Dear General Kellogg: @generalkellogg 

As you may be aware, the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) and its front group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), have a deeply problematic history that should not be ignored.

As one individual who was a member of the MEK has described, the group’s leadership celebrated the September 11, 2001 attacks, viewing them as a triumph for their cause. “We danced until late night as the scenes of the towers crumbling were being broadcasted in the background,” he wrote, recalling how the MEK members cheered and clapped when news of the attacks broke. “We, especially the young members, had been indoctrinated that American imperialism was a ‘paper tiger’ and that it would one day crumble from within.”

Such actions and sentiments are a chilling reminder of the MEK’s true nature. The group’s leaders, particularly Massoud and Maryam Rajavi, have shown no remorse for celebrating the death and destruction of innocent people, including Americans. As the writer pointed out, “Every time I see an American politician meeting with Maryam Rajavi, these scenes come to my mind and I think to myself: if only they were with us on that day and saw Rajavi’s smile as all those innocent people fell to their deaths.”

The MEK’s violent history, marked by its involvement in terror and extremism, cannot be overlooked. Not only has the MEK collaborated with the Saddam Hussein regime, benefiting financially from Iraq’s oil revenues during U.S. sanctions, but it has also been directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Iranians, particularly in the city of Kermanshah. As the Michael Rubin’s article highlights, the MEK’s actions are unforgivable, and the families of the victims still remember their loved ones. If the MEK ever sets foot in Iran again, the people will never forget, and they will demand justice. The pain caused by the MEK’s brutality runs deep, and the Iranian people are determined to hold them accountable.

I urge you to reconsider your support for the NCRI/MEK and to fully understand the implications of backing an organization with such a dark and violent history. The true Iranian freedom movement is one that is peaceful, democratic, and grounded in human rights, not one rooted in extremism and violence.

The Mojahedin E-Khalq Aren’t America’s Friends
By Michael Rubin
The National InterestWhy Do Iranians Hate the Mujahedin-e-Khalq So Much?
By Michael RubinThe Irony of American Politicians Attending MEK Conferences and Supporting Maryam Rajavi and the NCRI@SusieWiles @JDVance @michaelgwaltz @mdubowitz @marcorubio @SebGorka