Hamid Yaz

In recent weeks, the Iranian American Community of Northern California has been hosting a number of symposiums in Washington shedding light on the need to remove the Iran’s principal opposition movement, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK).

These events which feature senior officials from a number of previous administrations, with various backgrounds, ideologies, and areas of expertise are calling on the Obama Administration to change its policy in regards to the MEK, and remove them from the FTO. In response, the National Iranian American Council has launched a full-fledged campaign opposing the de-listing of the MEK, complete with an entire section on their web site dedicated to the issue, and even “tweeting” about it non-stop. Is this really the biggest issue on the table for Iranian Americans? And if so whose side is NIAC on?

Carolyn Beckingham

I don’t claim to know much about American law, but under British law I think that some of Ambassador Butler’s comments on the American supporters of the People’s Muhahedeen of Iran/Mujahedeen-e-Khalk (PMOI/MeK) would count as libel.  

Kambiz Assai:

The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) has organized a conference today Thursday August 4 to discuss why the US must continue to hamper and tie down the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK), the main Iranian opposition movement, by inclusion in its Foreign Terrorist Organizations list (FTO).

For months now NIAC has been engaged in a very costly campaign to force the US State Department to refrain from removing the MEK from the FTO list. They have even setup a separate website entirely dedicated to propaganda video clips and material to demonize the MEK and misinform the public.

That NIAC has links with the Iranian regime is not a secret to anyone. Documents on its current president, Trita Parsi’s email exchanges with the Iranian ambassador in New York, and its six digit invoices to Iranian authorities for “Consultation” to broker deals with the US on illusionary grounds has been well known for a while now.  NIAC’s policy positions and lobbying for the Iran regime are also well known in trying to find someone in the regime that will negotiate with the US all the time.

Kambiz Assai:

The MEK/PMOI (Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization) the prime opposition to the Iran regime, has been kept in the US State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) list for more than a decade now.

This is a subject that has been much debated recently in many hearings in the US House of Representatives. It is thus, certainly worth to know who benefits and who loses from keeping the MEK in the FTO list.

What is crystal clear is that the Iran government is following and lobbying the matter with all that it has. It seems that Iran mullahs simply cannot afford to have the MEK removed from the FTO.

The fact is that the despotic rulers of Iran are right to be fearful. They have seen the massive demonstrations in the streets of Iranian cities nationwide two years ago, as well as the events sweeping through Libya and Syria. The mullahs want to protect themselves from a similar upcoming destiny.

Saturday 23th and Sunday 24th of July were designated as “Hamyari Days” (supporting days) with Simay-e Azadi (The Vision of Freedom) or Iran National Television (INTV) which is a banded opposition satellite channel in Iran. It was the 12th “hamyari” but because of extensive calls from Iranians across the world, the program has been extended and the producers cannot set an end.

I have heard the most elegant words. I have seen the most beautiful tears, smiles and the most amazing sacrifices. And truly, I see the burning thirst of a nation who wants to live free and get released of an evil regime of the Mullahs in Tehran. The callers say that this voice must not get silenced, because it is the voice of the Iranian people and the people in Camp Ashraf. Since Saturday, it has been more than four days now that the Iranian people are helping INTV financially with all they have so that it can continue its programs and stay their voice.