The US State Department is best at toppling Heroes; According to Washington’s’ definition of a ‘terrorist’; George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela were terrorists.
Dedicated to Mahin Saremi: Iranian political prisoner and 2009 protest organizer
With the US State Departments’ contentious defiance of the Rule of the law to delist MEK , the main question repeated is: Who are the terrorists? Those who are at the very center of an international network of terrorism, or those who are protesting at their activities and presenting the best revelations for the sake of International peace and security?
Danielle Mitterrand, the First Lady of human rights, Raymond Aubrac and his comrade in arms Lucie Aubrac, Lord Corbett and Lord Archer, have one thing in common; the struggled for global justice. Each had remarkable achievements ranking them one of a kind in the war against misery, injustice and oppression. Daniel Mitterrand was labeled a terrorist by France and later named a hero. Raymond Aubrac was accused of spying by the French government while his fame for “courage and resistance” against the Gestapo became a beacon of hope for thousands who fought fascism. Lord Corbett of Castle Vale was accused of vehemently supporting a terrorist Iranian group (MEK) while his gallant journalism revealing the Iranian spying network was a serious setback for the ayatollahs’’ ominous plans. Lord Archer a former Solicitor-General, Crown Court Recorder, and Chairman of the Council on Tribunals and a member of the Select Intelligence and Security Committee of the UK parliament, was a stout supporter of the MEK who announced the de-listing of the group by the EU high court as “important stepping stone to a new beginning for the Iranian people.”
They all challenged rehash of accusations and lies spurred by their government, at the behest of Tehran against the pro-democracy MEK.
Terrorism can be extremely inhuman, particularly when it undermines essential values and benchmarks. When State terrorism includes ‘coercing’ heroes instead of villains, and leashing the bacon of hope of millions of people in a crusade of insidious calumnies buried under a double entendre, there is a need for stupendous gallantry to break the spell.
The US “FTO” listing of the Iranian pro-democracy movement of (MEK), anti-thesis to Islamic fundamentalism, has been an outstanding stain in the history of American failures for the good and the advent of evil.
Heroes are not only legendary characters in comic strips or ‘Smallville’ scenarios, but are real people who take on tasks to change the nature of the world through their acts of courage and selflessness. They endure much resistance, hardship, and danger organizing change in the advent of greatness; make difficult choices and bring out the best in people. Stories for heroism have served as moral examples for centuries. In counter factual history, we tend to question what would happen if heroes did not exist.
In the case of Iran, the axis of world crisis, the question of ‘to be or not to be’ is very much contingent with how the world is setting boundaries to distinguish heroes from vigilantes and terrorists.
We would have to comprehend that ‘resistance’ in Iran exists because there is a vile tyranny unleashed that manipulates religion to stone women; gouge eyes and mutilate bodies; carry out collective hangings; train zealots ready to massacre in Syria and anywhere else in the world and fool the world to acquire the nuclear arsenal.
Resistance against mullahs’ dictatorship is the legitimate right of the Iranian people challenged by the Obama administration.
The pro-democracy organization, MEK, has been targeted in a criminal scenario and ploy orchestrated in Tehran; downplayed by the US state department is only the consequence of misplacing advocacy values for short-term objectives. The best-case scenario in this ploy is “US state Department toppling of heroes instead of the villains.” Let us not forget that the sweep of human history is for freedom.
What has MEK achieved in the past 30 years that would absolve it from any terrorist accusations?
• It has provided the International Community with extensive Human right revelations, first hand testimonies and documents for the UN human rights council and rappateurs leading to fifty Five UN resolutions; limiting Iranian regime’s ability to expand massacre.
• It has provided the International community with the best intelligence on warmongering ambitions of the clerics in Iran to obtain nuclear arsenal as part of a broader objective to establish an Islamic Empire, demanded in Khomeini’s will.
• It has been a thorn in the throat and a solid barrier to expansion of Islamic fundamentalism, because of its tolerant nature and belief in true democracy; separation of church and State and freedom of choice and belief based on the Universal declaration of Human rights, despite its Muslim tendency.
• It has been the “most feared” opposition of the Ayatollahs with an extensive role in organized protests as exclaimed by clerics in State-run media.
• It has the only serving heroes, resolved to support “freedom and democracy” in Iran, Camp Ashraf, Camp Liberty and throughout the world, despite a multimillion dollar mud-sliding campaign by Tehran.
• It is the only opposition movement to have united bi-partisan tendencies from five continents on one axis: to prevent a third world war speared by the ruling mediaeval fascists in Iran; while helping the flow of untapped potentials within the movement to bring about a lasting peace in Iran and the region through a democratic change.
• It is the only freedom movement with the ability to sustain financial independence because of a spectacular host of popularity around the globe.
• It has led an unprecedented legal battle to retain its just status as a “pro-democracy” movement and has won 22 judicial requisitions, which rejected the terrorist label as “perverse” (2).
Coherently; in the world of armchair bloggers who created a generation of critics instead of leaders and heroes, the MEK/PMOI is actually working to establish freedom and democracy in Iran.
The astounding heroism of the movement is met with denial by the US State Department, partially out of fear and partly malfeasance.
The MEK’s activities have been painted with an unjustified brush of terrorism, thereby conflating instances of otherwise legitimate resistance against a tyrannical system with horrid acts of blind terrorism.
John F. Kennedy, underlined the benchmark in his inauguration speech; Taking responsibility alongside heroes.
“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shank from this responsibility. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavour will light our country and all who serve it – and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”
The fallen hero of America saw a hero in all those who bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, rejoicing hope for millions, in a struggle “against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.” He embraced the values that America stood for with a cost, because heroes are set in the moment against a mutual enemy, and not in the past or hesitation of the future.
In a mutual article Gen. David Phillips, Col. Wesley Martin and Lt. Col. Leo McCloskey defined margins that distinguished the “hero” from the villain and the “friend” from the “foe”:
“The first and the most common interpretation is the need for leaders to understand the plans, intentions, and motives of an avowed adversary. The second meaning is more fundamental, and in many ways more crucial: know who is, in fact, your enemy – and who isn’t. The failure to detect a real enemy means not only diverting precious resources and attention from dealing with a threat; it can also mean mistaking a friend for a foe.”
Unfortunately, the staggering brazen orchestra of denial by the State department overwhelms any moral substance, while promoting judicial Machiavellianism.
Recently, US Federal Court of Appeal in Washington asked the US Secretary of State to review the FTO designation of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) within four months after this issuance of this writ adding, “Should the Secretary fail to take action within the four-month period, the petition for writ of mandamus setting aside the FTO designation will be granted.”
The US State department, however, announced that a “key factor” in making a decision on PMOI’s 2008 petition to revoke its FTO status, is “cooperation in the successful and peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf.” (3)
By taking a humanitarian crisis “hostage,” manipulating the safety and security of 3400 pro-democracy dissidents of Camp Ashraf, the State Department has landed the Obama Administration on a slippery slope of ethical values.
The MEK welcomed the change immediately; publicly announced its willingness to leave Ashraf (4)cooperated in the transfer of 1,200 residents to Camp Liberty/Hurriya under challenging circumstances (5) praised by State Department officials for its cooperation. (6)
Despite hoax promises that have turned ‘Liberty’ into a concentration camp, the residents have co-operated at a new level of leniency, while asserting there are limits to refuted unilateral goodwill gesture.
The US will not win the war against terrorism and its policy of sanctions against the tyrants in Tehran, unless it abides by its founded values and integral laws.
To break way from political archetypes, the secretary of State, Clinton, has to act like a hero; stand firm on legal principles and not political assumptions which will be misleading.
Do not topple the heroes that make our world a better place; face our mutual enemy: de-list the MEK.
Annotations:
(1): For more information on MEK please refer to the link below :http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-safavi/reality-check-the-guardia_b_814605.html
(2): On May 7, 2008, Britain’s Court of Appeal Court ruled that “The reality is that neither in the open material nor in the closed material is there any reliable evidence that supported a conclusion that PMOI retained an intention to resort to terrorist activities in the future. There is no evidence that the [MEK] has at any time since 2003 sought to re-create any form of structure that was capable of carrying out or supporting terrorist acts. There is no evidence of any attempt to “prepare” for terrorism. There is no evidence of any encouragement to others to commit acts of terrorism…”
(3): Quoted in MEK Status on Blacklist Hinges on Iraq Camp Closure, Reuters, Feb. 29, 2012.
(4): Maryam Rajavi, 400 Ashraf Residents Are Prepared to Go to Camp Liberty at First Opportunity, NCR-Iran.org (Dec. 28, 2011), http://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/ashraf/11575.
(5) UNHCR, Camp New Iraq (Formerly Camp Ashraf) Residents and the Determination of Their Refugee Status Claims (Mar. 28, 2012), http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/pdfid/4f7417e72.pdf.
(6): Press Release, U.S. Dep’t of State, Update on Camp Ashraf (Feb. 18, 2012),http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/02/184204.htm
Mahin Saremi is a former political prisoner who escaped from Iran last year, one of the active organizers of the 2009 protests in Iran and activist has recently entered the realm of freelance writers. Her articles have been published since she escaped from Iran.
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