A British institution and a number of former members of the Mojahedin-e khalq organization held a press conference in London to reveal its activities and called it a terrorist organization with inhumane internal relations.
Leeds-based Iran-Interlink institution was the main organizer of this event.
A few days ago, Iran-Interlink published a statement calling MKO leader the criminal ally of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and asked for his trial beside Saddam.
Baroness Emma Nicholson, member of European Parliament and member of House of Lords in UK supported the conference; her representative was in the conference.
Alain Chevalerias, French journalist and the author of “Burned Alive” as well as Anne Singleton, former member of the MKO and the author of “Saddam’s Private Army” and a number of other former members gave speech to the audience.
First, a documentary film on MKO-Saddam cooperation was shown. The film showed MKO’s involvement in suppressing Iraqi Kurds and their role as a private army for Saddam Hussein.
According to this documentary film, between 1991 and 2003 (the fall of Saddam), former dictator trusted the MKO rather than his own forces.
According to this film, Iraqi Kurds made no difference between Saddam regime and the MKO and Mojahedin were not allowed to commute in Kurdish regions without escort or weapons; this was because the Kurds hated the MKO.
Alain Chevalerias, French journalist and the member of institution “Research on Terrorism after 9/11”, was the first who spoke to the audience. His book “Burned Alive” in French is now being translated to Farsi and English.
“As a journalist, I decided to write this book in June 2002 when Maryam Rajavi was arrested and I saw the outcomes of that,” he said.
“At that time, a number of MKO supporters set themselves on fire and I asked myself about this organization. What’s this organization that orders its members to kill themselves only because someone has been arrested?”
“Across Europe, Iraq and Iran, I have interviewed current and former members and supporters of the MKO as well as the group’s victims and I got that this is a religious cult not a political group,” he added.
“Is the MKO a terrorist organization? The answer is simple. A group that uses weapon to get to its goals and considers it a right to kill civilian people is a terrorist group and any such activity in the world is terrorism.”
“Is it possible to use this terrorist group against undesirable regimes? Can they be trusted? This is what a part of US administration is doing, is it right?” Chevalerias asked. He replied himself as follows: “If we accept that terrorist groups like the MKO can be used against Islamic Republic, we have indeed authorized the Iranian regime to use terrorists against Western governments to reach their goals.”
“I knew many of Bin Laden’s supporters and relatives. The way they were brainwashed for suicide operations and the way they thought were very similar to those of the MKO. MKO members in Iraq were not allowed to learn Arabic language because they were not allowed to be in touch with Iraqis. They couldn’t see any TV programs except their own programs because receiving information from sources outside the MKO disrupts the process of brainwashing. There is no freedom of thought in this group. All the orders come from higher ranks and lower ranks have to obey.”
Quoting International Red Cross officials, he said: “Most of MKO members would leave the group if psychological, military and family-related pressures on them [by the group] are lifted.”
“The example of MKO deception, to show the depth of MKO influence among MKO leaders, is reflected to this organizations news reports in which they claimed that Maryam Rajavi went to French Senate by the invitation of the head of Senate. The fact was that she could go to a senate public meeting without any official invitation. At a time, she stood beside the head of senate and group’s photographer took a photo of this scene. Then, they claimed that Maryam had been invited by the head of Senate.”
Anne Singleton, former member of the MKO and the author of “Saddam’s Private Army” also spoke to the audience.
“For ten years, I was supporter of the MKO and for ten more years, I was official member of this group. It is not a political or military group, but a religious personal cult,” she said.
“I sold my house and my car for this organization and gave them my money. I was a computer programmer and I quit my job for this group and joined them.”
“I’m neither a political expert nor a university researcher. I’m only one of the victims of this organization and I like to give my experiences to others,” she added.
“I was harassed by the group and I was under pressure but in comparison with those who were tortured and killed in Abu Ghraib and other prisons, I was really lucky.”
According to Singleton, Mojahedin is a threat to the West because as a hated cult, it has no place in the future of Iran and Western countries that have given shelter to its members should be careful.
“They claim to be democratic, but no one can enter this group by his own will. This is the group that should choose and recruit its members.”
“Is it a democratic organization when it encourages its members to set themselves on fire in the streets of London and Paris?”
Singleton said: “Mojahedin try to appear different under the title of “National Council of Resistance” while everyone know that this council is only a cover for the activities of the MKO. I’m glad that unlike European countries, the US has designated both the MKO and NCRI.”
“This organization never condemned Saddam and his regime and now it’s waiting to spread its terrorist activities to all over the world in the case of facing expulsion from Iraq. The Western government should not play with MKO card in their struggle against Iran,” she said.
In the even, another film that was taken by hidden camera was shown.
The film shows Abbas Davari, one of MKO leaders, giving intelligence to Iraqi officers on how to attack Khuzestan province.
The film also features MKO members receiving dollars and Dinars from Iraqi officials. The organizers said that they had received the film from Iraqi kurds.
Karim Haghi, one of former MKO commanders living in Europe, talked about his imprisonment experience in the MKO.
“MKO had ties with Saddam against Iran. Now, it wants to have the same relations with George W. Bush and the US,” Haghi Said.
“Bin Laden is more honest than Massoud Rajavi because he expresses what he wants, but Rajavi doesn’t dare to say his ideas. He always lies to get to his ambitions.”
“I devoted myself to this organization since I was 16 but I saw nothing from the group, except crime and betrayal,” he added.
He also said that during the conference around 10 members of the MKO gathered outside the hotel and threatened the participants but the police stopped them. Three of them had entered the room and tried to disrupt the program.
20 journalists, photographers and reporters took part in the conference.
IRNA – November 12, 2005