Having some features of cult leaders like megalomania and narcissism as well as borrowing cultic thought-reform techniques facilitated Masud Rajavi’s furthering of personal interests. Therefore, Rajavi has a more complex personality compared to other cult leaders. His charisma is not an inherent feature but is an instrument intentionally used to subordinate members.
Rajavi and his fellows claim that he is inheritor of all the ideological principles and the history of the organization. However, the fact is that the ideological principles of the organization[PMOI/MKO/MEK] have been manipulated, distorted, held in archive and even eliminated under the command of Rajavi and in his favor whenever necessary..
Of the current issues prevalent in the world of politics regarding the challenges MKO /PMOI/MEKhas risen to is that Rajavi has manipulated the history of MKO/PMOI and its founders. It is said that he and his fellows have made an attempt to misuse the history of the organization in a way to legitimize his unauthentic leadership imposed on the organization and its members. Here a number of fabricated memories made by a number of self-seeker MKO/PMOI members are reviewed in order to bring the matter to light.
Rajavi owes his leadership to a number of factors among which misusing and manipulating the history of the organization and its founders is of utmost significance paving the way for imposing Rajavi on the organization and expansion of his authoritarian leadership therein. ..the main part of this process has been taken place since 1985 when Rajavi used the ideological revolution as an instrument to stabilize his totalitarian and egocentric leadership within MKO/PMOI/MEK
In MKO, the terms Rajavi and ideology are not distinguishable and are actually identical. Despite all disputes on the factor of ideology and its function in social issues, the main blunder of Rajavi is that he hews not to the organizational principles and ideology of MKO; rather he has made an attempt to replace the ideology with himself representing the ideology and the one in the focus of attention. Rajavi has manipulated MKO ideology for justifying his wrongdoings and cultic behaviors imposed on the members under his command a number of which can be enumerated as self-immolation, conducting terrorist attacks, Machiavellian relations..
Once forming the very fundamentals and organizational principles of Mojahedin, ideology turned into a paradoxical lever in the hands of Masoud Rajavi after he usurped leadership of MKO. Although Rajavi extracted the necessity of armed struggle against the global imperialism from MKO/PMOI/MEK ideology, after a while he manipulated it in a way that the very ideology made the background for siding with imperialism, ignoring the bloods shed for the sacred cause they were fighting to fulfill
Of the most repeatedly used terms in the publications of MKO/PMOI/MEK in addition to lectures made by its leader, Masoud Rajavi, is “ideology” to the point that it has turned to be an emblematic term in Mojahedin’s literature. Rajavi has justified all his wrong doings and political and strategic errors by grabbing at the ideology and referring to the necessity of adhering to it as a multipurpose factor. It has to be pointed out that the organization’s manifestos and doctrines have been based on the ideology ..
Massoud Rajavi is known to be an egocentric power maniac whose character and leading flaws has so far suggested exhibiting many of the behavioral characteristics of marked megalomania and paranoia. Many even go beyond to state that he is a psychopath who has succeeded to enforce himself onto the leadership position. Their assertion is in no way an arbitrary judgment but based on comprehensive researches done by prominent academics and cult experts.
More than two decades ago when Massoud Rajavi informed of the great change and ideological revolution within Mojahedin Khalq Organization /MKO/PMOI/MEK, still believing to be active as a political group, hardly anybody first came to assume that it was actually the beginning of a long path leading the organization into the abyss of internal and external challenges.
the main strategy of Mojahedin leadership in recent years has been grabbing hold of empty promises to keep on his illegitimate hold over the body and soul of a number of deceived and ill-fated individuals. Two years ago, Rajavi promised to make the grounds for the overthrow of the Iranian regime up to the U.S presidential election; otherwise, members would be free to either remain in Camp Ashraf (dwelling of Mojahedin rank-and-files in Iraqi soil) or quit the organization.