{"id":323922,"date":"2024-09-09T15:51:28","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T14:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=323922"},"modified":"2025-09-16T15:47:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T14:47:52","slug":"iranian-regimes-cycle-of-dehumanization-annihilation-and-once-more-demonization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/demonization-articles-analyses\/iranian-regimes-cycle-of-dehumanization-annihilation-and-once-more-demonization\/","title":{"rendered":"Iranian Regime\u2019s Cycle of Dehumanization, Annihilation and Once More Demonization"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Iranian Resistance supporters staged an exhibition in Washington, D.C., calling for a ban on Ebrahim Raisi’s trip to the U.S. for the upcoming UN General Assembly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The campaign against the People\u2019s Mojahedin Organization<\/a> of Iran (PMOI\/MEK), which began in the 1980s, is one of the darkest chapters of the Iranian regime\u2019s history of internal oppression. Before Ruhollah Khomeini issued his official crackdown on the PMOI, he laid the groundwork by launching a widespread demonization effort, framing them as \u201cMonafeqin\u201d<\/em> (hypocrites), a term used to depict them as enemies of true Islam. In Khomeini\u2019s eyes, the PMOI, with its blend of Islamic and pro-democracy ideologies, was a greater threat to his theocratic regime than even “the imperialist powers of the East and West.”<\/p>\n

In the early 1980s, Khomeini began labeling the PMOI as dangerous hypocrites who pretended to be devout Muslims while secretly undermining the Islamic regime. This portrayal worked to dehumanize the movement, preparing the population and the regime\u2019s supporters for the brutal crackdowns that followed. Once this narrative<\/a> was entrenched, it gave legitimacy to the regime\u2019s next steps: the confiscation of PMOI properties, stripping the organization of its assets and resources, and paving the way for the mass executions that were ordered by regime judges.<\/p>\n

The mass repression escalated significantly in 1981 and 1982, with thousands of PMOI members and sympathizers arrested, tortured, and executed in a series of purges. These early massacres were justified by the regime as a necessary measure to root out opposition to the newly established Islamic Republic. By 1986, these crackdowns intensified, as the PMOI was seen as the regime\u2019s most organized and determined enemy, both within Iran and in exile.<\/p>\n

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Joint statement by 45 UN experts & Nobel laureates on Iran's smear campaign against former UN Special Rapporteur @JavaidRehman<\/a><\/p>\n

"We the undersigned stand shoulder to shoulder with Professor Rehman and vigorously denounce the smear campaign against him"<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc49 https:\/\/t.co\/hHi7Q2GCjN<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Vs51Ta0kmU<\/a><\/p>\n

— Justice for the Victims of 1988 Massacre in Iran (@jvmifoundation) September 9, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n