The Main Democratic Opposition in Iran After 50 Years

On September 6, the Iranian opposition satellite network Simay-e-Azadi (IranNTV) issued the election ceremony of the members of the new leadership of the main Iranian opposition group, the People's Mujahidin Organization of Iran, PMOI (Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK). The new entity called "Central Council" is composed of one hundred women, who are part of the organization.

The news network, issued detailed videos of the ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI, MEK Iran).

The election of the Central Council of the Mujahedin-e Khalq indicates a new expansion in the Iranian Resistance’s campaign to overthrow the fundamentalist dictatorship that governs Iran. An important characteristic of this institution is that it includes young women born after the 1970 revolution. This has a particularly effective message for young Iranians to intensify their fight against the mullahs.

Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of the Iranian Resistance, said: "This is a gift to the Iranian society that sends a message to young people, especially women, that the uprising for freedom is your responsibility and it is in your hands."

The Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI / MEK Iran) was founded in 1965, and has the aim to fight the dictatorship of the Shah and to establish freedom and democracy. An important concept in the creation of the Mujahedin-e Khalq was the demarcation of Islamic fundamentalism. This was the cornerstone of the effective struggle that later made the PMOI (MEK) the most important force against the fundamentalist forces and the pivotal force of the National Council of the Resistance of Iran (NCRI) the democratic alternative to the regime of the mullahs.

The Iranian Resistance announced its commitment to the principle of separation between the church and state and declared the mullahs’ Sharia Law as invalid. This is a unique and unprecedented cultural leap in all Muslim nations can only have arisen from a Muslim movement.

In order to defend what it calls a "democratic Islam", the Mujahedin-e Khalq removed one of the biggest obstacles for the Iranian liberation.

Another great achievement of the Mujahedin-e Khalq has been its defense of gender equality. Mujahedin-e Khalq has shown its commitment to this notion in its political action: the PMOI (MEK) is led by women, and more than 50 percent of the parliament in exile of the Iranian Resistance consists of women.

The history of the struggle of the PMOI also includes its defense of the rights and freedoms of the oppressed and of the discriminated ethnic minorities (Kurds, Azeris, Baluchis, Luros, Turks, etc.). This is imperative for solidarity in a multi-ethnic Iran. It is therefore natural that a movement such as Mujahedin-e Khalq has different ethnicities present at all levels of its leadership.

Finally, the important work of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK Iran) and the Iranian Resistance has until now been a platform for the future based on the common desire of all Iranians with different tendencies: a republic based on the separation of church and state, pluralism, the abolition of the death penalty, gender equality, a non-nuclear Iran, and friendship and coexistence with its neighbors.

In recent years the substantive movement led by Maryam Rajavi has succeeded in removing the false label of terrorism placed on the Mujahedin-e Khalq. With this, she helped Mujahedin-e Khalq to gain greater international attention. But, the decisive role of the Mujahedin-e Khalq is in its popular base within Iranian society, the same movement that according to senior officials of the mullah's judicial system was the main force at the heart of the 2009’s uprisings. Since then the mullahs have implemented a law called ‘guilty by association’. According to this law, anyone associated to the Mujahedin-e Khalq will be condemned to death.

The slogan of the regime in all its official ceremonies is "death to Mujahedin-e Khalq ", because they consider this organization to be their main enemy.

The fight of the Mujahedin-e Khalq against the regime, naturally, has a high price. Around 120,000 members and activists of the movement have been killed in the fight. All sorts of lies have been disseminated against the Mujahedin-e Khalq by the regime to demonize the group. Logically, with this level of repression, the Mujahedin-e Khalq should have been destroyed long ago. But, the persistence of the Mujahedin-e Khalq, and the fact that they have hope for achieving freedom in Iran is based on the fact that: the people of Iran want to get rid of the mullahs' regime and want to establish freedom and democracy in their country.