Dr. Majid Rafizadeh wrote: “The NCRI [is] in every way an antithesis to the ruling clerics of Iran, and vies for the establishment of a secular and democratic state providing equal opportunities to all its citizens, regardless of faith, gender and ethnicity.”

Biggest Threat to Iran's Regime Is a Tolerant Islam

London, 9 Dec - The Iranian Regime has been facing a range of ever-increasing political and military challenges in the Middle East, particularly the US’s tougher policy on confronting Iranian belligerence and expansionism, but the biggest threat to the Regime is a challenge to its extremist interpretation of Islam, according to a leading Iranian-American political scientist.

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, president of the International American Council, wrote an op-ed for the Huffington Post in which he laid out how ideological challenges to the Iranian Regime were destroying its chokehold on power.

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh wrote: “Since the 1979 founding of the Islamic Republic, the Iranian regime’s main weapon has been the demented interpretation of Islam, based on zero-tolerance for other religions, lack of respect of freedoms and the debasing of women. This ideology manifests itself as misogynistic laws and practices, a record number of executions, and brutal torture of its own citizens.

 Tehran has used this extremist ideology to suppress freedom and democracy at home and wreak havoc in neighbouring countries. This has rendered sectarian violence triggered by Iran’s Shiite surrogates in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen, among others, to rampant levels. In a nutshell, the Iranian regime’s extremist ideology has been its shield and armour against foreign and domestic threats. That armour, however, is increasingly showing wear and tear.”

Thankfully, the fanatical interpretation of Islam- which disrespects women and people of other religions- is on its way out. Just last week Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reaffirmed his promise to reverse Islamic extremism, largely orchestrated by the Regime that has led to groups like ISIS and Hezbollah.
The Regime, of course, even as written evidence of their collaboration with Al Qaeda emerges from the CIA is trying to shift the blame to Saudi Arabia because they disapprove of Prince Salman’s efforts to push back against Iranian sectarianism.