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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Iran
Index
In the early 1970s, supporters of Khomeini decided to create
the Mojahedin movement to organize operations against the shah's
government. Initial demands made by Mojahedin leaders, who included
clerical officials like Hashemi-Rafsanjani, covered such points as
the cancellation of all security agreements with the United States;
expropriation of multinational corporations; nationalization of
agricultural and urban land, banks, and large industries;
administration of the army and other institutions by people's
councils; creation of a "people's army"; regional autonomy for
Iran's ethnic minorities; and various measures to benefit workers
and peasants. Unlike other anti-shah organizations, the Mojahedin
channeled its efforts into gaining supporters and developing an
effective party network. The members were not ideologically
inspired by outside sources but focused on strong nationalistic
arguments and attacked the shah and his perceived abuses. By 1979
the membership of the Mojahedin had reached a record high of
25,000, and it had hundreds of thousands of supporters. The
movement frequently mobilized these masses against the shah.
The organization fell out of favor immediately after the
Revolution, however, when its new leader, Masud Rajavi, boycotted
the referendum on the new Constitution and advocated the total
separation of the religious establishment and the state. Khomeini
considered this a calculated and direct challenge to the IRP and
the revolutionary regime. Rumors spread that the Mojahedin
organization was a pawn of foreign powers, especially the United
States. In response, the Mojahedin launched its own anti-Khomeini
campaign by calling on the government to purify the Revolution.
President Bani Sadr supported the Mojahedin. When he lost the
support of Khomeini, Bani Sadr sought refuge with Mojahedin leaders
and was smuggled out of Iran, along with Rajavi and other senior
representatives. In July 1981, the two leaders announced the
formation of the National Council of Resistance (NCR) and launched
a campaign to overthrow the Khomeini regime. From its headquarters
in France, the NCR recruited additional support both within and
outside Iran and welcomed ethnic minority leaders to its ranks. Its
published charter was almost identical to the program of the
Mojahedin. Partly to satisfy its diverse constituency and partly to
distinguish itself from the Khomeini regime, the NCR offered a new
agenda that reflected special concern for the interests of the
lower middle class. In its attempt to gain the support of minor
civil servants, shopkeepers, artisans, and small merchants, it
adopted a slightly more moderate position than the one the Khomeini
government had espoused concerning private property. The charter
also promised to respect individual liberties, "except for persons
identified with the shah's or Khomeini's regime," and guaranteed
special rights for ethnic minorities, particularly the Kurds.
A score of other promises were made, including the return of
land to farmers who would, however, be encouraged to consolidate
their holdings in collective farms; the increase of available
housing, education, and health services; the guarantee of equality
for women; and the establishment of a "democratic army" in which
the rank and file would be consulted on decisions and selections of
officers. Yet, these promises could not be implemented because the
NCR was not in power. The organization had to operate inside Iran,
and the process strained the leadership's unity; disagreements over
goals eventually led to the dissolution of the NCR. By March 1984,
Bani Sadr and Kurdish leaders withdrew from the coalition. The
French government asked Rajavi to leave France in July 1986. The
Mojahedin set up their headquarters in Baghdad, whence they
continued to launch military and propaganda offensives against the
Khomeini regime.
In June 1987, Rajavi announced the formation of the Iranian
National Army of Liberation, open to non-Mojahedin members, that
would escalate attacks. Subsequently, Mojahedin sources claimed to
have set up military training camps near the war front and to have
launched numerous attacks against Pasdaran outposts. The Mojahedin
has also been active in Western Europe and the United States; it
has organized numerous rallies, distributed anti-Khomeini
literature, and recruited Iranians living abroad
(see Opposition Political Parties in Exile
, ch. 4).
A unit of the Iranian National Army of Liberation celebrates a victory over Iranian forces
in Khuzestan Provinc
Courtesy Iran Liberation
Data as of December 1987
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