What is the Mujahedeen-e Khalq?

(Note: See Ken Hechtman’s further information on the MEK, below.)

That’s the organization that Daniel (“moderate Islam is the solution”) Pipes supports as the main opposition group to the Iranian regime. Pipes didn’t mention that the U.S. government has officially designated the Mujahedeen as a terrorist organization. Why is King Dan (see my Dylan take-off about him) hanging out with these people? Inquiring minds would like to know.

Iran-Interlink, formed for the purpose of exposing and opposing the Mujahedeen, has many articles. Here is general background on the Mujahedeen. Here is information on the group’s founder, whom Iran-Interlink calls a cult leader, and his daughter and successor, whom Pipes heard speak in Paris and praised for giving a speech “blessedly free” of anti-U.S. and anti-Israel statements, clearly suggesting that this is not the way she normally speaks. And here is the speech that so excited Pipes.

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Ken Hechtman writes:

The MEK is a breakaway faction of the old Iranian Communist Party. After the coup of 1953, they figured out Marxism wouldn’t sell in Iran without a green coat of paint on it, so they put one on, thin and transparent though it might be. They are no more Muslim than you are. One of the give-aways is how much they hate the Sadrists in Iraq. The Sadrists really are the Marxist-Muslim fusion that the MEK pretends to be. I may have mentioned the Quebec politician Amir Khadir in one post or another, I worked for him in the 2003 and 2007 provincial elections. Amir’s brother Omid has a seat on the MEK central committee. Omid was in town in 2004 and I got to do a 45 minute interview with him. The Mirror never published it but I still have the notes if you’re interested.

I have to laugh a little bit at the neocons backing the MEK. The US could have had a far more conservative Iranian government for free simply by letting Mossadegh’s election stand fifty years ago. Now these small-c communists are the best deal we’re going to get.

Anna writes (June 22, posted June 25):

It is clear that what we are witnessing in Iran is not a revolution, simply an internal power struggle.

Yet, I see possibilities. Iran is a relatively well-educated society with strong pre-Islamic roots. The election results affected all voters and, therefore, gave a great mix of people (e.g. age, gender, education, occupation) a point of coalescence. The photos of the large demonstrations in the election aftermath showed a massive number of people who appeared both energized and well-behaved. The rooftop shouts of “Allahu Akbar” and “Marg Bar Diktator” seem to have a dimension beyond the mere translation of the words.

As far as an appropriate assessment of the situation by the U.S. goes, Mr. Bolton’s “cheat sheet rundown” should be on Obama’s desk. As for me, recalling reading history on these very pages of the West’s long learning curve toward good governance, I see possibilities.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at June 24, 2009 04:46 PM | Send