Matin Research Journal

Matin Research Journal

An Analytical Model of Confronting Opponents in the Islamic Republic with an Emphasis on Imam Khomeini’s Approach toward the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO)

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Mahdi Naderi
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Shiraz University, Iran.
10.22034/matin.2025.531833.2374
Abstract
The present study aims to formulate an analytical framework for explaining the behavioral pattern of the Islamic Republic of Iran in confronting opposition groups, with a focus on the case study of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO). Employing a descriptive-analytical method and relying on library-based sources, this research examines the evolution of the organization's behavior from the stage of political opposition to the Pahlavi regime to its transition into armed activism and confrontation with the Islamic Republic. The main objective is to elucidate the jurisprudential-political logic governing the Islamic Republic's approachــparticularly during Imam Khomeini's leadershipــtoward these developments.
The behavioral trajectory of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization can be categorized into three distinct periods: the first period involves struggle and opposition against the Pahlavi regime during the pre-revolutionary era; the second period encompasses opposition to the Islamic Republic from 1978 to 1981; and the third period consists of armed confrontation with the Islamic Republic from 1981 to the present.
The findings indicate that: First, Imam Khomeini's approach toward this organization, grounded in Shi'a political jurisprudence, the Prophetic and Alawite tradition (Sirah), and the sociology of political behavior, was gradual and aligned with the organization's strategic transformations. Second, the Islamic Republic's initial engagement with the organization as an unarmed opposition group was based on tolerance, counsel, and intellectual guidance; however, as the organization transitioned to organized violence and collaboration with the Ba'athist regime in Iraq, the Islamic Republic's policy shifted to legitimate coercive measures, justified under the juridical rulings of Moharebeh (waging war against God and society) and Baghī (insurrection against a legitimate ruler). Third, the Islamic Republic's action against this organization is not only defensible within the framework of Islamic legal and rational principles but also serves as a theoretical-practical model that can be reproduced in confronting other opposition groups.
Keywords
Islamic Republic
Mojahedin-e-Khalq
Political Opposition
Armed Insurgency
Political Jurisprudence
Imam Khomeini
Moharebeh
Baghi
Subjects
 
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