Iran Interlink Weekly Digest – 10

++ Le Monde carried an article about the MEK’s “American show” in Villepinte, pointing out that every year they bus in refugees from any country they can and students from Russia and Poland, etc. This year was interesting because Maryam Rajavi has denounced the election of Hassan Rohani and described it as a plot and claimed also that he is a murderer. She dismissed the large voter turnout and claimed the Iranian regime is on the verge of collapse.

++ In his weblog, Mohammad B. talks about the MEK’s hatred toward Nelson Mandela and says that although they can’t directly go against him, the MEK published an article titled, ‘I will not pray for your life, nor will I pray when you die’. The hatred stems from Mandela’s visit to Iran during the Presidency of Khatami when Mandela wished both the Iranian government and Khatami himself well.

++ Some articles about Villepinte talk about how it turned against the MEK even though they spent a lot of money on the event. The event was exposed as a sham but what made things worse was that they couldn’t hide the fact that people can escape from Camp Liberty in Iraq and can leave the National Council of Resistance (NCRI).

++ Yet another site was hacked, this time Kanoon-e Avaa in Germany. It is now back online again with a new address. The site owners point out that ‘the site is a tool and an address and that hacking it is not going to save your butt Rajavi’.

++ Many people refer to the MEK’s anger because Iran’s volleyball team won in Italy. MEK activists tried to get into the stadium to disrupt the game and demoralise the team players, but Iranians with the team and in the audience prevented them.

++ Many people have written articles ridiculing ‘Rajavi and his gang’ for calling everybody ‘agents of the Iranian regime’: from defected members, to the ones who recently left the NCRI, to the UN representative and the prime minister of Iraq, and even a student from Kyrgyzstan who dared to write about them. The general conclusion is that Rajavi has become a clown for Iranians outside the country.

++ On his return from Villepinte, San Diego Mayor Bob Filner faced questions from journalists about his all expenses paid trip and why he had taken time from his official duties to attend the Villepinte show. He claimed the trip was not a “junket,” but a “business trip which is to get jobs to San Diego.” Filner has previously accepted travel from the NCRI. He went to Paris in June 2011, as a member of Congress. He also took a similar trip in June of 2007, federal records show. His 2011 trip cost $6,589 and was paid for by Colorado’s Iranian American Community, a group tied to the MEK.

++ Several articles expose ‘sister’ Farzaneh Meidan Shahi who was dispatched to Albania from Camp Liberty to keep control of the transferred residents. Many ex members remember how savagely she acted toward them, meting out vicious physical and verbal abuse, and say that Rajavi liked her for that and tasked her specifically to annoy and suppress people in the camps.

++ Adel Azami’s article remembers some of the people who have arrived in Albania – some are his friends. He describes how the families are still waiting in front of the camp to see their loved ones. He remembers how Rajavi tried to stop his friends from leaving, saying ‘stay as a Mojahed, or stay as a guest’. Azami says Rajavi likes guests in Paris for singing and dancing, but in Baghdad being ‘Rajavi’s guest’ means prison.

++ Some articles pointed out Massoud and Maryam Rajavi’s sudden changes of view over the Iranian election. Previously Massoud Rajavi wrote an open letter to Rafsanjani and asked him to get involved in the election, but now suddenly he denounces the election of Rohani even though he is endorsed by Rafsanjani.

++ An electronic book published by Arash Sametipour pulls together various examples of social networks and commentary surrounding the issue of the MEK in Farsi language.

++ This week’s guests on Mardom TV were ex Abu Ghraib prisoner Ali Ghashghavi from Germany, and Massoud Jaabaani from Holland. Jaabaani drew attention to the anniversary of Hadi Shams Haeri’s death and how he was never able to see his children before he died as they remained trapped in the Rajavi cult in Iraq. Both guests explained further about the current situation of the MEK.

++ Javad Firouzmand in France has written an article responding to the MEK’s long, long statement against Ghassim and Rowhani and the ridiculous accusations made against them. He goes into the detail s of this long ‘book’ the MEK produced and says that every part of it shows that their real problem is not the ones who left but the ones inside who want to leave. They repeat the cult phobia to reinforce the fear of those trapped inside. Firouzmand attached the document which has not spared anyone from the accusation of being an agent, from the UN, ex members , anyone they could think of has been mentioned one by one. The MEK draw the conclusion that because all these people are agents then it stands to reason that Ghassim and Rowhani must also be agents. Writing on the same theme, others described this document as a Self Inflicted Wound. Why would the MEK write pages and pages swearing at everybody, they ask.

++ Many people wrote about Maryam Rajavi’s claims in Paris. They remind us of her background under Saddam and the cultish practices she imposes even in Europe. Some say it is as though she is playing a character or role in a play because what she really is and says is nothing like this.

++ Rajavi is on overdrive, along with Struan Stevenson MEP and other lobbyists, to discredit Martin Kobler. Now that Kobler’s term as UNAMI chief has come to an end and he has taken up his new role in the DCR, they are pretending that he has been dismissed from Iraq and changed because of pressure brought to bear by the MEK. This is laughable as Kobler has been praised highly from every direction – the UN, EU, US – for his good job. Apparently the MEK are desperate to show a face and claim they have some power, but no one believes this.

Sahar Family Foundation has published an announcement complaining about Maryam Rajavi talking as though she wants to save the lives of the residents of Camp Liberty and claiming that Iran wants to kill them. Everyone knows that the only people stopping the move are Rajavi and the MEK leaders. The European parliament, the Iraqi government, UNAMI and the DoS, all say that it is the MEK leaders who are preventing a good ending. Rajavi wants them to get killed says Sahar.

++ According to Al Sumeria TV, Prime Minister Maliki’s office rejected claims by retired US general Casey. Maliki asks the Americans to be more careful of their representatives, whether working or retired. Before this, Mokhtada Sadr also reacted to the general’s comments, saying as far as he is concerned Casey is no more than a cheap actor, but embarrassingly America regards Iran as a coat hanger and all the shameful acts that they committed themselves they try to hang on Iran.

++ Nejat Association hosted a gathering in Sanandaj, Iranian Kurdistan, for university lecturers and students. The event included talks from four ex MEK members who had come back to Iran and a book table. The meeting at Sanandaj University was very popular and was packed with both students and staff.

++ Islam Times, reporting from Arabic media, says that several leading members of terror organizations have met in Jordan to discuss their operation in Syria. A report presented to the Jordanian intelligence chief Genera clearly points to the arrival in Jordan of large numbers of PMOI – People’s Mojahedin of Iran, a terror organization – where they met with Syrian opposition leaders.

July 5, 2013

Related posts

Iran Interlink Weekly Digest – 308

Iran Interlink Weekly Digest – 307

Iran Interlink Weekly Digest – 306