Iran Focus
Berlin, 31 Aug – Former European Parliament Vice President Dr. Alejo Vidal-Quadras has congratulated the main Iranian opposition group People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI or MEK) on its 50th anniversary.
Vidal-Quadras, who is President of the international Committee In Search of Justice (ISJ), was guest of honour at a meeting with Iranian youth associations in Germany last Friday.
He said that the presence of Iranian youths in the endeavour to unseat the “fundamentalist mullahs” from power in Iran carried a very important message that despite “brutal repression” by the regime, Iran has the capacity to rebuild itself and has a bright future.
He told the audience of the history of their cause, reminding them of the mass executions of over 30,000 MEK (PMOI) political prisoners in the summer of 1988, explaining that the reason for their executions was no more than their refusal to denounce the MEK and its leadership. The bodies of the prisoners that were executed were buried in mass graves in a cemetery in Tehran, leaving the families of the executed at a loss without even a gravestone to mourn over.
“In a few days, the PMOI will be 50 years old. I am very delighted and honoured to share with you the joy of celebrating this 50th anniversary of the foundation of the PMOI – The Golden Jubilee”.
“As you know on 5 September 1965, three students in Tehran, Mohammad Hanif-Nejad with two of his friends, set up the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran. The PMOI would grow to become by far the largest and most active political movement in Iranian history”.
He went on to highlight the significance of the MEK (PMOI) in the centre of Iranian politics and the Resistance: “The PMOI is the centre of a political coalition, the NCRI, which fights for democratic and pluralistic Iran and says religion and state should respect each other independence”.
He went on to say that the MEK is the backbone of the Resistance against the ruling religious dictatorship and is a treasure of moral, cultural and political values in today’s world.
He commended top Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi, president-elect of Iran’s Parliament-in-exile, for her leadership of the Resistance.
“The presence of a Muslim woman at the top of this movement, who calls for a secular and democratic Iran, is very significant and is really a revolution in the thinking and attitude in the Islamic world. As we all know one of the main characteristics of Islamic fundamentalism is their degrading and harsh stance towards women. So a woman, who is a real leader, and a very charismatic one, and not just a formality, represents indeed a revolution which can shake very positively the Islamic world”.
In his final words to the audience, Vidal-Quadras said “Dear friends, whenever I go to the big gatherings of the NCRI in Paris, I see the enthusiasm of thousands of Iranians and hundreds of foreign guests to promote democracy in Iran and especially I confirm the support of the young people for this liberation movement. This is for me and for all veterans a source of energy and a great encouragement. But we have to do much more and I use this opportunity to invite the young generation inside and outside Iran to make no delay in supporting this Resistance, to clear any misunderstandings and to be relentlessly active until we put an end to the criminal regime that oppresses the Iranian people ant threatens the whole world. I am certain you will never give up, and be sure that you have many friends in Europe and in many other places that will never fail you”.
