Transformation of Man into ELEMENT
Mujahedin Khalq ‘s Function
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!
On Tuesday 12th of December 2006, the European court of justice announced that they had made an errand in not allowing the Mojahedin-E Khalq of Iran the opportunity to defend itself when putting them on a terror list. Link With this decision, the Mojahedin will receive access to the frozen funds and be able to defend themselves in the courts. That is as far as the court decision has implemented. But if you were to view the official Mojahedin TV stations and numerous websites and newspapers you would get the impression that they had in fact been taken out of the terrorist list. This is of course far from the truth.
The European court of justice, declared in its verdict that any funds that had been frozen should now be made available at the disposal of Mojahedin-E Khalq. But the experts on this organization can clearly state that the Mojahedin has never in the past made any of its money transactions through any bank in Europe. The Mojahedin have in fact never placed any of its vast funds that they have acquired through Saddam Hussein in any of the European bank. The exchange and transfer of money has always been conducted in secret and always in cash, just like other terrorist organization like Al-Qaeda.
The reality is that removing the Mojahedin-E Khalq of Iran out of the European Terror list will not make any impact what so ever. In the past, the Mojahedin used to get their entire funding and support from the Iraqi regime, and even with all the tanks and guns it still didn’t amount to anything.
For the Mojahedin, the presence of their names in the European terror list has had very little effect in their day to day activities. They have continued to hold demonstrations over the past few years and still enjoy the full support of many European politicians and lawmakers.
During the past few days the Mojahedin have unofficially proclaimed that they have set aside violent resistance and will from now on only work by peaceful means. But the reality is that the armed struggle against the Iranian regime is a strategic, tactical and ideological essence of the
group. And if they ever decide to set aside armed and violent means as a form of struggle, they cease to exist as a group. The result would be mass defection and finally an implosion of the organization. There has never in fact been an official declaration of distance from violent armed struggle.
The major issue at stake is that the people of Iran do not consider Mojahedin as a serious political force. For the majority of the Iranian people they are only known as a cult that worked with Iraq’s Saddam Hussein in time of war against and helped the enemy in killing thousands of Iranian people during the Iran-Iraq conflict that lasted 8 years (1980 – 1988) There remains no support for the Mojahedin-E Khalq by any class, age or gender in Iran’s society.
Karim Haghi Moni
18 December 2006
Karim Haghi, IranPeyvand
Recently, the heads of tribes in Dyala province held a conference to discuss the critical economical and security situation as well as the presence of terrorist groups in the province.
A delegation of tribal leaders also briefed the government on the ways of improving security situation in the province.
Complaints on the illegal presence of terrorist organization of Mojahedin-e Khalq as a source of instability in the region were top on the agenda. They also backed government’s decision to expel the group from Iraq.
The murderous gang of Rajavi, which has created a group called”The Front of Saving Dyala”with the remnants of Baath party, has desperately claimed that American forces can assure provincial officials that the MKO is restricted to Camp Ashraf and that it has no role in the problems of the region.
MKO’s statement, released by the name of this fake”Front”, reads:
“Governor’s office and other provincial officials are well aware that the MKO has no role in destabilizing the security of the region. How is it possible to have a role in security of the province when you are restricted? This delegation, instead of solving the problems of people and province, is partaking in continuation of bad security situation. All residents of the province are disappointed by this move of delegation.”
Observers believe that MKO’s efforts during past years to win support in the province, and its claims that it has good relations with people, have all failed.
Yesterday, NCRI-run website reported "Despite frantic attempts by the mullahs’ regime to have people vote in the Assembly of Experts elections, all indications show that people have completely ignored the sham elections and responded positively to the call by the Iranian Resistance’s President-elect Mrs. Maryam Rajavi to boycott it".
The elections being sham or anything else, it seems that the organization lacks a sound source of informers inside Iran as well as the exaggerated number of supporters. A slight look at the reports of many TV networks covering the occasion in Iran disproves MKO’s claim of "people have completely ignored the sham elections". It does not mean that we approve whatever passes inside Iran, but we do believe that none of those who drew back to vote were responding to Maryam Rajavi’s boycott.
Herself being the outcome of no legal election but a husband nominated President-elect, first she must prove her own legitimacy then she might call others to boycott any election! What does she really think of people?
mojahedin.ws – 16/12/2006
The editorial and opinion pages of The Wall Street Journal continue to be dominated by neoconservatives (neo-Trotskyites).
A letter to the editor in the December 12, 2006 issue (page A19) was signed by Shahin Gobadi, Press Spokesman, National Council of Resistance of Iran, London. Of course, The Wall Street Journal did not identify the NCRI as a front for the Iranian Communist MEK (Rajavi Cult or Pol Pot of Iran). Gobadi used PMOI in the letter without identifying the relationship.
The MEK continues to publish the same lies:
1. The MEK lies about having large support inside Iran.
2. The MEK lies about not being a terrorist organization.
Gobadi mentioned the Iran Policy Committee (IPC) without revealing if the MEK funds trips for Professor Raymond Tanter to speak at MEK conferences. Gobadi failed to reveal relationships between the MEK and the IPC staff (former CIA employee and former military officers). In particular, Gobadi could have provided details about published reports that the CIA is using MEK members to go into Iran as spies and to destroy Iranian property. If there are so many MEK members living in Iran today, why does the CIA need to export MEK members to Iran?
Gobadi mentioned that the MEK raises large amounts of money from Iranians living outside of Iran. Gobadi did not mention that fundraising methods include having MEK members tell their parents that they need tens of thousands of dollars for surgery or that they will leave the MEK and start a business.
Double Standards of the west in dealing with the Mojahedin-e Khalq?
In the United States as well as United Kingdom, the Mojahedin-E Khalq of Iran employs powerful and well connected lobbyists working to remove them from the terrorist lists of both of those countries. These lobbyists are attempting to erase the violent and bloody past of the Mojahedin-e khalq of Iran, and present a ‘revised’ version of history.
But the truth is that terrorism and violence are part of the foundation of this cult. In the absence of violence and aggression the Mojahedin will cease to exist as an organization.
The Mojahedin-e khalq of Iran have not once during their 40 years of existence condemned the use of violence as a method of struggle, and the current ‘official’ line of downplaying their past for politicians and media is just a ploy to fool the would be supporters.
The victims and groups of people who have been killed by the hands of the Mojahedin-e Khalq are not exclusively Iranians. American employees, Iraqi Kurds, Iraqi soldiers, Iranian civilians and Iranian state employees working for the Shah or the Islamic Republic are some of the people that have in the past been murdered by the Mojahedin. Even dissidents within their own organization have been killed by this cult.
Before the revolution of 1979, the Mojahedin announced with pride the assassinations of a number of Americans personal stationed in Iran as listed below:
Lt. Colonel Lewis L. Hawkins
Killed: June 2, 1973
Air Force Colonel Paul Schaeffer
Killed: May 21, 1975
Air Force Lt. Colonel Jack Turner
Killed: May 21, 1975
Donald G. Smith, Rockwell International employee
Killed: August 28, 1976
Robert R. Krongrad, Rockwell International employee
Killed: August 28, 1976
William C. Cottrell, Rockwell International employee
Killed: August 28, 1976
In addition, an extensive campaign of bombings and other terrorist activities towards American & Israeli interests in Iran is available, as evidence of their bloody past.
After the revolution of 1979, the Mojahedin played an active role in the executions of the former Shah’s heads of government in kangaroo courts and sought furiously to seek the death penalty for anyone believed to have been working with the then deposed Shah of Iran or had been known to have any relationship with the Americans.
The Mojahedin supported vigorously the takeover of the American embassy on 4th November 1979, and in order to portray themselves as even “more revolutionary” then the Iranian guards supporting Ayatollah Khomeini, they decided to attack and occupy the Americans consulates in Isfahan and Tabriz.
When the power struggle between Mojahedin and the ayatollahs came to a head, they quickly fell back on their old habit of violence and terrorism. And from 1980 to 2003, more than 16,000 Iranians have been killed in their campaign of terror. The majority of those killed were innocent civilians targeted in calculated moves to bring instability and fear into the daily lives of Iranians in the hope that it would result in the downfall of the Iranian regime.
Beginning from 1982, the Mojahedin started to slowly move their camps inside Iraq with the full support of Saddam Hussein. They were given the necessary equipment and security to continue their campaign of terror. As well as operating as a spy agency for the Iraqis the Mojahedin in effect ended up being nothing more then a proxy army for Saddam Hussein. They engrained their brutal and dictatorial form of power and during a long process of brainwashing their own members and putting an end to male and female relations, the leaders of the Mojahedin created a dangerous “zombie army”.
These same brainwashed members set about to murder innocent Iraqi Kurds in 1991, at the request of Saddam Hussein.
During their stay in Iraq (1982 – present), tens of dissident members have been imprisoned or killed. Two examples include the death of Parviz Ahmadi and Ghorban Torabi, who died under torture in camp Ashraf in 1996.
In June of 2003, while Maryam Rajavi, the self proclaimed president of Iran was arrested by French police, more then 10 supporters and members of Mojahedin showed their objection to the arrest by setting themselves on fire. Of these 10 individuals, 4 suffered such an extent of damage from the fire that they died shortly after.
On May 2005, Human Rights Watch, an independent organization issued a report by the name of ‘No Exit: Human Rights Abuses Inside the MKO Camps’ which explored the dark side of the Mojahedin by interviewing a number of ex-members and their painful experiences as members of cult of Rajavis. In a report issued later in February 2006, Human Rights Watch responded to the allegation made by the Mojahedin on the legitimacy of the NO EXIT report and concluded that the statements made in the previous report were in fact truthful.
Whether Mojahedin-e Khalq of Iran will remain in the terrorist list or not, makes no real difference to the Iranian people. This is because they are viewed as a terrorist cult who has no base of support among the people of Iran.
The removal of Mojahedin-E Khalq of Iran from the terrorist list will only be a mark of shame. This will only reinforce the sense of double standards that is still harboured among Iranians. It now remains to be seen as to how the west will stand by its claims of assisting human rights and democracy for Iran and other countries in need.
Respectfully
Karim Haghi Moni
Iran Peyvand Association
December 12, 2006
Karim Haghi Moni, 12 December 2006
It was a long time that the terrorist MKO was looking for a chance to bring its detained leader- freed in a deal- to the scene again!
Can one say that the ruling of the European court (on annulling the orders to freeze MKO funds) was a proper opportunity? Anyway, the noise made by MKO’s propaganda machine on this worthless ruling was considered a good chance by Rajavi to show up.
It’s important for the Rajavis that others don’t understand how he got back his freedom.
As he treacherously left his deceived armed forces in Iran in 1981 and fled to France, Rajavi simply accepted to get his freedom in return for allowing the dismantling of Camp Ashraf!
One another condition for his freedom was to renounce terrorism and to give up bankrupt policy of armed struggle; he has accepted this wholeheartedly. His remnants in Europe and the US have allowed their lawyers to denounce terrorism and armed struggle in order to pave the way for political survival.
It means that Americans have gotten across their message to Rajavi: the only way to get out of the terror list (the only way for the survival of the group) is to admit the failure of armed struggle and quit claims about it. Insistence on voluntary denouncement of armed struggle by the MKO in the ruling of European court proves this.
So, Rajavi comes to the scene again while total failure in Iran means the total annihilation of MKO, NLA and Camp Ashraf. On the other hand, he creates a new political entity in Europe (like tens of other invalid groups) whose duty is to serve the policies of Western politicians.
Anyway, this dirty deal (the examples of which are numerous in MKO and Rajavi’s history) will pave the way for saving many of deceived members in Camp Ashraf and it will not allow the bankrupt gang of Rajavi to exploit these members anymore.
In addition, bringing Massoud Rajavi to the scene should be a starting point for bringing him to justice. He should account for 25 years of bloodshed under his total command.
Irandidban – 2006/12/13
Following a violent trend of struggle, MKO typically cannot tolerate any form of criticism by anyone. The group usually attacks the critics and attributes them to Iranian regime.
On December 3. MKO-run website thus reported:
Citing the Undersecretary on Security Affairs of Iraq and the Governor of Diyala
Province, Iran’s ruling religious fascism claimed, “The PMOI cooperates with Al-Qaeda.” It added, “Activities of the U.S. forces has led the terrorist mojahedin group to murder Shiites in Diyala Province in cooperation with Takfiri groups (referring to Islamic extremist groups)."
Iraqi PM’s Security Advisor Shirvan Vaeli earlier in an interview with Al-Forat TV had said: "Mojahedin-e Khalq has made alliance with Al-Qaeda in Dyalah province; it’s conducting terrorist activities in this province."
Shirvan Vaeli’s comment came after MKO had announced that they had formed "National Front for Saving Dyalah". The national front the group referred to was, in fact, a novel alliance with Saddam loyalists and other insurgents that could not abide a free and democratic Iraq.
Being well aware of MKO’s terrorist nature, Iraqis have no need to be informed of the group’s terrorist activities by the Iranian side and the group’s alliance with other uncompromising Iraqi groups. Living among the Iraqis at the present, MKO sees no other way but to condemn Iran of the claims that are nothing but pure facts disclosed by Iraqi individuals.
mojahedin.ws – 07/12/2006
According to the published reports, terrorist group of Mojahedin-e Khalq is trying to use a law firm in its efforts for being lifted from terror list.
This move is not new but it has been an ongoing effort for years. MKO used/is using different groups and individuals, bribing them with large amounts of money, hoping that they can save this group!
Mojahedin sometimes resorted to people, thought to be able to do something for the organization; people like Paul Wolfowitz, John Bolton and …
The main point the group tries to hide from its own members is that the group was fully supported by Saddam and some other western countries while being out of terror list but it could do nothing.
The next point is that even if the group, after resorting to a legal firm and testing different, is lifted from terror list. What would happen?
This can be viewed from two different angles:
– That whether they can effect Iran’s political and social scene (they have not been able to do see due to being on terror list)
– That what benefits the group could get in the case of being removed from the list (that has been deprived of due to being designated)
On the issue of Iran, it should be said that all MKO’s incurable problems rise from the fact that they have no popular base inside Iran, but they are hated by Iranians. All observers agree with this fact.
This very fact is also influential in Westerners’ decisions on the group and prevents them from making contact with the group.
Therefore, being removed from the list will not solve this group’s problems. With a long-term look at the issue, the removal of the group from the list will bring worse situation for them because then they will have to account for their futile efforts in the past years.
Government and parties, the MKO think would help the group in the case of being removed from the list, believe that the group should quit terrorist policies and turn to a political organization. Then, the incurable pain of lacking popular support and political inability comes to the group and anti-Iranian parties in the West- even the stupid ones like Neocons- are smart enough not to be trapped in this vicious circle.
Irandidban – 2006/12/11