++ Mohammad Karami in Paris has received two reports from the people in Albania. One concerns the disastrous Nowruz celebration organized by MEK henchmen Farzaneh Meidanshah and Esmail Mortezai. Even though the MEK paid people to attend, many refused, and those who did attend either left before the food was served or started arguing and shouting at the MEK representatives berating them for what the MEK did to them in Iraq. Meidanshahi and Mortezai from the MEK at the start were paying people and trying to persuade them to take part in filming. But by the end of the evening resorted to threatening everyone and saying they would deal with them later for their treachery against the MEK. The second report is about a letter from UNHCR given to all the individuals which refutes the denials of help and succour which were made verbally to them last week by a UN representative. The official UN letter, published alongside the article says, “This is not our stance, you will be provided for while under our protection, not evicted from your accommodation, interviews will be held one by one, individually, for refugee status.” The people in Albania believe that what they were told verbally, which was immediately followed by the MEK’s own attempt at re-recruitment, was a stunt set up by the MEK to threaten them and force them to submit to MEK hegemony.

++ Mohammad Alavi from Ariya Association published a short article about Rajavi’s Nowruz celebration in Paris along with a couple of pictures calling it ‘Rajavi’s Show for Retired American Lobbyists’. The pictures reveal the non-Iranian nature of both audience and speakers. Alavi quotes from the infamous General Phillips, who allegedly made life very difficult for potential escapees when he was in charge of Camp Ashraf and TIPF. Phillips apparently complained, ‘Everyone is asking me why are you doing this, you have no connection with Iranians, nor seen the country, you have no relation with it. But my answer is, unfortunately I am not Iranian, but my hope is that Iranians will change their regime and I will be able to celebrate Nowruz next year alongside the Mojahedin in Iran.’ Alavi says, if you love Iranians so much why don’t you have an Iranian audience when you speak. He then tells Phillips, “Topping up the shortfall in your small military pension with Rajavi’s money is one thing, but you are talking more than you are paid for. Insulting Iranians with your rubbish talk is unacceptable and thank God you will never wake up from your delusion and be able to do anything against Iran and Iranians. Get your money and go home.”

++ Several more open letters have been written to Ben Emmerson, QC asking for his help in his role with the UN to help the people in Liberty.

++ News in English language again this week placed a lot of focus on Gareth Porter’s revelation that the MEK were the front line of an information laundry campaign by Israel which tried to pass off false information about Iran’s nuclear programme to the IAEA and the world community. Porter had several more interviews this week to talk about his book, Manufactured Crisis, which was reviewed by Edward S. Herman in The Real News. One such interview resulted in an article by Johannes Hautaviita,columnist for the Helsinki Times. The article points out, “There is a set of myths about Iran, including its foreign policy and nuclear program, that dominate the Western narrative of the nuclear issue. It is the responsibility of Western journalists to do their job and set the record straight on Iran in order alleviate the threat of yet another US/Israeli-initiated war in the Middle East. One troubling media omission in the saga of the Iranian nuclear dispute is that there has never been credible and hard evidence presented to support the claims of an Iranian nuclear weapons program…”

++ Mazda Parsi from Nejat Bloggers critiqued Maryam Rajavi’s Nowruz speech from her luxurious surrounding just outside Paris, ironically pointing out, “…For over three decades the Nowruz speeches of the cult leaders have included one unique message: “The new year is the year of the overthrow of the Iranian government”! However, Maryam Rajavi’s this year Nowruz message has one new point: “the regime is in the final stage of being overthrown.”(!) When did the Islamic Republic pass the primary stages of being overthrown that this year is the “final stage”?”

++ Nasrin Ebrahimi from Setaregan Association, Switzerland, writes an open letter to French erotic author Régine Deforge warning of Maryam Rajavi’s deception and asking not to allow her humanitaran feelings be exploited. Ebrahimi who spent ten years with the MEK describes in moving detail the real situation of women inside the MEK, and contrasts this with Maryam Rajavi’s comfortable lifestyle and the false image she presents as a feminist and humanitarian person.

++ An open letter addressed to Nouri al Maliki was published by Iran Zanan Association in Germany. It highlights the letter smuggled out of Camp Liberty warning of a humanitarian disaster after Rajavi ordered compulsory self-immolations should the residents be moved from the camp. Asking for Maliki’s intervention, Iran Zanan points out that some of them have family members still trapped inside Camp Liberty whose lives are in danger.

04 April 2014