Brussels - Washington: Europe and the Arabs
US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) announced the formation of a caucus of about 20 deputies on Thursday, focusing on Iranian women. According to what was stated in the statement of the Iranian Resistance, which we received a copy of on Saturday, in which it quoted what was reported by the American newspaper, Washington Examner, and it also said, "The gathering, called the Iranian Women's Congress Caucus, will serve as a forum through which members of Congress can address issues and developments related to women's freedom and democracy in Iran. The committee's first step was a joint resolution condemning the chemical attack on Iranian school girls.

"Many Iranian women are demonstrating their courage and resilience in the face of challenges in their fight for equality and human rights," Rep. Nancy Mays said in a joint statement with the Washington Examiner. “As we have witnessed, women and youth have shown tremendous courage in leading the protests in Iran over the past five months, calling for social freedom and political change. We will be on the side of freedom and oppose the oppression of women in the United States, Iran and around the world. ”

The resolution is the latest move by Congress to condemn the current Iranian regime and support the thousands of women and girls protesting for a secular, democratic and nuclear-free Iran. The House of Representatives passed a resolution in January that specifically praised the courage and bravery of Iranian protesters. The protests began in September following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while in police custody for not wearing a headscarf properly.

The House of Representatives also passed a more detailed resolution in February supporting the protests and its leader, Maryam Rajavi. She also supported Rajavi's 10-point plan, which calls for universal right to vote, free elections, and a market economy, as well as gender, religious, and ethnic equality.

Since September, hundreds of school girls have been targeted in a series of chemical attacks in what is believed to be a response to the protests. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said that if the poisonings were deliberate, he would seek the death penalty for the "unforgivable" crimes. However, no suspects or details of the chemicals used in the attacks have been disclosed.

The United States' relationship with Iran has been tense recently amid the Biden administration's efforts to reinvigorate the Iran nuclear deal. But advocates, including lawmakers, have called on the United States and other Western democracies to sever ties with the regime. The administration stepped up its response to the protests last month by punishing people and businesses believed to be playing a role in the violent crackdown.

Rights activists in Iran told the Associated Press that more than 500 people have been killed in protests and the regime's brutal crackdown so far. The authorities detained more than 19,700 others.

The new committee is expected to enhance dialogue by providing a regular flow of information to members of Congress with documents based on a range of viewpoints, including U.S. and other government sources, nongovernmental organizations, Iranian dissident groups, and leaders of the Iranian American community.