ASILA Association

The Albanian TV and Radio Channel ALPO interviewed members of the Association for the Support of Iranians Living in Albania (ASILA). The host of the program interviewed Dashamir Mersuli, the Albanian director of ASILA, Rahman Mohammadian and Hamid Atabay, the Iranian members of ASILA and defectors of the Mujahedin-e Khalq.
As a member of Asila and the wife of Sarfaraz Rahimi (MEK defector) Erisa Rahimi interpreted the questions and answers for the Iranian guests. Rahman Mohammadian as one of the first people who defected the MEK immediately after it was relocated in Albania and Hamid Atabay as the most recently defected member of the group explained about the life conditions inside the MEK.

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Introducing himself, Mohammadian presented a brief on his involvement with the MEK and exhibited the book of his biography that has been published in Albanian language. “In this book I have written the reality of membership in the MEK as a cult that deprived me from life,” he stated. He also introduced the biography written by another member of ASILA, Khalil Ansarian who is a defector of the MEK too.

Rahman spoke to the audience of ALPO about the cultural and historical similarities between Iran and Albania and appreciated the Albanian people for their kindness, good manners and generosity. “However, defectors of the MEK still have an enemy called Mujahedin-e Khalq,” he said. “The MEK is hostile to woman, life and freedom and because it has money, it is able to conspire against us.”

As the Albanian head of ASILA, Dashamir Mersuli explained the missions of ASILA in Albanian language and then Hamid Atabay described his experience of the attitude of MEK leaders against the Albanian nation. Atabay who left the MEK’s camp Ashraf 3 hundred days ago, recounted the first day of residing in the Albanian territory six years ago when the group commanders warned them about the “anti-freedom” and “bourgeois” people of Albania! Atabay asserts that later he came to know that the MEK was wrong and in the few times he faced with the Albanian citizens he found the opposite.

Hamid regrets 36 years of his life lost in the cult of Maryam Rajavi during which he was never allowed to contact his family. The newly joined ASILA member shows the photos of his brother and sister from the time they were on strike in front of Camp Ashraf, Iraq. “The MEK commanders never told me that my brother and sister had come to Iraq to meet me.”

At the end of the show, Atabay recalls a few days before he left the MEK. “106 days ago, in the MEK, I heard them saying that Dashamir is a big terrorist,” he says. He keeps on explaining that how he was warmly welcome by Dashamir Mersuli when he went to him at ASILA office immediately after defection. Atabay ironically warns ALPO interviewer on the probability of being labeled as terrorist after interviewing ASILA members.