Earlier NBC news reported that two senior US officials have said that the terrorist members of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI or MKO) have been backed by Israel's Mossad and received education, weapons and financial aids. Then in an article, the American news daily New York Post proposed that the terrorist group (the People's Mujahedin of Iran) deserves to become entitled to receive Noble Peace Prize for assassinating Iranian nuclear officials and scientists!
Founded in September 5, 1965 by a group of leftist Iranian university students as an Islamic and Marxist political mass movement, PMOI was originally devoted to armed struggle against the Shah of Iran, capitalism, and 'Western imperialism'.
In the aftermath of the 1979 PMOI gradually deviated from the path of the Islamic Revolution led by the late Imam Khomeini, and by mid-1981, the group began an armed struggle against the newly founded Islamic Republic in urban areas against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Iranian police.
The group also assassinated many Iranian top officials including Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, and the Prime Minister Mohammad Ali Rajaei.
uring the imposed Iraqi war against Iran, the group moved to Iraq where it was given refuge by Saddam Hussein and mounted attacks on Iran from within Iraqi territory.
Iranian government sources say that over 17,000 Iranians have been killed by the PMOI. From the early 1980s the group is called Monafeqin (hypocrites) by the Islamic Republic establishment.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, the United States and Canada have designated the PMOI a terrorist organization. On January 26, 2009, the Council of the European Union removed the PMOI from the EU list of organizations it designates as terrorist. The PMOI also claims to have provided the United States with intelligence on Iran's nuclear program.
To consider more the crimes committed by the People's Mujahedin of Iran, Khabar Online conducted an interview with Muhammad Javad Hasheminejad, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Center for the Victims of Terrorist Acts which is also known as Habilian Center, [Habilian means descendents of Abel] which has been formed by a group of families victimized by terrorist attacks in Iran.
Habilian Center was founded in 2005 into religious city of Mashhad and soon turned to a source of information about the victims of terrorist acts and their families.
Mr. Hasheminejad your father was a victim of Monafeqins' assassinations, how was Habilian Center formed?
Habilian Center was formed in 2005. Since 1981, when my father was martyred, I was thinking that when a crime is committed, the victim is known and the murderer has either escaped or is being investigated. But the acts of terrorist groups which are coordinated to attempt assassinations and achieve specified goals were something new for me.
That was so much questionable that how a terrorist group leads a transparent terrorist operation in the country, uses its own medium, takes the responsibility of its terrorist attack and even propagate the operation. Such questions had occupied my mind until we gathered those who had the same experience and their brothers or fathers had been martyred in the city of Mashhad. We formed a group, held sessions and established a website. However, soon later the range of our activities became wider.
Is the number of martyrs who were targeted by terrorist attacks known?
In 2006 they were 16,400. At the moment, in 2012 the number of these martyrs has reached to 17,159 and taken martyr Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan [an Iranian nuclear official and scientist who was killed on January 11 by a magnetic bomb a motorcyclist attached to his vehicle in Tehran] into account, the number will reach to 17,160.
What are the most active terrorist groups in Iran?
Out of 17,160 martyrs 12,000 were killed by Monafeqin group, but there were other groups involved in such acts. Although all of them were coming from the same source, they were taking their actions under different banners. Some of them had ethnic claims and some others were operating as sects.
PMOI was the only group which was making organized terrorist attempts throughout the country. In 1980s they were martyring up to even 100 persons a day. At that time, the leader of the group, Mas'oud Rajavi ordered his subordinates to cut what he called the fingertips of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Their prediction was that if they eliminate the officials of the country, they would bring the revolution to its knees.
However the massive presence of people caused them to miss their marks, so they tried to weaken such presence. As a result, Rajavi ordered his terrorist teams to assassinate religious people in any street or district even those who were simply attending mosques. The most terrorist acts were taken after he gave such order.
Usually when one of our officials attends an international event, Monafeqin group campaigns against the Islamic Republic by spending huge amounts of money. It seems that they efficiently employ the leverage of general diplomacy.
Habilian Center is a grass roots organization and is able to act well in this field. Do you have a plan for your purpose?
Although the nature of hostile measures taken against the Islamic Republic of Iran is crystal clear for the government, the statesmen have done little to respond. Since the attempts made by PMOI have been backed internationally, their actions mostly appeals to the foreigners and they have had more grounds prepared for them.
The view of our officials to the issue at an international level has caused our country to seem almost ignorant. On the other hand, little has also been done inside the country. For example, after several years, in 2005 and 2006 we as a nongovernmental group began to register the names of victims of terrorist acts.
Habilian Center will do its best in line with its objectives. We as the non-governmental center attended a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in 2006 and hold good and extensive consultations with the envoys from different countries. We began cooperation with several institutes and representatives of international organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or International Red Cross, we were influential and made the Monafeqin to worry and struggle.
What have you done to convey your messages through media? When Monafeqin gather a small number of people in a place, the media coverage is in a way which everybody thinks that a great action is taken.
In the last visit Mr. Ahmadinejad made to New York, the members of PMOI launched a campaign and invited the opponents of the Islamic Republic from all countries of the world. The interesting point is that those media which seem independent including BBC focused so much on the issue. It shows that the international media are cooperating with them and proves my above-mentioned idea.
It's directly relates to my question, what measures have you adopted to introduce your activities through media?
Wherever we have access to media, we surely use the opportunity whether it would be at a local or international event.
These days the issue of expulsion of Monafeqin group from Iraq is at stake. Have you done anything in this regard?
The issue was first raised by the Prime Minister of Iraq in his visit to our country. The presence of families of the victims in Iran, explaining the events and results of terrorist attacks is so much influential. Our experience during several years proves that when family of the victim comes to the scene, it will be much impressive than the presence of those who have not been directly engaged with the issue. Holding more than 100 exhibitions in different centers, universities and governmental organizations in the country by us as the victims of terrorism demonstrates our influence.
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