In a new book, the Alliance for Public Awareness (APA) unveils the latest chapter in the Iranian regime’s relentless campaign of psychological warfare against the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) and the broader Iranian Resistance. The book documents the regime’s efforts to malign the PMOI, focusing particularly on allegations involving “child soldiers.”
The saga began during the First Persian Gulf War in 1990, when the PMOI relocated children from Camp Ashraf in Iraq to Europe, the United States, and Canada to protect them from the war’s devastating bombings. This humanitarian effort was later twisted into a propaganda weapon by Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and various journalists and filmmakers aligned with the regime.
Since the 1979 revolution, the Iranian regime has continuously sought to demonize the PMOI. These attacks have evolved, but the core objective remains the same: to portray the PMOI as a more significant threat than the regime itself, thereby deterring Iranians from seeking regime change and convincing the international community that no viable alternative exists.
Recent years have seen pivotal developments that have both strengthened the PMOI and challenged the regime’s narrative. Key among these was the relocation of the PMOI from Iraq to Albania in 2016, a major achievement that enhanced the Resistance’s international standing. Additionally, a series of nationwide uprisings since late 2017 have highlighted the PMOI’s significant influence and organizational capabilities.
The regime’s intensified disinformation campaign is a direct response to these developments. The formation of Resistance Units within Iran and the involvement of youth in uprisings have particularly unnerved the regime. Young Iranians, inspired by the call for freedom and change, have increasingly joined the PMOI, prompting the regime to further fabricate and distort stories about the organization, especially concerning the children of PMOI members.
The book by APA provides a detailed examination of these efforts, countering the regime’s propaganda with factual accounts. It highlights the regime’s hypocritical concern for the children of the PMOI, contrasting sharply with its own record of human rights abuses against children. The regime’s actions during the Iran-Iraq war, ongoing repression, and forced labor policies for children are stark reminders of its blatant disregard for the well-being of its youngest citizens.
By exposing the regime’s strategies and operations, the APA book reveals the truth behind the narratives concerning the PMOI and the resilience of its members and their families in the face of such adversity.