MEK: is a Democratic Group or Mafia?

The People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MEK/PMOI) is a paramilitary organization that began its activities in Iran in 1966. After the victory of the Iranian Islamic Revolution in 1979, this organization claimed falsely that the Islamic Revolution of Iran took place for the efforts of this group. The People's Mujahedin of Iran did not come to power in this government, so they began waging conflicts against the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1981 and killed more than 17 thousand people in its own country. they didn't stop there and fled to Iraq to continue their criminal activities with the support of Saddam, in just a mission in Iraq they killed more than 4 thousand Iraqi Kurds among them were women and children.

In recent years, and in the face of various countries, including the Iraqi Kurds and European and American countries, the PMOI has been holding annual meetings to erase its terrorist image. In these meetings, political retired figures who are not accepted by their countries are usually invited to make false speeches and generate excitement in order to create a new image of MEK. This group always tries to portray itself as a democratic group seeking regime change in Iran. Indeed, this group insists on such positions at all its meetings and gatherings in France and even in Albania.

If we ignore the history of this group's violent behavior with its opponents and members inside Camp Ashraf, Liberty, and even Tirana, we cannot ignore the actions that members of the organization have had with other opposition groups in different countries around the world. The attacks by the leaders of the People's Mujahedin Organization in their statements against certain other leaders of opposition groups, the obscenity of PMOI members and leaders against their opponents in this group show that this organization does not pay much attention to democratic behavior.

A clear example of this behavior can be seen in an interview with Reza Pahlavi on the "Manoto" television channel. In one part of this conversation, Tina Ghazi-Morad, the editor-in-chief of the "Manoto" network newsroom, asked Reza Pahlavi about the "People's Mujahedin Organization of Iran" and the meetings held by certain representatives of this organization with European and American officials. Pahlavi replied, "The first and simplest question is whether the members and leaders of the People's Mujahedin Organization are ready to have an open and transparent dialogue with other democratic forces, and will they have this right from an organizational point of view?" "This question is very simple. In this first question, a problem arises for the People's Mujahideen, because if they want to talk openly with everyone, they will become internally and organizationally confused. This is not me saying this, go and ask the former members of this organization."

In answer to this question, what is the ultimate goal of the People's Mujahedin, and on what basis do they wish to advance? Reza Pahlavi replied: "To be honest, I find it hard to believe that an organization claims democracy and equality, but in this organization, women sit on one side and men sit separately on the other side, yet they want to claim human rights. I don't know how they can justify that.  I'm not happy with the things I see in PMOI’s approach. This is something that has to be proven in practice, otherwise, anyone can make any claim, the world may not see, or understand or comprehend many things, but the Iranian people have experienced this, these are serious and fair questions that should be asked."

However, a few hours after this interview was published, the spokesman for the People's Mujahedin Organization responded to these statements.  Parts of the published text are: "The Shah's son asked if the members or leaders of the Mujahedin are willing to dialogue with other democratic forces? The answer is, what do you do with democracy?  First of all, you should stop calling yourselves by the word "prince" and then condemn the crimes of the Shah and Reza Shah dictators. You should also pay back the billions of dollars stolen from the Iranian people. As far as the Mujahedin are concerned, not the Shah, we have never wanted to dialogue and negotiate with an oppressive tribe, and we won't do it. It's a demand for freedom and independence and a democratic alternative."

In this media conversation between Reza Pahlavi and the organization's spokesman, we can see the same behavior and rhetoric that members of the organization carry against other opposition groups. Indeed, they always withdraw their democratic practice.

There is an obvious contradiction in the discourse and behavior that the leaders of the People's Mujahedin Organization address in all cases and problems of this organization. when a member of this group wants to leave, if he or she can leave or run away from the camp, the leaders of MEK would label this member as a traitor or a spy for Iran and lots of other nonsense, they even once labeled Reza Pahlavi as the element of Islamic of Iran. As we can see MEK is living like a Mafia, not a "democratic" group.