The mujahideen e khalq has become a symbolic issue in washington, a rallying point for the radical neocons and their congressional amen corner. Irans regime fails in its propaganda efforts on the anniversary of the. Mujahadeen definition of mujahadeen by the free dictionary. Through its front group, national council of resistance of iran ncri, it has been the main conduit for publicizing israeli intelligence on irans nuclear program. The word mujahideen comes from the same arabic root as jihad, which means struggle. The iranian mujahideen mujahideene khalq mek youtube. It was initially part of the broadbased revolution that led to the 1979 overthrow of the shah of iran. Khamenei literally begs for voter turnout in farce election. Also known as the mojahedin khalq organization, the mujahideen e khalq organization mko, and the peoples mujahideen of iran pmoi, the mujahideen e khalq mek is the primary opposition to the islamic republic of iran.
The mujahedine khalq pmoimek was founded in 1965 by three muslim university graduates and sought to replace the shahs dictatorship with a representative government that respects human rights. The terrorist argument uses nine case studies of how armed groups have used communications techniques with varying degrees of success. Drawing on all available sources including interviews with past and present members of the mojahedin, ervand abrahamian traces their organization from the 1960s to today. Mujahedine khalq mek shackled by a twisted history. The mek in albania americans championed mujahideen e khalq mek. The name was most closely associated, however, with members of. Other names for mek include the national liberation. Olsi jazexhi, a professor of history at the university of durres critical of the governments decision to accept the mek fighters, says that albanian politicians hoped the deal would lead the us. The mek was the first iranian organization to develop systematically a modern revolutionary interpretation of islam an interpretation that differed sharply from both the old conservative islam of the traditional clergy and the new populist version formulated in the 1970s. Mujahideenekhalq israel, zionist ambition, isis and us affiliated connections part four this may not be my last episode regarding us enablers of sacrilegious ruling zionist but barely jewish parties that oppress the peoples of israel and beyond, but i am hoping i have scoped a near complete picture when factoring the. Helping mujahideenekhalq the american conservative.
In the beginning the mujahideen were guerrilla forces which helped in the defeat of the ussr, which is the first time in history they have been defeated. Jason rezaian comments on boltons enthusiasm for the mujahideen e khalq mek and what it means for u. The peoples mujahideen organisation of iran is an iranian opposition movement in exile that has been battling the tehran government since the 1960s. It advocates overthrowing the islamic republic of iran leadership and installing its own government. Iran irn35739 national council of resistance mojahedin e khalk niversity admission 3 december 2009 1. Posts about mujahideen e khalq written by loonwatch. The birth of the mujahedini khalq following the 1963 crackdown, bazargans liberation movement splintered.
Thomas holaday has a degree in philosophy and a minor in arabic from. Terrorists, cultists or champions of iranian democracy. Who are the peoples mujahedin of iran also known as mek. Do you have brief background information on how the book of martyrs was. Iran irn35739 national council of resistance mojahedine. Thus, a mujahid is someone who struggles or someone who fights. The pmoimek is also part of the national council of resistance of iran ncri, a large coalition of dissidents and organizations that support democratic regime.
Bolton has also long backed a cultlike iranian opposition group, the mujahideene khalq, or m. But after the 1979 revolution, it fell victim to the new dictatorships onslaught. The mek, an exterrorist group pushing regime change in iran, aligns with d. Peoples mujahedin of iran is an iranian exile organization officially declared a terrorist organization both in the united states and iran. They were supported by britains mi6 who also conducted their own covert actions. The state department, having designated mek a terrorist organization, opposed utilizing the group against tehran. Ambassador, and other violent attacks in iran before the 1979 revolution. The mujahideen e khalq or the mek is a politicalmilitant organisation in iran, which in 1973 bombed 10 major buildings, including those of panamerican airlines and shell oil. The sordid history of state sponsored terrorism against. Mek network installs pictures of opposition leaders, torch soleimani. The mek is the type of fringe group that sets up camp across the street from 1600 pennsylvania avenue and hands out fliers filled with unsubstantiated claims. History of the mujahideene khalq mek it advocates overthrowing the islamic republic of iran leadership and installing its own government. Follow share on tumblrshare eric draitser, mint press news, june 14 2017.
In the seine river basin near auverssuroise, safe from most things except occasional nosy french officials, are headquarters of one of the worlds more intriguing substate groups, the peoples mujahideen e khalq, or mek. The mek had warned about irans statebacked terrorism 40 years. Gallery it advocates overthrowing the islamic republic of iran leadership and installing its own government. It is fascinating reading for anyone interested in civil conflict, terrorism, communications theory and. One of his chosen replacements is the dissident group mujahedeen khalq, known as m. Mek supporters rally to mark 1979 revolution, condemn. John bolton, the national security adviser, has long pushed for regime change in iran. The mujahedin e khalq mek was formed in 1965 by a group of leftist students in iran who opposed the regime under shah mohammad reza pahlavi. While older members drew inspiration from the leftleaning nationalist and ousted prime minister muhammad musaddiq who flirted with mob violence but did not sanction terrorism, many younger members argued political reform impossible and. The writer is the press spokesman for mujahideen e khalq.
Washingtons favorite iranian terrorist group has likely won. Operation cyclone was the code name for the united states central intelligence agency cia program to arm and finance the mujahideen in afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, prior to and during the military intervention by the ussr in support of its client, the democratic republic of afghanistan. The peoples mojahedin organization of iran pmoi, also known as mujahedin e khalgh mek, is the largest and longeststanding iranian opposition group with a fivedecade history of struggling for freedom and democracy in iran. The mek was the first iranian organization to develop it advocates overthrowing the islamic republic of iran leadership and installing its own government. It was initially aligned with the 1979 islamic revolution, but ayatollah khomeini quickly deemed the mek a threat to his newlyinstalled government. About the peoples mojahedin organization of iran pmoimek. By a forthcoming edict of the state department, you can now no longer call the mujahideen e khalq formerly saddam husseins proxies. Founded in september 5, 1965 by a group of leftist muslim iranian university students. The following is an interview i conducted via email with osli jazexhi, an albanianbased, canadianalbanian historian who specializes in the history of islam, nationalism and religious reformation in southeastern europe. The terrorist designation of the mujahideene khalq back in 1997, only weeks after former president mohammad khatami took office as the new moderate president of the iranian regime, was a clear. The mujahideen started out in 1985 to help the jihad in the fight against the soviets. In the context of afghanistan during the late 20th century, the mujahideen were islamic warriors defending their country from the soviet union, which invaded afghanistan in 1979 and fought a bloody war there for a decade. Gallery the peoples mojahedin organization of iran, or the mojahedine khalq. The peoples mujahedin organization of iran, or the mujahedine khalq, is an iranian politicalmilitant organization.
Coming together they formed an alliance with pakistan, now that half the afghan population has dispersed. Iranian cult is no longer officially a terrorist group wired. In this book a leading authority on iranian political parties offers the first history of this littleknown underground group. Profile of the mujahideen e khalq mek, an exiled opposition group that backs the overthrow of the islamic republic. Founded on marxist principles in 1963, the mujahideene khalq carried out a number of bombings and assassinations in iran during the 1970s, including one that killed six americans. In this light, it is disappointing that the former mayor of new york, rudolph giuliani, and the exsecretary of homeland security, tom ridge, recently attended a conference run by supporters of the group mujahideenekhalq mek, currently banned in the. In iran the mojahedine khalq mujahideen of the people, a group combining islamic and marxist ideologies, engaged in a longterm guerrilla war against the leadership of the islamic republic.
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