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Mujahedeen Khalq

Mujahedeen Khalq

1 9.9
An armed Iranian group that opposes the government and was based in Iraq
  • proper noun
  • /muːdʒəˈhiːdən kɑːlq/
  • NSFW
: Mujahedeen Khalq
  • Many members of the Mujahedeen Khalq were evacuated from their camp in Iraq in recent years.

Examples

  • Throughout the 1980s, the Mujahedeen Khalq conducted military operations aimed at overthrowing the Iranian government.

  • The Mujahedeen Khalq has been involved in various conflicts with the Iranian government.

  • The international community has had differing views on the status of the Mujahedeen Khalq.

  • The Mujahedeen Khalq has been a significant force in Iranian politics.

  • Many members of the Mujahedeen Khalq were exiled in Iraq.

  • The Mujahedeen Khalq continues to organize protests against the Iranian regime from their new base.

  • The Mujahedeen Khalq has received both support and condemnation from various international actors over the years.

Synonyms

MEK
vsMujahedeen Khalq
7 9.9

A political group from Iran that opposes the government and uses violence

focuses on resistance activities and past base in Iraq instead of ideology
MKO
vsMujahedeen Khalq
1 9.9

An Iranian political group that uses violence and is called a terrorist group by some countries

offers a neutral description of resistance and past presence in Iraq
People's Mujahedin of Iran
vsMujahedeen Khalq
1 9.9

An Iranian political group from the 1960s that mixed Marxist and Islamic ideas and used violence

focuses on armed opposition and former base in Iraq rather than ideology
Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization
vsMujahedeen Khalq
  • NSFW
9.9

An Iranian political group that mixes left-wing and Islamic ideas and some countries call it a terrorist group

describes a militant opposition group emphasising former base in Iraq not legal status

Surface Forms

Morphology

mujahedeen + Khalq

While the components 'mujahedeen' (fighters) and 'Khalq' could lead a learner who knows both words to infer a general meaning of 'people's fighters' or a militant group, the expression is a proper name referring to a specific Iranian opposition organisation with political and historical details that cannot be derived from the parts. Because the name yields a partial, generalizable sense but not the full, specific referent or political nuances, it is only partially predictable for B1 learners.

Etymology

Mujahedeen Khalq combines two words: Mujahedeen, meaning 'fighters' or 'those who struggle', and Khalq, a Persian word for 'the people'. So the name creates the image of 'the people's fighters', which explains why the group chose that label.