Rajavis and Cult Leadership

Rajavi greets Yasser Arafat in Tehran

Yasser Arafat receives the Herald of the MKO by its leader Massoud Rajavi.

[In September 1981, political adviser to Yasser Arafat and former PLO representative in Tehran called at the secluded house outside Paris that former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr was sharing with Massoud Rajavi, leader of the Mujahideen-e Khalq guerrillas. Hani Hassan was quickly escorted past the swarm of newsmen and police at the villa’s gate and brought to Rajavi. Mujahideen sources interpreted Mr. Hassan’s surprise visit — and his invitation for Rajavi to meet with Yasser Arafat sometime soon in Beirut, Christian Science monitor reported at the time.]

October 4, 2017 0 comments

Massoud Rajavi

Rajavi escaped Iran

On 29th July 1981 Rajavi and Bani Sadr escape to Paris. They [in disguise] were driven to a Tehran military base and got on board of a hijacked Iranian air force 707 jet tanker around 10 at night. Rajavi and Banisadr together established the National Council of Resistance of Iran. The NCRI had 12 members including the Mojahedin. However Rajavi claimed to be the head of National Council or Resistance and not the representative of Mojahedin. Rajavi appointed another representative for Mojahedin.

October 3, 2017 0 comments

Maryam Rajavi

Who is Maryam Rajavi?

Born in December 1953, Tehran, Maryam Qajar Azodanlu (later called Rajavi) was raised in a middle-class family. She joined the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (the MKO/MEK/PMOI/the Cult of Rajavi) after her older sister was killed by the secret Police of the Shah.

Maryam Qajar Azodanlu served as an organizer of the anti-Shah student movement in Sharif University of Tehran –where she was studying Metallurgy– in the 1970s. She then became an official of the social section of the MKO, where she served until 1981. After the Iranian Revolution, Maryam was a parliamentary candidate in 1980 but she was not elected by the people.

Married to Mehdi Abrishamchi , one of the high-ranking members of the group, she had a baby girl when they fled Iran to join Massoud Rajavi in France.

In France, Maryam became the administrator of Massoud’s office. The close relationship between Maryam and Massoud in the office led to their dramatic marriage in 1985 immediately after she her divorce from Medi Abrishamchi. The marriage was celebrated as an ideological revolution in the history of the group. Maryam Rajavi was named the co-leader of the MKO.

1985, she became Joint-Leader of the PMOI and served in that capacity until 1989 when she became the Secretary General. The marriage signaled a turning point that changed the MKO from an armed political organization to the Cult of Rajavi.

Since then Maryam Rajavi was announces as the role model for all members of the group to leave their own family life and have Massoud in their minds as their only love. Maryam was a tool for Massoud to impose his cult-like practices such as forced divorce, mandatory celibacy and a large number of other violation of human rights against the rank and file in Iraq.

Maryam Rajavi was then selected as the so-called President elect of the NCR, for the transitional government after the so-called overthrow of the Islamic Republic. She is still enduring the title!

After the American invasion to Iraq, Maryam fled to France. Her headquarter in Auver sur d’oise in the suburb of Paris was raided by the French Police in June 2003. She was placed under arrest together with 160 of the group members and the assets of the MKO were frozen by the French judiciary. The Police seized millions of dollars from the group’s headquarters. The group was accused of preparing to commit or finance acts of terrorism and money laundering.

A dozen of brainwashed supporters of the Cult of Rajavi set themselves on fire to protest the arrest of Maryam. Two women were killed eventually. French Police released the cult leader to stop the horrible scenes of self-immolations in European capitals.

Maryam was the first assistant of her disappeared husband Massoud in his quest for sexual abuse of female members of their cult. She was charged with the responsibility of mental preparation of members of the group’s so-called Elite Council to get naked in front Massoud and consequently get in bed with him.

In July 2010, the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal issued an arrest warrant for 39 MEK members, including Rajavi, for crimes against humanity committed while suppressing the 1991 uprisings in Iraq. According to the testimonies by former members of the group. Maryam told the MKO forces “Take the Kurds under your tanks, save the bullets for the Iranian soldiers.”

Also Read:

Maryam Rajavi’s background and experience

October 1, 2017 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization

Half a century with MKO – Part II

Street assassinations in Tehran, Forough-e Javidan in Bagdad

During the 1980s, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran attempted bombing attacks and assassinations in the streets of Tehran and other cities in Iran; however, they practically continued their activities in Paris after the death of their military leader, Moussa Khyabani, in June 1981. In 1986, after the French government’s pressure, and not being accepted by any other European country, the MKO’s headquarters was moved from Paris to Baghdad.

Saddam Hussein, involved in a war with Iran at that time, welcomed Masoud Rajavi and ordered all the members of the organization to be stationed in Diyalah province, 80 kilometers from the borders of Iran. The camp was named after Ashraf Rabiei, Masoud Rajavi’s ex-wife, who was killed along with Moussa Khyabani and twenty other members of the MKO in an attack on Monday, February 8, 1982.

There is not much information about the way in which the MKO was living or managing in Ashraf. Most of the current information is based on the memoirs of members separated from the organization, or limited videos released by the organization about Ashraf Camp’s living style. In the videos released by the organization, the camp is introduced as a modern city campus with residential complexes, clean streets, educational and sports facilities, a museum, mosque, university and a graveyard.

A number of former members of the MKO, who escaped from the Ashraf Camp, talked about the commanders’ pressure on the members. They also talked about the lack of communication with outside the camp and not having access to telephone, mobile, Internet and media. They announced that they were only allowed to watch the organization’s TV. Additionally, they also admitted that exiting the camp was something costly and difficult.

Numerous detention centers, individual cells, interrogation rooms, as well as quarantine sections, were revealed when the Mujahedin was forced to leave Ashraf and the camp was eventually evacuated. Revealing such places in Ashraf Camp confirmed the former members’ claim about psychological stresses and physical torture on dissatisfied members and critics of the organization. 1

The Members of the organization arrived in Iraq in the 80’s and were organized in the “Liberation Army of Iran”. The actual number of the organization’s headquarters and camps in Iraq was announced at about sixteen. A number of them, which the MKO identified as official and independent bases, were basically inside the Iraqi military barracks and army camps. Except for the buildings in Baghdad, the rest of the camps and bases were on lands and areas belonging to the army or the presidential guard of Iraq. These sixteen bases were as follows:

Ashraf Camp (the headquarters of the organization): About 100 kilometers from the western borders of Iran and 100 kilometers from the north of Baghdad in Diyalah province and 40 kilometers from Khalis city; the camp was handed over to the Mujahedin by the Presidential Guard of Saddam in 1986. Other camps were: Anzali Camp, Alavi Foundation Base, Habib Base, Homayoun Base, Faizah Camp, Border Base (Persian, Hanif, Saeed Mohsen) Badia Camp, Jalula Camp, Debes Camp, Zakeri Camp, Khyabani and Zabeti Camp, Khaneqin Camp, and Jordan border headquarters. More than 15 bases were also announced by the organization as the urban headquarters.

Thus, with the financial and military support of the Iraqi Ba’ath regime, the small military units of the MKO were quickly organized and equipped. The organization claimed that thousands of Iranian armies were killed in 1982 and 1988 after the establishment of the National Liberation Army. MKO’s exaggerated statistics claim the death of thousands of fighters of the Islamic Republic of Iran in three operations of “Aftab, Chelcheraq, and Forouq-e Javidan”. In this regard, however, the two sides have undoubtedly presented exaggerated statistics; the more reliable sources in Iran estimates 1500 to 2000 Iranians killed in the last years of the war. The number of Mujahedin loss was announced as 2000 to 3000 killed. (2)

During the last days of the Iran-Iraq war, after the frequent defeat of Iran’s military forces, MKO, supported by Iraq, carried out two operations in mid-1988, named Aftab and Chelcheraq, seizing Mehran. The operations were preceded by the adoption of Resolution 598 and the announcement of a ceasefire between the Iraqi and Iranian forces. Following the adoption of Resolution 598, and prior to implementing the ceasefire, the organization launched its most extensive operation called Forough-e Javidan. MKO’s members were able to seize the cities of Ghasr-e Shirin, Sar Pol-e Zahab, West Karand and West Islamabad, moving toward Kermanshah; however, before arriving in Kermanshah and at Charzebar Camp, they were defeated as they encountered the Iranian forces’ strike, Mersad Operation, alongside the Iranian air strikes. Chasing the survived forces continued for a few days later. According to the Iranian government resources, more than 2,500 Mujahedin members were killed during the Mersad Operation. Mujahedin announced the number of 1,300 killed. The failure of the Forough-e Javidan operation was the end of the military operations of the “Liberation Army of Iran”, affiliated with MKO. Implementation of the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq, under the United Nations’ supervision on Saturday, August 20, 1988, banned Mojahedin from using Iraq to invade Iran.

Prior to the Forough-e Javidan operation, Mujahedin’s leaders gathered a large number of their supporters and beneficiaries from Europe to Iraq through a massive call without any prior notification about a military attack against Iran or any military training. They were sent to the Forough-e Javidan Operation with minor training in using Kalashnikovs.

The lack of military training, as well as the basic military equipment in a symmetric military warfare such as a tank, was the main reason for the operation’s failure. Most of the military equipment was wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier suitable for street battles and urban rebellion control.

Satisfied with the military equipment, air and ground support, and the endowed Iraqi forces, Masoud Rajavi presented delusional talks such as: “If you believe in strength, your power will increase metaphysically one and a half times”. On the night of the operation he said: (3) “based on the plans and the divisions, we will arrive in Tehran in 48 hours, and what we are going to do is something as powerful and unique as a superpower. Do not be afraid of the Nojheh Base. Iraqi fighter jets will be targeting Nojheh and Tabriz air bases every three hours. Iraqi Airline is our backbone. In addition to that, we have anti-aircraft and the Sam 7 missiles. The Iraqi airborne will be with our forces to Sar Pol-e Zahab, and all our combat vehicles will be arranged in columns.” (4)

He sent his troops all over to the abattoir within the next three days and, alongside Saddam in Persian Palace, he observed his mess. He named the failure the “organization’s insurance policy”, in order to escape from his dishonor. Concealing his accusations and mistakes, after a while, when his defeated troop returned from the operation, in a general meeting with the tired and defeated troops, Rajavi described the cause of the defeat as “the forces’ unwillingly fighting in the battle, thinking about women and life issues”; he considered these thoughts as the obstacles of effective combat and victory. In this scenario, those who had previously been brainwashed and forced to support Rajavi’s nonsense claims spoke out (5): “Yes, at the time of fighting in Chahar Zebar, and being involved in armed conflict, much of our minds were obsessed with women, life and our family issues; we did not think of leadership and victory, getting back alive for our desires was our preference.” Thus, Rajavi condemned the poor, captured soldiers for being ineffective and useless, establishing the belief of the founders’ mentally effeteness in an unbelievable act, so that the seat of the plaintiff and the accused was simply changed and the poured out blood was simply forgotten.

On the chart of the operation, the commander in chief was the lead and directed the operation through the authorities of the axis. Based on the importance of the mission, two or more brigades were assigned for each axis. The commanders and missions were as follows:

1-Mehdi Baraei, commander of the First Axis and responsible for conquering Islamabad.

2- Ibrahim Zakeri, commander of the Second Axis and responsible for the seizing of Bakhtaran.

3- Mahmoud Mahdavi, commander of the Third Axis and responsible for capturing Hamedan.

4- Mehdi Eftekhari, commander of the Fourth Axis and responsible for capturing Qazvin.

5-Mahmoud Ataee and his deputy, Hussein Abraisham Chi, commanders of the Fifth Axis and responsible for seizing Tehran.

In addition to the mentioned axis, Soraya Shahri was in charge of logistics; Mohammad Ali Jaberzadeh Ansari, Advertising Manager, Mohammad Seyed Al-Muhadethin, Chief Political Officer, and Shahrzad Haj Seyed Javadi, as the head of the office.

Mujahedin forces marched on 90 miles of Iran’s soil without any major obstacle. They had predicted that people would support them after seizing the area. Despite the prediction, the Kurds of the region, which had previously been repressed by Saddam Hussein, resisted them. The local resistance limited the speed of MKO’s military progress. Nevertheless, Rajavi forces were able to occupy and destroy the cities of Qasr-e Shirin, Sar Pol-e Zahab, West Karand, and West Islamabad, and marched quickly toward Kermanshah through the highway. (7)

On the other hand, the Islamic Republic launched the Mersad Operation and set off its troops against the Mujahedin forces. The operation lasted three days. On the first day, the goal was to block the invasion of the MKO; Air Force did not take part. At that time, the Nojheh Base was bombed, and the runway clearing operation took time; therefore, the Air Force commenced the operation with a one-day delay. On the second day, the Army’s movement was accompanied by the Air Force’s support. On the third day, Mujahedin’s units were completely destroyed. Forough-e Javidan’s failure broke the glory of Rajavi in a large number of the force’s mind and led to the collapse of the organization so that a large number of members and supporters left the organization.

One of the consequences of the operation was questioning the organization’s strategy, as well as Rajavi’s leadership. The organization had tested various strategies and programs since its establishment, especially after the Islamic Revolution’s victory. Starting the new phase, and the formation of the Liberation Army, all the various strategies were considered to be dismissed and the only way to fight and overthrow the regime was assumed through the armed battle and the modern warfare by the Liberation Army. The organization launched the operation and was defeated based on the idea of “Peace is Iran’s executing halter and they never go for it”. The Forough-e Javidan Operation was the end of the Liberation Army’s military movements at the borders of Iran. But more importantly, something happened on the members’ spirits in Ashraf to continue the psychological operations and brainwashing of MKO’s members.

As mentioned above, after the Forough-e Javidan Operation, a dispute on Rajavi’s competency started; however, Rajavi considered the dispute the main cause of the organization’s failure.

Returning from the operation, anyone who looked for their spouse was immediately marked as the “accuser” and was reminded that his spouse “belonged to the leadership” and they, therefore, had no right to enquire. Instead of questioning the leadership, the members of the organization ought to respond to the question why they were stuck behind the “mental trap of family” and could not take Maryam Mehr-e Taban of Freedom ( a title of Maryam Qajar Azdanlou, the wife of Masoud Rajavi) to Tehran.

another consequence of the operation was the condemnation of the organization and the Forough-e Javian operation by opposition groups. The majority of the opposition groups of the Islamic Republic, such as the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, the Left, and the Monarchists, considered the Forough Operation as a result of Rajavi’s illusions and fantasies; even the MKO was declared as the cause of unity in the Islamic Republic.

The other consequence of the Forough-e Javidan Operation was the massive loss of the operation. MKO officially confirmed 1304 killed and even published their photos and biographies. From a total of 51 executive boards of the organization (headquarters), at least 33 of them were involved in the operation, and 16 of them were killed. The total damage to the organization was 50 to 60 percent, and the total damage to the headquarters was approximately 30 percent. The number was in addition to the wounded and victims who were transported back.

Aims of attacking Iran

Establishing a “transitional Islamic Democratic Republic government” in Kermanshah after seizing the citybreakthrough the repression in Iran, signing a peace treaty with Iraq, seizing of Tehran and the abolition of the Islamic Republic of Iranwere the Mujahedin’s major goals of attacking Iran. On the other hand, Iranian military commanders gained comprehensive information about the axis and objectives of the operation and the number of involved forces. MKO reacted quickly by moving the units which had light and fast moving features. The forces controlled a number of mountains and intersections between Islamabad and Kermanshah and confronted the front lines of the Mujahedin. They were able to defeat the MKO’s forces and cut off their commuting routes in several roads when they were gearing up for the operation.

“The current strategy of the MKO and Iraq seems to be creating a free zone for Mujahedin so that the opposition organization of the Iranian regime will play a role in the final peace deal,” said Independent newspaper analyst Harvey Maurice, analyzing the goals and strategy of the MKO.

About one month prior to the joint operation of Iraq and Mujahedin, the Le Monde newspaper had stated that the “National Liberation Army of Iran” was an integral part of the military arrangement of the Iraqi army, and its military activity, without the permission of the Supreme Command of Iraq, could be impossible. In this regard, the Reuters news agency also quoted diplomats saying: “Given the peace talks at UN Headquarters in New York, diplomats suspect Baghdad using the National Liberation Army to maintain the military pressure on Tehran.”

The prompt destruction of the organization with such dimensions would be impossible except under the leadership of Masoud Rajavi.

The great lesson of history to the MKO and its leadership was that the outcome of implementing a misguided strategy by a leader, and his conspiring with a potential enemy of a nation, would bring nothing but disaster and extinction of the strategy.

[1] Ashraf Base Photographs by Bashgahe Khabarnegaran

2 Mujahedin Khalq Organization, Appearance to the End (1965-2005) Summary of the Three-volume Period, pp. 278 and 236-307

3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ8rgZ07SmA

4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtJOiHPfS50

5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuOtQtdnwVU

6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9gQMShE6hc

7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaaMtZlQKM4

GIDSS.com,By Amirfarshad Ebrahimi ,Photojournalist & Documentary producer

Half a century with MKO – Part1

September 21, 2017 0 comments

Mujahedin Khalq Organization

Half a Century with MKO – Part I

The People’s Mujahedin Organization of Iran (MKO, MEK) is one of the Iranian political-military groups formed, in the mid-1960s, with the purpose of armed struggles against the Pahlavi regime. At that time, the organization was a political, radical Islamist group with a military structure.

Continuing its activities, the organization moved further away from the Islamic approach in 1978 and turned closer to Marxist trends instead. The above mentioned period, as well as the ideological gap within the organization, led many imprisoned members of the organization to split up. In addition, religious movements such as Islamic Coalition (Mo’talefeh-e Islami) and the clerics affected by Ayatollah Khomeini also stopped their support.

The Islamic Revolution in 1979 was a turning point for the organization, but the honeymoon did not last long since the MKO had taken the other way.

After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Mujahedin Organization of Iran considered itself the main pole and axis of the revolution. They believed that the ruling revolutionary forces were not able to lead the anti-imperialist struggle; therefore, people should only follow the MKO. Accordingly, based on occurring incidents and consecutive crises in the revolution, MKO insisted on continuing its monopoly jurisdiction, questioning other political currents while declaring its loyalty to Ayatollah Khomeini.

As an example of their various reactions toward the genuine stream of the Revolution, we can mention their non-returning of the weapons seized from bases during the revolution. They then started to set up an armed underground network, apparently to protect themselves; then training for guerrilla warfare in their safe houses was placed on their agenda.

Some of the most important attempts of the MKO’s opposition to the regime were their support for separatist revolts in Kurdistan, Turkmen Sahra and Gonbad, army disbandment plan, breach of the peace in the Assembly of Experts’ elections, and their non-participation in the constitutional referendum.

After the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the Mujahedin Organization of Iran considered itself the main pole and axis of the revolution

In spite of participating in the referendum in 1979, and voting in favor of the Islamic Republic, MKO did not attend the referendum on Islamic Law and denied it. However, they did not accept the Islamic Republic’s constitution; they were determined to attend the first presidential election.

Masoud Rajavi was nominated as a presidential candidate. The announcement of Rajavi’s nomination was confronted with opposition from various individuals and groups. Eventually, Ayatollah Khomeini, with a clear mandate, banned candidates who did not enact the referendum on the constitution. This was an explicit pretext, or order, for the newly established military institutions of the Islamic Revolution, such as the Revolutionary Guards and the Islamic Revolutionary Committees, to suppress the gatherings and meetings of the Mujahedin Organization.

Although the Mujahedin was suppressed and did not allow the taking part in the presidential elections, they were allowed to attend the elections for the first parliamentary term. In that election, none of their dozens of candidates, including Rajavi, was selected.

It is still unclear whether the Islamic Republic of Iran and its security institutions planned an engineering vote for the failure of the Mujahedin organization to enter the parliament, or if the society was strongly influenced by Ayatollah Khomeini not to vote for the candidates of the organization. But whatever was the cause, these two failures created another ground for victimization for their long-term organized disturbances in public and the terrorist activities of the organization. Eventually, in June 1981, Mujahedin and their loyal members raided the streets with all their military forces.

Since June 19, 1981, to the summer of 1982, MKO made every effort to overthrow the Islamic Republic’s regime through military actions, and assassinating the authorities of the regime; a set of actions that caused the heaviest damage to the Iranian government. Some of the most striking impacts of these actions were: “bringing a failure for the regime’s future” (eliminating the heirs of the revolution for the future of the Islamic regime), “breaching of the peace, security and the political stability of the country”, “stablishing the MKO’s military situation”, and “introducing themselves as the alternative for the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

At this point, after the departure of Rajavi and Bani-Sadr from Iran to Paris, the organization entered a military phase and carried out terrorist operations. At the same time, attempts were made to track the “failure future[1] for the regime” through operating terrorist activities inside the country, and assassinations of high ranking officials and influential Friday Imams.

The two major terrorist operations of this group were: bombing the Iranian prime minister’s building and the simultaneous assassination of the president and the prime minister on June 26, 1981, and bombing the Islamic Republic Party of Iran on August 29, 1981, which led to the martyrdom of 72 Islamic leaders such as Dr. Beheshti, some of the representatives of the Parliament, and some of the senior judges of the Supreme Court. In addition, the terrorist operations continued to the assassination of Mohammad Kachouei, the assassination of Friday Imams in various cities (assassination of Ayatollah Madani, Dast Ghegib, Sadoughi and Ashrafi Esfahani, and etc.), the assassination of Hasheminejad and Ayatollah Ali Ghodousi and so on.

The organization did not end up with terror and bombing attacks. In order to introduce themselves as an alternative for the Islamic Republic system of Iran, they gathered some overseas opposition groups against the Islamic Republic to expand political propaganda against the regime, setting up the National Council of Resistance in France.

Some other parties associated with the council, alongside the MKO, were: the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, the National Democratic Front of Iran, the Left United Council (Shora-ye Motahed-e Chap), the Organization of Associate Professors of Iranian Universities, Towhidi Merchants Guild, the Union of Freedom of Work, Aghameh Organization, and later, the Labor Party of Iran, the Labor Movement of Gilan and Mazandaran, and the Union of Iranian Communists (Sarbedaran). Considering the limited number of members of many of these organizations, Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization had the role of Godfather for the council. The establishment of the council has been the only democratic exercise of the MKO over the past 50 years.

Since the organization’s method and policy were entirely monopolistic and dictatorial, all the political parties and groups opposing the Islamic Republic, which was attracted from all over the world, left the National Council of Resistance soon, one after another. At last, after only two years, it was just the MKO and the National Liberation Army remaining with the organization and the name “National Resistance Council” practically turned meaningless.

In the 1980s, the more the terrorist activities of the MKO increased, the more reason was there for the Islamic Republic’s military and security forces to crack down on them and other political opposition and critic groups against the Islamic Republic. It was assumed that the two sides had been involved in a marathon race of killing each other. For instance, according to Masoud Rajavi’s interview with an Arab-language publication, Al-Mosawar, the number of Iranian citizens who were killed by MKO was announced as more than 6,000 people since the entry of the organization until the end of 1983. Based on the organization’s sources, this number raises to 7,000 people, including those killed in Kurdistan and the borderlines. There were 1,200 attempts of operations and destructions in cities during the mentioned period.

Masoud Rajavi And Maryam Ghajar Azdanloo

On the other hand, unofficial statistics about killing detainees and suspects, as well as in street fighting and team houses by the Islamic Republic’s security and military forces, reached over 3,000 people. The MKO had moved to Iraq when Iran and Iraq were involved in a full-scale military battle.

Due to the pressures from the French government, and the rejection of other European countries, the People’s Mujahidin Organization of Iran moved its headquarter from Paris to Baghdad in 1986. Saddam Hussein, who was involved in a war with Iran at that time, welcomed Masoud Rajavi. All members of the organization were settled down at a location 80 miles from the Iranian borders, in Diyalah province.

The camp was named after Ashraf Rabiei, the first wife of Masoud Rajavi, who was killed along with Moussa Khiabani, the second-authority of the organization, and more than twenty other members in an attack to the team house of the Mujahidin Organization on February 8, 1982.

With the arrival of the Mujahedin to Ashraf, a complete quarantine of the members was carried out by the heads of the organization. In the videos of the MKO about life in the Ashraf Camp, the camp was introduced as a modern city campus with residential complexes, clean streets and educational facilities, with a museum, mosque, university and a graveyard.

A number of members of the MKO, who left or literally “escaped” from the Ashraf Camp, talked about the pressure of the commanders on the forces. They also admitted the lack of communication with outside of the base since they entered the camp, and the fact that they had been deprived from accessing telephone, mobile, internet and media, except the organization’s television, throughout their stay at the camp. They also called exiting the camp something costly and difficult.

At the end of the Iran-Iraq War, after the weaknesses and subsequent defeats of the Iranian armed forces, MKO, supported by the Iraqi Army, carried out two operations called Sunshine (Aftab) and Chandelier (Chelcheraq) in early 1988, which brought them some major successes such as the seizing of Mehran city.

Following the adoption of Resolution 598 by Iran, before the ceasefire was launched, the organization operated its most extensive attack called “Forough-e Javidan” against Iran. In this operation, the members of the MKO were able to quickly seize the cities of Qasr-e-Shirin, Sar Pol-e-Zahab, West Karand and West Islamabad, moving toward Kermanshah. However, before reaching Kermanshah, they encountered the Iranian forces’ attack at Charzebar Pass Camp and the Iranian Air strikes at the same time (called Mersad Operation) and were defeated.

Chasing the remained forces continued for a few days. According to Iranian government sources, more than 2,500 Mujahedin were killed during the Mersad Operation. MKO announced the number of 1,300 killed.

Failure of the Forough-e Javidan Operation was an end to the military operations of the “Military Liberation” affiliated to the MKO. In fact, with the implementation of the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq, under the supervision of the United Nations, on August 20, 1988, the use of Mujahedin from Iraqi territory to attack Iran was generally ruled out.

One of the most controversial issues regarding the presence of the MKO in Iraq is about their involvement with the Iraqi army in suppressing the Kurdish and Shiite forces after the First Persian Gulf War, which resulted in the death sentence for Saddam Hussein and Masoud Rajavi in courts. The former president, Saddam Hussein, was executed and Masoud Rajavi disappeared.

Appendix:

For further study on the MKO’s terrorist acts against the Islamic Republic of Iran:

Mohammad Sadegh Koushki, Assassins, Tehran, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Documentation Center, 2008, p. 403 – 331

Mohammad Sadegh Koushki, previous, p. 220

Mujahedin Khalgh Organization, The advent to the end (1965-2005), A summary of the Three-volume, p. 277

Interview with Ayatollah Mahdavi. The head of the time Islamic Revolutionary Committees with Qavamin Publication, June 1991

From start to the end, Revolutionary Guards War Research Center. Amir Farshad Ebrahimi. C 8, P. 164

In 1991, after coalition forces invaded Iraq, Kurds and Shiites rebelled against Saddam Hussein in the north and south of Iraq, which was repressed with much intensity. According to various statistics, 100 to 200 thousand people were killed and more than 2 million people were displaced in the crackdown.

Documentations and evidences about the MKO’s cooperation with Saddam’s regime in killing of Shiites have not been yet collected. For example, the prosecution of Saddam Hussein’s charges against him for the slaughter of Shiites in Dajail, occurred in 1982, was sentenced to death; however there is no evidence available that Saddam and Mujahedin collaborated with each other in other crimes against Shiites.

Iraqi Supreme Court issued an arrest warrant for Maryam Rajavi and 39 members of the MKO on the charges of crimes against humanity in July 2012, but in response to this ruling, MKO called the court”under the influence of the Maliki government”, the Iraqi prime minister, and the sentence as “a gift from the Iraqi government for Iran”.

GIDSS.com,By Amirfarshad Ebrahimi ,Photojournalist & Documentary producer

Half a century with MKO – Part II

September 20, 2017 0 comments

Duplicity of the MEK nature

The Show of Democracy in the Cult of Rajavi

The so-called election of the secretary general in the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (the MKO/ MEK/ the Cult of Rajavi) was once more a masquerade show to cover the true face of the group in the eyes of the outside world and at the same time served as a distractor for the minds of those individuals who are kept against their will inside the cult.

The approach adopted by the MKO in the so-called election is so ambiguous that no one can define the role of the elected secretary general and the differences between the authority of her and that of the disappeared leader Massoud Rajavi and even that of the alleged “president-elect” Maryam Rajavi. The election is seemingly a performance of democracy rather than an authentic act of democracy in the cult of Rajavi.

Actually the MKO meets all criteria of a cult of personality around the character of the Rajavis. In a cult-like structure, the establishment is founded on a dictatorship not a democracy. The regulations of a Cult of Personality is not based on elections and democratic principles but it is based on the absolute power of one single person, the leader on top of a hierarchy of senior members and the rank and file.

People in leadership positions in political arenas should be expected to always act in accordance to the rules of the establishment, and to the principles for which democracy is supposed to stand, and should never use their fame and public image as an item to create the illusion they are behaving morally, ethically, and in a principled manner, while doing the exact opposite. Maryam and her disappeared husband Massoud Rajavi are the only ones in the MKO hierarchy that do not obey the rules of the group. They are idols that their “virtues” are constantly repeated for their followers.

The Rajavis were married while mandatory celibacy was the rule all members of the group had to obey. They were able to have relationships with the other sex while the rank and file had to live separately, even the gas station in Camp Ashraf was scheduled to be used by men and women in different hours of day. Maryam Rajavi is the only women in the Cult of Rajavi who can choose her clothing by her free will. She is usually seen in a variety of colors while other female members are supposed to wear uniforms, and Hijab is obligatory…

Thus in such an undemocratic structure, election is mockery. The absurdity of such an election is also understood in the type of the process by which Zahra Merikhi was elected. This is the election process described by the MKO’s own website: “In the first such assembly on Aug. 20, an initial 12 candidates were introduced, of whom four reached the next stage, with Merrikhi receiving a majority of the votes. At the second assembly two weeks later, senior MEK officials and cadres cast their ballots for the final four candidates, with Merrikhi leading the vote tally again. At the third and final assembly last Wednesday, all members raised their hands and unanimously elected Merrikhi.”

According to the group’s media in the first phase of the elections Merrikhi has received “a majority of the votes”. Some sources of the group say 86 percent. This means that she has not had the 100 percent approval of the whole members, regarding that the two first phases of voting were held with ballot boxes and the voters have had their private votes so it was natural that some of the rank and file dared to state their opinion against Merrikhi. The third and final assembly was like a joke where “all members raised their hands and unanimously elected Merrikhi”. The Cult of Rajavi implies that not even one single person had an absentee vote let alone a vote against the “elected” secretary general!

Ludicrously, the group propaganda journalist Majid Rafizadeh claims that the Cult of Rajavi “enjoys prowess and cohesion to elect a new secretary general”. Rafizadeh who seems to be so excited about the alleged elections in his cult, as an extra-ordinary phenomenon, boasts, “In short, Iran’s opposition election demonstrates process, structure, depth of leadership ranks and a genuine and practical commitment to gender equality, especially in leadership positions.” Mr. Rafizadeh should be told that the cohesion that the MKO enjoys is absolutely originated in the coercive indoctrination system of the Cult.

Actually, commitment to gender equality is a tool to ensure an environment that supports social justice to empower women in the society. Women in the Cult of Rajavi, isolated from the free world, deprived from marriage and having child, deprived from choosing their life style, their type of clothing and many other basic rights of a human being, miss the least support that ensures social justice for them.

As a matter of fact, personality cults are dangerous and detrimental to democracy. The recent show in the MKO’s headquarters in Tirana, Albania was called by Maryam Rajavi “as a brilliant election, embodying the height of democracy, cohesion, and growth in the PMOI” but it was indeed just a democratic gesture for the outsiders and an entertainment for the insiders.

By Mazda Parsi

September 16, 2017 0 comments

Former members of the MEK

Iran has shown maximum mercy to MEK members

Ebrahim Khodabandeh, a former senior member of Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization who defected from the group in 2003, provided details of some less known aspects of the MEK in a speech delivered to scholars of Astan Qods Razavi endowment in Mashhad.

In the first part of his speech, Ebrahim Khodabandeh referred to the cultish nature of MEK and said cults like the MEK highlight real-life problems of people and recruit their members by presenting themselves as the solution to those problems.

He then stated that the MEK which once claimed to be fighting for independence from the United States, now invites and hosts the most extremist American warmongers, who are rejected even by liberals in the West, in its events and gatherings.

Khodabandeh went on to say that the main focus of MEK’s international activities was on Iranophobia. “This approach was in line with Western governments’ desires. We used to demonize Iran to terrify Western people. When they were terrified of Iran, we used to present ourselves as the alternative and asked for their support. This is how the MEK recruited some people and brought them into the group.” He said.

He then pointed out the criminal record of the group and stated: “As confessed in its own documents, the MEK has killed 12000 Iranians. We shall never allow these crimes to be forgotten. One of their best-known betrayals against Iranian people is their cooperation and siding with Iraq in their war against Iran. As Saddam was bombing Iranian cities, Rajavi and his group encouraged him and advised the Iraqi army on the location of their targets. Rajavi ordered MEK members to contact their families in Iran and gather intel about the hit targets under the pretext of greeting their family members.”

Khodabandeh also referred to Iran’s attitude towards MEK members and reiterated: “Nothing in the world is more important to humans than security. Let’s look at Iran’s situation back in the 80s. On one hand, a foreign country has invaded the Iranian soil. And on the other hand an Iranian group is conducting high treason by siding with the enemy in this invasion. Mersad operation is a clear example of MEK’s betrayal to Iran. During WWII in Britain, the sentence of robbery was execution. They used to justify it by saying as all security and Police forces are focused on an ongoing war, robbery is an act against the national security and in favor of the enemy at war. And the sentence of cooperation with the enemy during war is execution. Now going back to Iran in the 80s, all military and security forces of the country are engaged in war. Imam Khomeini issued the right Fatwa and saved the security of people. Many of those MEK members who were not executed in 1988 and release later, moved to Iraq and rejoined the MEK and participated in a direct military operation against the country (Mersad operation). After Mersad operation, MEK members who were still in prison were asked about their ties with the group, and some would still insist on supporting MEK’s activities. It has nothing to do with Islam. Do a research in a country like the U.S. and see what the sentence of high treason is. The Islamic Republic has shown the maximum mercy to an enemy group. I know more than 700 MEK members like myself who are freely living their lives. Many journalists who encountered us were surprised and wondered if it is possible.”

August 30, 2017 0 comments

Maryam Rajavi

Maryam Rajavi MEK leader or Massoud’s front figure?

There are people out there who are leaders of cults of personality and they do destructive harm against their followers emotionally, psychologically, physically and financially. Actually there is no cult, without a charismatic leader who abuses people to obey him unquestionably.

The Mujahedin Khalq Organization meets all traits of a destructive cult of personality. The disappeared leader of the group Massoud Rajavi had complete control over his followers. He never answered questions on the decisions he made and he was never accountable to no one in his group, the MKO.

What was Maryam Rajavi’s role to establish Massoud’s cult of personality?

According to Dr. Alexandra stein, cult expert and sociologist, “the most inner circles around a cult leader protect him or her from the masses outside.” For Massoud Rajavi the most inner circle is called the “Elite Council” which is exclusively consisted of female members.

“Some cult leaders are surrounded by their immediate lieutenant, their wives “, writes Dr. Stein. “They are in charge of looking after his personal needs as well as leading the organization on a daily basis.”

Certain female defectors of the cult of Rajavi are living eye-witnesses of the existence of such a protective female wall around Massoud Rajavi. Batoul Soltani, who left the group a decade ago, revealed that Massoud Rajavi had married a number of higher layer members of the Elite Council.

She revealed Rajavi’s passion to have sexual relationship with his numerous wives. The surprising part of her testimony was that Massoud Rajavi was aided by his third wife Maryam Rajavi – the so-called president elect of the MKO – to gain his sexual ambitions. Batul clarified how Maryam managed the ceremonies called Salvation Dance to manipulate high ranking members of the Elite Council – of which she was a member too – into getting married and having sex with Massoud.

What made Maryam Rajavi act as a catalyst for her husband’s ambitions?

Based on Alex Stein’s research, Maryam Rajavi’s function was to “implement Massoud Rajavi’s wishes and serving as a proxy for him while his whereabouts remain secret. But, she, too, will likely be dispensable should he so desire.”

Wheather Massoud Rajavi is dead or has desired to dispense Maryam as his successor, Maryam is now the symbol of feminism and women’s rights in the masquerade shows the MKO launches. However, Rajavi’s “all-female leadership” also functions as a shield against any probable dissent by the side of male members of his cult of personality.

Dr. Stein notifies the MKO as a cult in which “Rajavi appoints authority figures in the hierarchy based not on expertise, but because of ideological rank.”

She then describes how the inner feminine circle was formed around Massoud Rajavi: “these rankings change on a dime, depending on Rajavi’s whim. All one point, in a major ideological move, men were removed from any leadership posts and an-all-female leadership replaced them (with the exception, of course, of Rajavi himself) – presumably in an effort to keep the men subservient and prevent the development of internal resistance to Rajavi. More recently seven members of Rajavi’s inner circle have disappeared and the MEK watches suspect they are likely to have been “eliminated” as no longer being of use and potentially dangerous “because of the information they carry.”

To maintain his hegemony over his cult members, Massoud Rajavi victimized hundreds of people and Maryam was his number one assistant to gain the utmost power of saint immortal leader. With the disappearance of Massoud, Maryam is endeavoring to preserve the same authority over the cult of Rajavi. Has she been successful, the process of defection from the group would stop.

By Mazda Parsi

August 12, 2017 0 comments

The cult of Rajavi

Brainwashed, threatened, loved, Why people stay in the cult of Rajavi?

Based on testimonies of survivors of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization ( the MKO/ MEK/ the Cult of Rajavi) there have been two ways to get trapped in the cult. First group –mostly joined the cult of Rajavi in the beginning years of its foundation—were inspired by their high ideals which finally lured them into the cult and the second group –most recently recruited—were lured into the group by the fraudulent recruitment methods that promised them a better life, including job, wealth and citizenship of the European countries.

Once the person is surrounded by the oppressive controlling system of the MKO, what restrains him from leaving it? Alex Stein’s “Terror, Love and Brainwashing”, is helpful to realize how cults work. The MKO is one of the cult-like systems that she investigates. Her studies helps her prove that the relationship between a follower and the cult guru is often a “disorganized” attachment. The contradictions is detected between the “apparent kindness” of the cult leader –as it is usually seen in the appearance of Maryam Rajavi— and the confusion and the unhappiness members endure in the oppressive atmosphere of the cult.

According to Alex Stein’s personal experience and her later researches, live-in members of cults like the ones of the MKO cult, who are socially isolated, will lose their family, friends and all attachments of a normal life. She calls these individuals as “total converts”. This causes their unwillingness to leave the cult and its doctrine.

Members of the Cult of Rajavi are not only immersed in the beliefs of the cult but, they are totally immersed in the cult itself. As Alex explains, “Processes of brainwashing rest on the creation of stress or threat with no escape other than the apparent (un)safe haven of the group.” This is exactly the atmosphere ruling the MKO members in the group camps formerly in Iraq and in France and Albania now. Self-criticism meetings, permanent supervising of a hierarchical system, mandatory working schedule, sleep deprivation, forced celibacy are all tools to maintain the stressful, threatening structure.

“This results in a state of terror that causes a dissociative state resulting from a disorganized bond to the leader, or the group as proxy. The hyperobedient and hypercredulous deployable follower existing in this airless world gripped by an iron band of terror can be asked to engage in acts they would not have previously done, nor, once out of the group, would they do in the future,” states Alex Stein.

This way, members are gradually driven to engage in acts they would not have done before their involvement in the totalist system of the cult. For examples, acts of terror, suicide and self-immolation committed by the MKO operatives are numerous in the official history of the group published by different sources including the US State Department, The Human Rights Watch and the RAND Corporation etc.

According to Stein, “A totalist system is formed and controlled by a charismatic authoritarian leader. It is a rigidly bounded, dense, hierarchical and isolating system supported and represented by a total, exclusive ideology. The leader sets in motion processes of brainwashing or coercive persuasion designed to isolate and control followers. As a result followers are able to be exploited, and potentially become deployable agents, demonstrating uncritical obedience to the group, regardless of their own survival needs.”

Alex Stein names Massoud and Maryam Rajavi in the list of totalitarian cult leaders who forbid the formation of any attachments –even imaginary or internal—because they consider it a fundamental threat to the emotionally and disorganizing attachment that they themselves have imposed on members. She writes, “Maryam Rajavi of the Iranian political cult the Mojahedin-e khalq, acted as a kind of front of the leader, Massoud Rajavi, and was known as the group’s “Ideological Mother”.

In Terror, Love and Brainwashing, Stein presents an approach to understanding the profound effect of manipulative processes. Based on her book, it may take even the most courageous and the most intelligent people years to leave or to escape a totalitarian system. That’s why one may find a large number of educated, clever people among the survivors and even currently members of the Cult of Rajavi.

“This goes beyond the idea that simply teaching ‘critical thinking skills’ is enough. While that is, of course, important, we also should be teaching about the specific kinds of mechanisms that interrupt the ability to think critically,” she concludes.

By Mazda Parsi

August 3, 2017 0 comments

France

Which occasion is Maryam Rajavi celebrating in Paris?

Letter of the families of members of Rajavi terrorist cult and the former members, to the new President of France, about the annual celebration of Maryam Rajavi in Paris

Mr. Emmanuel Macron, the honorable president of the Republic of France

With greetings, we wish to draw your attention to some interesting points.

You surely know the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, MKO) and do know what occasion Maryam Rajavi, the leader of this group after Massoud Rajavi, celebrates in Paris every year. This group also appears under the names of the National Council of Resistance (NCR) and the National Liberation Army (NLA).

It is now 36 years since Massoud Rajavi first entered France and sought refuge in your country. It was towards the end of June 1981 that this group declared armed struggle against Iran and started a bloody campaign to gain power. Then Massoud Rajavi escaped to Paris and under the protection of your country and other western countries, directed the MEK’s terrorist activities inside Iran.

In the 80s there was no sign of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIL, and the west was not familiar with terrorism and its difficulties as today. But the people of Iran faced a vast amount of terrorist activities in those years that the west is just beginning to experience a limited amount in recent years. Perhaps the westerners now understand a little how the people of Iran suffered through these years of terror.

After five years residing in France and directing terror inside Iran, Massoud Rajavi while admitting defeat of the strategy of fighting in the cities, moved to Iraq as was directed by US and the west. You surely are aware that Massoud Rajavi had a prior undercover visit to France before the start of Iran-Iraq war. Later it was disclosed that this journey was aimed at making connections with the Iraqi regime and was mediated by France. It was agreed that the Iraqis from outside Iran and the MEK from inside of the country work together and destroy the newly established Islamic Republic of Iran.

What is the act of ‘cooperating with the enemy during a war’ considered as in your country? How do you explain such an obvious betraying and what verdict do you give for it? We do wish to know your opinion on this. Massoud Rajavi’s move to Iraq, while being at war with Iran and joining the Iraqi forces against the Iranian defenders, also happened to occur in June 1986.

Since 2000, the west became familiar with terrorism as it is known today, and groups misusing Islam emerged and committed widespread acts of violence and cruelty. We consider the MEK to be their godfather. Do you know that the MEK are proud of being the originators of suicide bombing and of inventing the exploding vest? Do you know that in those years that Massoud Rajavi was a special guest in your country, the MEK used this sort of terrorism inside Iran using many numbers of their brainwashed members? Do you know that the MEK recruited most of their forces from Iranians in the US and Europe and after they were brainwashed sent them to Iraq via Turkey and forced them into the war with Iran? Later ISIL copied the MEK and did the same.

We would like you to answer one question sincerely. If the leaders of Al-Qaeda or ISIL celebrate in Tehran the beginning of their terrorism against the west, what would the reaction of the people of New York, London, or Paris be? If a country gives refuge to your country’s war traitors and allows them to act freely against your country, how would you feel?

It is very difficult for us to relate these sorts of behaviors to the France’s claim of democracy and peace. Don’t you think that such issues damage the humanitarian appearance of France?

Do you know that the base of the MEK in Auvers-sur-Oise in the suburbs of Paris inside France operates under cultic rules, and the behavior, thoughts, beliefs, communications and emotions of the members are severely controlled? Aren’t you concerned about the presence of some brainwashed elements in your country, who are ready to commit self-immolation on a single command? Do your security authorities approve celebrations in your country commemorating the start of terrorism?

The MEK, just like all other terrorist cults in history, is condemned to failure. This cult has committed many crimes against the people of Iran, people of Iraq, and even against its own members. This cult was forced to leave Iraq. Have you ever asked the Iraqis why they were so insistent on MEK leaving their country? It is obvious, because Iraq found their presence a security threat. Now they have been moved to Europe and their headquarters is in Paris. How come France and other European countries ignore their threat? Can the conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran justify such negligence?

France had an excuse in the past for keeping the Rajavi cult in Paris that they have nowhere to go. But now Maryam Rajavi spent several months with her forces in Albania and can easily reside in Tirana with her followers. There is a security problem now and that is they are expanding their activities towards European countries as well as Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, and Iran. But everyone, including those responsible for security in Europe, knows that they would soon be problematic in Europe. They do not belong to European countries, they do belong to some warmongering Americans and therefore their presence in France can be very dangerous for your country and the whole Europe.

We, the suffering families and the former members, urge you as the highest representative of the Republic of France, do not stick the MEK in our eyes anymore and at least for the sake of your own county’s reputation do not give in to the criminals and traitors. Expelling or at least limiting the MEK terrorist cult in France can of course be in the path of countering terrorism and cults and also seeking democracy and peace and developing human rights.

Families and former members of MEK

July 5, 2017 0 comments

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