Three more defectors of Rajavi’s Cult who were banned behind the bars of Mujahedin at Camp Ashraf returned home and joined their families.
Within a friendly atmosphere at Nejat Society Gorgan Office, Mr.Ahmad Sarayee, Mr.Jamshid Sarayee and Mr. Yunos Yanpey gathered together and shared their bitter memoirs of the days of their being captives of MKO and that their new life in their motherland is filled with joy and peace.
Nejat Society Golestan Branch
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili accused Germany of supporting anti-Iran terrorist group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), by allowing the 
group to have "bases" in that country.
Talking to the online site of the Hamburg-based weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, Jalili said, "The Berlin government is promoting (MKO) terror" … by permitting it to have "bases in Germany."
The top Iranian official held the MKO responsible for attacks in his country, the Islamic republic news agency reported…
________
Jalili Accuses Germany of Backing MKO
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili accused Germany of supporting anti-Iran terrorist group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), by allowing the group to have "bases" in that country.
Talking to the online site of the Hamburg-based weekly news magazine Der Spiegel, Jalili said, "The Berlin government is promoting (MKO) terror" … by permitting it to have "bases in Germany."
The top Iranian official held the MKO responsible for attacks in his country, the Islamic republic news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator said he was cautiously upbeat on prospects for progress at next week’s nuclear talks in Geneva, Switzerland, featuring Iranian officials and diplomatic representatives of the five UN veto powers plus Germany.
"I am traveling "with optimism to the negotiations but we are also realists," added Jalili.
He stressed although Iranian officials would discuss the nuclear question at Thursday’s meeting in Switzerland, it would not include the issue of uranium enrichment.
He vowed Iran would "never surrender its right" of having a nuclear enrichment program.
Jalili made clear Tehran did not fear western threats of tightening sanctions.
The Iranian official said it was up to the US and Europe to make concessions in the stalemate over Tehran’s nuclear program.
"It’s up to the West now to make a move," Jalili added.
An interview with Batool Soltani on MKO self-immolations – Part 21
Sahar Family Foundation: What impact did immolations have on the relations within Camp Ashraf, and what objectives did the organization aim to achieve in particular?
Batool Soltani: The impact was widespread and it can be studied from a variety of angles. One was to promulgate and propagate the incident through a variety of means like video-clips, music, plays and TV programs. To impress the members, they had collected many old, impressive and devotionally themed music and songs and made new compositions that were then mixed with self-burning clips that were repeatedly displayed in dining halls and canteens.
The ends they strived for were to provoke and encourage members to identify with the models, to eulogize victims as heroes and heroines, to create a sense of self-criticism for failing to fully fulfill obligations, to coerce them to increase their frequent attendances of weekly hold sessions of ablution and confession to outpour what passed inside them, and above all, to frustrate formation of and doubt and question concerning the operations themselves.
In such an emotively moving atmosphere nobody dared to propound any question or utter any raised doubt; any logic and challenge had to be stifled and critics had no choice but to act in accordance with the whole climate. One interesting point to mention, the members were indirectly encouraged to register as volunteers for suicide operations and apply to burn themselves to death. They also arranged especial sessions to carry out a survey of opinions to have an assessment of the percentage of the volunteers for the operations at the time of Maryam’s arrest.
It was important for the organization to have an exact assessment of members’ allegiance whether to the organization or other external factors. The sessions were organized so cleverly that the attendants unconsciously uttered their internal reflections. To be a volunteer of suicide operations motivated in any form defined a high parameter for organizational promotion, but of further importance was the degree of organizational loyalty and commitment.
As the prerequisite for membership following the so-called ideological revolution was preparedness for death and suicide; to volunteer for operations worked only as a gauge of ideological, political and organizational commitment. The decrees of organization were the laws everybody was obliged to obey with no question; it was the first organizational principle. In the case of the June 17, it was a test of members’ loyalty and commitment.
I remember members who insisted to set themselves on fire at the time but the organization somehow convinced them that their deed was of no use. However, some were displeased of the antagonistic attitude and sought to execute their willingness. If they succeeded, it would question the organizational principle. Of the greater priority was obedience and the one who set himself on fire when unauthorized by the organization would be assessed a defiant.
Regardless of the nature of the defiance, the organization was concerned about its generalization which could cost it irreparable damage. In fact, all was a test of a critical article of the ideological revolution to assess its degree of reliability in the face of any similar crisis. We have already talked about the articles of the ideological revolution and Rajavi’s stabilized status as an ideological leader whose commands had to be consciously and unquestionably obeyed.
The volunteers of self-burning first had to request permission of Massoud and Maryam for the act, a signification of absolute submission to leadership. Any form of disobedience, even unauthorized suicide and sacrifice, was condemned since it could be a possible challenge against organizational principle and had to be strongly confronted.
A practical, regular and invisible assessment of members’ obedience, chiefly at such critical junctures, well identified the potentiality of overcoming a crisis in the future. In fact, it was not the multitudes of volunteers for sacrifice or the passive but the level and amount of obedience. Of course, nobody was aware of the real intention behind all these, otherwise the plan failed altogether.
SFF: What was the main source to break the news of immolations? I mean, was it important for them to be the sole breakers of the news or quote it from other news agencies?
BS: The first channel of information was the Resistance TV but the organization did not mind if other known news agencies covered the news. But the problem was that all information channeled to Ashraf were biased and direct access to original sources of information was prohibited and was highly controlled. It was mostly because the organization behaved in anomalous way with some media and believed they were the mouthpiece of imperialism and the enemies in shadow.
However, some of these agencies were known to be the sole reliable source of information and the organization could not neglect their role in global information exchange. Wherever there were concordance between its own news and that of the agencies, the organization did not hesitate to blow them up to get desired results. However, they received the least attention if their information failed to side with the organization. BBC, for instance, was and is one of those news agencies the organization has despised above all, and that is why you hardly encounter any of the agency’s news and information quoted and reflected by the organization.
Its open hostility towards BBC is based mainly on a once description of the agency by Shamloo that has continued so far, and the organization is really desperate what to do when the agency releases news when it is preciously to its advantage. Suppose, BBC covers one of Maryam’s political visits and meeting while taking an impartial stand and no further analysis. It is an ample opportunity to grab at and to exert the propaganda impact, but the organization shows no direct excitement and quotes the news along with vituperative attacks directed at BBC.
In many cases, the organization applied a clever propaganda technique and aired its own distributed information quoted from well-known news agencies and TV networks for greater impact and desired propaganda advantages. On the one hand, the organization could convince the insiders of Ashraf that it was the center of global political and media attention and on the other hand, it took advantage of exposing its capacity as an alternative. In fact, apart from its attempts to repel the French government, the organization had entirely aimed to be the focus of the global media and to influence the news headlines for some time.
It appeared that domination of the mass media was more serious than Maryam’s release, it is a fact that can be well understood by the amount of the reports and news reflected by the media throughout the world. A look at the organization’s own media at that time and later reveals that it had designated a big bulk of its propaganda space, both cyber and non-cyber, for the reflection of the relevant issues and news and did not spare to stick even at the trifles. The origin of these news was often the organization itself and most often used them quoted from other news agencies; as it benefitted the effect of media coverage on the incidents of 17 June immolations.
To be continued
Iraqi officials assert that despite conferring with 25 countries, they have failed to convince any country to offer political refuge to MKO. Although the US has shown eager in adopting a policy of supporting Mojahedin in recent years, it refuses to let them in and also describes MKO as a terrorist and unreliable group. To worsen the conditions of Mojahedin, the US has placed the responsibility for making the final decision for MKO on the Iraqi Government.
Furthermore, France has recognized the terrorist nature of Mojahedin and refuses to provide them with refuge. However, it has to bear the settlement of a number of MKO members in Auver-sur-Oise. It is investigating the terrorist charges of Mojahedin regarding the dossier of 17 June, 2003 and has objected to the removal of the name of the organization from the terrorist list of the EU and hopes to convince its European counterparts to review the exoneration MKO from terrorist charges.
In spite of the fact that the UK has removed the bans of political activities for the organization, it refuses to give refuge to its members. The general and official position taking of other European countries is based on labeling MKO as an unreliable organization. Iran’s neighboring countries have a dual policy toward MKO, yet whenever the issue of giving refuge to its members comes out, they absolve responsibility from themselves and give priority to their national interests.
Iraqi people insist on expelling Mojahedin after three decades of their interfering presence in their soil. The false claims of the organization on enjoying a great social support is no more taken seriously since at the time being only Saleh Mutlaq, leader of the Arabic Front for Iraqi National Dialogue, is their strong advocate. Before, it was deemed that Mojahedin were favored by many Iranians due to their anti-monarchy fighting, yet the course of events after the fall of Pahlavi’s regime led them to be the first political group to flee Iran due to their lack of social support. Though Mojahedin have resorted to violence and suicide attacks to keep their residence in Iraq, the evidences indicate that their efforts are futile and they have no position therein.
These positions are taken while it seems that Europe and the US are wiling to fish in troubled water due to the position of Iran in international scene and their own pragmatist and instrumental diplomacy. In other words, they tend to use Mojahedin as a lever of pressure against Iran. The approach cannot be dismissed since the type of relations of the west toward Mojahedin indicates that they can neither abandon MKO as an instrument in their political relations nor brook the costs of the presence of Mojahedin in their soil. Consequently, they refuse to qualify MKO members as political refugees yet watch for an opportunity to make an instrumental use of MKO against Iran. The significant point is that none of these countries recognizes Mojahedin neither an alternative for Iran nor a trend parallel to other oppositions.
Despite Mojahedin’s attempt to exaggerate their status in international scene, the European countries even fail to recognize the legitimacy of Mojahedin as an opposition. This paradoxical policy taken by the West has its roots in political considerations and can be discussed in depth. The unstable and hopeless situation of MKO in the past three decades proves that no country consents to support Mojahedin and even its host governments are after a way to get rid of them.
What is of considerable importance to be discussed here is the unspoken consensus of above countries on the least probability of referring to MKO as an alternative for Iranian government and futility of instrumental use of the organization against Iran. The reasons and evidences of this consensus have been focused on for many years and they have to be investigated and traced more deeply. For instance, it remains a question that the European countries, despite their fundamental fraction with Iran on issues like nuclear issues and the propagation of Islam in the world, still avoid close approach to MKO.
They just try to impose Mojahedin on others like Iraqi government and then benefit from the organization whenever necessary. Anyway, the reason why no country consents to legitimize Mojahedin is to be elaborated on. The reason may be the notorious history of organization full of hostile reactions against their host countries and also misusing the facilities provided by these countries for them against national interests of governments and nations.
The problems Mojahedin have created for European countries in last three decades and the considerable costs paid for their expelling from Iraq can be one of the reasons of that has aggravated the situation. As the European countries witness the costs imposed on Iraqi government and the violent reactions of MKO in Iraq, they can understand that they would be faced with the very same problems if Mojahedin were allowed as refuges on their soil.
They are well aware that the presence of Mojahedin in their soil has many negative consequences like damaging their foreign relations as well as being lambasted for adopting an aberrant political and social policy. Although Mojahedin pretend to follow international law and norms, the evidences shows that after achieving their objectives they are no longer hew to their obligations. In fact, Mojahedin are not so concerned with humanity yet aim at developing an organizational strength and stability. As soon as they meet their objective, their true terrorist and violent nature shows up.
During the 1960’s , a few years after the peak of guerilla war around the world including Kuba, China, Mexico …, Mujahedin Khalq Organization began their armed struggle against the Shah of Iran. The MEK based their armed struggle on other groups’ experiences, imitating them as if there was no other way except the violent overthrow of Shah.
In the early days of its foundation MEK had no coherent theory for struggle so the imprisoned members based their vindications, in regime courts, on Quran and other religious books or wisdoms. But, a few years later, after the Islamic Revolution, they pretended that they had had an organized strategy for their armed struggle.
Finally in June 1980, MEK launched a violent massacre against their own nation and started the wave of terrifying terror acts. They succeeded to create an intimidating atmosphere in which even their own members didn’t dare to ask why such a violence. For years, MEK Leaders tried to make the world believe that they enjoyed public support but their various defeats including their so called Eternal light Operation ended their illusion for people’s support.
After all, MEK despite what its leaders claim, has never followed a peaceful option to achieve its goals. Massoud Rajavi, like Stalin, divided the world to two groups:”With MEK and Against MEK”; he isolated the organization behind the barbed wires so no idea or no individual is able to get in or out.
After his so-called Ideological Revolution, Rajavi formed his private army by the failures changed his NLA (National Liberation Army) to a small equipped army without significant human force. Then, in 2003 after the fall of Saddam Hussein following the American invasion to Iraq, the US army disarmed MEK.
The culture of violence is not only included in physical violence but also in verbal violence. The physical violence is based on verbal violence. Among political activists, political rhetoric should be polite. When the so-called political activists of MEK, especially Maryam and Massoud Rajavi use so many dirty words in their speeches against IRI, they only distribute a dirty political culture in their society: a culture which is totally based on violence. Now that, MEK’s hands are empty of arms, their only way to continue their alleged struggle is propaganda which is not based on a peaceful, logic and gradual activity but based on an illusion of enemy. In MEK’s illusions all opponents should be physically violently omitted or violently attacked by words.
According to reports the Iraqi Police was not supposed to enter the Camp violently but since MEK members were ordered to respond any approach in a violent manner, their reaction was clearly what MKO leaders have always trained their members to do: The solution to any problem is violence. The members of MKO have been filled with anger and hatred and the only expected reaction to Iraqi Police is what they did on July 28th.
Thus the violence in MKO is not a tactic but a strategy which has so far resulted in the death of dozens of thousands of innocent people including those who were killed in Camp Ashraf clashes. Since 2003, MEK has had no more military power, but the violence they have founded their organization on, has been structured around MKO’s strategy. The violent struggle they had launched was only a kind of blind adventure to achieve power in Iran and had no fate except failure.
By Mazda Parsi
The comic play of hunger strike is still going on in camp Ashraf!
While 54 days have passed the hunger strike by some Ashraf residents – according to Rajavi’s propaganda system – the show is still on the scene without any mortality. If was a true hunger strike, it would end with death of about twenty people of those residents but fortunately there is no news of death of fasting members. This illogic outcome denounces the reality of the so-called dramatic hunger strike.
Hunger strike, back ground, type and the measure of casualties
Hunger strike is a method of practical protest. It is like a suicide – sometimes even after hunger strike is finished, the side effects affect the person’s life and prepare the body for further diseases –since the disorder of natural metabolism of body weakens the whole organs.
Hunger strike includes two types: complete and dry.
In a complete hunger strike the participants do not eat or drink anything, in this case the hunger strikers will only survive for 36 to 72 hours. In a dry hunger strike, the protester only drinks beverages like water, juice, milk … in this case; the maximum resistance to death will last for 35 to 40 days, depending on the measures of the persons’ biological power. The hunger strikers will reach an unreturnable point after 35 days.
As the MKO’s propaganda claims, on September 5th, the doctors recommended about 15 participants to stop their hunger strike because they were going to reach the unreturnable point! If the claim had been true, at least a number of those hunger strikers would have died until now, but there have been no news on the death of any of those participants yet. The current situation shows that the few people who were on hunger strike, were just playing a dramatic show.
As usual the leaders of the group use such without – audience false play as a political chantage. Although the victimization of a number of the group’s dissidents is not far from possible, the evidences clarify that this fruitless show is another sign of crisis mongering policies of Rajavis’ Cult.
I have previously notified that this propagandistic show has a few participants who attend the show in turns! to be filmed and photographed. Naturally, their illegal demand will not succeed and the death of each participant, regarding the organized movement of the group, will just thicken their terrorist file of June 17th 2003.
The continuance of the show will not only end with the group’s success but also will be a shameful, funny game for them. I suggest the leaders of the terrorist cult of MEK that they stop their comedy as soon as possible, instead they begin negotiating with Iraqi government in order to get a non-violent ending for Camp Ashraf residents.
I’m so happy to see my deceived, mentally captured compatriots living but their appearance never shows that they’ve been fasting for 54 days.
The criminal leaders of MKO terrorist cult defeated in their new show. They should stop their deceitful show and submit to decisions of Iraqi government. They should accept that no common sense will be deceived by their tricks. Instead of launching their propaganda campaign, they should try to transfer Ashraf captives to a safe place. The group’s propaganda system spent too much time on attacking Iraqi government for its legal acts although it seems that if the group cools down, the Iraqi government still respects their human rights and tries to end up group’s fate in a peaceful manner.
The leaders of the cult have no more option other than cooperation with Iraqi authorities to solve their problematic situation in Iraqi territory. They have to moderate their demands of Iraqi government. Otherwise they are the only responsible for the lives of those suffering hunger strikers.
A.Minoo Sepehr – Translated by Nejat Society
An interview with Batool Soltani on MKO self-immolations – Parts nineteen-twenty
Sahar Family Foundation: Maryam’s release was the cause for the celebrations held in Auvers and Ashraf and we observed a variety of programs aired by Mojahedin’s TV. The programs noticeably purported to introduce new spirit and concepts, the performance of new dances including a mystical dance in particular. Or magnification of signs and patterns that significantly denoted concepts of the ideological revolution, like that of sacrifice and devotion. What is your idea about these programs and what ends had the organization aimed to achieve?
Batool Soltani: I saw the programs you mentioned. To answer your question, I have to begin with a retrospect. Although it may seem irrelevant to the issue of self-immolations, it may explain origination and introduction of these innovations in the organization. I remember the first performance of Marzieh, an old Iranian diva, in Camp Ashraf. It was really an unexpected shock.
Until then, talking about any form of music, concert and singer was a taboo. Besides, nobody would ever think that in such an atmosphere of militarism overwhelmed by the smell of blood,
powder and gun music could be of any use and effect. Marzieh’s presence and performance in the camp changed the mind-set and the organization began to look at it as a working instrument.
It happened at a time when the organization had been disarmed and members had a lot of free time since there were no arms and, consequently, no heavy maintenance demands on them. Here, the organization resolved to replace new vehicles to keep the very same struggle morale among the forces. Art, an especially music, showed an appropriately working instrument for the purpose.
On the other hand, the organization strived to display a different profile for the West and that it had undergone a modernized change within and without. In fact, the organization keeps a tenacious hold on art and music to serve it for ideological instructions and to fulfill its purpose in the very same way it utilized arms and other means of violenve. The incidents of 17 June, self-immolations and the subsequent death of Neda and Sediqeh was the best granted opportunity to render the whole operation and the dead a legend through art and particularly focuses on the mystical dance. To make saints out of the two, art worked better and beyond any direct, long preach and ideological lecture.
Of course, these mystical programs were exclusively performed in Camp Ashraf because of the dominant ideological atmosphere there. Unlike Camp Ashraf, in Auvers-sur-Oise it was the common, modern music and songs sung by Iranian Los Angelino singers that prevailed. In France and in the midst of the modern, world mystical dances could communicate no effect; it was all western dances, Rock, Pop, Hard and similar music.
The Ashraf residents were the scapegoats ready to be sacrificed and they had to be kept ideologically ready and prepared for suicide operations. Those in the Europe were either spear carriers, who had to be appeased, or leading rankings who, naturally, had the responsibility of setting up the background for the victims. The art in Ashraf was a means to enhance the sense of devotion and sacrifice and you can explicitly notice the implied concepts in the style of the dances, the rhythm, decoration and design.
Hardly can anybody come out without the performance having made a heavy impression on him. In many cases, the members wished they had been in the place of Neda and Sediqeh in self-burnings. Such an impressive climate could not be created in any other way but through art and music and it was the force of music to meet organizational objectives that enticed Rajavi to change his mind, notwithstanding he cared not in the least for the art that serves the art itself. As at the present you are mainly focusing on the issue of immolation, I think the given details suffice.
SFF: you restated the death of Neda and Sediqeh. Will you please talk about the impact of their operations on the organization from any angle you look at it?
BS: To look at it from the best angle, it was the attempt to mythicize their death and consecrate them as saints and legendry heroines. Multitudes of poems, elegies and songs as well as the already mentioned mystical dances were composed and manipulated to justify the wounded and the dead of the immolation operations and to fashion archetypes for others to follow.
Here the aesthetics of art no further served to glorify the beauties of life but death in its most ugly and abominable form, self-burning. The function of art was converted here; to die for the ideals is evaluated a fair, worthy death, but to die for an egoist who believes in no humanistic ideal value but absolute autocracy is to become the victim of a cruel and unfair hoax.
How they infuse these teachings into the organization is a different discussion. In Camp Ashraf, for example, the first to enshrine them as legendry heroines was Mozhgan (Parsai). Of course, before she began the show off, Massoud had called to eulogize them as devotees who had proved their ideological truthfulness. Although he believed that members had shirked their organizational responsibilities towards Maryam, he began to extol Neda and Sediqeh and other hospitalized members as heroes who had transcended human limits.
They had reached, he stated, the summit of selflessness where they could easily engage themselves in feats that was hard or impossible for others to do. The people enslaved by their selves with no bond to a secure source of attachment would end to a wasteland while people like Neda and Sediqeh who depended on a safe and reliable guide like Maryam could easily brave any struggle and risk. For someone disenchanted self-burning is a deprecated suicide while for someone attached to a source of solace it is a spiritual act leading to salvation. One dissolved in the leadership did everything, even risked his life, to protect and save his/her life through any means.
Rajavi’s moralizations all came after the immolation incidents through cassettes in which he acknowledged ten other members who had set themselves on fire one by one. Then it was Mozhgan’s turn to comment on Rajavi’s statements and suggested to build a monument for the two martyred inside the camp. Thus, trough a clever pattern of conspiracy, they produced iconic archetypes and models; they named buildings and streets after them, made symbolic monuments, mounted their pictures on the walls everywhere and so forth.
Sahar Family Foundation: The consequences of the 17 June incidents were each causes for further arguments. But, let’s first ask how long did Maryam Rajavi’s detention by the French police last?
Batool Soltani: I cannot tell exactly, but I think nearly twenty days altogether. But it seems one year when you consider about what ensued from her detention. I think she was released on July 2, 8 in the morning.
SFF: Well, after her release, what message did she specifically deliver?
BS: She claimed that while in detention, she had prepared a few messaged that they had prevented to be sent out, including a videotaped message addressed to members in Europe and Ashraf residents to cease self-immolations.
It was what she said in her first delivered speech after her release. Another consequent event was a held celebration for freedom in Auvers in which the members of the Leadership Council and a number of local residents of Auvers-sur-Oise took part. She distributed flowers and made a speech and many boys and girls chanted and danced on the street outside.
We saw all these on the TV but we had also our celebration simultaneously inside Ashraf with the difference that the celebrations in Auvers displayed a modern, happy and joyful performance while in Ashraf it was more similar to a mystical-style ritual.
To be continued
Link to the full report (PDF)
Iran-Interlink.org has published a second report on Camp Ashraf, Iraq and the situation of Mojahedin-e Khalq (aka MKO, MEK) cult members at the camp. After consultation with the Government of Iraq, Massoud Khodabandeh has described events since January 1, 2009.
According to the report, Iraq is determined to rid itself of the foreign terrorist cult led by Massoud and Maryam Rajavi as soon as possible, but is hampered by western intransigence over where these people should go.
The 3416 individuals inside Camp Ashraf have no legal status in Iraq. They are not entitled to ‘protected persons’ status under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Neither will they be granted political refugee status by Iraq. Nor will Iraq forcibly repatriate them. But, although the MKO has been de-proscribed, at its own behest, as a terrorist group in Europe, no western country is willing to offer asylum to the individuals — even though 1015 MKO members have a passport or residence permit of a third country. After months of fruitless negotiations with MKO leaders — with U.S. observation — a police post was established inside Camp Ashraf at the end of July. In spite of violent resistance by the MKO which led to 11 deaths, the camp residents are now subject to Iraqi law. Following evidence that MKO leaders were committing widespread and systematic human rights abuses inside the camp, the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry, in conjunction with international humanitarian agencies, is now set to properly monitor activity at the camp.
Massoud Khodabandeh made several recommendations in his report. The Government of Iraq should remove around seventy MKO leaders in order to protect the rank and file members from human rights abuses and coercion. The camp must be thoroughly searched — something the U.S. Army failed to do since 2003.
Stressing that western governments bear a responsibility toward the MKO’s victims trapped inside Camp Ashraf, Mr. Khodabandeh says that western politicians must prevent further political abuse of MKO members by the Rajavi leadership and guarantee the rights of those individuals who renounce violence and are willing to return to society. European governments should work with Iraq and the UN to find third countries to which other individuals in Camp Ashraf can be transferred.
For more information contact: Anne Singleton +44 (0) 113 278 0503
Link to the first report:
https://www.nejatngo.org/en/posts/1710
Archbishop of Canterbury stresses US, Iraqi governments have duty to protect People’s Mujahedeen from abuse
LONDON – The head of the Church of England said Sunday that Iraq and the United States have a duty to protect Iranian refugees in a camp in Iraq from violence or abuse.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said events at Camp Ashraf northeast of Baghdad "constitute a humanitarian and human rights issue of real magnitude and urgency".
"There is a strong argument in terms of international law that the Ashraf residents are ‘protected persons’," he said in a statement.
Iraqi forces launched a deadly raid on the camp, in Diyala province, in July, killing 11 people, raising concerns about residents’ safety.
Iraq gained sovereignty over the camp on January 1, following the expiry of a UN mandate that had given US forces responsibility for the camp.
"Both the government of Iraq and the government of the United States — as the agency responsible for the transfer of the residents to another jurisdiction — have an obligation to secure the rights of these residents and to defend them from violence or abuse."
The archbishop said a UN monitoring group should be established to visit the camp, which is home to 3,500 People’s Mujahedeen members and their families.
Williams, who met a group of Ashraf supporters last week, urged protesters in Britain to end their hunger strike in support of the camp residents.
US ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill earlier this month vowed to press the Iraqi government, which the Mujahedeen say answers to Tehran, to live up to assurances to treat the residents humanely and make sure they are not repatriated to Iran.
The People’s Mujahedeen, an Islamic movement, was founded in 1965 in opposition to the shah of Iran. It has subsequently fought to oust the clerical regime which took power in the 1979 Islamic revolution.
The group set up Camp Ashraf in the 1980s — when former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was at war with Iran — as a base to operate against the Tehran government.
Anglican Church leader backs MKO supporters
The Archbishop of Canterbury has called for an end to a hunger strike outside the US Embassy in London by supporters of the terrorist Mujahedeen-e-Khalq Organization (MKO).
The supporters are protesting against the treatment of some 3,000 MKO members, whom have been confined to Camp Ashraf in Iraq since the US invasion of the country in 2003.
Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Church, on Monday expressed deploration for the conditions of the camp, adding that it was a humanitarian issue "of real magnitude and urgency," AFP reported.
The United States, Canada, Iraq and Iran have designated the MKO as a terror organization. It was only recently removed from the Council of the European Union’s terror list.
The group is responsible for many acts of terrorism in Iran, helping former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in the massacre of Iraqis, and killing civilian and military personnel working for the US Department of State.
The US military officially turned control of the camp — which houses MKO members regarded by NATO forces as protected under the Geneva Conventions — to the new Iraqi government on January, 2009.
Residents of the camp claim that an Iraqi raid there in July left several people dead. The demonstrators in London, meanwhile, are asking Washington to reclaim responsibility for Camp Ashraf.
Baghdad has repeatedly vowed to close the camp, but Williams, who has met with several of the protesters over the past few days, said returning the MKO members to Iran endangered their lives, urging authorities to investigate the matter.
He further added that a UN monitoring team must be established to visit the camp.
