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MEK/PMOI Popularity Threat to Iranian Regime's
Existance
For many associated with the Iranian lobby and appeasers of the clerical regime in Tehran, the best way to prop up the regime is to discredit any alternative options presented to the international community. In addition, the lobby and appeasers continue to stress that regime change will lead to war. As an example, they point to the struggles of the Iraq government since the removal of Saddam by the U.S. and its allies.
However, history teaches us that any regime’s
existence is limited when it begins with a violent upheaval. The current
Iranian regime was born out of a revolution to end the rule of the Shah, but
that revolution’s goal was to create a secular, pluralistic, and democratic
Iran. However, the mullahs hijacked the revolution, creating a theocracy and
suppressing any alternative political voices, including the MEK/PMOI.
Instead, to consolidate their power, the
Iranian regime has relied on the typical tools of oppression, including the
creation of a paramilitary and judiciary system that touches every section of
Iranian society. The regime, using its lobby and appeasers, have been quick in
attacking any publication or personalities that dare to speak up about the
quest of the Iranian people to achieve their original dream of a democratic
Iran.
Anyone who dares to talk about “regime change”
is targeted for repressive measures. The MEK/PMOI have been high on the
regime’s list, since the MEK/PMOI are the most dedicated and organized
opposition with extensive routes and support at home, with the ability to
materialize regime change.
The people’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran
(PMOI/MEK) has been the subject of propaganda campaigns by the Iranian Ministry
of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) at home and by regime lobbies and appeasers
throughout the international community. This campaign is focused on
discrediting the MEK/PMOI, by saying there is no democratic alternative to the
Iranian regime and that regime change will result in war and increased
instability within the region.
But why is the MEK/PMOI being targeted so
directly? The MEK/PMOI is the oldest, largest, and most popular resistance movement
within Iran. They form the core of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
(NCRI), which is a coalition of opposition groups from all sectors of Iran. The
PMOI/MEK was founded in September 1965 by three Iranian engineers who wanted to
replace the Shah’s dictatorship with a democracy.
It is this continued support of democracy that has kept the
MEK/PMOI so popular among Iranians. The MEK/PMOI believes that Islam is
inherently tolerant and democratic, and fully compatible with the values of
modern-day civilization. This vision is the cure to the current spread of
extremism, which can be traced back to Iran and its mullahs. Yet, during the
time of upheaval after the revolution, the MEK/PMOI leaders witnessed Ayatollah
Khomeini’s hijacking of the revolution to create his theocracy.
Khomeini’s response to the efforts of the
MEK/PMOI to stop the rise of this theocracy was brutal repression throughout
the 1980s, including the massacre of some 30,000 political prisoners who
were primarily members or supporters of the MEK/PMOI. Despite the escalation of
attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) throughout the years,
the MEK/PMOI has never stopped promoting a pro-democracy vision of Iran. These
actions demonstrated that the regime would only hold power by using brutality
and repression to keep the Iranian people under their control.
Despite this, the MEK/PMOI has continued to
receive support and demonstrations held throughout Iran show that the Iranian
people are not cowed by the regime, but still believe in a free Iran.
In the recent 2017 election, hundreds of video
clips and photos of banners and placards hanging from pathways and auto routes
on billboards, were published on Telegram and YouTube channels, showcasing the
vast magnitude of the activities of those
who support the MEK/PMOI. The slogan, “My vote is regime change”, echoed
throughout the country.
The regime’s election was therefore quickly
ended in the first round to avoid further opportunities for protest. Yet,
internally, the regime is suffering from deep divisions about how to ensure its
survival, as the domestic unrest continues to grow.
Dr. Rafizadeh, a leading Iranian-American
political scientist, president of the International American Council on the
Middle East, and best-selling author in an opinion piece in Huffington
post publishing 8 video clips of MEK
activities inside Iran, wrote: “The activists of the network of the
Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran and its
group the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), inside Iran have been engaged in an
extensive campaign nationwide, calling on Iranians to boycott the elections.
Finally, from my perspective, it is critical to point out that Iranian leaders
fear the soft power of oppositional groups more than the military and hard
power of foreign governments. That is why Iranian leaders and media outlets
normally react forcefully and anxiously to activities by the opposition such as
the recent critical move, where Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chair of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, recently met with Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the
President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) in Tirana,
Albania. Iran’s oppositional groups can be a very powerful tool to
counterbalance the Islamic Republic.”
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