Maryam is the leader of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran. This is an organization that seeks to overthrow the existing Iranian government. She is also the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an arm of the organization. Her husband, Masoud Rajavi, is a co-leader of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran.
Rajavi created a ten-point plan to transform Iran. According to Maryam-rajavi.com, she states her commitment to universal human rights and other international governance principles and deal with death penalty in Iran. She also shares her vision for peaceful co-existence with her neighbours and wants to stop Iran’s funding of militant groups such as Hezbollah.
Here is the 10-point manifesto
- Reject the velayat-e-faqih (absolute rule by the clerics). In its place, affirm the people’s sovereignty. The republic will be grounded in pluralism and universal suffrage. This means that power will be held by the people, and they will have the power to choose the leaders they wish to govern them. Pluralism will allow different groups and parties to co-exist.
- There will be freedom of association, speech, assembly, political parties, the press and the internet. This will allow people to access information and express their views without any intimidation. She will also dissolve the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), plain-clothed police groups, the Qods Force, the Bassij, the Cultural Revolution Council, and the Ministry of Intelligence. Her administration will also end the suppressive patrols conducted in villages, cities, schools, factories, offices, and universities.
- She will disband all agencies that are charged with inquisition and censorship to allow members of the public to access information. Her administration will also commit to social and individual rights and freedoms as contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She will also seek justice for political prisoners that were killed through the death penalty in Iran, ensure the abolition of the death penalty in Iran, and prohibit torture. Citizens will also have access to justice with ease.
- Maryam’s government will separate the state from religion. Therefore, the country will not be held captive by any religion when making its decisions. She will also allow other faiths to operate in the country, along with social welfare groups. Currently, the country is led by a strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia which needs to be removed for the abolition of the death penalty in Iran to be possible.
- There will be complete gender equality in all facets of the economy, including culture, social and political realms. Women will have equal economic rights and be allowed to participate in political leadership like men. The government will also remove all forms of discrimination and give citizens the right to choose clothes, marry and divorce, as well as obtain employment and education. She also plans to ban all forms of women’s exploitation under any name or pretext.
- There will be an independent judiciary and a justice-legal system on par with international standards. It will be based on the presumption of innocence, the right to defence counsel, the right to appeal a court judgment and the right to have your case heard in a public court. Her government also intends to abolish Sharia law and dissolve the Islamic Revolutionary Courts, which currently hear cases without any of the principles stated above.
- Her government will vouch for the removal of the injustice system and the gaining of autonomy for the Iranian Kurdistan region. There will be no injustices to Iranian nationalities in the region, as has been the case in the past. Citizens in the region will have a chance to voice their concerns about governance and chart their way forward. The plan is consistent with the NCRI vision for the region.
- Maryam’s government will restore justice and provide equal opportunities in all realms of the economy. People will have a chance to choose their preferred career path and get full rights. It will restore the rights of blue-collar workers, white-collar professionals, nurses, farmers, retirees, and teachers to enhance their productivity. It envisions a productive, growing economy that will reduce the rate of unemployment and make Iran a powerhouse in various economic sectors.
- Her government will prioritize the rehabilitation of the environment, which has been destroyed in the years that mullahs have been ruling the country. The NCRI believes a healthy, well-managed environment is vital for the growth of a sustainable society and to achieve the various health and economic goals it has set.
- Maryam’s government will push towards a non-nuclear Iran with the aim of removing all the weapons of mass destruction from its borders. It intends to advocate for peaceful co-existence with its neighbours and cooperate with other countries in the region to achieve international goals. It will also reach out to groups and countries that are not on good terms with Iran, with the hope of restoring relations and cooperation in various sectors of the economy.
