Iranian-Americans Rally – Delist MEK, Protect Camp Ashraf Residents

Stop Fundamentalism – Hundreds of Iranian-Americans gathered yesterday in Front of the White House in Washington to call on President Obama and Secretary Clinton to remove the Iranian main opposition movement, Mujahedin-e Khaql or MEK, from the US Foreign Terrorist Organizations’ list and also to help protect residents of Camp Ashraf in Iraq.

Former Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom ridge, former Pennsylvania Governor, Ed Rendell, and also daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nontombi Tutu, spoke at the rally, on October 22.

Demonstrator were wearing yellow hats and waving yellow banners calling for protection of residents of Camp Ashraf where Iraqi government has set a deadline of end of the year to close the camp.  Iranian dissident fear the deadline would mean another assault on the camp and massacre may be looming.  Earlier this year, in April, 36 residents died after Iraqi forces raided the camp with live ammunition and armored vehicles.

Camp residents are unarmed and currently have filed asylum applications with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.  The UNHCR announced last month that the residents of the camp, now ‘asylum seekers’, are protected under international law that allows certain rights for the applicants including the right not to be returned the originating country.

Demonstrator called for the postponement of the deadline until the UNHCR can complete the processing of the applications.

The US designated the MEK as a terrorist organization during the Clinton administration to find ways of dialogue with the Ayatollah’s regime since 1977.  But through the years the effort has proven fruitless.

“The only group that should be on the list is the country of Iran itself, under the rule of the mullahs,” Tom Ridge said.

An Iranian Quds forces attempt to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador in Washington was revealed last Week by the US government but a clear path of action in response by the Obama administration is yet to be declared.  “Delisting MEK is the best answer from United States that Iranian regime can receive,” said one demonstrator.

The event was organized by the Iranian-American Processionals and Scholars of Maryland.