It was a horrific and gruesome scene in Ashraf, Iraq. Armored vehicles were roaring, and soldiers armed-to-the-teeth were running around with automatic weapons, firing on civilians and unarmed people. Dozens were killed, hundreds wounded, and in an appalling act, even the Ashraf Cemetery was occupied, rendering the burial of the dead contingent on the permission of the killers.
The wounded, who have lost a lot of blood, have no access to medication, physicians, or hospitals.
This is the sad situation prevailing in Ashraf, where over 3,400 members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) have resided for more than two decades.
The perpetrators [of the April 8 attacks] were the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s forces and the Iranian regime’s Qods Force, which is tied to its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Iranian regime’s embassy in Baghdad and its Intelligence Ministry were also supervising (the attack).
So, what explains the abuses against the residents of Ashraf? Why does the Iranian regime insist on expelling them from Iraq?
Obviously, the residents of Ashraf and the PMOI are among the Iranians who took part in the revolution against the monarchy. But Khomeini did not tolerate anyone opposing his views, both with respect to internal and also foreign matters.
The PMOI made great efforts and as a result gained the support of Arab and international organizations, parties, delegations, unions and figures. It insisted on its presence at the regional and international levels.
It can perhaps be said that the information department of the PMOI operates better than any information ministry in the developing world. Technological advances like cell phones, the Internet, Facebook and Twitter have also helped it in its public relations and media campaigns.
This was the result of their conviction that their ideal, which the PMOI’s leadership strives for, is a just one. It is also a testament to their patience, tireless efforts and presence in all international forums in order to show the international public opinion that the Iranian regime belongs to the Middle Ages and is trying to encourage religious sectarianism among its neighbors and especially the Arabs.
The parties responsible for the crimes committed against the residents of Ashraf are Nouri al-Maliki and the Iranian regime. That regime is the only side that praised the crime [on April 8] and thanked Maliki for committing it.
International human rights organizations have condemned the crime and perpetrators must be prosecuted. The United Nations must intervene to fulfill its obligations of protecting the civilians in Ashraf. The siege must be lifted.
Financial interests should not be allowed to prevail over relations among states and humanitarian and ethical responsibilities.