Alejo Vidal-Quadras, the former Vice-President of the European Parliament, wrote an op-ed for Eurasia Review on the need for international sanctions against Iran.

Vidal-Quadras outlined the European Union’s recent decision to impose sanctions against the Iranian Intelligence Ministry (MOIS) after it plotted an assassination attempt against an Iranian dissident living in Copenhagen.

He also charted the string of terror plots that have emerged from the MOIS over the last 12 months, including a failed attempt to detonate a car bomb at an event in Paris, and the arrest of two Iranian operatives that planned to attack a compound in Albania where 3,000 members of the Iranian opposition group, the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) live.

Following the attempted terror attacks, France expelled several diplomats and froze MOIS assets. An Iranian diplomat believed to be the mastermind behind the foiled plot, Assadollah Assadi, is awaiting prosecution in Belgium.

The French Government Seizes Iranian Assets Over This Summer’s Foiled Terror Attack

The resulting investigation launched by French authorities found that senior members of the Iranian leadership were behind the Paris plot. It found that the Iranian regime’s diplomatic infrastructure, including European embassies and consulate buildings, had been involved in the planning process and harbored terrorists who would carry out the attacks.

Vidal-Quadras quotes a Belgian judiciary official who told reporters,

“nearly all Iranian diplomats in Europe are in fact members of the Iranian secret service.”

A Move Welcomed by the Iranian Opposition

Following the EU’s announcement on Tuesday that it would be imposing sanctions against the MOIS, “the NCRI quickly released a statement calling for further action,” Vidal-Quadras writes.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran, or NCRI, is the umbrella group of the MEK and, along with its leader, president-elect Maryam Rajavi, is one of the most outspoken critics of the Iranian regime.

I call on the people of the world to support the Iranian people’s resistance and uprising to overthrow despotism, religious discrimination, and a regime which is the central banker of terrorism and the enemy of peace and freedom in the region and the world.#Iran#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/vmCC5NPbIP

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 9, 2019

Its statement in response to the EU sanctions read,

“it is time for the EU to adopt a firm policy towards the mullah’s regime by expelling all of its mercenaries and agents from Europe.”

https://twitter.com/amsafavi/status/1085116260680126464

The First Step Towards Meaningful Action

Vidal-Quadras echoed the words of the MEK and the Iranian opposition. He called the sanctions, “a positive sign,” and, “a symbol of an ongoing trend toward greater recognition of the Iranian threat.”

However, Vidal-Quadras acknowledged that “that trend is still proceeding at too slow a pace. Meanwhile, the danger is growing much more quickly.” He cited the presence of further terrorist plots targeting Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, and Germany that were disrupted in 2018. He said, “Europe cannot count on its luck holding out over the long term, especially if lawmakers fail to take measures that will truly disrupt the regime’s terrorist infrastructure.”

The terror attacks have been targeted against the MEK and the Iranian resistance movement. As domestic protests increase in volume and intensity, the Iranian regime is lashing out at the MEK abroad. As a result, Vidal-Quadras says,

“the clerical regime is desperate to undermine any and all networks of support for domestic activism.”

“Under these circumstances,” Vidal-Quadras continued, “Iranian expatriate communities in every corner of the world are potential targets, and their host countries are in severe danger of suffering collateral damage alongside the dire insult of having their autonomy violated by terrorists dispatched by the Iranian government.”

It is in this context that Vidal-Quadras calls for “the expulsion of Iranian diplomats, the implementation of stronger sanctions, and other such firm policies.” He argues, these measures, “will not only help defend the Western world against Iran-backed terrorism, but it will also help the Iranian people to even more strongly assert their demands for civic freedoms and democratic governance.”

Staff Writer

 

On Tuesday, January 15^th, a former European Minister of Poland and sitting Member of the European Parliament, Ryszard Czarnecki, penned an op-ed for International Policy Digest. The piece, entitled ‘Western Leaders Must Join Iranian Activists in Recognizing Their Movement’s Potential’, calls on governments around the world to lend their support to the only viable democratic alternative in Iran, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), led by Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the Iranian opposition, which the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) is the principal member to.

A Mobilised Population

Czarnecki praised the work of the Iranian resistance units operating inside Iran to promote the Iranian resistance movement. They have worked tirelessly, “placing posters in public places throughout Tehran and other cities, identifying martyrs by name and reiterating the slogans associated with their cause.”

The President-elect Maryam Rajavi was acutely aware of the capabilities of the resistance cells in Iran. Last year, she predicted a “year full of uprisings.” 2018 lived up to her predictions.

In 2018, there were a total of 9,596 individual protests, affecting all 31 of Iran’s provinces and more than 142 towns and cities.

MEK-Iran: Our Iran Released Summary of 2018 Protest Movement

As Maryam Rajavi predicted, 2018 was a pivotal moment for the Iranian opposition movement. For the first time, the mullahs seemed to acknowledge that the MEK was behind the surge in opposition protests. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei blamed the MEK for the surge in street protests and pointed the finger at their shrewd use of social media to organise protests and connect their supporters as the source of their influence.

Iran State Media Acknowledges MEK Can Topple Regime

This represented a break from the regime’s traditional propaganda narrative which had maintained that the MEK was a fringe movement, with little to no support within Iran, “and incapable of affecting change on a large scale,” Czarnecki writes.

2019 is unlikely to provide the mullahs with any respite. In the opening days of the year, bank customers, municipal workers, and car buyers took to the streets to protest. The regime’s failure to address the economic crisis and its “chronic inattention to public welfare,” means that the conditions that gave rise to the protests in 2018 are still very much present in the Iranian landscape in 2019.

However, Czarnecki writes, “what is much less clear is whether the international community will prove similarly responsive.”

The Iranian Regime is a Threat to Western Democracy

The Iranian regime’s policies do not play out in a bubble and are not limited to Iran. The mullahs desire to influence regional politics make the clerical regime a threat to Western democracies and their national security interest.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is active across the Middle East, including in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. The mullahs have also been accused of funnelling money and weapons to militia groups across the region.

Czarnecki predicts, “the footprint of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will deepen all across the Middle East, and can affect the situation in the West, where foreign supporters of the PMOI (MEK) were targeted several times over the past year.”

Czarnecki is referring to the high-profile terrorist attacks that Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) planned in Paris, Albania, and the US, and the assassination plots that unfolded in the Netherlands and Denmark.

The regime has demonstrated that its actions are not limited to Iran, but place citizens from across the West at risk.

Recognition of the National Council of Resistance of #Iran, as the sole democratic alternative to the regime, is imperative to rectifying four decades of appeasement. These are essential steps in facing a regime which only understands the decisive language of force.#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/fWbFGIzrDs

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 13, 2019

“The situation demands international attention, particularly in the form of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation aimed at limiting the regime’s ability to project force beyond its borders and to crack down on dissent inside them,” Czarnecki writes.

The work of the MEK’s resistance units offers an opportunity for international opponents to the Iranian regime to facilitate meaningful change in Iran. While the protest movement is expanding, the Iranian regime is in a vulnerable position. Should the MEK receive “earnest and sustained support from the international community,” Czarnecki writes, “it may soon be able to achieve the long-sought goal of regime change.”

Staff Writer

The clerical regime in Iran uses a variety of tactics to spread propaganda amongst the people. One of its most insidious methods is the use of Friday prayer leaders. Each week, these men use the guise of religion to promulgate the talking points of the mullahs.

As it has become clear that the protests that have been taking place across the country for over a year are not going to stop because of the regime’s efforts to intimidate and suppress the people, Friday prayer leaders have stepped up their warnings about the MEK and its role in the ongoing efforts to bring back democracy in Iran. In the process, the leaders have exposed the regime’s fear of the popular uprising and its potential to topple the theocratic regime.

MEK Network: Fact Sheet on Protest Suppression

“Plans of the Enemy”

Over the past few weeks, this phenomenon has been particularly pronounced. Friday prayer leaders have referred to the “plans of the enemy” and “uprisings by the disenchanted population” against the Iranian regime.

Mohammad Taghi Keramati, Golpaygan’s Friday prayer leader described an enemy who wants to “destroy the roots of the establishment.” Despite these ominous words, he said that officials should not be afraid and lose their resolve in the face of this enemy.

The most important development in 2018, was the uprisings and protests of the people of #Iran against the clerical regime. #IranRegimeChange

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 14, 2019

Ghorbanali Dori Najafabadi, Arak’s Friday prayer leader, named the MEK as the enemy of the Iranian regime in his sermon and said that the regime must “resist against the enemy with vigilance and awareness.”

Mohammad Reza Naseri, Yazd’s Friday prayer leader, said in his sermon that regime officials should be cautious about believing rumors. “The enemy intends to cause mistrust in officials and the goals of the revolution through rumors,” he warned in a sermon that was streamed on social media.

#Iran: Protest Gathering of Teachers in Kermanshah
January 10, 2019. The teachers and educators of Kermanshah – western Iran. Staged a protest gathering against two months non-payment of their salaries and wages in front of the education office of the city. #IranProtests pic.twitter.com/4f69bWZyWB

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) January 10, 2019

Fear of the MEK

Some prayer leaders sought to hide their anxiety about the upheaval taking place around the country by expressing relief that the Islamic Republic still stands.

Hormozgan’s Friday prayer leader, Gholamali Naeem Abadi, said, “As we approach the 40th anniversary of the Revolution, all the enemies who prayed for the destruction of the establishment have themselves been destroyed.” (It is worth noting that the MEK has not, in fact, been destroyed, and the regime and all of its officials and prayer leaders are abundantly aware of this, as are the Iranian people.)

Yusef Ghassemi, Kangan’s Friday prayer leader was less celebratory. “As Iran puts the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution behind, the enemies are trying to push protests toward strife by assembling working groups,” he said.

MEK Resistance Units Are Organizing a Revolution

Villainizing the MEK Abroad

I call on the people of the world to support the Iranian people’s resistance and uprising to overthrow despotism, religious discrimination, and a regime which is the central banker of terrorism and the enemy of peace and freedom in the region and the world.#Iran#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/vmCC5NPbIP

— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 9, 2019

Yet another common thread among Friday prayer leaders’ sermons has been a fixation with the MEK’s activities abroad. Mohammad Ali Ale Hashem, Tabriz’s Friday prayer leader, said that the MEK is “a group that has disagreed with the principles of the Islamic Republic for four decades and is seeking its collapse.” He described the MEK’s activities in Europe as a cause for concern and demanded that the European Union “respond to the Iranian people about harboring [MEK members].”

 

Staff Writer

 

 

On Wednesday, January 9th, the Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei delivered a speech in Qom. In his speech, he expressed concern over the rising influence of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK) and the opposition group’s ability to mobilize the Iranian opposition and organize street protests across the country.

He said, “the arrogant are inviting the people to confront the system. It’s necessary that the people stand up in front of this publicly and move against it. The youth must transform cyberspace into a tool against the enemy.”

He went on to reference a recent speech by Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton when Bolton addressed the MEK in Albania during an event marked to celebrate Persian New Year.

Khamenei said, “a while ago, not far from here, an American politician said to a crowd of thugs and terrorists he hopes and wishes to celebrate Christmas in 2019 in Tehran.”

A Regime Under Pressure

Khamenei’s remarks illustrate the extent to which the regime finds itself under intense scrutiny at home. The MEK’s strength is growing as 2018 saw a wave of protests wash across Iran. Fearing for their future in power, the mullahs have lined up to attack the MEK and their supporters.

Iran State Media Acknowledges MEK Can Topple Regime

The clerical regime has increased its attempts to limit internet freedoms and counter the MEK’s influence in the digital sphere. Following protest over a contested election that broke out in 2009, the Iranian regime severely limited access to social media websites including Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Then, following a fresh round of nationwide unrest at the beginning of 2018, the regime blocked Telegram, a popular instant messaging app with more than 40 million users in Iran.

There have also been recent plans to block Instagram and replace it with a regime-created Iranian replacement which allows regime agents to spy on users and control the content available.

On Wednesday, the Iranian regime’s general prosecutor Mohammad Jafar Montazeri said, “if we don’t manage cyberspace in the country, our situation will grow worse every day.”

Other members of the regime have also expressed concerns. Abdollah Ganji, a director of the state-run Fars News Agency, said at the tail end of 2018, “the MEK members who were relocated from Iraq to Albania are creating content for social media networks.”

The MEK has published the results of several investigations on their social media channels, including in-depth investigative pieces on the lavish lifestyles of the mullahs and their misuse of public funds.

In exchange for their efforts, the MEK has had to face stinging barbs from regime leaders on an almost daily basis. On the same day, Khamenei addressed the people at Qom, Ahmad Khatami, a member of the Assembly of Experts council, accused the MEK of undermining “the security of the people.”

Despite their repressive measures, the regime has been unable to quash domestic unrest and prevent the public from mobilizing in protest. Protests have spread across Iran like wildfire, and the mullahs are scrambling to avoid being caught up in the blaze.

Staff Writer

Sister of Political Prisoner Writes Graphic Novel about His Life and Death

The story of the 1988 Massacre in Iran is not an easy subject for a book. There is no happy ending and no resolution for those who were involved. It is not a topic one would usually consider for a graphic novel. But “A Little Prince in the Land of the Mullahs” manages to tackle this difficult subject matter through the eyes of a young man and his struggle for freedom in the midst of oppression.

A New Graphic Novel – a Little Prince in the Land of the Mullahs
The story of "A Little Prince in the Land of the Mullahs" is a graphic novel about the #Iran'ian youth's fight for freedom.https://t.co/GZYrFuZ8WA #1988Massacre pic.twitter.com/AOjXebvn5h

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) December 24, 2018

The book, published by Société des écrivains, is written as a graphic novel, which allows the story of Ahmad Raouf-Basharidoust to come to life on the pages. Ahmad was one of the victims of the 1988 Massacre, in which 30,000 political prisoners, most of them MEK members or supporters, were executed by the Iranian regime over the course of a single summer.

Families of Victims of 1988 Massacre Still Seek Justice

Ahmad’s story is told by his sister, Massoumeh Raouf Basharidoust. In Ingrid Betancourt’s preface, she writes: “Telling the story of your little brother is a need, of course, but it is above all a right. It must honor Ahmad’s heroism, the majesty of his spirit, his beauty, his charisma. That is why she draws him for us and makes him speak because she knows that he alone can be his best spokesperson.”

Ahmad’s Story

Ahmad was born in 1964 to a middle-class family in northern Iran. The story of his childhood is also the story of the final years of the Shah’s rule in Iran, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and Khomeini’s rise to power. Ahmad began to seek an alternative to the mullahs’ rule as a young man and became an active sympathizer of the MEK.

Ingrid Betancourt writes in her preface: “And in this suffocating and misogynistic world of the mullahs, his heroes are his mother and sister: a sister who manages to escape from prison, a mother who dies under the persecution of the regime’s executioners.”

Ahmad was later imprisoned for his political beliefs and, in 1988 he was rounded up along with 30,000 other political prisoners and executed.

A Story of Strength

Ahmad’s story tells an important story about one of the largest mass executions in modern history. This atrocity by the Iranian regime has never been investigated and its perpetrators have yet to be brought to justice. But “A Little Prince in the Land of the Mullahs” is also a story of strength in the face of oppression. An entire generation of Iranians rose up in opposition of Khomeini in 1988, despite the consequences. They spoke out for freedom until the very end. In this time of protest and turmoil in Iran, their message of resistance is more important than ever.

The book is on sale at the following addresses:

The English version published by Centre Litteraire Provancale, here; and the French translation of the book can be found here and here.

Staff Writer

December marked the anniversary of the 2009 “Ashura uprising” in Iran. On Sunday, the regime, in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the anti-regime demonstrations that led to violent clashes between regime security forces and the thousands of Iranians from cities and towns across the country who had taken to the streets in protest, staged their own “anti-demonstrations.”

"All across Iran, the people are rightly blaming the regime for their economic, social and political grieving and are increasingly calling for the overthrow of the regime."#Iran#IranRegimeChangehttps://t.co/jSfAmOLoTq

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) January 1, 2019

The government-organized event was sparsely attended, despite widespread prior advertising for the demonstration. Most of the attendees were IRGC agents, Basij Forces, or other agents of the regime, and many were school children who had been obliged to participate in the event.

Fear of the MEK

High-ranking officials within the regime made a number of comments on the anniversary of the 2009 uprisings that point to their fear of the current protests taking place across the country. Their remarks also show their concern about the role of the MEK and the Iranian Opposition in the protest movement.

The Regime’s Fear is a Sign of Changing Times

In his comments on the Ashura uprising, Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian regime’s parliament, warned, “Opportunists and anti-revolutionaries want to take advantage of the political turmoil inside the country. The opponents of the revolution are seeking an opportunity to cause damage to the revolution.”

In a session of parliament, regime MP Naser Mousavi Larijani said, “The 2009 sedition pursued the aims of the PMOI/MEK to destroy our system.”

MEK’s Pivotal Role

In Shahr-e Kord, Abdollah Ganji, one of the directors of the IRGC-owned Fars News Agency, said, “The PMOI/MEK members who were relocated from Iraq to Albania are creating content for social media networks [in Iran].” Ganji also noted that the MEK has had a pivotal role in publishing news about labor strikes and protests and in disclosing the details of the lavish lifestyles of Iranian officials and their children abroad, which is a stark contrast to the extreme poverty that has become the everyday reality of the lives of millions of Iranians.

Next Year’s Protests

Another regime MP, Jahanbakhsh Mohebinia, commented about the regime’s fear of protests in the next year. “The government and judiciary should not paint an eventful picture of the year to come,” he said. “The current Persian year has not yet ended and we’re already talking about what troubles we’ll be facing next year.”

In Qom, Ahmad Khatami, member of the presidency council of the Assembly of Experts, said, “The people of Tehran saw eight months of strife. They saw that [MEK] causes strife on every national celebration. On every national and religious celebration, they undermine the security of the people.”

A number of officials within the regime blamed the MEK for the Ashura uprising when it occurred. One of those officials was Ahmad Alamolhoda, a senior cleric and a regular speaker at Tehran’s Friday prayers. After the uprising, he said, “The rioters of Ashura [2009] were chanting the slogans of the [MEK], so they were the assistants of the [MEK]. The [MEK] commanded the movements on Ashura day.”

The regime is correct to fear the upcoming year of protests. The calls for regime change have grown over the past year as the protests in Iran have grown and spread to include people from all sectors of society. The people are ready for change, and the current regime has proven that it is beyond reform.

Staff Writer

 

 

 

 

Given the extent of the Iranian regime’s campaign of disinformation, lending support to trustworthy Iranian news outlets is now more important than ever, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK).

In September, Twitter announced the closure of 770 regime-affiliated accounts, in one of the regime’s largest disinformation campaigns to date. The accounts spread deliberately inflammatory content, often demonizing the MEK and other members of the Iranian opposition.

Shortly afterward, a three-page article appeared in the British newspaper, the Guardian. The piece, written by Arron Merat, a known regime affiliate with ties to the regime’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), also spread lies and falsehoods about the MEK.

28)
ADDENDUM:
Here's Arron "Reza" Merat (@a_merat) praising #Iran's regime & it's President @HassanRouhani. pic.twitter.com/GEfDRnTR0j

— Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) November 9, 2018

The most recent example of the regime’s disinformation campaign came from a Reuter’s report which identified 70 websites dedicated to spreading the regime’s lies and propaganda.

These misinformation campaigns are particularly damaging to the MEK and the Iranian resistance. The regime uses its propaganda outlets to legitimize terror attacks on resistance groups, much like the bomb attack planned at the MEK’s Grand Gathering event in Paris.

Domestic Propaganda

These misinformation campaigns targeted independent observers and citizens abroad. For example, many of the 770 regime-affiliated Twitter accounts were regime affiliate posing as foreign journalists and citizens.

But perhaps the most extensive misinformation campaign is being waged at home, within Iran. Hassan Rouhani has systematically dismantled the free press. He has shuttered independent news outlets, tightened restrictions on social media access and restricted the news people reach online.

Lending Support to Free and Independent Media

Although many large independent news outlets have been shuttered, there are still sources of reliable, independent information on offer to the Iranian public.

Supporting these independent outlets is more important now than ever before. Since the nationwide uprisings in December and January, the clamor for regime change among the Iranian people has intensified.

However, without an independent free press, these demands go unheard. Free and independent media outlets give voice to these demands and show citizens across Iran that they are not alone.

One example of Iran’s independent media was on display in the Simaye Azadi’s telethon (Iran National Television-INTV). Despite the intense constraints surrounding the media in Iran, Azadi has consistently given the Iranian people a voice in these dark times. This has earned him the support of the Iranian people.

Farzin Hashemi: #SimayAzadi is part of the Iranian people's struggle for freedom in #Iran. It's an independent media &that's how it has managed to keep its independents and offer reliable news and information particularly in this very vital situation #Telethon #FreeIran

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) December 2, 2018

The financial independence of Iran National Television allows it to operate in an environment where many other independent outlets are forced to cave to regime oppression.

Featured guest of #SimayAzadi #Telethon, @Mohaddessin expressing his views on the current Telethon:#FreeIran pic.twitter.com/PfkJoEhO6H

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) December 2, 2018

INTV holds regular fundraising telethons through which finances are raised. Even in times of extreme economic hardship, like those facing Iranians today, the Iranian public digs deeps and gives what it can to INTV during these difficult times to ensure Iran’s free press lives on and gives hope to millions.

Very couragous message from a brave political prisoner, Aboulghasem Fouladvand under sever conditions in Gohardasht prison. #Telethon #SimayAzadi #FreeIran pic.twitter.com/o4thWwCa4O

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) December 2, 2018

This does not come without risk. Unfortunately, the regime has put to death activists accused of supporting media outlets, yet many Iranians will not be deterred and are willing to risk it all to ensure Iranians are kept abreast of the latest human rights abuses, protests, and incarcerations of the Iranian resistance movement.

INTV also receives extensive support from the Iranian diaspora across the world. At the channel’s latest telethon, Saeed in the United States donated $250,000 to the outlet. He said, “as a physician, I have dedicated a large part of my career to be able to support the movement and consider this as part of my share to free Iran”.

https://twitter.com/4FreedominIran/status/1068969825823797250f the Iranian people”.

Several high-profile politicians also called on people across the world to support Iranian freedom of speech and the free press by donating to INTV. Struan Stevenson, a former Scottish member of the European Parliament (MEP) told supporters over Twitter, “I encourage everyone to support the 30 Nov-2 Dec telethon”.

I encourage everyone to support 30Nov-2Dec #Telethon at @simayazaditv which is an independent news channel that brings out uncensored news from ongoing #IranProtests against the mullahs#Iran #Telethon #FreeIran #MEK #SimayAzadi https://t.co/Fq5rhdZhZ5https://t.co/Jx4kejsrZj

— STRUAN (@STRUANSTEVENSON) December 1, 2018

I support @simayazaditv #telethon for raising help to run an independent news channel that reports the suffering of the Iranian people and their continued protests and uprisings against the misogynist brutal dictatorship of the mullahs #Iran #FreeIran #IranNTV #همیاری

— Jaromír Štětina (@StetinaEP) December 1, 2018

“Our sole weapon… are our truthfulness and our honesty”

Senior MEK member, Ehsan Amin praised Azadi for his tireless devotion to upholding the principles of a free and independent media organization. Amin said, “Azadi has always been in the front line of the struggle against the regime’s smear campaign against the Resistance, and plays a vital role in revealing the true nature of such allegations”.

#Telethon's guest speaker, Ehsan Amin:
"During its long record of 21 years, #SimayAzadi has gained respect for its straightforward and frank approach towards different issues."#Iran #FreeIran #MEK pic.twitter.com/CzgtyYx9B5

— Iran Freedom (@4FreedominIran) December 2, 2018

Amin added, “our sole weapon in the face of the regime’s demagogy is our truthfulness and our honesty”.

Staff Writer

The leader of the Iranian opposition, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) urged European leaders to end their financial support for the Iranian regime.

Maryam Rajavi, the charismatic and influential leader of the Iranian opposition movement, addressed the Iran Uprising Summit in New York via a video link. The summit attracted more than 1,700 activists and MEK-supporters, eager to hear Maryam Rajavi and other prominent speakers including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“testing Western governments”

Ms. Rajavi took the opportunity to condemn recent human rights abuses from the Iranian regime. She said, “in committing these crimes, the mullahs are testing Western governments”. She went on to assert that should Western leaders respond to these tests with inaction, it will embolden the regime and “intensify the regime’s terrorist actions”.

She then urged governments in Europe to close their Iranian embassies. The failed terror attack in Paris this summer exposed an elaborate network of Iranian embassies secretly involved in the planning and execution of terror plots.

9- “In the Iran of tomorrow, the regime’s policy of exporting terrorism will be replaced by peace &peaceful co-existence. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) &all of the suppressive, espionage &inquisition-like institutions will be disbanded.”#FreeIranSummit #Alternativ pic.twitter.com/3Gxdac0F5M

— NCRI-U.S. Rep Office (@NCRIUS) September 25, 2018

She also had a message for the United Nations Security Council, which will meet on September 26^th to discuss the Iranian regime. Rajavi said, “I must recall the demands of the Iranian Resistance underscored many years ago. It is an urgent imperative that the Security Council addresses the flagrant violations of human rights in Iran, especially the torture and massacre of political prisoners, and the regime’s export of terrorism and warmongering in the Middle East region”.

Ending the Financial Flow

For Maryam Rajavi, the best way to end the regime’s torture and massacre is by cutting its financial lifelines.

The regular financial assistance from the West is funneled into the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and the Quds Forces. It enables these military groups to play an active role in Syria, Yemen, and Lebanon, fuelling unrest and violence in the Middle East.

A Message of Hope

The event opened with a tribute to John McCain. McCain was actively involved in rescuing the MEK members during the time they were in Camp Liberty in Iraq. Rudy Giuliani, in a heartfelt message, recounted a time when McCain admitted that he would not live to see a free Iran, but urged Giuliani to continue the fight and take his place.

In his speech, Giuliani also challenged the regime’s assertion that the MEK was an ineffective and feeble force in Iran. He asked the audience gathered in New York, “if you are so weak and ineffective, why are they constantly trying to kill you?”

The event brought Iranians and MEK supporters together from across the US and beyond. There were uplifting messages of hope, particularly from the young people in attendance.

A highlight of the summit was a 15-year-old girl who told the crowd, “I have never been to Iran, where my parents met. But one day I will visit a free Iran.” But first, Europe must cut the regime off.

Staff Writer

The Iranian regime and its officials have abandoned all pretense that the MEK has no power within Iran and have finally been forced to publicly acknowledge the MEK’s influence in the popular uprising currently taking place in Iran.

Regime officials have made a number of statements in recent months about the MEK’s role in the ongoing protests, and state-run media openly speaks of the MEK and its tactics for organizing protests, strikes, and demonstrations.

Regime Communications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi made recent remarks about the regime’s inability to prevent the MEK from using social media to organize activities and share news about the Iranian Resistance movement. A regime expert followed Jahromi’s statements by acknowledging that the MEK has been more active over the past year. The expert also confirmed the link between the MEK network within Iran and the organization working on behalf of the Iranian people abroad.

#Iran opposition PMOI/MEK is the source of major concerns for the mullahs' regime through their social media campaigns.#MEKhttps://t.co/45geBvRqvC

— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) September 11, 2018

The state-run Tehran Press news agency reported on the MEK, referring to the organization as “the enemy.” Tehran Press described the failure of the regime to prevent the MEK from using the Internet to operate, saying that the MEK has “inflicted severe blows” to the Iranian regime through this medium.

The news agency cited a social media researcher, who warned that the popular messaging app Telegram and the social media app Instagram should be considered critical threats to Iran.

Telegram, which is used by more than 40 million people in Iran, is used by the MEK and the Iranian opposition to spread news and organize protests quickly. The regime is so threatened by the effectiveness of Telegram that it was banned earlier this year. Supporters of the Resistance continue to use the app, despite the ban.

The social media researcher cited by Tehran News agency went on to say:

“It should be noted that on the Internet, especially Telegram, the enemy and especially the [MEK], have gained complete control… The terminology of regime change is gaining complete control in social media networks today. If not 100%, a very significant percentage of the context is influenced by regime change terminology used specifically by the PMOI/MEK… These days we see many children of highly devoted individuals linked to the state are completely engulfed in social media platforms completely influenced by the [MEK].”

Even regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has acknowledged the importance of social media in shaping Iran’s youth, saying that the medium has become a “killing ground” for the country’s younger generation. Khamenei’s words reveal his deep fear of the possibility of the youth of Iran learning the truth about the regime.

The regime has access to a massive propaganda operation, but it has failed to succeed against a grassroots effort by a resistance group. The Iranian people, armed with knowledge, are not fooled by propaganda. As they have gained access to information about the democratic alternative to the regime offered by the MEK, they have become unwilling to stand for the mullahs’ corruption. The people of Iran see a future without the mullahs.

Staff Writer

 

In an opinion piece, regime official Alireza Davoudi detailed his experiences with young clerics and their affinity for the democratic beliefs of the People’s Mujahedin Organisation of Iran (MEK). Davoudi describes a trip he took in March 2017 from Isfahan to Tehran. On his trip, he traveled with a young clerical student.

The student and Davoudi struck up a conversation and the topic soon turned political, as they explored the political challenges facing Iran. “I was staring at the soft and partial beard of the young cleric student while listening to passionate words flowing out of his lips”, he said, adding, “he was passionately articulating thoughts that I had only come across in the Monafeqin (The derogatory name the Iranian regime uses for MEK) literature”.

“He effortlessly quoted content from Massoud Rajavi’s Interpreting the World lecture series. He flaunted topics like ‘evolution’ and ‘the dialectical method of dominating ontological and social affairs’. He talked as though those ideas have completely conquered his mind and spirit.”

Davoudi describes the moment as a “wake-up call within myself.” At this moment, Davoudi realized the traction that MEK ideas were gaining across the population. A young cleric student, who had been exposed to regime ideology on a daily basis, had still adopted MEK ideas.

“Since then,” Davoudi says, “I have realized with every fiber of my being how destructive the influence of the enemy and especially the MEK can be, which can demolish our homeland” expressing the regime’s fear of its existential threat.

A Threat Without Boundaries

Davoudi continues. “This threat knows no bounds. It does not stop at the Hawza (religious seminary), universities, or high schools.”

“The fact is that young people need to experiment with fresh outlooks and their ‘sense of curiosity’ can lead them in any direction”. Frequently that “curiosity” Davoudi refers to, leads the nation’s youth to the MEK.

Regime Experts Admit MEK’s Major Role in Recent Protests

More Widespread

It is worth noting that Davoudi’s anecdote took place in March 2017, long before the national MEK-coordinated uprisings in December and January. Now MEK thought and slogans are much more prevalent.

The state-media and individuals from the regime have warned of the escalating threat of the MEK. Davoudi’s anecdote holds more relevance now, particularly following the August 16^th seminary in Qom, where anti-Rouhani clerics held a placard directed at Rouhani which read, “Farah’s pool is your fate”.

Davoudi concluded, “I am not even going to mention that some of the circles that are formed in religious seminaries are directly or indirectly associated with the MEK”. He didn’t need to. The sentiment is clear. MEK thought and democratic ideas are gaining traction across all sections of Iranian society.

Even the religious seminaries, once a bastion for regime ideology, are undergoing a democratic transition. Nowhere is safe for the mullahs.

Staff Writer