Iran’s IRGC must be immediately classified as terrorists
WHIA- The Telegraph
The citizens and government of Israel are facing a fierce conflict, driven by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from Tehran.
Through their intermediaries, Hamas and Hizbollah, the Revolutionary Guards have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Israeli civilians in a short span of time.
It’s an oversimplification to attribute this conflict solely to the Palestinian-Israeli differences. At its core, this is a battle between the adversaries of democracy and democratic values themselves.
Israel is the only established democracy in the Middle East, with deep historical and cultural roots spanning multiple religions. It stands out in the region by upholding the principle of separation of powers and is the only country in the Middle East where leaders relinquish power as per constitutional norms, ensuring the chosen successor is democratically elected by the people.
As a bilingual nation, Israel recognizes both Arabic and Hebrew as its official languages, reflecting its diverse citizenry. Arabic and Muslim citizens have rights equivalent to their non-Arab and Jewish counterparts, which is why both languages are used in official communications, including street names.
The current conflict initiated by Hamas against Israel’s democracy can be perceived as an indirect confrontation led by Iran, which is often referred to as a hub for global terrorism. This struggle is essentially against democratic values on a global scale.
As such, it’s imperative for nations such as the United Kingdom to offer unflinching support to both the Israeli populace and its government. This support would ensure that the democratic principles aren’t compromised by the authoritarian rule in Tehran.
The distressing images of innocent women, children and victims of Hamas rockets, are heart-wrenching. These rockets were procured by the IRGC for Hamas. There’s an urgent need for the UK Government to classify the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. Any delay may risk witnessing similar tragic scenes on the streets of London. As our foreign minister stated, Israel’s security is the UK’s security.
These attacks have once again sadly shown that the continuation of political and diplomatic relations with Iran only increases the audacity of this regime as the largest global sponsor of terrorism and the dangers it poses to international peace and security.
Together with my husband, Vahid Beheshti, who was on hunger strike for 72 days and hospitalised for two weeks, and has a fatwa against him by the Iranian regime, we urge our Government to immediately list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation. Today is Vahid’s 235th day outside of the UK’s Foreign Office as he continues his sit-in strike calling for this action.
Over the years, I have warned the West, both in the UK and the European parliaments, of the dangers of fundamentalism and radicalisation which have been exported by Iran. I have repeatedly stressed that the beheadings and public executions that we see inside of Iran will one day be witnessed here on our soil if the right measures are not taken to ensure our safety.
We are now unfortunately seeing a large number of people in the UK celebrate the killings, kidnappings, and beheadings with anti-Israel and anti-Semitic slurs, following Hamas’s attack on Israel. This is a red flag – a warning that cannot be ignored.
Appeasement will never work. Ignoring this imminent threat will be detrimental to the safety and security of the British nationals.
Mattie Heaven is director of International Organisations to Preserve Human Rights and a Tory councilor