MKO and its support for Takfiri terrorism in Syria

By Seyed Reza Ghazwini Ghurabi*

Those familiar with the terrorist MKO (Mujahideen-e Khalq Organization) are well aware the MKO has fully focused all its activities and efforts on its enmity with the Islamic republic of Iran and trying to strike this country either from inside or outside its borders. To achieve this goal, it does not matter for MKO with which country or group they unite.

During the Syrian crisis, they sided with Anti-Asad and terrorist groups (only because Syria was an ally of Iran) so as to oppose the Iranians, spread propaganda against Iran and find a place for themselves among the regional and international players.

Hence, they have directly backed terrorist groups active in Syria, providing them with media support. They do not differentiate between terrorist groups and their ideological grounds. MKO has directly supported ISIS, Al-Nusra Army, Free Syrian Army and their related groups only due to opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

A survey in MKO’s media on the issue of Aleppo and its liberation reveals its stance on the issue, similar to those of terrorist and its supporters who call the resistance against terrorist as “inhumane activities” and, while very upset due to the city’s liberation, promise that it will fall again to the hands of terrorist!

Support of MKO for the Takfiris and extremists could easily be observed during the early days of Mosul occupation by the ISIS. MKO media described the Mosul occupiers as “Iraqi revolutionaries who took the control of the city in order to fight against the tyranny of Baghdad government”. Later, with the establishment of international coalition against the ISIS, MKO had to change its approach to Takfiri  and its labeling of “revolutionaries”, calling them now “fundamentalist terrorists backed by Iran”.

Now knowing well the fact that various terrorist groups in Aleppo are all extremist groups under the umbrella of ex Al-Qaeda Ally, Al-Nusra Army, MKO has concentrated its media-propaganda efforts on supporting them.

It is amazing to know that terrorist activities, in the name of supporting Aleppo and its people, which led to the assassination of Russian ambassador to Turkey were all boycotted in the MKO media due to the fear that terrorists’ happiness [in their media] might provoke the anger of Russians; this is while the whole world watched how some people, similar to Rajavi’s group, who claim of supporting Aleppo easily conduct terrorist operations and assassinate diplomats.

It should be realized that MKO’s media support for Takfiri groups in Syria and Iraq doesn’t mean that Rajavi’s group has accepted the ideology of such groups. The history of MKO indicates that it is an opportunist group which approaches other groups, countries or people and unites with them only to serve its own benefits.

The enmity of MKO with the US and shouting Anti-Imperialist slogans only until 2003 and then changing its stance and turning to the Americans upon the occupation of Iraq simply prove how this terrorist group adjusts its behavior with immediate opportunities and benefits. Getting close to Saudi Arabia, as a known supporter of extremism and Takfiri ideology, in recent months   also indicates that MKO approaches others only based on a key factor- being close or distant from Iran- without any attention to their ideological bases.

Therefore, in Syria, when Iran and allies fight against extremists in Aleppo and beyond that, MKO takes the other side only to show off and to impose negative impact. Although it should be noted that MKO has always proved to be wrong in choosing its friends, which could be clearly seen in siding with Saddam Hussein, supporting ISIS terrorists upon the occupation of Mosul, establishing relationship with extremist anti-Human rights regime of Saudi Arabia, supporting armed Takfiri groups and terrorist in Syria, trying to get the support of American and western politicians- proved to have serious financial, sexual corruption cases in their own countries.

 *Seyed Reza Ghazwini Ghurabi is an expert on the study of Takfiri  and extremist groups.