Membership in the MEK as a cult

Rajavi cult victim set himself alight in Camp Liberty

As preparations get underway to deport all Mojahedin Khalq (MKO, MEK), one Rajavi cult victim set himself alight in Camp Liberty

According to a security official in charge of the protection of Camp Liberty near Baghdad, a Rajavi cult victim set himself alight in Camp Liberty veteran member of the Mojahedin Khalq terrorist organisation (known as the Rajavi cult) set fire to himself at dawn this morning.

The official reported that a man named Shahram Mohseni set fire to himself in protest at dawn today (Sunday), adding that although Mohseni suffered serious burns to his legs and back it had been possible to save his life.

Officials at Camp Liberty report that many MEK members are suffering from mental illness because of the pressures they have been under for the past three decades.

During a visit to Camp Ashraf which was the former base of the MEK, Iraq’s National Security Advisor, Faleh al-Fayad, said that all members of this organisation will be deported and found alternative locations over the next few weeks in coordination with the UN mission in Baghdad.

He emphasised that irrelevant to what the Americans have announced by removing them from their terrorism list, the Government of Iraq continues to regard the MEK as a terrorist and criminal organisation.

Fayad said that the MEK were condemned by the Iraqi people because of their participation in the suppression of the uprising in 1991 in the suppression of the Kurdish uprising in the north of Iraq under the command of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

November 6, 2012 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

MKO looted Iraqi munitions, lands after fall of Saddam

Habilian Foundation (families of Iranian terror victims) caught up with a former member of MEK leadership Council to talk about the terrorist Cult of Rajavi (also known as Mujahedin-e Khalq, MKO looted Iraqi munitions, lands after fall of Saddam MEK, and MKO) and her two decades of experience in the terrorist cult.

In the first part of this serialized interview, Batoul Soltani talks about the way she and her 3-month-old baby were transferred to Iraq and then she further discusses the MKO’s situation in the very first year of their arrival in Iraq. The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Habilian: How the MKO members went to Iraq? Did they use legal ways? Did they have passport and visa or they went to Iraq illegally?

Soltani: In his dream to take power in Iran, Masoud Rajavi aligned with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who was at war with Iran. He left France for Iraq in a bid to overwhelm Iran, and spent exorbitant amounts of cash to draw together his members, opponents, even the addicts and poor people from all walks of life in Iraq.

Having Saddam’s government as his supporter, Rajavi gathered troops in Iraq and in neighboring Iran by forging travel documents and making fake passports with huge sums of money given by Saddam Hussein to help him overthrow Iran and make himself the full owner of Iran’s soil. For instance, I and my husband have been transferred to Iraq by a fake Iraqi passport with names of Zahra and Abrahim.

We did not know then the ominous thoughts of them for us, and we did deem it a right way and thought that we would be able to go to a European country, such as France and to enjoy a free life and well-being. But after our arrival, (Rajavi) took all our (travel) documents and destroyed the bridges behind us in a bid to compel us to remain in Iraq and to follow his organizational orders.

Habilian: How many members were in MKO in the first years of its presence in Iraq? What was the total number of members in the last year of Saddam Hussein’s rule?

Soltani: Rajavi tried to take all the members to Iraq at all costs. The number of members in the great operations was 5000, 1000 of whom were killed in Forough Javidan (Mersad) operation.

In the last year of Saddam’s rule, Rajavi sent a group of members to France along with his third wife, Maryam Rajavi. A bunch of members escaped the Organization, and the remaining members were 3400 in the last year of Saddam’s reign.

Habilian: How was the Organization provided with Camp Ashraf? How the facilities and infrastructure constructed there?

Soltani: After the meeting of Rajavi with Tareq Aziz, the then Iraqi foreign minister, known as Peace Meeting, and in his meeting with Saddam, Masoud Rajavi was gifted with Ashraf Garrison and several other garrisons at Iran-Iraq borders and in the deserts on the frontiers which previously belonged to Saddam’s Army as well as some palaces inside Baghdad.

Ashraf Garrison known as Filq II was smaller than the present, so Rajavi said that he needed bigger land. Thus, Saddam confiscated the surrounding lands and handed them over to Rajavi.

Later, the land which was about 36 square kilometers were laid down barbed wire and tall guard towers were built inside it. Electrical wiring and strong floodlights were installed on the sides of the garrison.

A prison was built inside it and a round-the-clock patrol and security forces made there a big and isolated prison.

Habilian: Did the Organization underwrite the building garrison and providing facilities? How did the Organization fund them?

Soltani: It was seemingly the Organization that underwrote the projects, but they took all the money from Iraqi government en masse. Notably before the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Organization was provided with so much money that immediately after the downfall of Saddam Hussein members of the Organization tried to buy companies in Iraq.

The Organization took out as far as it could the wretched peoples’ assets, so that they could establish foreign investments companies.

Habilian: How did the Iraqi people treat MKO?

Soltani: Since Iraqi Kurds remembered the Organization’s alignment with Saddam’s army in suppression of their uprising, they hated MKO members, and the rest of Iraqi people saw us as the members of (Saddam’s) army and they hated and feared us.

We have been prohibited to have contacts with Iraqi people even at the time of Saddam Hussein.

The Organization tried to replace this hatred and fear to relation and friendship. So, Rajavi ordered large parties to be held and thousands of Iraqi people were invited to dinner or lunch.

He spent very huge amount of money in this way. He even managed to penetrate into Iraqi society by organizing roughly 500 Iraqis with big costs. He established an Iraqi militia, and held Persian language classes inside the Garrison and paid them money.

Habilian: How did the members saw the Iraqi imposed war on Iran and their cooperation with invading forces who assaulted their territory?

Soltani: Masoud Rajavi has spent thousands of hours convincing their presence in Iraq and cooperation with aggressive Saddam. In the first step he tried to pretend that it was Iran who invaded Iraq and he instead described Saddam Hussein as a civilized and good man. He has made an angel in our minds from Saddam who was a demon. Rajavi even white-washed Saddam’s bloody hands in the massacre of Kurds, and said that Kurds are our enemies and (Iranian) regime’s accomplices.

Everything was censored in Rajavi’s Organization and we had no access to media, news, or free world. For example, he said: “we seek peace in order to prevent the killing of people, though, this is Iran which put all of their lives at stake and we want to prevent the war to stop killing people,” thereby he legitimized his collusion with aggressive forces.

Habilian: Did the relationship between the Organization and Iraqi government changed after the Iraq’s defeat in war?

Soltani: In his childish dream and of course with the help of his opportunistic personality, Rajavi attacked Iran after the defeat of Iraq in war with Iran, but he was rewarded with a strong slap in his face by Iranian people and his organization fled Iraq with 1000 casualties.

Then he said that children and wives prevented them from a good combat, so, he dismantled the families like a wolf sending the children to foreign countries and coerced wives to divorce. Thenceforth he himself married them.

He (Rajavi) had arguments with Iraqis too. He vituperated Saddam a lot, saying that his air support was not enough.

On the verge of Saddam’s overthrow, Rajavi took away Iraqi people and government’s properties, so that he got to extend the Camp (Ashraf) to the western (borders) by capturing Iraqi military forces headquarters. They also captured weapons and ammunition left around Iraqi Garrisons, and took them all to Ashraf Garrison claiming that they belonged to himself (Rajavi)!

To be continued.

June 21, 2012 0 comments

The MEK Expulsion from Iraq

Iraq Camp Relocation Problematic For Iran’s MEK

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday warned Iranian exile group Mujahideen-e Khalq, or MEK, to comply with its relocation from Iraq’s Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriya if it hopes to be removed from the United States’ list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

"The United States remains concerned about the situation at Camp Ashraf and urges the residents of Camp Ashraf to resume full cooperation immediately with the Iraqi government and United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said.

"The peaceful closure of Camp Ashraf is achievable but requires continued patience and practical engagement to be realized. Constructive offers must be met with a constructive spirit and not with refusals or pre-conditions to engage in dialogue."

The State Department has held the transition over MEK’s head for half a year, saying a peaceful move and cooperation with American and Iraqi authorities could get it off the terrorist list.

Washington believes that the eviction is necessary for humanitarian reasons since Ashraf has long been considered a refugee camp. So far, around 2,000 MEK members have successfully moved to the Iraqi-run Camp Hurriya, formerly Camp Liberty, in Baghdad. But another 1,200 to 1,400 are still in Ashraf, and the relocation is stalled, with MEK threatening to leave them behind if the conditions in Hurriya are not approved.

MEK — sometimes known as the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, or PMOI — has been on the foreign terrorist list for the last 15 years and is desperately trying to be removed. The group was exiled from Iran after the Islamic Revolution and fled to Iraq, as well as across Europe, under the guidance of leaders Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. The group allegedly helped Saddam Hussein during the Iraq-Iran war and has in the past been linked to various bombings and assassinations inside Iran.

However, MEK and the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an umbrella organization for Iranian exiles run by Miryam Rajavi, insist that the group is now only a political organization and refugee group. All of MEK’s weapons were confiscated by the American government years ago, and it has renounced its former violence.

Over the past few years, MEK, with help from a slate of American supporters that includes an all-star list of former top officials, have campaigned to be removed from the terrorist list, going as far as filing a suit with a U.S. appeals court to force Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to make a decision about MEK’s status within four months.

Nonetheless, a number of MEK members have seized the move from Ashraf to Hurriya as an opportunity to defect, revealing troubling details about the organization in the process. One of the first, according to the Sahar Family Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that says it provides humanitarian assistance to those who leave Ashraf, was Ali Reza Rahmati, who was in MEK for 10 years.

"I am extremely happy, and I thank God that I could obtain my freedom. I did not even have the right of free-thinking, and I was under the constant pressure and mental torture," Rahmati stated. "Now I feel the love of life’s revival inside of me, which was dead for 10 years, and I feel great satisfaction of this."

Ehsan Bidi, who also defected from the MEK and "declared separation" from "the corrupt Cult of Rajavi," compared his time in the refugee camp to being imprisoned and admitted that he had tried to escape before. Eight-year MEK member Sirous Morsalpour said that he was twice shot in the stomach — once in 2009 and once in 2012 — but was not permitted to have surgery outside of Camp Ashraf despite requests and the severity of the injuries. Morsalpour said that after he continued to insist on going to a hospital, "I was told that I was fired."

"They handed me to Iraqi police to get rid of me," he declared as he left the group.

The highest-ranking Mujahedeen to escape was Qorban Ali Husseini Nezhad, a 30-year member who was part of the MEK’s foreign affairs team, as well as a translator. Nezhad escaped after arriving in Camp Liberty in April and, like the rest of the defectors, described MEK more as a cult than a terrorist organization.

However, confirming long-held suspicions, Nezhad also said that thanks to deals between Saddam and Massoud Rajavi, MEK spied for Iraq’s intelligence service and received payment from the ill-conceived oil-for-food program.

By Daniel Tovrov

June 20, 2012 0 comments

Human Rights Abuse in the MEK

Delisting MKO Terrorists for Humanitarian Causes!

The emergency issue to be dealt with at the moment is survival of suffering members of MKO

It is a common understanding that terrorists continue their aggressive and parasitic life through The emergency issue to be dealt with at the moment is survival of suffering members of MKO violating human rights and breaching the principles of democracy. A modern type is using the pretext of human rights and democracy against adversaries and opponents whenever it suits. It is not surprising to see them proposing annihilation of human beings and supporting the most tyrannical and brutal approaches in order to reach their selfish, anti-human interests. It is not also surprising to see that terrorists who are committing the most horrible crimes, or have the potentiality, are sponsored by the states and supported by the advocates that not only appreciate their bellicose, aggressive attitude of opposition but are also nice to them so long as they are serving as useful servants.

Mojahedin Khalq Organization MKO/MEK/MKI/PMOI strategy of armed warfare that constitutes its organizational infrastructure from its very formation has confronted the organization with a new challenge in spite of its widespread propaganda to convince the West it has made revisions. But it seems that MKO gets much advantage out of an equivocal attitude. In many occasions, MKO has admitted the necessity of armed struggle as an ideological necessity that constitutes the violent ontology of MKO. And that is what the western advocates of MKO expect it more than its chanting slogans of democracy particularly when they are reportedly in a warlike array for hostile purposes against the Iranian regime.

Reported to have spoken on Capitol Hill, General Thomas McInerney USAF (ret) alongside former CIA officer Clare Lopez demanded the US to abandon diplomatic efforts with Iran and to remove MEK from the terrorist list, and prepare for all-out war. They argued that the time had passed to resolve the nuclear issue with Iran, and the US should instead actively pursue regime change by military and covert means. He called for the Obama administration to remove the MEK from the Foreign Terrorist Organization list, which under current law prohibits the United States from working with the group:

“The MEK is being thrown under the bus by the Obama administration. The Clinton and Bush administration also threw them under the bus. It is criminal what has been done there and how we have treated these people who have been such valuable allies to us.”

In their debate over whether to go to war with Iranian regime, hawks once more draw MKO along to pat as a valuable ally, and no doubt it has proved to be. Crime, as they define it, is not the atrocities perpetrated by the terrorists their own administrations have blacklisted for undeniable and sound evidences; it is dismissing the rewards they had promised to provide notwithstanding the undisputable slaughter of many thousands of lives recorded in the group’s nearly half-decade long history of armed struggle.

The hawks’ suggestion to delist MKO as the valuable allay in the battle against Iran once more verifies the fact that some other colleagues definitely put the finger on in the State Department’s report presented to Congress on MKO in 1994, stressing that “They [Mojahedin] established an organization dedicated to armed struggle”. The blatant truth is that they are in need of no human rights activists or seekers of democracy, however hollow the slogans are. They are in need of some names in their propaganda warfare to bully the adversary, however hollow the name is.

MKO is only a name manipulated in a political game to warranty interests, although it does anything in its power to survive, being it blatant violation of human rights and breaching the principles of democracy. To be fair, delisting MKO never helps to liberate its enslaved members but serves the interests of its sponsors and advocates. The emergency issue to be dealt with at the moment is survival of many hundred suffering members of MKO abused at the hands of the group as the pretext of human rights violation.

June 17, 2012 0 comments

Iraq

Ali Jahani Fard letter to the Iraq Prime Minister

Yours Excellency, Dr. Nouri al Maliki the honorable and distinguished Prime Minister of Iraq
Ali Jahani,MKO former member
I, Ali Jahani Fard, am one of the victims of Rajavi’s cult who spent and wasted twenty years of my best years of my life, the youth period, inside the notorious and horrifying relations of this cult in Ashraf fort which was established and organized by the leaders of this cult specifically the Rajavis.

I am very thankful and grateful to you and your popular and elected government because of all your peaceful efforts and endeavors in relocating the Ashraf people to camp Liberty.

Honorable Prime Minister , as all we know that the leaders of this notorious cult specifically the Rajavis after the fall of the former dictator of Iraq , Saddam Hussein , have played their role as the opposition of your legitimate and popular government and these leaders according to their violent essence and content have tried their best to preserve Ashraf , the pmoi most sensitive facility and the breeding ground of their cult , by creating bloody scuffles and violent conflicts with your forces to beget bloodshed and make fake propagandas in favor of themselves and against your government in western countries by showing themselves as innocents and oppressed and your government as tyrants and as suppressive forces .we also observed and witnessed that the leadership of this cult tried its best to interfere and obstruct and slow the relocation process as much as possible but fortunately by your awareness and by your government close cooperation with the officials of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), all those tricks , deceptions , and excuses did not work and thwarted and despite of all those tricks the relocation process is underway .

Honorable Prime Minister , I got informed recently that some of the victims of this cult have escaped from Liberty camp and they surrendered themselves to the Iraqi police ,therefore I ,with twenty years of experience in this notorious and horrifying cult , should inform you about these escapes which substantiate and prove this concrete fact that pmoi leadership after losing their main breeding ground of their cult , Ashraf, are trying their best to convert and change the liberty camp to another Ashraf to continue their cultic life , therefore in my point of view ,to prevent such a thing from happening , I urge you to continue their relocation process peacefully without any bloodshed and I urge you to order to your officials to separate the ordinary members ,which are the majority in the camp , from the criminal operatives and the ringleaders of this cult . If you separate the victims from the ringleaders, you will succeed to prevent conversion of the liberty camp to another Ashraf and beyond all, in this atmosphere these victims can decide freely about their future and their destiny without any interference and obstruction of the ringleaders who always try their best to put those victims under severe pressures and intimidations to prevent them from thinking about their future freely.

I also urge you to beget an opportunity for those stranded victims to meet their loved ones and their families without the presence of pmoi ringleaders and the operatives so they can consult with their families about their future freely.

Respectfully

Ali Jahani Fard/ The former veteran member of Rajavi’s cult

Iran pen association, Germany, May 30 2012
http://www.iran-ghalam.de/2Haupt/6149-
ali%20jahani%20fard%2029.05.2012.htm

May 31, 2012 0 comments

Iraq

Mr. Tajbakhsh Open letter to Mr.Nuri Al Maleki

My name is Shahrooz Tajbakhsh and I am the former member of pmoi( People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran), I am currently living in Germany. Mr. Tajbakhsh Open letter to Mr.Nuri Al Maleki

Mr. Maleki,

I as a human rights activist and as a critic and dissident of this cult would like to thank your government because of the expulsion of this organization from Iraq soil which is in your government agenda for the end of 2011. I hope this expulsion causes the release of those stranded members.

We have become more worried about destiny of our friends and the pmoi dissident members who at the moment are captive inside this organization. the consecutive pmoi deterrent policies in the relocation process and procedure which has begun seriously under direct UN-supervision shows that the pmoi leadership is willing to draw this peaceful relocation process to scuffle and insurgency and unrest .

I think that the most important step in this mission is to arrest the pmoi leaders and the operatives at first to free the stranded members. Maryam Rajavi wants to prevent the Iraqi government from its national sovereignty right upon Ashraf as well as entering the camp by begetting bloodshed and carnage and mass destruction.

Massoud Rajavi and his wife Maryam Ghajar Azdanlo who both later became the leaders of pmoi outside of Iran, they converted their organization to a very dangerous religious cult.

At this path of digression and metamorphosis,

-They caused inter organizational clean up, imprisonment and incarceration and slaying of the dissidents.

-The pmoi members were forced to experience the forcible collective divorce.

-The children got separated from their parents and they were sent to European and American countries to different families or they were sent to the pmoi different bases. Those children were forced to do forced labor. Pmoi was taking their money, which was designated to them by the host countries, and they put it in their own pockets. This extortion is another story which I do not intend to mention it now.

-The members of this organization have been under severe and permanent brainwashing and religious indoctrination and the dissidents in this organization have been severely mistreated, suppressed, beaten up, imprisoned and slain.

-The marriage in this notorious cult has been declared forbidden since 20 year ago and recent separated members of this cult have announced that Massoud Rajavi , the spiritual leader of this cult has taken advantage of the married women sexually in his Harem in this cult.

-Watching TV, listening to the radio, reading newspaper and anything which upgrades the intelligence among the members are forbidden.

There are lots of other problems which exist in this cult but it is impossible to mention all in this letter.

At this moment Rajavi has taken his own members as hostages inside the Ashraf camp and does not allow them to choose what they want and even he does not allow them to meet their parents and relatives who have come from Iran to visit them.

Respectfully
Shahrooz Tajbakhsh ,Germany

May 27, 2012 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

Rajavi’s senior translator defects from MEK, makes revelation

Ghorban Ali Hosseini,Former terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO, a.k.a. MEK and PMOI) member working as a senior translator for the terrorist group made astonishing exposure of the terrorist group’s crimes in Iraq following his defection. Rajavi’s senior translator defects from MEK, makes revelation

According to a report published by Habilian Foundation website, during the first remarks following his defection, the former Arabic translator of the MKO who has spent over 30 years in the Cult disclosed top secret terrorist Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization’s crimes in Iraq.

Working as a senior translator for Mujahedin-e Khalq terrorist group, he was translating the group’s publications, announcements, letters, statements, and their website into Arabic.

“I had been working for 2 decades at various bases of MKO in Iraq, and due to my profession I was closely witnessing Rajavi’s mercenary, servitude, and spying for Saddam and after his downfall for the U.S. occupiers,” he said.

“The whole administrative and leadership system of Rajavi was part of the Iraqi army,” he said referring to Rajavi’s total devotion and allegiance to the toppled Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein.

“According to the documents and letters which I translated or the reports of his closest men, I found out that Rajavi was receiving oil in exchange for his services.”

He went on to say that the amount of oil have been increased by 100000 barrels per day (3 million barrels per month) which they turned them into cash in European countries.

“All the claims of the group regarding the financial assistance from Iranians and all their tricks in fund raising for (so-called) Simaye Azadi –the MKO’s TV channel- were sheer lies. They were intended to cover up the huge looting of Iraqi oil and to justify their millions in expenditures.”

“In the years following the Saddam’s downfall I was closely observing the MKO’s systematic interference in the internal affairs of Iraq and their espionage against Iraqi people and resistance groups in favor of the U.S. forces.”

He then made reference to MKO’s creating schism and fueling the ethnic and religious divisions in Iraq, escalation of conflicts between political parties particularly in Diyala province in which Camp Ashraf is located, and making effort to prevent their participation in the government and the parliament as a part of measures that MKO was doing in their bid to overthrow the Iraqi government.

He added that in his meeting with Martin Kobler, U.N. special representative to Iraq, following his release from the Camp Liberty, he has explained all the above facts as well as the cult-like conditions made at Camp Liberty by the MKO leadership.

Finally, he said that he has called on the UN to save the trapped cult members.

May 17, 2012 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

Sirous Morsalpour declares defection from the MKO

Mr. Sirous Morsalpour who recently succeeded to leave the Mujahedin Khalq Organization declared his defection from the group in the following statement:

Dear countrymen
I am Sirous Morsalpour. I was deceived by the MKO’s propaganda uproar and joined the group at Camp Ashraf, in 2004.

I declare that I left the group because of the reasons coming below. May you judge what I went through.

I got shot in my stomach in both incidents in June2009 and April 2012 at Camp Ashraf. I seriously needed surgery.

Although I could have had surgery outside Ashraf, I was not allowed to go to the hospital [outside the Camp] to have surgery. They suggested unfounded reasons including the transfer to Camp Liberty. Some of my ex-friends also had similar health problems and they were permitted to be surgeried in the hospital. So I asked them to send me to liberty but they unreasonably declined.
Discrimination in treating me and lack of trusting me became an extra suffering to my health problem. When I insisted on going for the surgery I was told that I was fired. They handed me to Iraqi Police to get rid of me,

Sirous Morsalpour
Baghdad – April 20,2012

April 26, 2012 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

Former MeK top official answers questions

Q & A with a reporter with Masoud Banisadr (author of Masoud: Memoirs of an Iranian Rebel, SAQI Books, 2004). I have had the pleasure of spending several hours with Masoud. In my professional opinion, the extreme influence (brainwashing) used by this destructive cult to recruit, indoctrinate and maintain control over their members ranks extremely high.

Good afternoon Masoud,

Thanks so much for speaking with me. I think e-mail will work best, so I’ve put my questions below. Just as background, I’m writing about the potential role that the People’s Mujahedin could have in the current situation in Iran – specifically if supporting the MEK either publically or covertly could be beneficial to the U.S. and Israel, or if it could have an effect – either positive or negative – on Iran’s nuclear program.

– Does funding or training the MEK or MEK operatives make strategic sense for either Israel or the United States? Or is it altogether a bad idea?

– Could the MEK be actively trying to sabotage the Iranian regime and its nuclear program?

– Is it in the United States’ interest to de-list the MEK as a terrorist organization?

– What are the negative consequences of supporting the MEK?

– If Israel chooses to launch a military strike against Iran, would the MEK be an important ally for Israel?

– If you don’t mind me asking, why did you leave the MEK and what are your views toward the organization now?

– Lastly, is there anything else I need to know, or anyone you think I should talk to?

Thanks again.

Best, reporter

Dear reporter: please find my reply to your questions as below:

First let me answer your final question as it will be a good base for answering your other questions.

My view toward MEK:

In my view MEK since 1985 has changed into a destructive cult, why and how? I have explained it in an article that you can find it in below address. In short, I believe all violent or terrorist groups to survive have no choice but to change into a destructive cult. When in 1981 MEK’s strategy and all its tactics changed into a blind terrorism; to survive, she had no choice but gradually to change into a cult.

http://www.banisadr.info/ICSA.htm

Fortunately now days many independent organizations, experts and even governments do agree that MEK has all the characteristics of a destructive cult; for example you can read the RAND report. You can find its full report in below address:

http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG871.html

I believe cults although, to recruit and as a tool of manipulation need to have a doctrine or an ideology, but in reality they only have to principles that followers of the cult are loyal to and are ready to die for:

Survival of the cult with any price
Absolute obedience and loyalty toward the cult leader

To follow these two principles cults internally use different methods of mind manipulation (If you like to know more you can read my article on this subject in: http://www.banisadr.info/Inform.htm ) and externally they have theorized deceiving of others as part of their doctrine (in a way, I believe all destructive cults, ideologically are hypocrite); in simple word they openly and genuinely believe in ‘end justifies means’. Or in another word as Chameleon, they can change color in mater of few hours or even minutes due to circumstances or their immediate or long term interests.

After Iranian revolution, late seventies and early eighties MEK could change from a guerrilla (or terrorist organization according to different people’s definition) into a popular political group attracting thousands of young people. But after moving back to terrorism, ignoring and violating people’s ethics, beliefs and principles, especially working with Iraq’s president, Saddam Hussein after the incursion of Iraq into Iran, they lost all their support inside Iran and as matter of fact in public view they changed into a traitor organization. Although they have about 3400 members in Iraq and another few thousands supporters in Europe and America, talking with any other Iranian (pro or against Iranian government, inside or outside of Iran) you can find out that, they are very much hated among Iranian and this is why no other opposition group (inside or outside or Iran) is ready to work with them.

Average age of MEK members is about 45, and since they were disarmed by Americans in 2003, I can say majority of their members are too old and untrained for any real and effective military activities. Saying this, doesn’t mean that they cannot change back into a terrorist, able to kill few more soft targets, such as Iranian scientists.

– Does funding or training the MEK or MEK operatives make strategic sense for either Israel or the United States? Or is it altogether a bad idea?

First; MEK is a destructive cult, to be a cult means, they always pursue their own specific interest. They might be useful in one occasion or another, but as a whole as they are not loyal toward any norms, ethics, principles or mutual agreement (except those two values of all destructive cults, mentioned above) like Al Qaeda, they cannot be trusted. Therefore strategically I believe it is not in the interest of anybody or any country to trust, not only the MEK but any destructive cults and should take note that any cooperation with them might soon change into their own nightmares as cooperation of the United States with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan during Soviet’s occupation, ended with the 9/11.

Second; I have to separate your question in two parts first about Israel and then United States; as I think their interest on Iran, while due to lobby of AIPAC, it seems are the same, strategically are different.

I genuinely think and feel, if the United States accepts the era of Shah has gone forever and recognizes Iran as it is; not only strategically they can live in peace with each other but also they might even change into a close allies (Well if you ask me why, then I have to write an essay, explaining culture of Iranian that is totally different from its western Arab neighbors or its civilization and its social and scientific progress which is different from its eastern and northern neighbors …) . However, even if the United States against its own interest and just for sake of tactical interest of Israel decides to work against present regime in Iran, it is against its own interest to capitalize on a group that, is a destructive cult, is like a balloon that looks big from without (because of sophistication of its propaganda tools) but empty from within; hated among Iranian and has no chance of gaining any support among them (Inside or outside of the country. Please don’t be deceived by MEK’s propaganda tricks including moving their two to three thousands members and supporters from one country to another or use of other nationalities in their gatherings for show of support among Iranian. Iran’s population is about 75 Million and there are more than two million Iranian who live in the United States and perhaps another million who live in Europe).

For Israel, again if you are talking about strategic interest of Israelis, I feel and think their long term interest is in reaching to some kind of agreement with Palestinians and live with them in peace, coexistence and cooperation. In this case I think even present regime of Iran, not only is not an obstacle, but even can help both sides to reach to long lasting peace and friendship (As Jews have lived in Iran for thousands of years in peace and harmony with their Zoroastrian, Muslim and Christian neighbors). But if you are talking about government of Israel and especially its present extreme right wing government, although in the past they have used MEK for example for announcing Israel’s findings about Nathans enrichment site (where no other Iranian opposition group agreed to do this job) and they might have used them for assassination of Iranian scientists, still I think trusting a cult is not a good idea. Capitalizing on people who are under mind control of a destructive cult; all of them live in a psychological isolation and more than half of them have to live both in psychological and physical isolation from the wider society to remain loyal to the group and its leader, is very bad idea even for present government of Israel. I am sure they can find younger and more loyal mercenaries to do their dirty job rather than cooperating with MEK.

Final word on this question; I genuinely think any cooperation of either the West, the United States or Israel with MEK is only beneficial to Iranian Regime in showing to Iranian; against all claims of the West for being supportive of Human Rights, Democracy and being against Terrorists, what kind of people they are supporting and what kind of government they are hoping to establish in Iran.

– Could the MEK be actively trying to sabotage the Iranian regime and its nuclear program?

It is more than thirty years that they are trying to harm Iran, and have not done much except terrorizing and killing few thousands soft targets and manipulating and deceiving few reporters and members of parliaments of Western countries. If during Sadam Hussein, when they were much younger, more united, and could benefit from unlimited resources of Iraq, including money, arms, and training, still couldn’t do much against Iran, or sabotaging any activity of Iran; it is very difficult to imagine they can do anything effective now.

– Is it in the United States’ interest to de-list the MEK as a terrorist organization?

I wish all countries including the United States had a law against destructive cults; then there was no needs to have a law against terrorist groups as all terrorist organizations, to survive eventually have to change into a destructive cult. Please don’t forget that all destructive cults cannot be trusted for what they claim they are, and all of them can violate all civilized norms and ethics to survive.

But as for now no country except perhaps France has such a law, de listing MEK in my view is a very bad idea. It will damage US claims of being against terrorists, or supportive of democratic groups (at least among Iranian); gives legitimacy to a destructive cult that violates all rights of its members; and damages long term relation between Americans and Iranian people. I feel it even might damage US’s prestige among Iranian, as bad as 1953 CIA’s coup d’état in Iran.

– What are the negative consequences of supporting the MEK?

I guess I answered it above.

– If Israel chooses to launch a military strike against Iran, would the MEK be an important ally for Israel?

How?! I cannot see it. When we are talking about Israel’s military strike, we are only are talking about its Air strike and in this case they don’t need any people in the country as they have all the satellite plan of Iranian nuclear sites. Israel knows very well that with one, two or few even successful air strike against Iran, she cannot destroy nuclear activities of Iran; therefore I feel their aim would be to force Iran into a reaction which eventually will force the United States into war against Iran. In this case neither MEK, nor any other opposition groups are useful for either the US or Israel as Iraqis opposition groups were useless when the real war started against Sadam Hussein. For sure in this scenario all Iranian, including Iranian oppositions (inside and outside of Iran) will support present Iranian government.

– If you don’t mind me asking, why did you leave the MEK and what are your views toward the organization now?

If you ask those who leave destructive cults, you might receive different answers. They might claim, suddenly they realized how bad they are; how manipulating they are; how much they deceive ordinary people for soliciting money or else; … in case of MEK, I have met those who claim; they suddenly realized that the organization is a traitor toward Iranian people, collaborating with Iranian enemies; or left them when they collaborated with Sadam Hussein, in suppressing and killing Iraqi Kurds, … But my sincere and honest answer is: I left them as I couldn’t change myself anymore and give them the reminder of my own personality, identity and individuality.

Between 1978, when, we (I and my ex wife) became MEK’s supporter till 1996 when I escaped, through use of different techniques of mind manipulation I was forced to give them whatever they asked me; first any capital or material things we had; then any love, attachments or relation we had with our country, our family and friends in Iran; then when they asked all members to divorce their spouses, I lost love of my life, my dear wife and could not see my children for almost six years; I lost part of my health, and many times were on the edge of dying for them. Then in final stage of their system of mind manipulation, they asked us to divorce ourselves, our identity and personality; I tried and lost big part of it, but couldn’t do more so I escaped. I honestly cannot understand or accept claims of others who say they realized this or that so they left, as I think those who are under mind manipulation of a destructive cult, have no chance of seeing or realizing what they are doing or saying, to reject it. Only when they escape, by chance or due to inability to give what cults wants them to do more; and only after years of hard work they might be able to realize what has happened to them and what have they done for the cult.

– Lastly, is there anything else I need to know, or anyone you think I should talk to?

I guess I have said more than enough and perhaps by now, have given you a headache.

Best wishes Masoud
Steve Hassan, Freedom of mind,

February 28, 2012 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

MKO defector declares separation

Mr. Khoda Bakhsh Mirian left the Mujahedin Khalq Organization and joined Iraqi forces on February 14, 2012 and stepped in the free world declared his separation from the group in a brief letter to Sahar Family Foundation in Baghdad.

Immediately after he moved to the hotel allocated to former members, Mr. Mirian called his family who had previously come to camp Ashraf several times.

The following is his statement:

In the Name of God
I am Khoda Bakhsh Mirian. Here, I announce my separation from the Cult of Rajavi. Although it took me 10 years to leave the cult, finally I could make the decision and release myself.

Definitely, my family paid the price of my mistake more than I did. I wasted ten best years of my life, seeing and hearing what I hardly ever can describe, because all those sufferings and pains will be reviewed in my mind.

Last night I contacted a friend of mine after ten years. He told me:”leaving a cult is like revival of the dead. It is first of all unbelievable for ourselves.”

Now, I have just one desire and that is the release of my friends who are imprisoned in the cult. I don’t want others to bear a fate like mine.

Khoda Bakhsh Mirian – Baghdad

February 26, 2012 0 comments

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