Opposition should start emulating the MEK instead of constantly denouncing them
I've noticed Persians constantly criticise this group without analysing the good and bad. Objectively speaking they've been the most organised resistance group against the Islamic Republic and the only group with a proven track record of having taken out multiple senior leaders of the Islamic Republic, including almost assassinating Ali Khamenei (and leaving him permanently disabled). The number of high ranking ayatollahs and IR officials assassinated by the MEK is staggering. They are also the only resistance group to have raised an army and participated in war, including Operation Forty Stars where they defeated the Islamic Republic's army and took over territory.
I dislike the MEK's ideology. I'm not a Marxist, Muslim, anti-imperialist and I'm generally opposed to Iranians siding with Iraq against Iran during the Iran-Iraq War, but surely there are lessons to be learned from them?
In recent months I'm becoming sceptical of protests being an effective way to bring about solid change (particularly regime change) because the costs seem to be too high when faced with a regime that will massacre everyone. My take away from reading about the revolution is the Islamists won only through sheer violence: burning down cinemas like Rex, throwing acid in women's faces, killing random Baha'is, assassinating celebrities like Fereydoun Farrokhzad.
If they are using their mosques to encourage violence against civilians and Islamist private citizens film themselves attacking women for their clothing (like in a recent viral video in Amol), then there should be consequences and people should take note of MEK's past successes and how Islamists won in 1979.
Posted Aug 12, 2026, 3:28 AM UTC