People's Mojahedin Organization
سازمان مجاهدين خلق |
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Abbreviation | MKO, MEK, PMOI |
Leader | Maryam Rajavi and Massoud Rajavi |
Secretary-General | Zohreh Akhyani |
Founded | 5 September 1965 |
Split from | Freedom Movement |
Headquarters |
Paris, France (1981–1986; 2003–)
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Newspaper | Mojahed |
Military wing | National Liberation Army (NLA) |
Political wing | National Council of Resistance (NCR) |
Membership (2011) | 5,000 to 13,500 (DoD estimate) |
Ideology | |
Political position | Left-wing |
Religion | Shia Islam |
Colours | Red |
Slogan | Arabic: فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ عَلَى الْقَاعِدِينَ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا "God Has Preferred The Mujahideen Over Those Who Remain [behind] With A Great Reward." [Quran 4:95] |
Party flag | |
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Website | |
www |
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Armed wing of MKO National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA) |
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Participant in Black September, Iranian Revolution, Iran hostage crisis, Consolidation of the Iranian Revolution, Iran–Iraq War, 1991 uprisings in Iraq, 2003 invasion of Iraq, 2011 Camp Ashraf raid, 2013 Camp Ashraf attack, Iran–Israel proxy conflict, Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict | |
NLA flag used since 1987
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Active | 1971–1977 1979–present Since 20 June 1987 as NLA |
Leaders |
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Area of operations | Iran and Iraq |
Strength | Brigade (at peak) |
Allies |
Non-state allies
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Opponents |
Non-state opponents
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Battles and wars | Operation Eternal Light |
The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran or the Mojahedin-e Khalq (Persian: سازمان مجاهدين خلق ايران, translit. Sāzmān-e mojāhedin-e khalq-e irān, abbreviated MEK, PMOI or MKO) is an Iranian political–militant organization in exile that advocates the violent overthrow of the government of Iran while claiming itself as the replacing shadow government. The group has no popular base of support inside Iran, but maintains a presence by acting as a proxy against Tehran.
It is designated as a terrorist organization by Iran and Iraq, and was considered a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom and the European Union until 2008 and 2009 respectively, and by Canada and the United States until 2012. Various scholarly works, media outlets, and the governments of the United States and France have described it as a cult. The organization has built a cult of personality around its leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi.
It was founded on 5 September 1965 by six Muslim students who were affiliated with the Freedom Movement of Iran; however in a coup-style ideological transformation, leftist members hijacked the Muslim group and adopted a Marxist platform in 1975. The organization engaged in armed conflict with the Pahlavi dynasty in the 1970s and played an active role in the downfall of the Shah in 1979. They hailed "His Highness Ayatollah Khomeini as a glorious fighter (Mojahed)" and urged all to remain united behind him against plots by royalists and imperialists.