{"id":333741,"date":"2025-07-03T13:50:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T12:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=333741"},"modified":"2025-09-18T14:39:53","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T13:39:53","slug":"response-to-michael-rubin-why-irans-future-lies-with-resistance-not-royal-nostalgia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/demonizing-mek\/response-to-michael-rubin-why-irans-future-lies-with-resistance-not-royal-nostalgia\/","title":{"rendered":"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_333743\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-333743\" style=\"width: 1000px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-333743 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg\" alt=\"Supporters of the Iranian Resistance in the United States held a rally in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2025\" width=\"1000\" height=\"565\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383-768x434.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383-743x420.jpg 743w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383-150x85.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383-696x393.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-333743\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Supporters of the Iranian Resistance in the United States held a rally in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"108\" data-end=\"683\">In a powerful rebuttal to Michael Rubin\u2019s recent critique of the <a href=\"https:\/\/english.mojahedin.org\/about-the-peoples-mojahedin-organization-of-iran-pmoi-mek\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">People&#8217;s Mojahedin Organization<\/a> (PMOI\/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Ali Safavi exposes the glaring contradictions, omissions, and ideological bias behind Rubin\u2019s arguments. Safavi highlights Rubin\u2019s dismissal of MEK\u2019s response to the Israel-Iran conflict as baseless, pointing to Maryam <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maryam-rajavi.com\/en\/conference-european-parliament-strasbourg-the-outcome-of-appeasing-the-regime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rajavi\u2019s June 18 address<\/a> to the European Parliament, where she reiterated the NCRI\u2019s long-standing \u201cthird option\u201d: regime change by the Iranian people themselves\u2014not war or appeasement.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"685\" data-end=\"1192\">The article dismantles Rubin\u2019s selective narrative that praises Reza Pahlavi despite acknowledging his political irrelevance and lack of leadership. In contrast, the NCRI and MEK, with a 60-year history of resistance and over 100,000 martyrs, have demonstrated concrete commitment, structure, and international support. Safavi defends the MEK against decades-old propaganda\u2014refuted by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.delistmek.com\/court-rulings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">international courts<\/a>\u2014and underscores its proven intelligence track record, including exposing Iran\u2019s secret nuclear sites.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"1194\" data-end=\"1532\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">Rubin\u2019s attacks, Safavi argues, reflect a preference for illusion over action. As Iranians reject both monarchy and theocracy, the NCRI and MEK stand as the only organized, democratic alternative. In a dictatorship where polling is impossible, the regime\u2019s violent obsession with crushing the MEK speaks louder than any survey ever could.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-start=\"1194\" data-end=\"1532\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"><strong>Originally published on <a href=\"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ali Safavi\u2019s Substack<\/a> on July 2, 2025; the following is a republished version:<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">My latest rebuttal: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a>&#39;s Influence Operation &amp; Michael Rubin&#39;s MEK Obsession. <br \/>&quot;Whenever Iran\u2019s ruling theocracy faces challenges, Rubin serenades us with his go-to tune \u2013 vilifying Iran&#39;s primary opposition, the Mujahedin-e-Khalq. His dogged commitment to parroting the\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/fl2BL9Ufaf\">pic.twitter.com\/fl2BL9Ufaf<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ali Safavi (@amsafavi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amsafavi\/status\/1709586773532196937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 4, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h1 class=\"post-title published\" style=\"text-align: center;\">Analysis or Propaganda? A Response to a Deliberate Distortion<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Michael Rubin\u2019s rush to judgment in his latest tirade against the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) is not only premature\u2014it is riddled with contradictions, historical omissions, and political and ideological bias. It disregards both the strategic clarity laid out by NCRI President-elect\u00a0<strong>Maryam Rajavi<\/strong>\u00a0and the enduring, proven leadership of the organized Iranian resistance. Rubin\u2019s pathetic and futile attempt to discredit the MEK while lionizing a nostalgic but irrelevant son of a deposed and detested dictator is less analysis and more political theater.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rubin accuses the MEK of responding with \u201ccrickets\u201d to the recent Israel-Iran conflict, claiming they issued only \u201cpro-forma statements.\u201d Yet had he waited just days, he would have witnessed\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ajraRlsgPAg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow ugc noopener\">Maryam Rajavi\u2019s<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0compelling address to the\u00a0<strong>European Parliament<\/strong>\u00a0on\u00a0<strong>June 18, 2025<\/strong>, where she declared:\u00a0<em>\u201cThe Iranian problem, in its entirety, goes far beyond the regime\u2019s nuclear program. At its core, the issue of Iran is the fundamental conflict between the Iranian people and their resistance on one side, and the religious dictatorship on the other. The only viable solution remains the overthrow of this regime by the people of Iran and the Iranian Resistance.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Michael Rubin Rubik\u2019s Cube: Parroting <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Iran?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Iran<\/a> Mullahs  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tKycYPH6Gq\">https:\/\/t.co\/tKycYPH6Gq<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/m4Jw0qWCeX\">pic.twitter.com\/m4Jw0qWCeX<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ali Safavi (@amsafavi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amsafavi\/status\/1774388128016486813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 31, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This was not silence. It was strategy. Rajavi\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.maryam-rajavi.com\/en\/conference-european-parliament-strasbourg-the-outcome-of-appeasing-the-regime\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow ugc noopener\">reaffirmed<\/a>\u00a0the movement\u2019s longstanding\u00a0<strong>\u201cthird option\u201d<\/strong>:\u00a0<em>neither war nor appeasement, but regime change by the Iranian people and their organized resistance<\/em>. Meanwhile, the MEK\u2019s\u00a0<strong>Resistance Units<\/strong>\u00a0inside Iran have carried out over\u00a0<strong>3,000 acts of defiance<\/strong>\u00a0in the past year alone\u2014risking their lives to challenge the regime at its core. Rubin simply omits this because it doesn\u2019t fit his narrative.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even more striking is Rubin\u2019s contradictory portrayal of\u00a0<strong>Reza Pahlavi<\/strong>. In his anti-MEK rant, Rubin showers him with praise as Iran\u2019s most promising opposition figure. Yet just days later, he laments that Pahlavi\u2019s passivity, lack of organizational discipline, and fear of failure risk rendering him\u00a0<strong>permanently irrelevant<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><em>\u201cIf he makes a move and Iranians do not rally to him, his power and relevance dissipate immediately and permanently.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">This cognitive dissonance reveals Rubin\u2019s real motive: no matter how inconsequential Pahlavi may be, Rubin still prefers him over the one force with structure, vision, and actual sacrifice. But\u00a0<strong>soundbites do not make a leader<\/strong>. Symbolism is no substitute for service. Perception does replace reality. Pahlavi\u2019s opportunistic remarks\u2014typically timed to coincide with uprisings or foreign crises\u2014have been\u00a0<strong>ignored by the Iranian people<\/strong>\u00a0not out of ignorance, but because they recognize them for what they are: empty gestures from someone who has never shared their struggle, nor has he done anything concrete to fight the ruling theocracy.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">My latest commentary: &quot;Examine Michael Rubin\u2019s Motives.&quot;  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/q6eKN9c9vn\">https:\/\/t.co\/q6eKN9c9vn<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/IranRevolution2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IranRevolution2023<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BlacklistIRGC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#BlacklistIRGC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/%D9%85%D8%B1%DA%AF_%D8%A8%D8%B1_%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%DA%AF%D8%B1_%DA%86%D9%87_%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D9%87_%DA%86%D9%87_%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#\u0645\u0631\u06af_\u0628\u0631_\u0633\u062a\u0645\u06af\u0631_\u0686\u0647_\u0634\u0627\u0647_\u0628\u0627\u0634\u0647_\u0686\u0647_\u0631\u0647\u0628\u0631<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ali Safavi (@amsafavi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amsafavi\/status\/1623307538044272640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 8, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Leadership requires more than rhetoric.<\/strong>\u00a0It requires taking risks, enduring hardship, and making sacrifices. The NCRI has demonstrated those qualities for over four decades. And the MEK for sixty years. They have paid a staggering price:\u00a0<strong>more than 100,000 martyrs<\/strong>, including\u00a0<strong>30,000 political prisoners massacred in 1988<\/strong>, most of them MEK members. These were not accidental casualties\u2014they were executed for refusing to renounce their ideals. That kind of sacrifice cannot be mimicked in exile, nor can it be replaced by royal nostalgia.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rubin claims the MEK allied with Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war but fails to mention that this was Khomeini\u2019s war\u2014a conflict he deliberately prolonged to consolidate his grip on power. The MEK relocated to Iraq in 1986, a full six years after the war began. By then, Khomeini had rejected repeated ceasefire offers, sacrificing over a million lives and inflicting billions of dollars in economic devastation on Iran. The MEK\u2019s move was not out of allegiance to Saddam, but born of necessity\u2014to halt the bloodshed, bring peace, and continue their resistance against a regime that had eliminated all political space. It was also a strategic decision to undermine and ultimately destroy Khomeini\u2019s war machine\u2014the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)\u2014the principal instrument of his domestic tyranny and regional aggression. The MEK\u2019s resistance played a pivotal role in forcing Khomeini, as he bitterly admitted, to \u2018drink the chalice of poison\u2019 and accept the ceasefire\u2014a humiliating retreat that marked a turning point in his regime\u2019s narrative of divine invincibility.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Meanwhile, Rubin fails to mention that\u00a0<strong>Reza Pahlavi has never condemned the atrocities of his father\u2019s regime<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>much less the SAVAK, his notorious secret police<\/strong>, which was responsible for the\u00a0<strong>torture and execution of hundreds of political prisoners<\/strong>. In fact,\u00a0<strong>SAVAK\u2019s flag and the head of its Third Directorate are now a regular feature at his supporter\u2019s sparsely attended rallies<\/strong>, as are former regime functionaries who continue to glorify that dark chapter of Iran\u2019s history. This silence and symbolism alienate ordinary Iranians who still bear the scars of the Shah\u2019s repression.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The Reason Behind Michael Rubin\u2019s False Flag Operation Against the MEK\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2nSIcikPLO\">https:\/\/t.co\/2nSIcikPLO<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/IranRevolution2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IranRevolution2023<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/No2ShahNo2Mullahs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#No2ShahNo2Mullahs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ali Safavi (@amsafavi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amsafavi\/status\/1639017223292350466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 23, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rubin recycles discredited propaganda about the MEK being a \u201ccult,\u201d echoing the talking points of both the Shah\u2019s regime and the Islamic Republic. These claims have been\u00a0<strong>systematically rejected by U.S., UK, and EU courts<\/strong>, which all ruled that there was no legal basis to list the MEK as a terrorist group. Meanwhile, the MEK\u2019s intelligence work, including 133 nuclear revelations, have consistently proven accurate\u2014most notably their\u00a0<strong>2002 revelation of the Natanz nuclear site<\/strong>, which was later confirmed by the IAEA and changed the trajectory of international diplomacy on Iran\u2019s nuclear ambitions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rubin claims the MEK lacks popular support but cites no credible evidence\u2014because there is none. Iran is a dictatorship where independent polling is impossible. What we can measure, however, is the regime\u2019s reaction:\u00a0<strong>daily propaganda attacks<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>priority crackdowns<\/strong>\u00a0on Resistance Units, and\u00a0<strong>mass arrests<\/strong>\u00a0of MEK sympathizers. That is not how a regime treats an irrelevant group. Meanwhile,\u00a0<strong>Maryam Rajavi\u2019s 10-point Plan<\/strong>\u00a0for a democratic, secular, non-nuclear Iran has won the endorsement of\u00a0<strong>225 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, 4,000 lawmakers in 50 countries, including majorities in 34 national legislatures, and 137 former world leaders<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">These are not symbolic endorsements. They are evidence of a growing international consensus around the NCRI as the only viable, organized, democratic alternative to both the mullahs and the monarchy.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Rubin derides the MEK\u2019s international gatherings as extravagant yet fails to grasp their significance. These are\u00a0<strong>not vanity events<\/strong>; they are strategic summits, attended by bipartisan political leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. Like every successful resistance movement\u2014from the ANC to Solidarity\u2014MEK understands that international legitimacy matters. Their gatherings are a lifeline for Iran\u2019s internal resistance and a message to the regime: your days are numbered.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">My latest commentary: &quot;An Answer to Michael Rubin&#39;s Threadbare Ruse.&quot;     <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0egQaxU8AB\">https:\/\/t.co\/0egQaxU8AB<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/IranRevolution2023?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#IranRevolution2023<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/%D9%85%D8%B1%DA%AF_%D8%A8%D8%B1_%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%85%DA%AF%D8%B1_%DA%86%D9%87_%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D9%87_%DA%86%D9%87_%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#\u0645\u0631\u06af_\u0628\u0631_\u0633\u062a\u0645\u06af\u0631_\u0686\u0647_\u0634\u0627\u0647_\u0628\u0627\u0634\u0647_\u0686\u0647_\u0631\u0647\u0628\u0631<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Ali Safavi (@amsafavi) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/amsafavi\/status\/1617761416391569409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 24, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In the end, Rubin\u2019s critique is not an argument\u2014it\u2019s a preference. He prefers an irrelevant prince over an organized resistance. He prefers nostalgia over strategy. He prefers the illusion of unity over the hard work of building it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">But the Iranian people aren\u2019t waiting for a monarch to return. For them the turban and the robe are the flip side of the throne and the cloak. They are rising, resisting, and organizing. And it is the\u00a0<strong>MEK and the NCRI<\/strong>\u00a0who have stood with them\u2014in blood, in sacrifice, and in vision.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Iranian people don\u2019t need a knight on a white horse. They need a future. And that future belongs to the resistance they are building\u2014one protest, one sacrifice, one step at a time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a powerful rebuttal to Michael Rubin&rsquo;s recent critique of the People&rsquo;s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI\/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), Ali Safavi exposes the glaring contradictions, [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":333743,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[845,5493],"tags":[218],"class_list":{"0":"post-333741","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-demonizing-mek","8":"category-demonization-articles-analyses","9":"tag-demonizing-mek"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia - NCRI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In a powerful rebuttal to Michael Rubin\u2019s recent critique of the People&#039;s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI\/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia - NCRI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In a powerful rebuttal to Michael Rubin\u2019s recent critique of the People&#039;s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI\/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NCRI\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-03T12:50:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-09-18T13:39:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"565\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mohammad Sadat Khansari\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@iran_policy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@iran_policy\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mohammad Sadat Khansari\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/demonizing-mek\\\/response-to-michael-rubin-why-irans-future-lies-with-resistance-not-royal-nostalgia\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mohammad Sadat Khansari\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/09e4bb7b973471851e0269ea78be0f5b\"},\"headline\":\"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-03T12:50:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-18T13:39:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/demonizing-mek\\\/response-to-michael-rubin-why-irans-future-lies-with-resistance-not-royal-nostalgia\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1508,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Demonizing MEK\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Demonizing MEK-News and Articles\",\"Demonization \u2013 Articles &amp; Analyses\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/news\\\/iran-resistance\\\/demonizing-mek\\\/response-to-michael-rubin-why-irans-future-lies-with-resistance-not-royal-nostalgia\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response\",\"name\":\"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia - NCRI\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-07-03T12:50:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-09-18T13:39:53+00:00\",\"description\":\"In a powerful rebuttal to Michael Rubin\u2019s recent critique of the People's Mojahedin Organization (PMOI\\\/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg\",\"width\":1000,\"height\":565,\"caption\":\"Supporters of the Iranian Resistance in the United States held a rally in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2025\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/alisafavi.substack.com\\\/p\\\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"NCRI\",\"description\":\"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\",\"alternateName\":\"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/ncri-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/01\\\/ncri-logo.jpg\",\"width\":402,\"height\":100,\"caption\":\"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/iran_policy\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/09e4bb7b973471851e0269ea78be0f5b\",\"name\":\"Mohammad Sadat Khansari\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fe76c8fbf8188fd72f6f998f34cf7237f9217ef2e0515879bed62aada2e118ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fe76c8fbf8188fd72f6f998f34cf7237f9217ef2e0515879bed62aada2e118ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fe76c8fbf8188fd72f6f998f34cf7237f9217ef2e0515879bed62aada2e118ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Mohammad Sadat Khansari\"},\"description\":\"Mohammad Sadat Khansari is a political analyst, human rights analyst, and writer. He is also a member of the NCRI\u2019s Foreign Affairs Committee\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.ncr-iran.org\\\/en\\\/author\\\/sadatkhansari\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia - NCRI","description":"In a powerful rebuttal to Michael Rubin\u2019s recent critique of the People's Mojahedin Organization (PMOI\/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia - NCRI","og_description":"In a powerful rebuttal to Michael Rubin\u2019s recent critique of the People's Mojahedin Organization (PMOI\/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran","og_url":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response","og_site_name":"NCRI","article_published_time":"2025-07-03T12:50:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-09-18T13:39:53+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1000,"height":565,"url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Mohammad Sadat Khansari","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@iran_policy","twitter_site":"@iran_policy","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Mohammad Sadat Khansari","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/demonizing-mek\/response-to-michael-rubin-why-irans-future-lies-with-resistance-not-royal-nostalgia\/"},"author":{"name":"Mohammad Sadat Khansari","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/09e4bb7b973471851e0269ea78be0f5b"},"headline":"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia","datePublished":"2025-07-03T12:50:10+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-18T13:39:53+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/demonizing-mek\/response-to-michael-rubin-why-irans-future-lies-with-resistance-not-royal-nostalgia\/"},"wordCount":1508,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg","keywords":["Demonizing MEK"],"articleSection":["Demonizing MEK-News and Articles","Demonization \u2013 Articles &amp; Analyses"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-resistance\/demonizing-mek\/response-to-michael-rubin-why-irans-future-lies-with-resistance-not-royal-nostalgia\/","url":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response","name":"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia - NCRI","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-03T12:50:10+00:00","dateModified":"2025-09-18T13:39:53+00:00","description":"In a powerful rebuttal to Michael Rubin\u2019s recent critique of the People's Mojahedin Organization (PMOI\/MEK) and the National Council of Resistance of Iran","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/washington-ncri-rally-e1751547000383.jpg","width":1000,"height":565,"caption":"Supporters of the Iranian Resistance in the United States held a rally in Washington, D.C., on March 8, 2025"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/alisafavi.substack.com\/p\/analysis-or-propaganda-a-response#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Response to Michael Rubin: Why Iran\u2019s Future Lies with Resistance, Not Royal Nostalgia"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/","name":"NCRI","description":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#organization","name":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","alternateName":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ncri-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/ncri-logo.jpg","width":402,"height":100,"caption":"Official website of the National Council of Resistance of Iran"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/iran_policy"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/09e4bb7b973471851e0269ea78be0f5b","name":"Mohammad Sadat Khansari","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe76c8fbf8188fd72f6f998f34cf7237f9217ef2e0515879bed62aada2e118ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe76c8fbf8188fd72f6f998f34cf7237f9217ef2e0515879bed62aada2e118ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe76c8fbf8188fd72f6f998f34cf7237f9217ef2e0515879bed62aada2e118ef?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Mohammad Sadat Khansari"},"description":"Mohammad Sadat Khansari is a political analyst, human rights analyst, and writer. He is also a member of the NCRI\u2019s Foreign Affairs Committee","url":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/author\/sadatkhansari\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=333741"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/333741\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/333743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=333741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=333741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=333741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}