Chairman of the International Religious Freedom Commission: The West Must Reassess Its Policy Towards Iran

The Chairman of the International Religious Freedom Commission stated that as long as the Islamic Republic does not face significant consequences, it will reinstate the morality police and other tools of repression, and it is time for the U.S. and Europe to reassess their policies towards the Islamic Republic. Rabbi Abraham Cooper testified on Tuesday, July 18, at a session of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the complicated state of religious freedom in countries around the world. This session was held by the Committee on Global Human Rights and International Institutions, which is a subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. After the session, in an exclusive interview with the Persian section of Voice of America, Cooper referred to the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police last year as "a very unfortunate incident." His reference was to reports regarding the beating of Mahsa Amini during her arrest and the van carrying her by the morality police. Iranian officials have denied these reports. Rabbi Cooper criticized what he called the failure of some governments around the world, stating, "Not even a voice from these governments was heard in support of the people of Iran." Regarding the bipartisan attitude of U.S. congressional representatives in a meeting held about Iran, he said, "Every time we talk to people in various parts of America or even in a meeting held in Congress, it can be felt that despite the flaws and shortcomings of the political system and other social problems in the United States, the issue of human rights is a bipartisan matter for all Americans, regardless of their religion or belief." He added, "The majority of American society still believes that we must respect the fundamental values of the country and has done a lot to uphold human dignity and human rights around the world." Rabbi Cooper also discussed the protests in Iran and the role of Iranian women in them, stating that when it comes to supporting the people of Iran, it should be recognized that the recent protests were led by women; "Brave women who have embarrassed us, and their resistance should inspire all people, regardless of their political views or religious beliefs." The Chairman of the International Religious Freedom Commission pointed out that the current situation in Iran and the resistance of Iranian women help us see "the real Iran, not that regime that seeks genocide, builds nuclear bombs, and supports terrorism," and said, "The people of Iran represent a developed culture." Rabbi Cooper criticized the U.S. government's policy, which he described as "deciding that any potential nuclear agreement is more important than any other issue regarding Iran, including human rights." He added, "In the end, you see that there is no agreement, the Islamic Republic is closer to obtaining a nuclear bomb, can sell billions of dollars of oil, and unfortunately, women and girls and other people in Iran are still suffering." In another part of his remarks, he criticized the current policy towards the Islamic Republic, stating, "It is still not too late for the U.S., France, Britain, Germany, and even Japan to reassess their approach. There have been no positive outcomes from negotiations; the ruling regime in Iran has not even slightly changed its behavior and, on the contrary, has acted worse than before, achieving everything it wanted without giving anything in return." He emphasized that it is a suitable time for a serious reassessment of the policies of the U.S. and European Union members, such as Germany, France, and Britain. In response to a question about the reinstatement of the morality police on the streets in Iran, he said, "It is not surprising that the morality police have returned to the streets because unfortunately, important countries, from the U.S. to others, did not take the necessary steps to support the people of Iran at a time when they were seeking change." Rabbi Cooper added, "Allowing the morality police to return to the streets without any cost is a disrespect to the memory of Mahsa Amini and others who have been killed, harmed, or disappeared by the regime." Previously, as the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death approached, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, expressed concern during a press briefing in response to a question from Voice of America regarding reports about the enforcement of "mandatory hijab" by the Islamic Republic through what is called the "morality police," stating that the Islamic Republic has not learned from recent protests.