The MeK is a secular alternative -- they deserve our benign support at least
Reader comment on item: Washington Puzzles over the Mujahedeen-e Khalq
in response to reader comment: Regarding Mujahideen-e Khalq

Submitted by Charles Martel (United States), Aug 13, 2009 at 11:20

I'm sure the MeK have numerous faults, but even if they are 90% communist (probably an exaggeration but I don't know) I would rather have a Communist Iran than a Moslem Iran.

My guess is they are a Persian counterpart to Baathists or FLN or Fatah or Nasserists -- secular nationalists who believe in socialism and scorn Islam but have to accept it is part of their constituents' values. (I would invite Daniel's brief comment on that -- I admit I don't know.)

During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, I was puzzled by India's lack of cooperation with the US, but an Indian official said "We would rather have a Communist government in Kabul than a Moslem one." Even at that time, I was struck by the potential wisdom of that position -- and I now wholeheartedly embrace it with the Soviets gone.

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