De-List MEK: Thousands Rally In Washington: Patrick Kennedy

Text of Speech by Patrick Kennedy on 26 August, Washington rally.  

"killing American servicemen and women in Iraq and in Afghanistan make no mistake about it enemy number one is Tehran"

Today that struggle for freedom is being echoed throughout the middle east, and that is why today I'm honored to repeat my uncle's words by saying “Man Irani Hastam!, Man Ashrafi Hastam!”( I am Iranian, I am a resident of Camp Ashraf)  the future is Iran is right here in front of me, you, you young people are the voice of your fellow countrymen who are stuck in a repressive regime who are being opressed and persecuted by the mullahs in Tehran but you are their voice.

To the families of the martyrs and the families of those who are in Ashraf I want to say about on behalf of all of my friends who care about human rights that we have not forgotten you and your cause is our cause is the cause of democracy and human rights. To my friends in the state department behind us, who continue to hold fast to an old policy that is supported by Tehran you are on the wrong side of history, to Nouri Al-Maliki your brutal and deadly assaults on Ashraf will land you in the international criminal court where you will be held accountable.

To the mullahs in Tehran while all of us are waiting for the storm of hurricane Irene bearing down on us you the mullahs in are in iran have much bigger storm clouds gathering around you. The winds of change are blowing stronger than ever and the tie of democracy and freedom is engulfing you.

There's a new day dawning for the future of Iran and the terrorists in Tehran better wake up and take note that the arab spring is in the air and to my Iranian-American friends keep up the struggle for human rights a few blocks from here there is a new monument in Washington DC dedicated to one of America's founding fathers Dr. Martin Luther King. Dr. King was labeled a lot of things during his fight for freedom many of his detractors and critics call him names sounds familiar? they called him names and they labeled him, a communist, MLK was labeled a communist MeK is labeled a terrorist.

Dr. King knew that in justice anywhere a threat to justice everywhere. So Let's look at history, people trying to undermine Dr. King by calling him names they're trying to undermine you by calling you names, the list of terrorist organizations should be a list that identifies those who are the greatest threat national security.

It is not a list of who we agree with and who we disagree with. It’s a list of who is a threat to our country now let me ask you a question, who do you think is a greater threat? regime that is exporting terrorism aligning itself with Hamas and hezbollahthe word of Secretary of Defense Gates, and current secretary Panetta, is the large cast exporter of IED's and rocket propelled grenades, killing American servicemen and women in Iraq and in Afghanistan make no mistake about it enemy number one is Tehran, so what the state department is doing is not wanting to hear you. It's not that you are a legitimate threat is that they disagree with you, and last time I checked we live in a country of freedom of speech and the terrorist list should not be a list of who we agree with and who we don’t, it should be a list of who’s a terrorist and who isn’t.

Now right here you see the faces of those few amongst many more who have been holding down the people of the Middle East for a generation or more right now as we speak we’re seeing change throughout the Middle East but how are we going to have permanent democracy and freedom while Iran remains a threat to the whole region and a threat to democracy and peace itself. I love you. You are about taking on the worst of the worst. Assad is awful, Qaddafi was awful, they’re all awful but Ahmadinejad and Khamenei have a special place in the rogues gallery of dictators in the Middle East, so keep up the fight and know that each of you is making a difference and that this is the time to demand the world pay attention to democracy throughout the middle east, and make sure all of the middle east is free from repressions and tyranny. Thank You

 Thank You all! Thank you very much! I was very honored to mark many occasions that remember some of the great moments of my family in public life. One of the greatest moments was when my Uncle Pres. Kennedy stood in berlin and uttered the immortal words “Eich bin ein Berliner”at that time in America and in the world the great threat was communism and the threat of freedom around the world was opitimized by the struggle of freedom in Berlin.