HomeARTICLESThe PMOI's unbroken struggle for a free Iran
ARTICLES

The PMOI’s unbroken struggle for a free Iran

By Matin Karim
Resistance Units commemorate PMOI founders
Resistance Units commemorate PMOI founders

May 25th marks a solemn yet inspiring anniversary in the history of the Iranian people’s struggle for liberty: the day the founders of the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) were martyred. Mohammad Hanifnejad, Saeed Mohsen, and Asghar Badizadegan, alongside PMOI Central Committee members Mahmoud Asgarizadeh and Rasoul Meshkinfam, were executed by firing squad on May 25, 1972, under the orders of the Shah.

This pivotal event, far from extinguishing the flame of resistance, ignited a legacy that continues to burn brightly, embodied today by the courageous actions of PMOI Resistance Units across Iran, steadfastly challenging the ruling clerical dictatorship.

The founders’ vision: A revolution in thought and action

Mohammad Hanifnejad, a principal founder of the PMOI, was a revolutionary visionary. At a time when the Shah’s regime had quashed all avenues for political reform and religious fundamentalism sought to distort true faith, Hanifnejad forged a new path. He astutely identified that the fundamental societal division was not between believers and non-believers, as the mullahs claimed, but “between the oppressor and the oppressed.” This profound understanding united all freedom-loving Iranians in a common cause to dismantle the Shah’s despotic rule.

Hanifnejad was instrumental in establishing “professional struggle as a scientific and organized effort,” laying the groundwork for an organization that swiftly became the genuine hope for a liberated Iran. The founders’ commitment was absolute.

Facing brutal torture by SAVAK, the Shah’s notorious secret police, they were offered their lives in exchange for renouncing their struggle. They steadfastly refused. Hanifnejad, Mohsen, and Badizadegan, along with their comrades, chose martyrdom over surrender, embodying the principle of selfless sacrifice. Their unwavering stance in 1972, when the PMOI was still a nascent organization, ensured the movement’s survival and cemented the guiding principle that resonates to this day: “No Shah, No Mullahs.”

Resistance units today: Embodying the founders’ spirit

Fifty-three years later, the spirit of Hanifnejad and his fellow martyrs is unmistakably alive in the actions of PMOI Resistance Units across Iran. On the anniversary of their execution, these courageous units undertook over one hundred acts of defiance in cities throughout the nation, including Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, Kermanshah, and many others. Their message was clear, emblazoned on placards, banners, and city walls: a resounding rejection of tyranny.

Slogans such as “May 25th is the day for Mojahedin and Resistance Units to renew their pledge to fight until the end to overthrow the evil clerical regime,” “Death to Khamenei, Viva Rajavi,” “The only path to liberation is resistance and overthrow,” and the enduring “Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the Leader (Khamenei)” echoed the founders’ uncompromising stance.

In a poignant tribute, images of Mohammad Hanifnejad were projected onto tall buildings in his birthplace, Tabriz, as well as in Tehran and other locations, bringing his luminous image before the eyes of the Iranian people. Resistance Units also paid homage by laying flowers on the graves of the founders, renewing their commitment to relentless struggle until the liberation of Iran.

Their activities also included quotes from Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), who described the PMOI founders as three great men of contemporary Iranian history who founded the Mojahedin Organization in rebellion against obsolescence and deadlock and to create a new world.

These contemporary acts of resistance are a direct continuation of the path forged by the PMOI’s founders.

A continuous struggle: 60 years against dictatorship

The PMOI’s journey is one of an “unrelenting 60-year battle” against the dictatorships of both the Shah and the mullahs, a struggle characterized by “boundless sacrifice and a flowing river of martyrs.”

This enduring spirit of resistance also resonates globally. On this anniversary, Iranians and supporters of the resistance held demonstrations in major cities worldwide, including Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Vancouver, under banners proclaiming, “No to the dictatorship of the Shah and the mullahs” and “Towards a democratic republic in a free Iran.” These international rallies, often accompanied by exhibitions depicting the martyrs of freedom, amplify the voice of the Iranian people and their organized resistance.

The inevitable victory of freedom

The martyrdom of Mohammad Hanifnejad and his comrades was not an end but a beginning. Their sacrifice planted the seeds of a resilient movement that has weathered immense storms and grown stronger, now deeply rooted across Iran and supported globally. Less than seven years after its founding, the PMOI lost its founders, yet five decades later, the organization is more formidable than ever.

The unwavering bravery of today’s Resistance Units, inspired by the indomitable spirit of Hanifnejad—who, on the eve of his execution, called out to his torturers, “I am ready! Why don’t you take me?”—is a powerful testament to the Iranian people’s unyielding quest for liberty.

The actions of the Resistance Units affirm that the sacrifices made by the PMOI founders and all subsequent martyrs continue to fuel the march towards the “spring of freedom and the democratic revolution,” a victory that is inevitable for the Iranian people.

Previous article
PMOI Resistance Units in Zahedan: Resistance against oppression is a legitimate right
Next article
Regime corruption fuels public fury in Iran, paving way for uprising and overthrow
Matin Karim
RELATED ARTICLES

Selected

Latest News and Articles