Dialogues

Habilian Association representatives meet Ms. Fariba Hashtroudi

On Monday 1 January 2007, Ms. Fariba Hashtroudi, former member of national council of resistance (NRC) who has traveled into Iran recently, met and talked to Mr. Seyed Javad Hasheminejad and Mohammad Sanavi, Secretary General and executive director of Habilian association. In this meeting, Ms. Hashtroudi was informed on Habilian humanitarian activities

At the beginning of meeting, Mr. Hasheminejad pointed that how Habilian association was formed and in following added: “we, as terrorism victims, formed Habilian NGO, but without any attention to revenge and even we have also no hope to justice in this disordered world, but by according to Mujahedeen, who have been changed to a reactionary cult, we accept their members such as victims of sectarist thoughts. We hope that the justice to be administrated in two forms, international trial of cult leaders and releasing of its victims”.

In following of meeting, Mr. Sanavi explained about the assassination of his father by Mujahedeen terrorists in 1986 and also said: “my father was a mercer and basically wouldn’t consider on political issues and also didn’t have any political, military and governmental position. I’m surprised that terrorists have called their operation to kill a common innocent citizen as a heroic operation and declared in their bulletins that he was one of regime’s leaders!!” Then Mr. Sanavi presented some pictures of his father in his shop to Ms. Hashtroudi.

At the end of meeting, Mr. Hasheminejad presented some CDs, including names and specification of 16000 terrorism victims, and brochures, in which were pictures of civilian and ungovernmental victims, especially children, to former member of National Council Resistance (NRC).

Habilian Association, Tehran-1 January 2007

January 11, 2007 0 comment

Habilian Foundation

Presence of Mojahedin is dangerous for Europeans

Meeting Mr. Robert Last, member of Britain foreign ministry delegation

Members of Habilian Association, in following of their meeting with members of political corps, met and talked with Mr. Robert Last and Ms. Sara Clayton on Thursday 2006-9-28. In this meeting, Mr. Mahdi Mollazadeh, official of Habilian association legal committee, after explaining aims and functions of association in one year and presenting some documents and evidences and answering to question about association’s activities, said:

“Terrorism issue and ‘speaking’ with weapons and murder and massacre of innocents to improve political goals have been exerted since victory of Iranian people in 1979 by greedy of power and without popular support groups and caused 16000 Iranian innocent citizens such as governmental officials or ordinary people were killed.

Presence of Saddam Hussein and some European country’s rules and regulations have caused that the Iranian anti-popular terrorists be under supported by them; terrorist activities have been followed by criminal leaders of terrorist groups, especially Mujahedeen-e Khalq Organization (MKO), who were and are in European countries and executed by assassination teams and squads, which have been dispatched from Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

Our people believe that should struggle with terrorism roots generally. We formed this association in order to have a share in this global struggle and help to this global movement as people, who have been hurt a lot by terrorism.

We think that when coalition forces came to region, they should have executed one of primitive and significant aims, which were declared by them, and also destroyed the terrorist bases, which were established in order to Saddam expansionist aims against neighboring countries especially Iran. Ashraf military base is a center, in where has been designed and executed a lot of crimes and a lot of people from Iran nation and Kurdish and Shiah tribes of Iraq have been killed.

Of course, we are, as children of terrorists victims, willing to open the terrorism record in Iran and we are too happy that innocent people of Camp Ashraf can join their families and hope that others people of them will can return to their country and get out of the organization’s pressure, like that more than 300 of them returned during one and two years ago.

Keeping of them in Ashraf base and especially west’s unconcern to their presence and distribution in Europe can be too dangerous for Europe’s people.

However, the group, which has been formed to assassination and murder since 40 years ago and has performed all kinds of terrorist activities, it is possible that perform what it has performed in Iran, in Europe too.

If MKO’s criminal leaders find themselves in surrounded and also their organization be in danger, so they can be dangerous for the Europe’s people. Some years ago, when their leader’s criminal and terrorist wife was arrested, they ordered to their members that set themselves on fire in order to win attentions.

Now you suppose that they perform some brutal actions like them or other actions, which are usually performed by terrorist groups, with Europe’s people; don’t they condemn the politicians, who allowed terrorists collect their group and deal with to spread violent thinks and activities in their land?

So, again your country’s people will be their victims like our people. Sometimes ago, some happen like that somebody set themselves on fire in France, happened in Camp Ashraf; when this organization is restricted, so try to win attentions by doing such crimes.

We collected more documents and evidence about type of function, operations and victims of this group that present you to refer to your authorities and officials.

Then, Mr. Robert Last expressed pleasure from this meeting and declared his regret to these terrorist activities, which happened for Iran’s people and families of association’s members by Mujahedeen-e Khalq and also added:

“Our country follows terrorism like your country and it is one of our problem; issues, which were noticed by you, were too useful for us such as list of victims and also documents and evidences about activities of terrorist groups. Both documents of their activities and their victims exactly will be significant and useful for the parts, which work in this field in England. As you know, I’m not expert in Iran issues but try to refer them to high officials and I hope have cooperation with you in future.

I think this travel, which is your first presence in Human Rights Council, can be useful for you because you had relations with different centers and especially various NGOs, which follow your opinions. I hope that never see terrorist activities neither in your country nor in other part of the world again. I am too glad to meet you and be lucky.

Habilian Association, December 2006

January 11, 2007 0 comment

Iran

Iran Says Nuclear Spy Arrested

Iran has arrested a man suspected of leaking secrets of the country’s disputed nuclear activities to an exiled Iranian opposition group, the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MEK), state radio reported on Tuesday. Mohammad Tavakoli says the "spy" has worked in the Iranian parliament’s research center since 2001.

MKO, labeled a terrorist group in the European Union and the United States, was the first body to expose Iran’s covert nuclear program in 2002.

A leading MP confirmed the arrest. "The man has been working in parliament’s research centre since 2001," Ahmad Tavakoli told the semi-official Fars news agency.

He said the case has been completed for trial, which he said will start soon. The MEK is considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union.

Iranian analysts say the People’s Mujahideen lacks support in Iran where few can forgive its siding with Saddam Hussein in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war.

Huliq.com – 10/01/2007

January 11, 2007 0 comment

Iraq

The statement of Nejat Society relating the execution of former Iraqi dictator

The statement of Nejat Society relating the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein

There were scenes of jubilations among the people of the world, particularly the two great nations of Iran and Iraq; following the news of the execution of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was broke to them this morning.

It is worth mentioning that Saddam Hussein or Iraq was known as the only state supporter of Mojahedin-é Khalq Organisation (MKO), and for nearly two decades the Organisation enjoyed his full financial and logistical backing in that country. The truth is that Saddam Hussein the former dictator of Iraq and Mas’ud Rajavi the leader of MKO committed many crimes in a strategic collusion against the people of Iran as well as the people of Iraq. MKO attempted many terrorist activities inside Iran in big cities against ordinary innocent citizens using the arms, intelligence and training provided by the Iraqi Ba’th regime; and in return MKO participated along the Iraqi armed forces to suppress the Shiite Moslems in the south and the Kurds in the north of the country.

Obviously one cannot make a great distinction between the misdeeds of Saddam Hussein with those of the MKO since they were much closed allies for many years. Saddam and Rajavi were like two blood brothers whom the first is captured and executed and the second is escapee and in hiding. In the video recordings of discussions between Rajavi and Iraqi security and intelligence officials found after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Rajavi clearly defines his relationship beyond a normal political connection for mutual strategic interests and calls it an ideological bond between the two of them.

The overwhelming general jubilations after the execution of the dictator, especially amongst our fellow countrymen who have many scars from this dictator on their bodies, are quite righteous and understandable. We too believe that executing him was the least one could do to cure the wounds on the hearts of thousands of victims who have been suffered due to his actions. But on the other hand many important issues were not even mentioned during the trial of Saddam Hussein never mind being dealt with. Although the execution of the dictator of the century was a right thing to do but a higher right was neglected, and that dealing with the whole truth and reality of his long reign in Iraq.

Apparently they want to finish everything off by just executing one man. In the process of the trial it was not clear who were the supporters and backers of Saddam Hussein and how he enjoyed such supports and who used the Iraqi national sources to fulfil their interests. The closed cooperation of MKO and Saddam Hussein against the nations of Iran and Iraq which could easily be proved should be sorted out in an international court of justice.

In our opinion, there should have been no rush to eliminate Saddam Hussein and if he was kept alive longer, many behind the scene affairs would have been revealed. A dictator is never a dictator by his own. He definitely has many internal and international aides and sponsors who keep him in power. Who are these people and where are they now?

It is also interesting to notice that two groups were disappointed with the execution of Saddam Hussein and remained completely silent. First were the associates of Iraqi Ba’th Party and the second were the leaders of MKO. Anyway Saddam Hussein who did not even have mercy on his own relatives and friends, kept and backed MKO in his country since they could be well used to suppress the people of Iraq and make terrorist attempts inside Iran.

Nejat Society

Saturday- 2 January, 2007

January 2, 2007 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq 's Terrorism

Child rescued from the hands of a terrorist group

Annieke Kranen Berg and Janny Groen from the Dutch news paper Focus Grant reported on 15th December 2006

Habib Khorami managed to rescue his son Bahador age 2 years from Mojahedin Khalq Organisation. He managed to bring his son to the Netherlands from Canada where he had been given to a family supporting the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation.

This reunion cost Habib very dearly. The Mojahedin took Habib to court and froze a large portion of his income as compensation.

Habib decided to counter the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation which had unlimited funds. With nothing in his hands he spent a very long time in the courts and legal advice centres.

Mojahedin were intending to make a terrorist from his son but the suspicious father decided to stop the misuse of his son and, facing the danger of imprisonment, he sent his son to his family back in Iran where he was sure he would be out of reach of the Mojahedin and where he could go to school safely.

A report was made by Focus Grant, a national paper, from the court of appeal in the Netherlands on 14 December 2006. In parts we read:

…the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation is known as a terrorist organisation almost globally.

In 2002, a court in the Netherlands condemned Mr. Khorami to two years imprisonment for refusing to hand over his own child to governmental agencies.

The court of appeal was held in Leeuwarden on 14 December 2006.

In a process for establishing custody of his son Bahador, whom the supporters of Mojahedin Khalq Organisation in Canada were claiming, was an unjust straggle for him. The root of this war was really in the Mojahedin’s military camp in Iraq where Mr. Khorami himself was once a member.

…Bahador was born in 1980 when Mr. Khorami had decided to join the Mojahedin in Iraq to topple the regime of Iran

The organisation’s ideology is a mixture of Marxism and Islam. Mr. Khorami had spent 2 years in prison in Iran for supporting the Mojahedin. The Mojahedin claim that Camp Ashraf is for freedom and democracy. Mr. Khorami’s wife was first against joining Mojahedin in Iraq but later accepted to go there. Mr. khorami found out that the organisation, contrary to their claims, is nothing more than a dangerous, destructive cult. The members were under physical and psychological pressure and isolated from the real world. The camp was surrounded by barbed wire.

The organisation’s leaders, Massoud Rajavi and Maryam Rajavi, were demanding total submission of the members. Outside contact was impossible and daily brainwashing meetings were held where they had to confess to even their remotest thoughts and dreams…. Khorami remembers Massoud Rajavi pointing at his son and saying "You should give him to me". This was very hard for Mr. Khorami as it was hard to see the organisation serving Saddam Hussein in crushing the Iraqi Kurds and Shiites. When Rajavi announced the forced divorces of all members, Mr. Khorami decided that enough is enough. Mr. Khorami was witnessing a dangerous game. Husbands and wives were forced to spit at each other and denounce their relations. Despite all efforts unfortunately Mr. Khorami lost his wife to the organisation.

At the start of first Gulf war Rajavi took the children away from the camp to Baghdad which was under continuous bombardment. The idea was to convince the parents to accept the transfer of all their children. Of course they would accept a safer place when the children were in such a dangerous situation in Baghdad.

Rajavi smuggled about 800 children to Europe, Canada and the US with the promise that he would bring them back after the war. Judit Neurink in her book "Mislead Martyrs" investigates this action under the title of "The Great Child Kidnapping". Ms. Neurink explains in detail how the children were given to the supporters to raise them to their teenage years, ready to be used in paramilitary operations. Bahador was only two and a half years old.

Mr. Khorami found that his son had been given to a family in Toronto in Canada. My son was taken hostage. They were putting pressure on me not to talk about the kidnapping of children. he said.

Khorami started contacting the family who were supporters of the terrorist organisation. He also started contacting human rights organisations as well as supporting organisations for refugees but without much success. In 1998, when he was granted a Dutch passport, he got a family visit visa for his son and travelled to Canada. Of course he had never signed anything to accept transfer of custody of his son to anyone.

In Canada he came to an agreement with Shafiee and Pira (Mojahedin supporters) to take Bahador to the Netherlands.

Bahador came to the Netherlands in 1998. His father started the process of getting permanent residency for his son in the Netherlands.

In 1999, Shafiee and Pira filed a complaint against Mr. Khorami accusing him of kidnapping Bahador and claimed that Bahador is in their custody. They did not have any evidence, but a social worker in Canada had written a letter to allow the child to go to school and the court accepted that custody belongs to the supporters of the Mojahedin. The social worker knew the situation but had written the letter in order to facilitate the situation of the child and allow him to enjoy the support of governmental subsidies. The social worker admitted this later on. The Canadian court later overruled the verdict, but the court in the Netherlands still referred to that verdict. The Judge ruled that Mr. Khorami has to give back his son to Shafiee and Pira and in refusing to do so, he will have to pay 5000 Guilder for each day…

Khorami says, "this ruling put me in a desperate situation. Every day I received reports and news about the children who were sent back to the camp in Iraq. In September the National Post revealed the transfer of children and teenagers to Ashraf camp. Boys and girls were being smuggled to Iraq to train for suicide missions". Khorami decided to keep his child away and send him to his brother in Iranian Kurdistan.

Khorami had to pay the financial penalties and could not afford to pursue the legal process in Canada. His lawyer forgot to ask for an appeal and Mr. Khorami was sent to prison, losing his job as a social worker.

The most bitter part of the story is when no judge was willing to listen to the circumstances. The Judge said: "we are not talking about politics in here". He only would take the official versions of custody into consideration.

The Mojahedin Khalq Organisation is now in the list of terrorist organisations and human rights organisation including Human Rights Watch have revealed evidence. Last year HRW published a report titled "NO EXIT" in which it explained the abuse of human rights inside the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation. It said the members who criticised the leadership or the ones who wanted to leave the organisation were imprisoned and tortured.

According to HRW, we are talking about severe brainwashing. The members are provoked to write reports about each other and even torture each other. Mojahedin accuse their critics of connection with the secret services of Iran. Khorami has also been accused by them. So has Ms. Farah Karimi the Member of Parliament who confessed her involvement with the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation as a member. In her view this is no more than a criminal cult.

Khorami puts all his hope on the testimonies given by Shafiee and Pira. The testimonies explode like a bomb, very controversial. There is no doubt that they are from Mojahedin Khalq Organisation and have been involved in other cases of child kidnapping. But Khorami has his eyes on the testimonies given by his son.

Bahador was supposed to come to Amsterdam from Tehran to attend the court. Unfortunately he could not and this was unfortunate for his father who has not seen his son for the last 8 years. The Iranians have decided that his visa is not correct. Bahador wanted to talk about how he was treated in Canada. How he was being prepared to join Mojahedin and about his father, the Netherlands and Iran. Mr. Nooitgedagt has no doubt his client will win.

Mr.Khorami was expected to give up his son to a known international terrorist organisation. He says, "I am proud of myself for supporting and rescuing my child. I wouldn’t want to live and see my Bahadoor in the hands of Mojahedin Khalq terrorists. I hope this time the judges wiill see that I have done nothing wrong except rescuing my child. A report by Rahaee Association, Netherlands, December 22, 2006

December 25, 2006 0 comment

Mujahedin Khalq 's Function

Al-Arabia’s Detailed Report on MKO Cult

Al-Arabia news channel broadcast a detailed report titled "MKO, Struggle for Survival". The program was hosted by Ahmed Abdulla, a powerful presenter of Al-Arabia. Contacting Ali Safavi, Alireza Jafarzadeh (MKO members) as well as Massoud Khodabandeh and Anne Singleton (former members of the group) and also Professor Gary Sick, Raymond Tanter and Dokhi Fasihian via telephone, the program discussed the status of the MKO, criticism about this terrorist group, its popular base and also its involvement in massacring Kurds in Iraq. Parts of the report are as follows:

Internal Criticism

Al-Arabia: Khodabandeh worked for the group in Iraq as the bodyguard of MKO leaders until he felt disappointed and now he is a strong opponent of the group.

Khodabandeh: "For a long time, there were sessions in the MKO known as "current operations", which served the promotion of sectarianism. Each person was required to take part in these sessions on daily basis to report what he had thought about during the day or what he wished or what he hated. He had to express them all for others. After confessions, the person was told to deny so-and-so and the purpose was to put the person under the pressure of others in order to clarify issues to him and shape him as they wanted."

Al-Arabia: Did all women wear scarves? Were they required to wear scarves?

Anne (Khodabandeh’s wife): "Yes, wearing scarf was one of the conditions in the Camp".

Al-Arabia: Anne Singleton, the wife of Massoud Khodabandeh, was also MKO member for 7 years. One of his friends, an Iranian, was the reason for her interest in the group.

Anne: "In 1990, I officially became a member. I passed two weeks while being on hunger strike. I forced myself to accept that situation. I had prepared myself for that. In the early stages, I was told that I had to obey leader’s orders totally. By leader, they mean Maryam Rajavi".

Al-Arabia: Massoud and Anne stress that the organization of Mojahedin tries to weaken family relations in order to absorb and keep members.

Anne: "The MKO claims that they are struggling for the freedom of women but the fact is quite opposite because the only thing they do is to force women to leave their children. Besides, they force women to divorce their husbands. They press women to quit thinking about forming a family, having a normal life and family relationships. The organization even prevents them from meeting their relatives who are also members of the group. Women can meet their relatives in the organization but the meeting should not be held as a family one since family relationships can affect relationship with "Sister Maryam"! In this cult, all should think about her and love her."

Al-Arabia: MKO leaders deny these, claiming that Massoud Khodabandeh is in touch with Iranian Intelligence Ministry. However, there’s a more important accusation: MKO had special ties with Saddam Hussein’s regime during 15 years of being in Iraq. Pictures released recently show Massoud Rajavi and MKO’s number two man beside Saddam Hussein.

Ali Safavi (MKO member): "MKO had to change its position and settle in Iraq. Since 1986, when it was settled in Iraq, it has acted independent from the hosting government in issues like political, ideological, organizational and military issues."

Al-Arabia: You mean there has been no cooperation between the fighters of MKO and Saddam?!

Ali Safavi: "No."

Al-Arabia: Despite Mr. Safavi’s answer, several sources including US State Department believe that Saddam Hussein has equipped the MKO and that the group received financial aid from Saddam’s regime- apart from the financial aids from Iranian exiles. In this regard, Massoud Khodabandeh says: "After the first Gulf war in 1991, Taha Yassin Ramadhan, one of Saddam’s senior deputies, asked the MKO to help Saddam in crushing the Kurds".

A Kurdish village destroyed totally by the MKO.

Massoud Khodabandeh: "What I remember is that Taha Yassin Ramadhan held a meeting with MKO members and that the MKO members expressed preparedness and praised his positions. Since Ramadhan lacked sufficient forces after the war, so he divided the forces. His own forces were only enough to suppress the uprising in the South. Therefore, Rajavi’s forces were tasked with crushing the opponents in the North".

Al-Arabia: Since you eyewitnesses the destruction of a village by MKO forces, please tell us what happened.

Khodabandeh: "MKO forces leveled the village. Iraqi villages are small. Imaging what would happen to such village with 20 tanks. The village was intentionally devastated."

Al-Arabia: Was it done by MKO forces?

Khodabandeh: "Yes, it was done by MKO forces and their tanks and they were happy of this victory."

Al-Arabia: "According to some reports and news, during ideological and psychological sessions in Iraq, Massoud Rajavi taught anti-Imperialist and anti-American ideas to the members. Is the MKO capable of hiding its real face under a mask?

Khodabandeh: "Yes, particularly when they moved to Iraq they never thought that Saddam would fall someday. Therefore, they expressed their enmity towards west by relying on the regime of Saddam. This democratic face you see today is simply a fake."

Al-Arabia: MKO always denies this part of its history and those who talk about this are accused by the MKO of being involved with Iran’s Intelligence Ministry!

Ali Safavi (MKO member): "This is only a propagandistic issue on which the Iranian regime spends hundred millions of dollars.

Al-Arabia: while the MKO and its supporters claim that there’s no black or shameful point in the history of organization, experts believe that this claim is rejected by Iranians.

Professor Gary Sick: "There’s no doubt that the MKO is rejected and renounced in Iran. There’s no question on that. Iranians look at the group as traitor organization since it stood along with the enemy to overthrow the government."

Al-Arabia: Dokhi Fasihian was formerly the executive director of Iranian-American Council, a nonpartisan institution.

Al-Arabia: Ms. Fasihian, is it true that Iranians hate the MKO and reject it?

Dokhi Fasihian: "MKO claims that if elections were held in Iran, people would elect them but this is a sheer lie and an insult to Iranians."

Dokhi Fasihian: "Indeed, the MKO has no place among Iranians. They are rejected because of their cooperation with Iraqi forces during Iran-Iraq war. I believe that Iranians rather hate MKO than Americans. Iranian don’t understand why some foreign governments and officials support such undemocratic groups that are known for violence and terrorism!

December 23, 2006 0 comment

Iraqi Authorities' stance on the MEK

Iraqi President Confirms the Expulsion of MKO

Mr. Jalal Talebani once more confirmed the determination of Iraqi government on the issue of expulsion of MKO from his country.

In a meeting with Mr. Hasheminejad the president of Habilian Association, Mr.Talebani assured him that MEK has no place in Iraq. Mr. Hasheminejad is the representative of victims of MKO’s terrorism (the children of those who were martyred by MKO).

During the meeting Mr. Hasheminejad presents a report of the situation of the families who were victims of MKO terrorist operations. Mr. Talebani declaring his regret because of the presence of such a group in his country notified that MKO has cause a lot of damage in Iraq including its close cooperation with Saddam Intelligence Services and its direct relation with Saddam in order to commit crimes against Iraqi people.

Mr. Talebani added :" In their attack against Kurdistan, MEK caused much pain to the people, however the document of that invasion can be seen in the high price the MKO paid in Kurdistan, I mean the killing of several dozens of their fighters." he said:" During the last days of Saddam’s dictatorship when the groups of people were going on pilgrimage to Imam’s Shrines, MKO used the opportunity to serve Ba’ath Regime in those last moments and formed a group of mercenaries to kill the pilgrims.

Mr,Talebani declaring his regret again, stated that the group deserves the public and deep hatred which is in Iraqis’ hearts.

After such tragic events, the people and the government of Iraq demanded the expulsion of MKO from their territory. Therefore the Iraqi government has given a six-month deadline to them in order to leave Iraqi soil.

Habilian Association, December3,2006

December 7, 2006 0 comment

Sweden

Swede MP Comments on MKO

"I assure you that supporting the MKO is not the policy of the EU. This group is an unimportant movement who come to the halls of European parliaments like many other similar groups and this doesn’t mean that Europe is supporting them", said the envoy of Swedish Parliament to Iran, Goran Lindblad, in an interview with the Secretary General of Habilian Association.

According to the website of Habilian, Hasheminejad presented a report on the case of terrorism in Iran and meanwhile criticized some European MPs for what he called "supporting the leaders of MKO". "They support this terrorist group but they should take a look at official reports on the group by the US and their own governments", he said.

Stressing that the terrorist MKO has claimed responsibility for killing people- whose names have been published by Habilian, Secretary General of Habilian Association criticized Norwegian and Belgian MPs for receiving Maryam Rajavi and said: "These meetings were held with the purpose of effecting Iran’s nuclear case but what we expect from Europeans is to quit political views when dealing with the issue of terrorism".

Mr. Goran Lindblad expressed sympathy with the families of terrorism victims in Iran and said:

"I have earlier heard the words of MKO members. They are a mixture of Islam and Marxism. There was also a letter in the favor of the group which I didn’t sign because of their terrorist records. I assure you that supporting this group is not the policy of the EU."

"I am aware that there were mistakes during Maryam Rajavi’s visit to Belgium and Norway, although they were not important. These people are conducting futile efforts. European Union is fully aware of the group’s activities. We have our own evaluation system and the group’s activities have no influence on our decisions. Our views come from experts," he added.

Quds Newspaper – 2006/11/27

November 30, 2006 0 comment

Maryam Rajavi

Rajavi’s Meeting with Israeli Diplomats

A number of press sources in Norway revealed that during her recent visit to Oslo, Maryam Rajavi held two rounds of meetings with Israeli diplomats.

There’s no word on the content of these secret meetings, which were held under tight security measures but some of observers say that Iran’s nuclear program has been possibly on the agenda.

Sources add that in her meeting with a number of Norwegian MPs, Maryam Rajavi asked parliamentarians to pave the way for accepting Iraqi-based MKO members in Norway as refugees.

Observers believe that Rajavi’s visit to Norway was conducted with the green light by the US and it seems that the US has allowed Maryam Rajavi to start efforts to win the support of European countries after they (Americans) couldn’t find a solution for the presence of this group in Iraq.

The only commonality between the US and the MKO (listed by the US as a terrorist organization) is group’s opposition to Iran’s Islamic republic.

MKO was the ally of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Saddam supported them by all means and gave them money, weapons and landâ€¦ and even equipped them with heavy weaponries such as tanks and artillery to conduct operations against Iranians.

Members of this organization believe in a mixture of Islam and Marxism. They are militants who were trained to work with light and heavy weapons. They have operated against Iran by wide military operation in 1988 and by assassinating Iranian religious and political figures during 90s. Members of this organization had an active role in suppressing iraqis’ Sha’banieh uprising in 1991 along with Saddam’s Republican Guards.

MKO is currently under the protection of US forces in Camp Ashraf; the protection is against possible attacks by Iraqis.

Meanwhile, there are undeniable evidences indicating continued cooperation between senior US officers and MKO members in Iraq. A representative from the group contacts US embassy in Iraq on daily basis in order to solve the problems of the group and meet their needs.

Most of MKO members speak fluently in local Arabic (of Iraq) and this helps them cover their Iranian identity from Iraqi people. As stated by Iraqi Prime Minister Mr. Nuri al-Maliki, this group interferes in Iraq’s internal affairs. In his speech on June 19, Mr. al-Maliki asked for the expulsion of MKO members from Iraq.

In a press conference at that time, Maliki said: "Mojahedin-e Khalq organization, trying to overthrow the Iranian regime, is widely interfering in Iraq’s political and social affairs."

nahrainnet.net – 2006/11/28

November 30, 2006 0 comment

Human Rights Abuse in the MEK

The new Campaign to save Ashraf residents

The family and friends of Somayeh Mohammadi, forcefully kept in Camp Ashraf by MEK for the past ten years, have started a website in a campaign to save her and other Ashraf residents. With the motto of “LET SOMAYEH CHOOSE IN A FREE COUNTRY”, their objective is “Campaign for “The Right to Choose” for Somayeh and others, who are in Ashraf. The home page introduces the campaigners and represents a brief biography of Somayeh Mohammadi.

We are Family and Friends of Somayeh Mohammadi who are deeply concerned about her safety as she has been forcefully kept by Mojahedin-e Khalagh (MEK), Iranian guerrilla fighters in Iraq, for the past ten years. Somayeh is one of the many Canadian and American youth who were recruited to monthly camps when they were teenagers, only to be kept like hostages at the headquarters of the Organization of the Freedom Fighters of the Iranian People, Camp Ashraf, Iraq. This website is to raise awareness about Somayeh’s case and help us organize our campaign to save Somayeh.

Somayeh was only 17 when she met the recruiters of the Iranian opposition group Mojahedin-e Khalagh (MEK) in Toronto. Born into a family with sympathies towards the group and having already lost her favorite aunt in guerrilla fights against Islamic Republic of Iran, Somayeh decided to drop out of her grade 10 high school class at Etobicoke Collegiate Institute and attend a MEK camp in Iraq for a month. Most of all, she was thankful to MEK for offering to pay for her expanses to visit her aunt’s grave. On February, 1998 Somayeh left Toronto to spend a month in what later on turned to be a guerrilla compound called Camp Ashraf, the headquarters of the Organization of the Freedom Fighters of the Iranian People. Somayeh is a now a 25 year old, still living under harsh conditions of Ashraf, despite her parents’ restless tries to bring her back home. Somayeh is one of the many Canadian and American teenagers who were deceitfully recruited by MEK and send to Camp Ashraf, where they were trained for guerilla fights and forced to stay inevitably. In an independent letter sent to the Canadian embassy in Jordan, Somayeh asks for the Canadian government’s help to get her back to Toronto. Later however, she was forced by MEK in a court hearing to denounce her family and state that she wants to stay with MEK ‘holy worriers’, now a banned terrorist organization under Canadian law since 2005.

Somayeh’s life has been in great danger in the past 10 years and she is defiantly threatened to comply with MEK’s rules. Her story is very damaging to MEK and as a result the organization does not allow Somayeh to leave camp Ashraf in order to contact or meet with the Canadian Officials in private or in a 3rd party country. This has further complicated her case, as she officially told an immigration judge over satellite phone that she does not wish to return to Canada. Her family and friends know this to be a testimony made under pressure and therefore devoid of any truth. Somayeh is kept like a hostage at Camp Ashraf and must be treated like one.

November 27, 2006 0 comment

Newer Posts

Older Posts