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Iraqi MP: Iraq Pursuing MKO Expulsion Seriously

The Iraqi parliament is seriously pursuing expulsion of the anti-Iran terrorist group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), from the country, an Iraqi lawmaker said on Sunday.
"Despite pressures exerted by certain bodies to prevent expulsion of MKO, the Iraqi parliament is following the case seriously," Iman al-Asadi, a member of the Shiite United Iraqi Alliance (UIA) – the largest bloc in the Iraqi parliament with 83 out of a total 275 seats – told FNA.

She underlined that expulsion of MKO sets a priority for the Iraqi government.

Reminding pressures on Iraqi government about the MKO’s fate, Asadi stated, "What such institutions want is unacceptable. MKO is not valuable for us. We do not recognize them."
Iraq has vowed to return MKO members to Iran or send them to a third country as it holds the anti-Iran group responsible for destabilizing Iraq through its terror attacks.

The MKO moved to Iraq in 1986 where it enjoyed the support of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who funded the group to work against Iran in the 1980-88 war. The group launched attacks on Iran from its headquarters, the Camp Ashraf, in the northern province of Diyala.

The MKO is also responsible for numerous acts of violence against Iranian civilians and government officials as well as Iraqis during the reign of Saddam.

The group started assassination of the citizens and officials after the revolution in a bid to take control of the newly established Islamic Republic. It killed several of Iran’s new leaders in the early years after the revolution, including the then President, Mohammad Ali Rajayee, Prime Minister, Mohammad Javad Bahonar and the Judiciary Chief, Mohammad Hossein Beheshti who were killed in bomb attacks by MKO members in 1981.

The MKO has been in Iraq’s Diyala province since the 1980s.

May 18, 2009 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

US “War on Terror” Not About Terrorism

Pope Benedict XVI’s recent commentary suggesting religion is being exploited to fuel continuing wars is a concept familiar to award-winning author Reza Aslan.

Aslan, 35, who spoke Monday before a packed audience at the World Affairs Council in San Francisco to promote his latest book How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror, discussed religious ideology and extremism and its destructive impact on the world.

According to Aslan, the former Bush administration’s self-proclaimed “War on Terror” was never about terrorism. If it were, Aslan argues, the war would have included terrorist groups like ETA (Basque separatists), or the Iranian group Mujahideen-e-Khalq, for example. Instead, the US war on terror is specifically targeting Islam and Muslims, in areas of the world where the US has oil and gas reserve interests.

“That is what it is. The war on Islam,” Aslan said. “That is how it was deliberately conceived and it was how it was consciously propagated.”

ByFanny Dassie – Fogcityjpournal

May 16, 2009 0 comments

Missions of Nejat Society

Families of Nejat Society branch in Ahwaz issued a statement

A group of family members of Camp Ashraf residents, at Nejat Society office in Ahwaz, attended a gathering held by NejatNGO on Friday May 8th,2009. They issued a statement addressing Mr. Nouri Al Maliki, Iraqi Prime Minister,

The Honorable Prime Minister,
As families of MKO members, we have been deprived of visiting our beloved children who have been taken as hostages in Camp Ashraf for years. We use the opportunity to ask your Excellency to provide us with a situation that we would be able to visit our captured children who are barred by MKO which violates all international human rights conventions.

The anti-democratic cult of Rajavi, with its inhuman nature is known to you and Iraqi nation since it has committed crimes against the innocent Iraqi people in Northern and Southern Iraq under the rule of Saddam Hussein dictatorship. During the past years, MKO leaders have always prevented us from visiting our children and our efforts have not succeeded yet.

1. We present our request to your Excellency appreciating the position Iraqi government has taken against MKO and its efforts to expel MKO terrorist group out of Iraq.
Our request is based on the followings:

2. We want to visit our captured children as soon as possible in order to learn about their health conditions.
Regarding that Iraqi government is now holding the control over Camp Ashraf, we ask you to facilitate our trip to Iraq and our visit with our children.

3. We ask the Iraqi Government and Red Cross to help us make phone or letter communications with our captured beloveds.

4. We ask the Iraqi government to arrange a facility outside Camp Ashraf so that we can visit our children without the presence and supervision of MKO officials and far from fear and chantage.

May 14, 2009 0 comments

Massoud Rajavi

Elevation of Rajavi from charismatic leadership to cult of personality

A common characteristic among all cult leaders is charisma which by itself is not evil but when the leader’s charisma is used as a tool to exploit members including their whole-hearted After his release, Rajavi tried to represent himself as a charismatic leader devotion to the charismatic leader and their fanatical submission to his orders. To achieve such an objective, the charisma should be combined with mind control techniques since the members would not submit to the leader automatically. So the charisma leader uses this powerful attribute together with manipulation practices. This mixture will end with the total devotion of members to the cult and its goal. The brainwashed members are always ready to run the cult’s objectives.

In the early years of the foundation of Mujahedin Khalq Organization, Masud Rajavi was not as experienced as most members including founders of the movement or those who were more related to the founders, but after the Islamic Revolution he could assume leadership in MKO despite he didn’t have qualifications of a leader since he was among those few people who were not executed by Shah’s Savak and there were allegations on his cooperation with Savak when he was interrogated by them. Therefore after his release he tried to represent himself as a charismatic leader because despite his expectations, he couldn’t achieve any powerful position in Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Republic.

As a good lecturer, he started holding meetings, publishing articles, attending interviews to elevate himself as a charisma personality and of course he succeeded to accomplish this goal and his success was actually originated in his ambitious, egotic characteristics. Thus he began to eliminate all his rivals in the organization by criticizing them. In 1980, when he fled Iran to France, he had partly achieved his primary goal: being accepted by his sympathizers as a charisma leader. In France he pursued his ambitions by establishing his so –called National Council of Resistance in which he and his group were the dominating elements. In 1986 after the settlement of the organization in Iraq, most of the way was paved to establish a cult of personality. Their landlord, Saddam Hussein offered them the very isolated Camp Ashraf to perform all cult-like practices Rajavi needed for his cult of personality.

During the Iran-Iraq war, due to Rajavi’s cooperation with the invading enemy, Saddam Hussein, MKO lost its little support among its Iranian compatriots, and also its supporters in other parts of the world.

Now, Rajavi had to launch a new trick to keep his cult of personality that was his ideological marriage with Maryam Qajar Azdanloo and then the so-called ideological revolution. It was firstly accepted by high-ranking members who were indoctrinated by himself. These members showed passionately their complete devotion to Masud Rajavi. Therefore, the others who still hesitated to agree with Ideological Revolution were convinced and even forced by their superior officials.

Rajavi, since then continued his egocentric activities in a more convenient situation. The public power had reached its least level and the atmosphere was prepared for Rajavi’s Megalomania.
By Mazda Parsi

May 14, 2009 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

The terrorist challenge of MKO and the West

The present challenge posed on the west by MKO is a strategic one with idealism and self-interests as its two ends. It is almost two and half a decade that MKO has turned problematic for the west as an armed, ideological, cultic and radical opposition group. The recent regional transitions as well as invasion of Iraq by coalition forces followed by the fall of Saddam in particular have proved that this predicament is worsening ever-increasingly. In this regard, this challenge can be investigated in three different but interrelated fronts: Iran, Iraq, and West.

1. Iran
The west is still far from understanding that the reason why Iran attempts to prove the potential threat and danger of Mojahedin for social and political security of the world as well as national interests of nations is due to its familiarity with the true nature of the organization and is merely a warning and advice. Even if the west is to find an alternative for Iranian government, MKO is the worst one. It has to be noted that using Mojahedin as a playing card in political equations is nothing but killing time and losing opportunities. The reason may be found in the course of events pursued by Mojahedin after the victory of Iranian revolution. They have been a big looser in all phases of their activities, either at the time when they were of a relative organizational and military power in Iran, or when they were allied with Saddam and enjoyed a great amount of military and financial advantages along the borders of Iranian soil, or after their disarmament and entering their present so-called political phase.

Taking all the failures and frustration of Mojahedin in the last three decades into consideration, it seems that they have never been considered a serious threat for the Iranian government. In fact, the most they did was using their infiltrators in various strata of Iranian government. After the failure of the organization in 20 June 1981 events, MKO leaders made use of all their potentialities to infiltrate in the state to the point that it soon led to the bombing attack of 28 June, a terrorist attack of Mojahedin that is still denied by the organization. The low level of political and military awareness of Rajavi and Mojahedin in disregarding the military potential of Iran was proved when he issued the order of the Operation Eternal Light that turned into a total and costly failure and disaster for Mojahedin. Aware of these issues, the west continues its negligence and unclear position takings toward Mojahedin due to political considerations. There are many opposition groups including MKO that are misused and supported by the west to fulfill its interests and objectives all over the world. These groups are well aware of the motivation behind the supports of the west yet have no other option for their survival other than submitting to the will of foreigners.

Mojahedin are no except to this rule. Being aware of the misuse west makes of them they have to bear it hoping that a change in circumstances or conditions, make due ground for their coming to power. In fact, they crow about giving service to the enemies of their own nation as foreign mercenaries. However espionage activities have an expiration date and there comes a time when Mojahedin would have no further advantage for the superpowers since they have expended all their energy and efforts in pleasing their masters. As evident in leaking Iran’s nuclear projects claimed by Mojahedin, it not only failed to result in the political legitimacy of Mojahedin but also had adverse effects on their social support.

Therefore, investing on Mojahedin in the Iran-West conflict is a major error even when Mojahedin pretended to be of a high military potential and made false promises of overthrowing the Iranian government and western media made a wide intentional propaganda blitz on it let alone the time being when they have reached the political and military nadir of their history. After a while, France came to the conclusion that the presence of a terrorist group in its soil channeling its terrorist attacks therein would be detrimental for both the political repute of this country and also the national security of its citizens; thus, it expelled MKO from France and changed its policy toward Iran as well as Mojahedin.

Taking all these points into consideration, it seems that playing with the burnt card of Mojahedin is futile. Furthermore, the efforts of Iran in revealing the true terrorist nature of MKO are just for humanitarian causes far from political considerations since as it was said Mojahedin never pose a real threat for the Iranian government. France has paid the consequences of the cultic and terrorist activities of Mojahedin when a number of its members set themselves on fire in Paris streets in compliant to the arrest of Maryam Rajavi, the group’s she-guru in the absence of her husband. They still grab at the same lever for threatening French authorities and warn France that they would repeat these actions in case if they were prohibited to seek refuge therein. In fact, this is another trial for the west and France in particular to immunize their nations against the danger of a cult of personality.

2. Iraq
Taking a brief look at the primary motivations of France and Saddam in giving refuge to Rajavi (after the events of 28 June when seventy-five senior officials of the regime were killed in the organization bomb attack and France disregarding these events gave refuge to MKO leader), there could be found some similarities between the present situation of Mojahedin in Iraq and that of France. Now, it is assumed that France wanted to make Rajavi closer to Iranian borders. Also, it aimed to intensify the Iraqi threat against Iran (at a time when France had the most arms deal with Iraqi regime), thus expelled him of France and made the ground for his transfer to Iraq, more similarities can be found. In addition, since then Mojahedin have made frequent commutes between Iraq and France and Maryam Rajavi had two so-called strategic transfers from Iraq to France and vice versa. Therefore, it is proved that France and Saddam have had the same position toward Mojahedin. Now, after the fall of Saddam, as the strategic and ideological ally of Mojahedin, they are faced with a newly established Iraqi government that has made its mind to expel them as a terrorist group interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq and communicating with the terrorist and problematic trends therein. The Iraqi officials are well aware that the presence of Mojahedin in their soil cost them considerably with negative political consequences particularly due to their misusing of the critical conditions of Iraq and suffering from internal challenges in order to further their strategic objectives.

In this regard, Mojahedin claim that Iraq is to expel them under the pressure of Iranian government as they claimed when expelled from France. However, the Iraqi and French officials are well aware of the reasons from driving MKO out. Mojahedin have been so problematic for both governments and have committed various crimes and misdeeds recorded in the judiciary system of both countries. In fact, there are two factors leading to the decision of Iraq in expelling Mojahedin; the terrorist activities of Mojahedin in the reign of Saddam as well as the present and future national interests of Iraq. Now, the decision of Iraq seems to be parallel to the wish of Iranian government yet it has nothing to do with the interference of Iranian government in the internal affairs of Iraq. Iraq is well aware that even in case of ignoring the legal complaints of Iraqi people against MKO, their presence therein is too costly. In other words, the Iraqi government is to return the ball France kicked against their field years ago and for sure it would never reach the Iranian field. This issue is proven for the Europe and the US so they never bet on the dead horse of Mojahedin. The maneuvers of Masoud Rajavi on the possibility of their transfer to Iran are baseless and futile and aim to provoke the sympathy of the world and the west in particular.

3. West
The third front is the position of the west toward MKO as a radical and terrorist group. The recent move of the EU in removing the name of MKO from its terrorist list intensified the challenges of the west with Mojahedin and faced them with the negative consequences resulting from this decision. Disregarding the inevitable political feedbacks of this vote, the study of the theoretical aspects of this issue is of significance. Being an extreme radical trend, Mojahedin pretend to be a modernist one seeking peace and security in the world. In fact, MKO is an amalgamation of some apparent paradoxes. It is a designated terrorist group that adopts anti-terrorism slogans; It is an ideological cult that holds grab to liberalism for furthering its ideological objectives; Despite representing the most primitive signs of barbarism, Mojahedin pretend to be pioneers of knowledge and awareness; Using the most reactionary brainwashing techniques in depriving MKO members from their basic physical and mental freedom, Mojahedin propagate the principles of freedom and democracy. Evidently, getting to the deepest layers of this complex phenomenon and its mechanism is not an easy task to be done.

It has to be pointed out that the terrorist nature of Mojahedin has its roots in their radicalism as well as primary manifesto and organizational principles that consider the west and the US as their ideological enemies and symbols of bourgeoisie and imperialism. In fact, the concepts like democracy and liberalism that Mojahedin focus on as their ultimate end to win the attention and support of the superpowers are referred to as the main enemies of humanity in their principles and doctrines. Based on their ideological revolution in which one phase was called “the phase of detachment and worldly combat against the manifestations of bourgeoisie and liberalism”, Mojahedin proved that they are hew to their primary principles yet grab at some short-time changes in their policy for carrying on their struggle for their pre-determined objectives in removing all signs of imperialism, capitalism, and liberalism.

Disregarding the critical viewpoints of some western experts like Antoine Gessler, Ervand Abrahamian, and Alain Chevalerias as well as the detached members of MKO, the honesty and truth of these statements can be proved by means of historical evidences. In fact, there is no need to review the primary and basic organizational principles of MKO rather it suffices to take a look at the official websites of Mojahedin as well as their leaders’ messages to find the points of disagreement of the organization with the modern concepts of the west like democracy, freedom, human rights, etc. The US has a more realistic viewpoint toward MKO compared to that of the Europe as is evident from the statement of the state department of the US in April 2007 in designating it as a terrorist group and also the primary position takings of the US against Mojahedin. The reason why the Europe neglects the potential threat of MKO seems to be more a matter of political considerations and gestures of the Europe and France in particular in claiming to be the supporter of freedom fighters all over the world. Being aware of this, Masoud Rajavi has found the Europe more susceptible to deception and enticement and has misused this negligence praising the great revolution of France in different occasions.

An instance may be the measures taken by the US after the events of 11 September and the enforcement of Patriot Act. According to this Act, some constraints like phone-tapping, searching e-mails, interrogating the suspect individuals, letting security police to make long-time arrests and more were enacted in order to prohibit terrorist activities. However, the US was faced with the severe reaction of the European liberal theoreticians who considered these measures as contradictions to individual and social freedom and citizen rights. In addition, citizen rights of the US differ from that of the Europe. These differences are also apparent in how the US encountered Mojahedin in its soil compared to that of the Europe. It is an issue that has been misused by Mojahedin and they have managed to take advantage of citizen rights in the Europe as they have established their ideological bastion in Auver-sur-Oise in France in front of the eyes of French officials. Another reason may be the more optimism of the Europeans to their surrounding world compared to that of the US.

Another dimension of this issue is related to the pragmatist and provisional viewpoint of the US compared to the courteous and neat viewpoint of the Europe. Once in the past France tried to block the threat of the Algerian self-immolator women by removing their veil. The same women that once transported bomb and arms under the cover of their veil, when faced with the shakedown of French forces, followed French fashions voluntarily and moved their bombs to the farthest point in the European residents of Algeria with no annoyance.

Mojahedin have repeatedly claimed that they have borrowed many of their tactics from the Palestinian fighters. Now, it can be said that on deceiving the Europeans and French in particular, they have modeled the Algerian Mojahedin. Anyhow, delisting Mojahedin from the EU terrorist list may pave the way for their further misusing the western rules and laws. The Europeans and France have to do whatever they can to come to a deep understanding of the true nature and objectives of Mojahedin or postpone the activities of MKO by means of various levers until the time when they recognize the true and potential threat of Mojahedin for the peace and security all over the world.

May 13, 2009 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

MKO instrumental misuse of individuals

Memoirs of Ms. Batoul Soltani – Part 11-2
When Masud Rajavi fled to Paris from Iran, he managed to maintain some financial sources through different means. He could get some youth away from their homes. They were innocent young individuals whose natural right was to live a normal life, but MKO could deceive them to join the group. I remember that at the time each person needed 30 thousand Tomans (roughly 30 American Dollars) to flee from Iran. The organization recruited those who were out of job or those who had other problems and sent them out of the country through various ways. There were also individuals who were introduced to the organization. For instance my husband was introduced by a member who had already joined the group. Then the organization sent a guy to recruit him in Iran and sent him abroad. There were some smugglers who took the recruited ones passing the borders and the journey was very dangerous. But it didn’t matter to Rajavi. When the organization tricked my husband and me, we were supposed to join MKO’s courier. We got out of Iran on camels. We risked our lives so many times but finally we could survive. I remember a lot of young couples were killed in the way.

They took both financial and manpower resources via this way. The duty of manpower part was to recruit those who had social problems and to send them abroad. They tricked many people outside and inside the country. They manipulated them using long-term emotional methods or they tried to control their thoughts in order to recruit them. Hence Masud Rajavi could gather a number of them in France. I read about that period after I joined the organization. The Iran-Iraq war had already started. Saddam Hussein had imposed a war on Iranians. He later attacked Kuwait. And Masud Rajavi became the accomplice of such a person who had no respect for his neighbors.

I just don’t know how Masud Rajavi can justify his cooperation with Saddam and accept his so called peace agreement. Unfortunately Masud Rajavi visited Saddam Hussein under the pretext of his ridiculous peace treaty. He cooperated with the enemy of Iran and named it “struggle for peace and freedom”. He also made his supporters to believe in his second marriage with Firouzeh Banisadr and his third marriage with Maryam Qajar Azodanlou – his so-called ideological revolution – as “struggle”. He came to Iraq where the enemy of Iran was killing Iranian people every day. Then he brought all his supporters from Europe to Iraq for the so-called “struggle”. Indeed, he used all his tricks to achieve political power over the organization. This was a treason that Rajavi committed against the freedom movement of the Iranians.

When he wanted to come to Iraq from France, I was one of those supporters who were deceived by him because I was in Iran and I didn’t have enough knowledge about MKO. They even recruited unemployed and addicted young people promising them to find jobs for them out of Iran. Somehow, we all were the victims of MKO tricks, because we had some social problems. The deceitful recruitment techniques of MKO were completely opposite to what is called voluntarily acceptance. Once the MKO was founded, the recruitment methods were based on supreme human principals. Now there was a big difference.

MKO used any trick to deceive the depressed and dispirit youth of the society in order to take them to Iraq as its modern slaves. After they entered the organization, the officials of the group did everything to force them to stay in Iraq. These members were forces to fight against the Iranian soldiers who were defending their country.

Sometimes MKO fighters helped Iraqi battalions to win the battles. Then Rajavi used to go to Saddam to get his reward and of course money for the services MKO fighters offered the Iraqi Army. Rajavi could arrange and equip his so-called National Liberation Army by the funds Saddam Hussein offered to him. So the so-called National Liberation army was formed on the base of the blood of some innocent people.

He started his operations by sending his terror teams inside Iran. He organized some operations in cooperation with Iraqi Battalions. He also arranged his forces to assist Saddam’s army against Iranian soldiers. However he named this treason as struggle for freedom. This shows a big division between what the primary principals of MKO were and what Rajavi did.

No member could escape from MKO because if someone wanted to escape one would be arrested by Iraqi Intelligence services in a few hours time, and one would be punished by them and then sent back to MKO Camp again.

When the Iran-Iraq war ended, Rajavi found a new pretext to slaughter Iranian people and also his own supporters and sympathizers. He infiltrated his forces into Iran to launch mortar attacks in Iranians cities.

After the fall of Saddam Hussein, he used a new trick and dropped all his organizational responsibilities. He went to achieve what he was hysterically looking for. He defined a new position for himself to become an ultra-organizational leader. It was very surprising that Rajavi who chanted slogans against Imperialism, sat at the negotiation table with American generals. We saw the MKO authorities became US Army advisors. They began their collaboration with the Americans by launching intelligence operations over Iranian borders.

To gain the support of US officials, they arranged parties and meetings with them. They spent large amounts of money to collect signatures of the alleged 5 million Iraqis whom MKO claims to have their support. NOW, we can see what happened to the “struggle” I talked about. Today, MKO is resorting to every mean to gain the support of US administration. All the victims who are kept in Ashraf Castle work day and night to be used in favor of MKO leaders’ goals.
Translated by Nejat Society

May 12, 2009 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

Maryam Rajavi’s cult representative in European Parliament

Alejo Vidal-Quadras has already scurriously attacked the Iraqi government in the European Parliament alleging them ready to commit a “second Srebrenica in Iraq”

With the withdrawal from European politics of Portugal’s Paulo Casaca, Maryam Rajavi – who is following a Zionist-style regime change agenda – has apparently selected a replacement in the shape of Spanish MEP Alejo Vidal-Quadras from the Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats) and European
Democrats. Vidal-Quadras has already scurrilously attacked ‘a faction’ of the Iraqi government in the European Parliament alleging them ready to commit a “second Srebrenica in Iraq” in relation to MKO cult members in Camp Ashraf.

Previously Maryam Rajavi posted her cult representative Firouz Mahvi in Casaca’s office. We await with interest to see if he is moved to the office of Vidal-Quadras, if he is changed with another of Rajavi’s cult members, or if another of Rajavi’s MEP’s has her cult representative based in their office.

Some western observers may still be wondering whether the MKO’s supporters in various parliaments are acting out of ignorance or stupidity or sheer wickedness.

Unfortunately, those who know the MKO best, particularly its victims in Iraq, when they see the orchestrated and vigorous insistence on lies and deception cannot be blamed for believing in the corruptibility of parliament and that these MPs must be being paid for their activities.

Sadly the failure of western governments to challenge the undemocratic activities of the MKO is not a new story.
http://www.iran-interlink.org/files/News4/eucitizen2006.htm
Anne Singleton

May 12, 2009 0 comments

Missions of Nejat Society

Families of MKO members meeting in Ahwaz

On Friday, 8th May families of MKO members held a meeting in Ahwaz at Aftab Hall.

The meeting was held with the presence of more than 50 families of MKO captives who are banned behind the bars of Rajavis’ cult and also some of the separated members.

After presenting the schedule of the meeting Mr. Hamid Dehdar Hassani ; head of Nejat Society office – Khuzestan Branch gave a report on Nejat Society’s activities during the last year and also on incoming programs of the Society .

Mr. Ekrami member of Nejat Society then addressed the audiences under the title of “Active relations between families and Society, guaranties the release of hostages of MKO”.
Mr. Maziyar Shirvani the former member of MKO who recently managed to release himself from the cult and joined his family explained aspects of the atmosphere rules the cult of Rajavi and the role of Nejat Society in releasing the captive members of Mujahedin.

During the meeting books as well as articles and interviews of MKO former members presented to the participants.

Also during the meeting 17 families of captives of MKO, signed a letter of request to meet their beloveds. The letter was to be sent to ICRI.

At the end the statement to Mr. Nuri Al Maliki was read and signed by the participants of the meeting.

The meeting was ended at 12:30 PM.

On Friday, 8th May families of MKO members held a meeting in Ahwaz at Aftab Hall.

May 10, 2009 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq; A proxy force

While Iraq shows courage, West prevaricates over Rajavi cult

Iraq’s decision to close Camp Ashraf and remove the Mojahedin-e Khalq from While Iraq shows courage, West prevaricates over Rajavi cult the country is based primarily on security issues. The group’s long history of alliance with Saddam Hussein and its history of killing and suppression of Iraqi citizens are not in question. However the specific approach used to dismantle the group reveals that Iraq’s authorities have a clear understanding that the principle problem posed by the group is as a dangerous, destructive mind control cult which has no place in any society.

The Government of Iraq’s basic analysis of the group is that it acts outside the law, it acts against its own members and it acts against the interests of the host country. This of course is true not only in Iraq but in any country the group is located.

In contrast, western behaviour toward the group appears to take no account whatsoever that this is a destructive cult and instead appears to maintain the fiction that the MKO is a political or military entity. Although western governments treat the group as though it were a legal entity, in reality the MKO operates mostly outside legal boundaries.

Rather than look through the prism of security to understand the group as western governments have done with their terrorism lists, the Iraqi government has developed a sophisticated understanding of the MKO’s internal relations and how that impacts its external behaviour whether in the political or security field.

An important baseline from which Iraq has started has been the recognition that as members of a cult, MKO members are victims not heroes. They are trapped in this situation and did not choose freely and still cannot choose freely to be there. They are held as hostages for the leader and the leaders’ masters.

As part of its plan to expel the MKO, the Government of Iraq has several times made reasonable, timely requests to European countries for help. Since the Mojahedin-e Khalq is no longer legally regarded as a terrorist entity in the European Union, these countries could accept the individuals from Camp Ashraf as refugees. So far no country has been willing to accept them.

How should we interpret this intransigence?

There can be no doubt that the MKO is not an independent organisation but is backed by money and power to such an extent that western judicial and governmental officials appear to be afraid of challenging the status quo. As a result, in western countries the MKO is permitted to operate freely without regard to the law. The results of this are twofold. The MKO, on behalf of regime change proponents, operates a powerful lobby in western countries based on deception to the extent that it corrupts parliamentary democracy and infects media reporting with lies. The MKO is also free to impose severe human rights violations on its own members with impunity.

The failure of western governments to deal effectively with the group and put it in its rightful place is not based on lack of information. Parliamentary debate and governmental pronouncements reveal that nobody regards the MKO as either democratic or popular. Human rights organisations have documented decades of abuse against members. Yet in spite of this it would appear that western governments still have not made up their minds how they want to treat this group.

The group is so blatantly owned by regime change proponents that it is hard to imagine that anyone believes other than that the MKO is an artificial construct which is being artificially imposed on western governmental relations with Iran. That this is only possible because the MKO is a mind control cult whose primary victims are its own members should also be quite obvious.

In this context, it is inconceivable that any western government actually believes the MKO to be a negotiating tool in relation to Iran. This would be the most ludicrously undermining position to take. If Iraq understands the MKO as a cult, an artificially maintained western construct, does anyone believe the rest of the world doesn’t also see this? By taking a principled stand and requiring the MKO to obey the law, Iraq is unintentionally exposing the west to humiliation because of the continued failure to confront the MKO. Ultimately, this is not even to do with security or politics, it comes down to simply respecting the rule of law in their own countries.

Unlike Europe and North America, the Government of Iraq is enacting a plan to deal with the MKO based on a clear understanding of the dynamics which operate within the confines of Camp Ashraf. The same dynamics also operate in the base at Auvers sur Oise but apparently Europe does not regard this as problematic for its standing in the international community.

Outside the narrow viewpoint of the west, other countries see the MKO as a threat to parliamentary democracy in Europe, as part of that game of ‘whose lobby is the richest, most vociferous, more litigious and powerful that the rest’ rather than being about making decisions based on national interests.

A sympathetic examination of what Iraq is doing in relation to the MKO in Camp Ashraf brings up the stark contrast with what western governments are doing. Iraq has developed from its own culture a plan for dismantlement which abides by international laws and humanitarian principles. Iraq regards people in Camp Ashraf as victims of Rajavi’s inhuman cult practices. In contrast, the MKO’s backers see them only as consumables – their role is to kill or be killed, even if that means mass suicide to preserve not the people but the brand.

As a first step toward dismantling the cult the Iraqi authorities have required that all the individuals inside Camp Ashraf obey national, international and local law, and that full access to the camp be granted to Iraqi authorities to enforce the law. No group or individual can be above the law no matter what they state as their motivation or beliefs.

In the case of Iraq where the group is designated by the government as a foreign terrorist entity and is therefore an illegal entity, it is a reasonable next step for the authorities to demand that leading, controlling members of the group be removed to a separate location and that the lower ranking members be split into smaller groups. The Iraqi authorities require, on the basis of respecting human rights, that access be gained to all individual members without interference by any other member of the organisation.

In comparison we are entitled to ask why the group is permitted to operate outside the law in Europe and North America. For example, we are entitled to ask whether Maryam Rajavi is registered as a citizen of France. Does she declare an income and pay tax? Does her organisation conform to employment law in the utilisation of any one of the hundreds of people at Camp Maryam in Auvers sur Oise? When the group claims its followers are ‘volunteers’ there is still a matter of employment law to which the group and its leader must conform.

In reality the people at Camp Maryam have a status which can only be described as modern slavery. They are, in the main illegally trafficked, do not have normal residence status, and certainly do not enjoy the protection of the law in whatever country they are living. Does Europe condone this kind of activity? What reason is there to avoid investigation and prosecution? Is there really a lack of evidence, do European countries lack the judicial teeth or is there a political angle to this?

What conclusions are we to draw from the behaviour of the U.S. in relation to the MKO? The group has been on the U.S. terrorism list since 1997, yet the American Civil Liberties Union in Southern California claims court documents show the U.S. government provided material support to the group. This information has been exposed because the U.S. judiciary has chosen to prosecute individuals who have pleaded guilty to fundraising for the MKO in an airport.

Western governments which are prepared to pursue the prosecution of ordinary members of the MKO while the leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi are free and unaccountable are in fact doubling the abuse of these people. They must ask themselves very carefully what they hope to achieve. Is this desirable for the countries involved? While the judiciary in each case may believe itself to be independent and acting in the best interests of the law, perhaps other interests in these countries have motives beyond the judicial system.

Imagine the MKO is removed from terrorist lists everywhere and permitted to continue its activities unhindered by considerations of law – what next? Are they really going to successfully play a part in Iranian opposition politics? Are the people of Iran really waiting helplessly to be rescued by Massoud and Maryam Rajavi and their cult? The Rajavis want to retire in the west, to play at power politics using their followers as pawns in their games. And those whose interest is regime change at all costs are prepared to keep even this group going in the small hope it will act as an irritant.

It is certain what the MKO leaders want – but we need to ask their western supporters if they really know what they want from them.

By Anne Singleton

May 6, 2009 0 comments

Missions of Nejat Society

A delegation of Czech Republic journalists visited Nejat society

A delegation of ten journalists from Czech Republic visited Nejat society office in Tehran, yesterday.

During this visit, Mr. Arash Sametipour the secretary of Nejat Society welcomed the delegation giving a detailed description of the activities of the society and its plans for future.

Mr. Khodabandeh also explained the current situation of Rajavi’s Cult, the measures of violation of human rights in the cult, manipulation practices and the efforts of the cult leaders to maintain power over the members’ lives and time.

The members of this delegation asserted the cult-like nature of MKO declaring that the European authorities are well aware of the disgusted image of the group all over the world.

Nejat Society officials then answered the questions posed by the journalists and asked the European Union to support Iraqi government’s decisions on MKO cult. Czech Republic currently holds the EU Presidency.

May 6, 2009 0 comments

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