Source: The Philadelphia Bulletin
United Nations – Demonstrators from the Iranian-American Community of Northern California (IACNC) gathered outside the United Nations on Thursday in a show of support for the Iraqi city of Ashraf.
Source: The Bulletin
United Nations – Demonstrators from the Iranian-American Community of Northern California (IACNC) gathered outside the United Nations on Thursday in a show of support for the Iraqi city of Ashraf.
Situated approximately 22 miles north of Baghdad and approximately 47 miles west of the Iranian border, the Iraqi city is home to 3,500 émigrés who fled the governments of the shah and mullahs in Iran.
Ashraf is the base of the resistance group Mujahedin al-Khalq (MEK), also known as the People's Mujahedin of Iran. MEK advocates the overthrow of the Iranian regime in power and the establishment of a democratic government in its place and has been labeled as a terrorist group by the Bush administration.
Volunteers from IACNC erected a collage that graphically portrayed the Iranian regime's atrocities – a visceral condemnation of the persecution the supporters of MEK are subjected to.
The demonstrators demanded that U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon intervene to insure that:
* The remaining American forces in Iraq continue to protect the residents of Camp Ashraf;
* The removal restrictions to the rights of Ashraf residents as well as their being recognized as political refugees under the aegis of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The group's efforts have been successful in eliciting the sympathy from U.S. Reps. Bob Filner, D-Calif., and Ed Towns, D-N.Y.
Yet while gains have been made, IACNC's agenda has been severely hampered by the its presence on the Department of State's list of terrorist organizations. MEK's status as a terrorist organization means that no American is allowed to deal with the resistance group, American banks must freeze its assets and any support to its members is a crime.
U.S. forces in Iraq have received extraordinary cooperation from the residents of Camp Ashraf, despite MEK's status. Ashraf has maintained its neutrality throughout the war in Iraq.
IACNC Communications Director Hamid Azimi was eager to point out that MEK voluntarily handed over all its weapons to coalition forces. Azimi recalled "Sixteen months after the invasion, U.S. forces had deemed Camp Ashraf free of terrorist activity."
Why then is MEK still considered a terrorist organization? According to Azimi, MEK was labeled a terrorist organization in 1997 as a token of goodwill towards President Mohammed Khatami's government. The label persists, even though discredited, due to "procedural issues" which make removal from the State Department's list difficult.
The Iranian position of course is different.
Mohammad Reza Bak Sahraei, an official at the Permanent Iranian Mission to the U.N., disputed Mr. Azimi's claims. He said the terrorist label was legitimate, citing MEK's "cooperation with Saddam in the murder of 100,000 Iraqis, including many Kurds, as a unit in his army."
Mr. Azimi denies the validity of such claims, citing it as part and parcel of Iran's strategy to undermine resistance. He also felt it prudent to mention that in 2007 the Proscribed Organization Appeals Commission of Britain found no basis for the terrorist designation, and demanded that the British government repeal it. The ruling was implemented early in 2008.
Perhaps the main reason for the perpetuation of MEK's status in the U.S. is the conflict of policy. While regime change in Iran is the MEK's reason for being; it is not the policy of the Bush administration.
Mr. Azimi laments that the U.S. is doing itself a great disservice in not supporting the resistance. IACNC's advocacy of regime change is underscored by the rationale that more than two-thirds of Iran's population is under 30 years of age and thus desire democracy. Nor does IACNC advocate military intervention or sanctions. Instead, they ask for support of MEK in leading the resistance to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's regime.
Is it feasible to believe MEK could garner the necessary support for regime change? "Absolutely!" Mr. Azimi said.
In his view, Iran's public persecution of MEK supporters is designed to instill fear and erode the resistance. This proves, he assures, that Tehran is threatened by MEK.
Regime change as a viable Iranian policy should receive consideration.
"Democracy in Iran is the key to stability in the Middle East. A democratic Iran will not support radicalism. A democratic Iran will abide by international law, and stand against nuclear proliferation. Democracy in Iran is the key to ending sectarian violence in the region," Mr. Azimi said.
While IACNC's optimism may seem unuttered, their goals provide a fresh policy alternative for the international community.