PMOI neither democratic, nor pluralistic
A response to David Waddington
Originally submitted to EU Observer
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By Ahmad Baaraan, December 25, 2008
ABaaraan@yahoo.fr
A recent comment by David Waddington, a former UK home secretary, published by the EU Observer contains some very serious flaws I intend to address here. I was astonished by the lack of depth in the author's view as reflected in his opinion http://euobserver.com/7/27316
First, Mr. Waddington writes: "... with George Bush gone, the Islamic Republic may itself sense new opportunities to further spread its fundamentalist ideology and terror tactics to Iraq and the Middle East." This seems to be a subtle, yet mischievous implication that Mr. Obama is not tough on terrorism, and that somehow George Bush had been able to keep the current Iranian Regime (the mullahs) from spreading terrorism in the region. Indeed Mr. Waddington is ignoring the clear reality that under George Bush's doctrine of unilateral military operation, also known as the pre-emptive strike, the mullahs have benefitted enormously to the degree that many informed analysts admit that the number one beneficiary of the Iraq invasion was the very regime in Tehran.
Second, with regard to the Iranian opposition group (i.e. MEK, MKO, PMOI, NCRI, or with any other aliases), Mr. Waddington appears to be even more misguided. This group is neither democratic, nor pluralistic. The NCRI is just another façade under which the group operates in Europe. In 2004 an appeal court in Washington DC concluded that NCRI is just another alias for PMOI (1). The reports by the group’s own former members indicate horrendous violations of human rights inside the group’s main camp near Baghdad (2).
Third, contrary to Mr. Waddington’s view, the leader of PMOI is Mr. Massoud Rajavi, not Ms. Maryam Rajavi. Mr. Rajavi, who has been out of sight since the Iraq invasion in March 2003, publishes his messages on the PMOI’s own official websites in Farsi, not in English; and unlike Mr. Waddington who asserts “every possible option short of war should be examined” to persuade mullahs to abandon their nuclear ambitions, the leader of PMOI believes only war and nothing but war, would stop the mullahs (3).
Fourth, Mr. Waddington also fails to understand that designating PMOI as a terrorist organization has mostly to do with the group’s own behavior, and that the use of violence is in the core philosophy of the PMOI’s existence. Moreover, the group has never publicly denounced terrorism and violence in its Farsi publications, and indeed continues to promote violence as pivotal means to achieve its goals, while simultaneously whispering anti-terror remarks to the western politicians. I can only hope that Mr. Waddington would care enough to review PMOI’s Farsi literature by the help of an unbiased translator to realise the demagogy of the PMOI. Also The EU court that is referenced in the author’s comment recently reviewed and rejected the claim that enlisting the group was a good gesture towards the mullahs and concluded that such a claim was unfounded(4). Nevertheless, Mr. Waddington likes us to believe that the terrorist label on PMOI was ordered by Tehran. If Mr. Waddington is unable to read Farsi (Persian) Materials, one expects a sincere commentator to examine the ruling by the EU Court published in 22 languages before embarking to comment on it.
December 25, 2008
Paris
Footnotes:
(1) 362 U.S. App. D.C. 143; 373 F.3d 152; 2004
(2) http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2006/02/14/statement-responses-human-rights-watch-report-abuses-mojahedin-e-khalq-organization-
(3) Massoud Rajavi, 29 October 2, 2007 http://www.mojahedonline.com/node/6123
(4) Par 150-154 Judgment of the Court of First Instance Case number T-256/07
------------ Also read:
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=797http://hrw.org/backgrounder/mena/iran0505/
No Exit
Human Rights Abuses Inside the Mojahedin Khalq Camps 
I. Summary
II. Background
III. Rise of Dissent inside the MKO
IV. Human Rights Abuses in the MKO Camps
V. Testimonies
May 2005
-----------
Also read:
Dear U.K. Prime Minister; you should now take responsiblility for Mojahedin Khalq terrorism
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4762
Britain removes terrorist group MKO (Rajavi cult) from her lists as Iraq puts them firmly on the list
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4738
Iraqi MP: London should now take its soldiers out of our country - UK is fully responsible for any future terrorist act of Mojahedin Khalq
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4698
Report on the situation of remaining members of Mojahedin Khalq Organisation in Camp Ashraf after Consultation with Iraqi Government officials
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4095
Iraqi cabinet rules to expel Mojahedin Khalq terrorists (Rajavi cult or MKO)
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4683
No Exit
Human Rights Abuses Inside the Mojahedin Khalq Camps
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=797
----------------
Related Links:
Anne Singleton interview with BBC Radio about Rajavi cult headed by Massoud Rajavi and Maryam Rajavi
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=2096
Anne Singleton interview with Lorrain Kelly on GMTV (ch.3, Britain)
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=2011
Anne Singleton interview with SUN newspaper
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=1922
Mojahedin Khalq (Rajavi cult) a bargaining chip
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=1620
No Exit
Human Rights Abuses Inside the Mojahedin Khalq Camps
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=797
---------
Also Read:
Report on the First Series of Survivors of Mojahedin-e Khalq Camp Ashraf in Iraq Arrive in France
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4290
Asghar Farzin, Reza Sadeghi, and Ali Biglary, former members of the MKO, plead for justice against the organisation to the Iraqi judicial authorities and urge them to deal with the situation in Ashraf camp
http://iran-interlink.org/?mod=view&id=4272
Sahar Foundation News letter No.2 in Arabic
Letter of Mr. Keyvan Radbin to the SFF
Report on the situation of Mojahedin Khalq in Camp Ashraf (Iran interlink. Massoud Khodabandeh, February 2008)
Appeals Supplement - Ms Batul Soltani, former member of the MKO, appeals to the Iraqi legal authorities against the organisation based in Camp Ashraf in Iraq
Camp Ashraf- Human Catastrophe (A report on the meeting of Iranian Human Right Association in Europe and North America)
Sahar Foundation News letter in Arabic
Ms Batul Soltani former member of the MKO appeals to the Iraqi legal authorities against the organisation based in Camp Ashraf in Iraq
Stop taking our beloved ones as hostages!
Ms Batul Soltani former member of the Leadership Council of the MKO interviewed by Sahar Family Foundation in Iraq
Mr Teymur Khattar and Mrs Khattar Appeal to the Iraqi legal authorities to deal with the case of the suspicious death of their son Soheyl Kattar in the base of the MKO in Iraq called Camp Ashraf
Report on the situation of remaining members of Mojahedin Khalq Organisation in Camp Ashraf after Consultation with Iraqi Government officials
Khattars appeal the Iraqi authorities to investigate the suspicious death of their son in the camp of Mojahedin Khalq Organisation (Rajavi cult)
Sahar Family Foundation (SFF) to aid the families of the MKO members
(Mehdi Abrishamchi and Massoud Rajavi taking orders from Saddam's head of secret services)
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(Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, cult leaders)
(Maryam Rajavi directly ordered the massacre of Kurdish people)
(A cult session in Ashraf Camp Iraq - under the protection of Saddam)
(Chemical attack on Halabche, Kurdistan, Iraq)
(British Lord!! Corbett promoting terrorism under the Logo of MKO for the past 25 years)
(In the streets of London with Lord Corbett!!)
(MKO members in European Countries 2003)