Mojahed (newspaper)
Persian-English political publication (1979–1981)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mojahed (Persian: مجاهد, romanized: Mujāhid, lit. 'The [holy] warrior') is the official newspaper of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), first printed in 1979 on a weekly basis. The newspaper published its last issue inside Iran on 30 June 1981 and after a hiatus resumed publication in exile on 2 December 1982.
Mujahed (newspaper) - year 1980 | |
| Type | Weekly |
|---|---|
| Format | Tabloid |
| Launched | 23 July 1979 |
Ceased publication | 30 June 1981 |
| Relaunched | 2 December 1982 |
Political alignment | People's Mujahedin of Iran |
| Language |
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| Country | Iran |
Sister newspapers | |
| OCLC number | 52053082 |
Free online archives |
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History
Mojahed staff spent months to prepare for launching it, before it was first published in late July 1979.[3] The paper was used to publicize the MEK's political campaigns and programs.[4] While trying to suppress the MEK, the Iranian regime banned the Mojahed on 2 November 1980 on orders of the Chief Prosecutor who said the paper was "spreading slanderous lies". However, it continued to print via clandestine printing press and was distributed underground.[5] According to Dilip Hiro, the newspaper sold about 30,000 copies by mid-1981.[6] Ervand Abrahamian said that Mojahed's circulation had surpassed Jomhouri-e Eslami of the Islamic Republican Party and reached 500,000 around the same time.[7]
After exile, the MEK established printing presses both in Europe and North America and in December 1982, the newspaper reappeared.[8] In 1983, Mojahed became available throughout an international network in several capitals and in some issues contained over seventy newsprint pages.[1] Members of the MEK were encouraged to read the publication in their spare time.[9] As of 2000, the newspaper continued publication for the MEK's cadre.[10]
In June 2003, French police raided the MEK in France and also banned publications of the Mojahed.[11] Group members denied any wrongdoing and accused French intelligence of working with the Iranian government to tarnish the group.[12]
Content
Ervand Abrahamian said that the MEK used the Mojahed paper to move "the issue of democracy to centre stage" and to accuse the Iranian regime, which it described as a "dictatorship of mullahs", of "betraying the Islamic Revolution".[13]
Anthony Hyman identified the newspaper as being "devoted to the personality cult of Masud Rajavi, the leader of this authoritarian party".[14]
