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MEK: Terrorist or Legitimate Iranian ResistanceReader comment on item: [Mujahedeen-e Khalq:] A Terrorist U.S. Ally? Submitted by Shahin Mohammadi (Canada), May 20, 2003 at 20:19 Dear Daniel Pipes and Patric Clawson,I read the article and I really liked it. But there are a few points that I like to mention and comment on. (1) The presene of MEK in Iraq is only to overthrow the religious fundamentalists rulling Iran (the Islamic Republic of Iran, as you mentioned), but their presence in Iraq was based on two conditions; (a) independence, (b) no interference from the Iraqi regime, a two sided agreement as the MEK never interfered in Iraqi's affairs. (2) Did the MEK membrs attack American two decades ago? No. One year before the attack, the leaders and most member of MEK were arrested and send to prison by the former Shah's regime intelligence services (SAVAK). A few other members then denounced the MEK leadership and policies, assasinated some other MEK members who were not arrested by SAVAK, and then attacked American. These actions then was condemned by the MEK leaders who were still in prison. The MEK never supported terrorism. Their attack on specific targets on the Mullah's regime in Iran is a legitimate resistance against a brutal regime that has executed 120'000 of Iranian people, imprisoned a tortured thousands more, has done over 450 terrorit acts abroud, pursues WMD, and actively supports international terrorism. Was the resistance against Nazis in WWII act of terrorism? No. So neither is the action of the MEK against the Mullah's regime. (3) Can the MEK be useful? The Mullah's regime is most affraid of their sole alternative democratic, the MEK. The MEK has strong support amoung Iranian people both inside and outside Iran. The MEK is the anti-thesis to the regilious fundamentalism. The disarmament of MEK endangers lives of thousands of Iranian, encourages the Mullahs for more terrorista attack on MEK and meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq. Finally, placing the MEK in the list of terrorist groups by former American administration was to appease the Mullah's regime, or the so called moderates in the regime (that proved to be big fake moderates). There is no justification for terrorist labelling of MEK. It is an insult to the Iranian people and their legitimate resistance. It distracts attention from the real terrorists, the Mullah's regime in Iran that is the Godfather of terrorism, and incites fundamentalism. It also undermines the fight against the real terrorists. There should be no good will gesture to the terrorist Mullahs by falsely labelling MEK as terrorists. Sincerely Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments". << Previous Comment Next Comment >> Reader comments (39) on this item
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