, ensuring that their essential work continues to transform lives.

In Iran, countless courageous individuals are risking everything to demand their fundamental rights. Their bravery is an inspiration to us all. Tonight, we stand with them, to amplify their voices, and renew our commitment to a future where every Iranian can live in dignity and freedom.

Thanks to your work we have made great achievements in Iran.  At long last UN silence has been broken on the 1988 massacre of up to 30,000 political prisoners in Iran. It took the dedication and exhaustive investigative skills of the former UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran, Javaid Rehman. In an explosive report presented to a special conference in Geneva in June this year, Prof. Rehman described the heinous crimes and gross violations of human rights in Iran as a crime against humanity, genocide and possibly a war crime. He said the crimes he had investigated in detail involved murder, destruction, torture, sexual assault, and similar acts against different minority populations and he called on those responsible to be held accountable in the international courts. He said impunity within the Islamic Republic of Iran must end.

The momentous events which took place last weekend in Syria, with the overthrow of the brutal Assad regime, is great news not only for the people of Syria, but also for the oppressed in Iran and throughout the region. Assad’s fall is a remarkable milestone that underlines the collapse of a regime deeply allied to the Iranian theocracy, which has maintained its dictatorship at the cost of immense human suffering. Let us hope now that we see peace and liberty for the Syrian people. We must ensure a rejection of terrorism and violence, and the protection of civilians and minorities.

This evening, I want to express my deepest gratitude to each of you. Your support is the backbone of INSPIRED’s vital mission. Your dedication and compassion remind us all of the power of unity and the strength of standing together for a just cause.

As we celebrate tonight, let us also look ahead with hope. Together, we can continue this journey toward a future defined by justice, peace, and freedom. Let tonight inspire us to persist with determination and faith in what we can achieve together.

Thank you for being here, for supporting this cause, and for believing in a brighter future for Iran and the world.