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Mujahedin-e Khalq

People's Mojahedin Organization
سازمان مجاهدين خلق
Abbreviation MKO, MEK, PMOI
Leader Maryam Rajavi and Massoud Rajavi
Secretary-General Zohreh Akhyani
Founded 5 September 1965; 51 years ago (1965-09-05)
Split from Freedom Movement
Headquarters
Paris, France (1981–1986; 2003–)
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
Flag of the People's Mujahedin of Iran.svg

Flag of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (Yellow).svg
Website
www.Mojahedin.org
Armed wing of MKO
National Liberation Army of Iran (NLA)
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
Ir-nla.gif
NLA flag used since 1987
Active 1971–1977
1979–present
Since 20 June 1987 as NLA
Leaders
  • Maryam Rajavi, deputy commander-in-chief
  • Mousa Khiabani, Commander (1981–1982; KIA)
  • Ali Zarkesh, Commander (1982–1988; KIA)
  • Ebrahim Zakeri, Head of 'Security and Counter-Terrorism' (1993–2003)
Area of operations Iran and Iraq
Strength Brigade (at peak)
Allies
Opponents
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.


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