The continued appeasement of Iran

Moses

The British government's stance in this case is truly a shameful one.

The PMOI must be supported as the solution to ending the rule of the despicable regime ruling Iran.

The PMOI must now be viewed as Iran's legitimate opposition and the policy of appeasement which has so emboldened this regime ended once and for all.

It is shameful we have restricted this group and it is high time we support the democratic ambitions of the people of Iran.

Majid T.

Excellent article by Ms. Phillips who is increasingly becoming a leading voice of the oppressed people of Iran who long for freedom and democracy.
Appeasement never works.

Fereydoun

Once again a wonderful piece by Melanie Phillips, thank you very much for your admirable efforts in support of freedom and democracy in Iran.

Gavin

Dear Melanie
What a wondeful article.
It is nice to read an article like this
I hope the government does what it should do and also tell the mullahs in Tehran to shut-up

Ebrahim Sahraei

Despite all the pressure on the Iranian resistance like the illegal proscription by the UK, USA and the EU, attacks from the USA and Britain on the camp of the People’s Mojahedin which is the largest coalition of the NCRI, and the 120.000 supporters and members of the resistance inside Iran that have been executed by the regime, the resistance keeps struggling independently with the faith they always have had from the beginning of their existence.
The 7th of May has been a wonderful day for the Iranian people. On this day the Iranian resistance showed the world their strength and capacities by defeating the British government in the Court of Appeal. The UK government, appeasing the mullahs to satisfy their needs of oil, money and power while their troops are killed by these clerics, still hasn’t de-proscribed the PMOI and is fooling itself by trying to win this kind of court cases without any evidence. It is now time for the truth where the Iranian people for 28 years have been waiting for. Stop blocking the Iranian people’s resistance and take action to stop the mullahs in Iran.

Ali

Ending policy of appeasement will serve best interest of Iran and global peace and stability. Supporting the Iranian opposition is the best route to peace for Middle East. Otherwise, Iranian mullahs have demonstrated that they are better off living in war environment than peace. Mullahs have the potential to ignite a war that span from Iran to Lebanon.

Ammar

Thank you Ms. Mellanie Phillips for your article for the PMOI. I take seriously the Third option. And its only sulution for a peace in iran. PMOI, Mujahedin Khalq Organization thay are not terorist.

Esmaeil

Great to see you supporting the cause of the Iranian people in this struggle Melanie.

The people of Iran will be free with the help of the wonderful resistance group the PMOI that is doing so much to bring about change in Iran.

The tides of change in Iran are now on their way and the students and women are demonstrating in the streets demanding their basic human rights each and every day.

The UK government must end its disgraceful appeasement of the Iranian regime and instead support the PMOI and the Iranian people for democracy to prevail in their nation.

Jimmy

Great work once again Melanie in highlighting the shameful situation that surrounds the Iranian opposition group, the PMOI.

I have become more aware of this organization in recent times through Iranian people who have told me that this group is the only hope for democratic change in Iran.

I was deeply shocked when I found out that this group has been banned in the UK only to please the Iranian regime, the same regime which is killing our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and is building a nuclear weapon.

However, last week’s Court of Appeal judgment showed this British government up for what it truly is, a weak government appeasing mullahs who commit mass murder.

I congratulate the people of Iran for last week’s victory and say that in the eyes of the majority people, the PMOI is Iran’s legitimate opposition and supporting this group can bring about democracy in Iran. Democracy, which will not only save the people of Iran, but will in fact bring democracy and stability to the entire region.

Hosseini

Such a wonderful analysis can only be written by an editor that is well informed about the PMOI.

Thank you very much for your brilliant article Melanie, we will invite you soon in a free and democratic Iran!

Rachel M

I am absolutely baffled by what I am reading. This is bsolutely ludicrous!

To have our ambassador to Iran summoned by the Foreign Minister of the worlds most active state sponsor of terrorism, a state that stones women to death and hangs children?! The audacity is mind blowing.

No doubt ambassador Adams also apologized for our free press, independent judiciary, democracy and religious tolerance. What a disgrace! When is this government going to take a strong and decisive stance against these tyrants?

Surely common sense would dictate that we ought to embrace Iran’s opposition?

Raymond

Two decades of the UK's disgraceful appeasement of the religious fascism ruling Iran has so emboldened the mullahs that they are trying desperately to prevent the implementation of the rule of law in Britain.

This is absolutely disgusting and has only given a green light to these baby killers and murderers who under the name of religion are committing the most heinous and brutal things. Thank you very much Melanie for exposing this destructive policy of appeasement by this weak and coward government of Gordon Brown.

Michael

The British government faces a test of whether or not they bow down to the Iranian dictatorship and ignore the judgment by the Lord Chief Justice. The government should reassess their position towards the mullahs. They should realise that those championing for freedom and resisting the regime in Iran are our friends, not our foes.

Hoda

The British government should be blunt with the regime, telling it we will have no truck with them, and we will fulfil the judgement of the Court of Appeal recognising the legitimate Resistance to the mullahs.

It is time to once and for all put an end to this policy which has only helped the regime in Tehran to suppress its opponents and create chaos and havoc througout the region and export brutal fundamentalism, and support those brave men and women of the resistance movement who are determined to get rid of this medieval regime which certainly does not belong to 21st century.

H. Mirmohammadi

Unfortunately, it has been the policy of appeasement adopted by this government which has emboldened the Iranian regime to such an extent that not only does it murder British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, it feels that it can now instil its system on our judiciary. It seems that the mullahs are mistaking out judiciary for theirs.

The Iranian regime fears the PMOI's democratic values greater than anything else that it is faced with. The Iranian people need all the support that we can and should give them

Saber

Admirable and very brave that Ms. Phillips in this short time wrote two wonderful articles about the PMOI/MeK. Everybody gets the opportunity now to be informed about Iran, the Iranian opposition and the real truth that is behind all the lies of the UK, US and Iranian government.

Even if Geoffrey Adams, David Miliband, Jacqui Smith and some other appeasers of the regime are expressing their disappointment after the Court ruling, it won't change the reality. We don't need this people to free Iran and we don't care about their cheap words anyway. Let them try to save their face and get their credit from the mullahs, we know better which party will win in this legal and humanitarian battle.

Justice will prevail.

phil

How dare our government allow our ambassador to be reprimanded by this treacherous regime .How many times do they have to be reminded of the tragedy of Munich ?The Iranians themselves are not represented by that appalling regime -Oh for Winston!!

Hamid Irani

Great article
The Mojahedin are the only hope for Iran to be free.
Well done to the author.

Brian

Thank you, Melanie, for another superb piece. It seems to me that you are rapidly becoming the sole English columnist who presents the truth about the daily weakening and destruction of the West.
Apart from the shocking cowardice of the British ambassador to Iran I am puzzled as to who is guarding our embassy in Tehran?
Presumably we have military personnel deployed within embassy precincts (US embassies around the world are guarded by US marines). If our naval personnel are forbidden to defend themselves and their vessals because they might be in disputed Iranian waters then one assumes they will meekly surrender if the Iranians try to take over our embassy in the same way they took over the US embassy on Jimmie Carter's watch.

Robin

The Court of Appeal, with Lord Chief Justice Phillips, endorsed the earlier POAC judgement in these damning words:

"The reality is that neither in the open material nor in the closed material was there any reliable evidence that supported a conclusion that PMOI retained an intention to resort to terrorist activities in the future."

That sends a signal to those millions in Iran demanding freedom and human rights that they do not stand alone. They now know that our Courts have ordered our government to treat the Resistance as friends of freedom rather than enemies in the efforts to defeat the menace of vicious fundamentalism which beats in Tehran, helps keep British and coalition troops in Iraq and threatens its efforts to build democracy.

Jonathan Anderson

Although I was a bit suspicious about the capabilities of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq when I heard for the first couple of times about this opposition movement, the last couple of months it became more than clear for me that

1. There are still people that are laying down their life for their compatriots;
2. After 7 years of being unlawfully treated and after the lost of 120.000 members in the past 28 years, the Mojahedin is still peacefully struggling to achieve freedom in Iran;
3. Injustice is still not gone, even not in the western countries.

Even in Britain, our democratic country, laws are broken to proscribe the MEK what is now openly declared as the biggest shame of UK's history.

Jonathan Anderson

Although I was a bit suspicious about the capabilities of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq when I heard for the first couple of times about this opposition movement, the last couple of months it became more than clear for me that

1. There are still people that are laying down their life for their compatriots;
2. After 7 years of being unlawfully treated and after the lost of 120.000 members in the past 28 years, the Mojahedin is still peacefully struggling to achieve freedom in Iran;
3. Injustice is still not gone, even not in the western countries.

Even in Britain, our democratic country, laws are broken to proscribe the MEK what is now openly declared as the biggest shame of UK's history.

Ebrahim

It delights me to read the brilliant view considering the Iranian opposition of Melanie Phillips.

Although I was a bit suspicious and confused about the truth on the Mojahedin-e-Khalq, when I accepted an invitation from one of my Iranian friends to join a gathering in Paris last year organized by the Iranian community, I began to understand that the fake propaganda of the Iranian regime have had influence on my vision on the MeK.

The regime give almost all their energy to demonize the Iranian opposition to block their way to a free Iran and the last judgment of the Court of Appeal in London (May 7) is one of the examples that even the UK has supported the regime in this inhuman strategies to stay in their power position.

Regarding the announcement from the UK Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, the MeK will be de-listed in a few weeks and finally the voice of the Iranian people will be heard.

EZT

UK appeasement of the Iran is truly scandalous. This horrible regime massacres its own people, causes death and destruction in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine through its support for terrorism and it nears acquiring a nuclear bomb and we still appease them. Absolutely shocking.

The PMOI offer hope for Iran, a hope that some day soon they will be rid of the theocrats that rule over them. A victory for the PMOI and democracy prevailing in Iran will lead to peace and stability in the entire region.

Mike

This is a very fascinating article. I am happy that there are courageous Iranians who are so powerful and can hopefully overthrow these bunch of medieval mullahs, but at the same time I am ashamed of this British government that is doing all these nasty things and is appeasing these brutal tyrants.

Ahmad Khojasteh

Ms. Phillips,

I am a fan of your blog and I read it all the time. I know you mean well, but unfortunately you are mistaken about the MKO. They are truly a terrorist organization and in many respects the exact mirror image of the criminal mullahs in Tehran. That includes all their related organizations that try desperately to paint a nice picture of an ideological group. Please do not make the same mistake that the West did in 1979 by supporting the revolutionary islamists who presented themselves as a democratic opposition to the Shah of Iran. By falling for these gang of criminals you only help the other gamg of criminals in Tehran, and shatter the overwhelming pro west feeling of my generation of Iranians (I am 29) and make them suspicious. Please read about their alliance with Saddam, their camp in Iraq and the truly horrendous ideological tyranny that was and is the atmosphere there. It borders Orwell's 1984.

Instead help the Iranian population, democratic secular opposition forces, monarchist and republican alike. We are your best allies to get rid of these criminal mullahs for a future of free Iran.
Thanks
One Iranian friend.

Mehrdad

WELL DONE MELANIE!! I am very sad to see that there are still Iranians who don't want to pull out their head out of the sand! Just putting marks on a legimate resistance is easy.. But go ask them what have they done to get rid of these injustice in Iran? What about the 120.000 supporters of PMOI that have been killed? If fighting with the regime of Iran is a terrorist crime then I'm a terrorist as well! According to UN Resolutions you are ALLOWED to fight against a dictatoral regime if they are supressing the people! Unfortunatly the world now sees freedom fighting as a terrorist act only because these Islamic fundamentalists have misused and abused all the rights of "freedom fighting"!