More than two decades ago when Massoud Rajavi informed of the great change and ideological revolution within Mojahedin Khalq Organization /MKO/PMOI/MEK, still believing to be active as a political group, hardly anybody first came to assume that it was actually the beginning of a long path leading the organization into the abyss of internal and external challenges.
The European base of Mujahedin Khalq Organization(PMOI/MEK), near Auver sur Oise. in Cergy-Pontoise province, France, has played various roles as the MKO’s headquarters for its armed struggle against Iran, since its foundation under the confirmation of then French government, following its defeat in the partisan civil clashes, the leaders of the organization fled from Iran and the second phase of civil clashes was ordered and directed by the leader from their European base in France…it’s another version of “Ashraf in Iraq” called as “Maryam in France”.
In the Mujahedin Khalq Organization the hysterectomy surgery is considered as reaching the summit..The people‘s Mujahedin of Iran(PMOI/MKO) does hysterectomy surgeries on women ranks and file and promotes them to the Ideal Summit [total devotion to leader] .They have made 150 women barren so far. ..Some of the women even didn’t have any idea of the operation done on their body since they were told false justifications.
cult leaders unit members and gave them enemies to hate and comrades to love but love towards other members is replaced by hatred and disgust to prevent the formation of dissidence and objection within the cult…Many MKO/PMOI ex-members point out that they had to express their hatred to their relatives, friends and even their parents in order to pass the phases of the ideological revolution of the Mujahedin. The more hatred they showed to outsiders, the more loyal they proved to be to the leader
Absolute pragmatism constitutes one of the main parts of controlling system in MKO or the so called PMOI. It bans any kind of study aiming at improving theoretical political knowledge..Absolute submission to leadership is considered to be one of the inseparable aspects of all political cults and that of Mujahedin. Mojahedin’s theoreticians have focused on such a feature and calling Rajavi the man of ideology within MKO/MEK, point to blind obedience of members as their sole way of salvation.
Of the most common controlling techniques within MKO is that of collective control. Camp Ashraf plays an important role in keeping full all-out control over all members as well as carrying out brainwashing mechanisms. Strengthening security systems within Ashraf to prevent the members’ exit, resistance against transferring Mojahedin to other places and such activities imply the necessity of collective life for Mojahedin
Collective life constitutes one of the most significant stages of human development; however, nowadays some cultist groups misuse it as a favored means through which a variety of controlling techniques such as brainwashing and mental exploitation of their members is accomplished…A kind of discipline is exercised within cults much stronger than that of army, schools, political groups, etc. Such a discipline covers all aspects of cult members’ life such as their mentality, beliefs, sleep, food, leisure time, occupation, emotional relations, blood ties…
Mojahedin-e Khalq organization resorts to brainwashing and controlling techniques as well as engaging in other blameful activities such as training spies in a way different from other political and security systems…We usually strive to reveal in others the blemishes we hide in ourselves. Thus when the frustrated congregate in a mass movement, the air is heavy-laden with suspicion. There is prying and spying, tense watching and a tense awareness of being watched.
Being a cult of personality and susceptible to schism especially after the coupe d’état-like internal ideological revolution, MKO, facing increasing internal challenges, concocted excuses mainly to confront dissidents that could possibly nurture schism….The technique of eliciting confessions was practiced in collective gatherings and the members were forced to admit to their antagonistic and contradictory outlook not only about the leadership but also about other organizational issues
a cult to form a totalitarian society needs to bring about a profound change in members for achieving oneness with cult…Being recognized a cult of personality after its recognition as a terrorist group, Mojahedin Khalq Organization, MKO/MEK/PMOI, has developed its own terminology of cult values to entrap new recruits and to subjugate the already activists.