A look at a multitude of the crises the organization ran into following its declare of armed warfare after the initiation of the Islamic Republic in Iran well explain that the organization’s resort to ideological shift was the last option to surmount crises and guarantee the organization’s survival.
The ideological marriage of Maryam and Massoud [1984] and intra-organizational obligatory divorces [1988] constitute the strategic hallmarks of the ideological revolution within Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization [MKO] or the Mojahedin Cult as notoriously entitled.
Mojahedin’s early ideological series of pamphlets, especially Takamol (Evolution) and Shenakht (Epistemology) that were designed to translate their general aspirations into a more systematic world-outlook and the pamphlet Rah-e anbiya rah-e bashar (The way of the prophets, the way of humanity) which was much a philosophical and historical work, absolutely asserted the armed and violent strategy in the curse of campaign.
The details given by Shahsavandi well assert that the theatricalised ideological revolution was a plot for Rajavi’s hegemony that transformed a political group into a destructive cult of personality. The organization follows no logic in its relation with the insiders and the outsiders and the session 125 of the interview examines the group’s undemocratic practices with Rajavi …
the organisation calls all of its previous members, critics and who were showing some kind of opposition towards the group as the Iranian regime’s agents and members of secret police of Iran. Such allegations are made at a time when the organization is posturing as the most democratic Iranian opposition in exile.
Massoud Rajavi’s meeting with Iraq’s Foreign Minister, Tariq Aziz, on 9 January 1983 in France would develop into a strategic alliance entwining the destiny of both Mojahedi Khalq and Saddam together. The meeting opened a new chapter in Mojahedin’s history. The meeting was in fact the product of accepting defeat in urban guerrilla warfare favored by Mojahedin as an effective tactic. Although Mojahedin had anticipated that the meeting would bring about inevitable consequences,…
Alan was 14 years old when she was brought to Camp Ashraf to visit her parents who were members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization. She had been sent to Europe after the so-called ideological revolution in the MKO/MEK/PMOI that forced couples to divorce and eventually to leave their children.
MKO is referred to as a cult 88 times in this report. It is stated in the report ‘an examination of MKO activities establishes its cultic practices and its deceptive recruitment and public relations strategies.’ Elsewhere in the same document it is stated: ‘Rajavi instituted what he termed an “ideological revolution” in 1985, which, over time, imbued the MKO with many of the typical characteristics of a cult, such as authoritarian control, confiscation of assets, sexual control (including mandatory divorce and celibacy),
MKO inaugurated the ideological revolution to introduce a charismatic authoritarian leader to exert control over every aspect of his adherents’ life and to establishing a totalitarian pyramidal structure where the chosen devoted commanders would act as the leader’s deputies in his absence. But the leader needed certain facilities to implement the newly devised mind control. The most important prerequisite was of course a remote place isolated….
Defectors speak of a Marxist-Islamist cult centred for 40 years on its leaders; husband and wife team Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. US government-funded think tank RAND Corporation, which produces analysis for the armed forces, listed the group’s cult-like characteristics in a 2009 report.”(Massoud) Rajavi instituted what he termed an ‘ideological revolution’ in 1985, which, over time, imbued the MEK with many of the typical characteristics of a cult,..