The Italian double standard against the terrorism of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK)

As we have all heard, many double-standards are commonly adopted and implemented around the world. Like the actions that take place with the issue of global terrorism, and in many cases these policies are simply ignored and rejected by the international community and the media. In general, the behavior of Western countries in the face of two identical events that occur in two different places or countries is a completely different and sometimes contradictory behavior.

If people in their 50s or 60s remember, the terrorist group of MEK assassinated six American advisers in the 1970s and published the news of the assassinations in a magazine affiliated to its group and was also proud of it. The interesting thing was that although the United States had placed the group on the list of terrorist organizations, it removed them from the list in an unexected turn, and even provided this terrorist group with financial, political, and intelligence assistance. This is one clear example of these double standards regarding international terrorism, in another example, the terrorist group of MEK has killed more than 12,000 Iranians, 6 Americans and thousands of Iraqi Kurds, and has repeatedly tortured and executed its own members, in a stupefying act holds a meeting in the Italian Senate, with some of the country's political officials accusing Iran of violating human rights laws. In conclusion, I must say that this terrorist group does not even allow its own members to get married. In this group, no one has the right to think about sex, and if someone thinks about it, he or she should inform the superiors about it to be ridiculed, humiliated and finally insulted in a meeting. None of its members has the right to criticize the group and its leadership, and if they do, they will be tortured and even executed. According to many European and American scholars, this group is a terrorist cult, now with this regard, how can such a group claim human rights while violating all human rights laws regarding its own members?

In this interview with Dr. Haniyeh Tarkian, an Italian Islamic-Studies researcher and geopolitical analyst, we intend to ask questions about different aspects of the MEK activities.

Jack Turner: Some time ago, the MEK held anti-Iranian meeting in the Italian Senate under the pretext of human rights violations in Iran. Despite the fact that this terrorist group was on the list of American and European terrorist groups until 2012 and has shed the blood of thousands of Iranians, Americans and the Iraqi Kurds, and the torturers of this terrorist cult are still proud of their criminal acts, how is it possible that some of the Italian authorities are willing to attend a meeting of such a terrorist group?

Dr. Hanieh Tarkian: On the one side, we should not be surprised of European and Western double standards towards terrorism and terrorists. We have witnessed their bias in the Syrian crisis, when Western media, politicians and activists supported the so-called “moderate rebels” against the legitimate government of Bashar al-Assad. However, in reality, these “moderate rebels” committed crimes that were no less in number and cruelty than those of the ISIS terrorists, and we must also remember how the West supported Saddam Hussein’s crimes against Iran. On the other side, unfortunately, some Italian politicians and authorities are profoundly influenced by the American and Zionist propaganda against Iran and they do not know anything about Iran except that which comes from those sources.

J.T: How do you justify the contradictory view of the supporters of this terrorist group on human rights? While the fans of the group support them on the field of human rights violations in Iran, there are many cases of human rights violations in their past and present, and these criminal acts cannot be denied. (Deprivation of the right to marry, have children and have sex because of their cult affairs in the group to the massacre of more than 12,000 Iranians and also collaborating with Saddam in the genocide of Iraqi Kurds, and assassinating 6 American advisers are part of human rights violations and crimes against humanity related to this terrorist group).

H.T: It cannot really be justified; some of them as I said really do ignore the actual facts and do not know anything about the history of MEK and their ideology and some others are in bad faith and at the service of Western propaganda. This is why I think it is very important to make people aware of the history of MEK and their crimes. Western politicians will probably keep their biased view because they are at the service of American and Zionist propaganda but we have to do our best to let people know the truth. Most people in the West do not trust the media anymore as they did in the past, and they are looking for reliable sources of information.

J.T: As you know, the terrorist group of the MEK is known in the world for spreading fake news and propaganda against Iran, and the United States has repeatedly acknowledged that this information and news is false in its reports, such news as an example is the producing atomic bombs. That news was repeatedly sent by the MEK to the International Atomic Energy Agency, but after inspectors visited the area, they found out that there was no case in that area. Also on human rights issues, the group is spreading lies by creating troll farms that with this trick they can mislead political officials and whitewash their own activities. Do you think that with this black record and history, this terrorist group is a reliable entity for the political authorities to organize a meeting against Iran because of these cases?

H.T: This terrorist group is not a reliable entity but I think those in charge of the Western media propaganda are not looking for a reliable source; when they were spreading false news about the Syrian government they used the false reports from terrorist groups such as al-Nusra. From the Western media point of view, everything that introduces in a negative way the Axis of Resistance and the countries (Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, etc.) and groups (Pasdaran, Hezbollah, Ansarullah, etc.) linked to it is good, although false. They are not looking for the truth, they are looking for their interests, they want people to think that the Axis of Resistance is an evil entity and the USA, the EU and their allies are fighting against this enemy. Whereas we know that the Axis of Resistance and the countries and groups linked to it are trying to preserve their nation, their people, their culture and their resources from the globalist and arrogant forces.

J.T: The United States have repeatedly faced a double standard in dealing with the issue of terrorism, such as what we have seen in Syria and Iraq, attacking the forces that confronted ISIS or other terrorist groups, even in the case of the MEK, with the regard that they were on the list of foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) until 2012 but the political figures of the USA attended their meetings and spoke in their favor. In your opinion where do the double standard and activities of the United States on global terrorism come from? Why does the United States support a group that assassinated American citizens? Is this group a puppet for western countries or do they have another scenario for them?

H.T: The United States wants the Axis of Resistance, the countries and groups linked to it to become weak, they see them as their enemy because it prevents the Americans and their allies to reach their interests in the region. One of the ways to reach this aim is to maintain a state of perennial destabilization in the region (West Asia) and the terrorist groups have an important role in this, so the United States supports them as long as they are useful for their interests.

J.T: The terrorist group of MEK is one of the opposition groups of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has no social base, not only inside Iran but also among other opposition groups, because they are known for betraying Iran because of their alliance with Saddam. On the other hand, the members present in their camp in Albania have reached old age and are losing their capabilities. Now with this regard how do you assess the future of this group?

H.T: As you said they do not have social base and they are weak, the strength and influence they seemingly have now come only from the propaganda and the support they receive from the Western countries. They are small in number, nobody likes them, and eventually the Western countries will get rid of them as they did with Saddam when he was not useful for their interests anymore.

J.T: There have always been many ambiguities about the financial issues of this group. Holding glamorous conferences in Paris, paying speakers and politicians to participate in their programs, and various lobbies against the Islamic Republic of Iran are just some of the huge expenses that this group spends. It does not seem that only members' financial contributions can compensate for these costs, apart from the cost of keeping members of this group in Albania. Don’t you think that the judiciary and regulatory bodies in charge have turned a blind eye to MEK’s money laundering and other crimes?

H.T: I would not be surprised if that were the case, as this is part and parcel of the Western double standards.