People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran: Difference between revisions

[[Ervand Abrahamian]], [[Shaul Bakhash]], [[Juan Cole]] and [[Gary Sick]] among others, published "Joint Experts' Statement on the Mujahedin-e Khalq" on ''[[Financial Times]]'' voicing their concerns regarding MEK delisting.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ft.com/content/563a29aa-c378-11e0-b163-00144feabdc0|title=Joint Experts' Statement on the Mujahedin-e Khalq|newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |date=10 August 2011}}</ref> The [[National Iranian American Council]] denounced the decision, stating it "opens the door to Congressional funding of the M.E.K. to conduct terrorist attacks in Iran" and "makes war with Iran far more likely".<ref name="NYT 2012" /> Iran state television also condemned the delisting of the group, saying that the U.S. considers MEK to be "good terrorists because the U.S. is using them against Iran".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/29/iran-condemns-us-mek-terror-delisting |title=Iran condemns US for 'double standards' over MEK terror de-listing |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=29 September 2012}}</ref>

 

 

The MEK has barred children in Camp Ashraf in an attempt to have its members devote themselves to their cause of resistance against the Iranian regime, a rule that has given the MEK reputation of being "cultish"."<ref>{{cite news |title=Iranian dissidents plot a revolution from Albania|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/03/13/world/iranian-dissidents-albania/#.Xnhh0NNKhE4|work=Japan Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=An Iranian mystery: Just who are the MEK?|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-17615065|work=BBC}}</ref> Various sources have also described the MEK as a “cult”,<ref>{{cite book|last=Cronin|first=Stephanie|year=2013|title=Reformers and Revolutionaries in Modern Iran: New Perspectives on the Iranian Left|series=Routledge/BIPS Persian Studies Series|isbn=978-1-134-32890-1|publisher=Routledge|pages=274}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last1=Buchta|first1=Wilfried|title= Who rules Iran?: the structure of power in the Islamic Republic|publisher=The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung| place=Washington DC|year=2000|isbn=978-0-944029-39-8|pages=144}}</ref> “cult-like",<ref>[https://apnews.com/608497d45e7c4225b85b70ac839b5249 "France lashes out at Iranian opposition group" The Associated Press, June 27, 2014]</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=The Cult of Rajavi|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/13/magazine/13MUJAHADEEN.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=13 July 2003|access-date=9 March 2016|author=Elizabeth Rubin}}</ref> or having a “cult of personality”,<ref>{{citation|author=Ervand Abrahamian|title=Radical Islam: the Iranian Mojahedin|publisher=I.B.Tauris|year=1989|isbn=9781850430773|volume=3|series=Society and culture in the modern Middle East |page = 139 }}</ref><ref name="Clark 2016 65">{{cite book |title = Terrornomics |editor-first = David |editor-last = Gold |page = 65 |isbn = 978-1-317-04590-8 |publisher=Routledge |year = 2016 |chapter = An Analysis of the Role of the Iranian Diaspora in the Financial Support System of the ''Mujahedin-e-Khalq'' |first = Mark Edmond |last = Clark }}</ref> while other sources say the Iranian regime is running a disinformation campaign to label the MEK a "cult".<ref>[https://www.arabnews.com/node/1406811/%7B%7B Arab News]</ref><ref>[https://intpolicydigest.org/2018/12/12/iran-s-heightened-fears-of-mek-dissidents-are-a-sign-of-changing-times/ IntPolicyDigest]</ref><ref>[https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/confronting-iran-52077 National Interest]</ref>