The Mujahedin al Khalq, or MKO, is, after the Iranian regime itself, the most hated group inside
Iran
. It allied with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to enable the Islamic Revolution but, after a falling out, launched a terrorist campaign inside Iran. The MKO also cast its lot with Saddam Hussein in
Iraq
. Its leader, Maryam Rajavi, rules with an iron fist over the organization and insists upon the same head covering that Iranians risk their lives to shed. Far from supporting women’s rights, the group tells women whom they can marry and forcibly divorces them. In short, it is a cult.
Still, by reportedly forcing members to live in group homes and donate their earnings, the group has accumulated a significant cash pot. Acting through a number of proxy and shell organizations, the MKO has enticed numerous former political officials to endorse the group as a quid pro quo for generous honoraria or perhaps campaign contributions. The bipartisan stable of officials speaking at MKO events or
endorsing Rajavi
is large: Brad Sherman (D-CA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, for example. The number of European politicians accepting donations or honoraria is even greater.
While MKO propaganda is slick, the protests should put an
end to the lie
that the group has support inside Iran. Rather, it is now clear the MKO (like the
National Iranian American Council
) has been a grifter on the…
