Perspective: Terrorist Cult or Freedom Fighters?

"Members and supporters of the MKO terrorist group hold a rally on first of July each year in Paris."
"Harper attended this year's event alongside his former minister of foreign affairs, John Baird."
"'Thank you for your long battle for a free and democratic Iran', Harper told a crowd at the Free Iran rally in Paris in a defiant support of the MKO terrorist group."
"#Canada should seriously investigate the scope and nature of @stephenharper [Canada's 22nd Prime Minister Stephen Harper] and @Baird's [Former Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird] relationship with the #MEK [MKO] cult during their tenure as Prime and Foreign ministers', Reza Nasri, a prominent law expert from Geneva's Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies tweeted recently."
Islamic Republic News Agency

So that is the take from the official news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the presence of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the annual National Council of Resistance of Iran group. The group had, in fact, invited an entire smorgasbord of well-known and -connected international public figures to attend and to speak at this publicized event. The group, whose founding came out of the Mojahedin--Khalq (MEK), dedicated to the overthrow of the Iranian Republic, has more than its share of critics damning it as a terrorist group.

Based in Paris, the MEK's reputation is frequently assailed; though devoted to overthrowing the current Iranian regime, even among some Iranian dissidents abroad it is considered extremist and controversial, with claims of a cult of leadership along with a questionable history of violence. Mr. Harper's appearance at the event became  hugely unpopular among many critics of the MEK, along with some expatriate Iranians living in Canada such as Samira Mohyeddin known as a critic of the regime who called the MEK a "well-documented terrorist cult who have committed many crimes against humanity".

In fact, the MEK was on a terrorist watch list in the U.S. and Canada and elsewhere, but has long since been removed. Farzan Sabet, an Iranian policy expert with the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University claimed that Mr. Harper's presence at the conference "speaks to the sophistication of MEK political operations, and naivete or venality of Western politicians who chose to attend." Harsh condemnation by no uncertain means. And reflective of the usual polarized opinions strongly held by opposing parties in the Middle East.

When Stephen Harper was Prime Minister of Canada, Iranian interference in Canada with its propaganda and its efforts to control its expatriate population for propaganda and infiltration purposes -- along with its well-known record of supporting terrorism and the lesser-known fact that Iranian-produced school curricula was found in Shiite madrasas and parochial schools operating in Canada, redolent of hate-mongering -- persuaded his administration to cut diplomatic ties with the country. In so doing, he closed the Canadian embassy in Tehran and shuttered the Iranian embassy in Ottawa in a distinct persona-non-grata rebuke.

For years, Canada's UN ambassador led a well supported move to single out Iran at the United Nations on an annual basis as a human rights abuser, stemming from the murder in Evan prison of Canadian-Iranian photographer Zahra Kazemi. Under Prime Minister Harper, the government of Canada held close ties with the State of Israel. Coincidentally the MEK has ties with Israeli intelligence. The State of Israel is in the direct cross-hairs of the Iranian Republic's goal of destruction, often enough publicly stated, even within the United Nations.

It seems passing strange that among many international guests at the MEK conference there were two notable personages, one of whom was the former director of the FBI, Luise Freeh who held his position with honours for an eight-year period before stepping down. Another was the former French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kurchner, who also happens to have been a co-founder of Medecines sans Frontieres. How likely is it that two men of their calibre would support a terrorist group? They were there to support a group dedicated to dismantling a terrorist theocracy.

Stephen Harper‏Verified account @stephenharper

Proud to stand up for freedom and democracy for the people of Iran. While the Iranian regime poses a threat to us all, the most oppressed are its own citizens. Freedom, dignity and self determination are universal values.

"The Free Iran event was attended by thousands of Iranian dissidents, from all political backgrounds from around the world."
"Mr. Harper has not, and will not, endorse specific political movements or candidates."
Anna Tomala, spokesperson, Harper & Associates

Although at its founding in the 1960s,the People's Mujahedeen of Iran (MEK) helped to overthrow Shah Palevi's unpopular regime, and was involved with the typical Middle East assassinations and violence, it has long since renounced violence. Its headquarters stationed in Iraq on the border with Iran at the time of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 led to its being forcibly disarmed which initiated its transformation, prompting Canada and the U.S. to remove MEK from their roster of terrorist groups.

When Mr. Harper addressed the gathering of thousands, comprised hugely of expatriate Iranian supporters, he took pains to denounce the Republic's repressive regime, speaking of his own actions as prime minister of Canada including having listed Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism and his move to sever diplomatic relations with the government. "We closed the Canadian embassy in Iran and told the mullahs to get out of Canada!"

John Bolton, current American national security adviser was present at the Free Iran rally, as was Rudolph Guiliani, former New York City mayor at the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.