The following brief note examines international standards of women's rights within the Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MeK), namely the cult of Rajavi, by referring to international documents, testimonies of members who managed to escape from the MEK, and speeches and videos released from the cult’s leaders.
Following the Operation “Eternal Light”, the Mojahedin-e-Khalq’s largest military movement against the Islamic Republic of Iran in July 1988, which led to the killing of more than 2,500
The type of interaction that the Mojahedin-e Khalq organization has with its critics and opponents is very unique among political organizations.
The group’s ideology is political totalitarianism which means it aims to eliminate all other political groups and critics who constantly challenge their ideologies.
This trait of the MEK is rooted in their belief that the existence of and activity of all Iranian opposition groups whether inside or outside of the country is dependent on the MEK and
In 1979, the people of Iran successfully and mainly peacefully overthrew the United States-supported government, led by the brutal autocrat, the Shah of Iran. In ridding themselves of this repressive dictator and freeing themselves from the shackles of U.S. imperialism, they established the Islamic Republic of Iran.
While the revolution had widespread popular support, as does the government to this day, it was not without opposition. One group, the MEK (Mujahedin-e Khalq, or the People’s
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Fourteen)
The Blow on Bahram Aram and its Effect on the Organization’s Leadership
On November 16, 1976, Bahram Aram, one of the potent leaders of the organization, committed suicide with a grenade during a clash with the patrol officers of SAVAK and Shahrbani and this incident inflicted a severe blow on the organization. His death resulted in the disruption of all the affairs in Tehran, which were under his
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Thirteen)
After the ideological change and adoption of Marxism, the organization still believed in armed struggle and the assassination plot of American advisors took place within that belief system.
However, when its experienced and efficient military team was hit in the summer of 1975, the organization was no longer able to form another team with that level of expertise and therefore, could not carry out high-level
Mugshots of the young men accused of involvement with the Siahkal incident were widely published in Iranian newspapers (Wikicommons)
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Twelve)
The security system of the organization in the so-called period of readiness was only appropriate for the calm conditions of the time when SAVAK was not completely aware of the existence and activity of organizations which believed in armed struggle.
Except for a few groups
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Eleven)
Between 1971 and 1975, more people and groups became acquainted with the organization and its activities. Their external relations also expanded accordingly. During this 4-year period, the organization contacted various political and social groups inside and outside the country and collaborated closely with some of them.
Although the organization severely suffered from the first blows in August and the
By Reza Alghurabi
Throughout the contemporary history of Iran, numerous militia groups have been formed especially among the left streams, among whose common features are violent and terrorist measures. Although those groups were formed to fight the ruling political system, most of the victims of their operations were civilians. The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, also known as MKO or MEK, is one of the most well-known of these groups that officially launched its militia in the first months of
After the release of political prisoners on the eve of the victory of the revolution, and the subsequent release of Massoud Rajavi (a central member of the Mojahedin-e- Khalq Organization) in January of that year, members of the organization began to define their alignments with other groups.
After the release of political prisoners on the eve of the victory of the revolution, and the subsequent release of Massoud Rajavi (a central member of the Mojahedin-e- Khalq Organization) in January of
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Ten)
After the blows in August and the following months, the fabric of the organization completely disintegrated and what was gradually created afterwards was in fact fundamentally different from the past.
From 1969 onwards, as we previously mentioned, the organization was divided into 3 relatively distinct sections and each of which performed its duties as independently and self-sufficiently as possible.
In the early
By Reza Alghurabi
Among the many indicators of misdirection in the Trump administration’s policy toward Iran, one of the clearest was the fondness for the cult-like terrorist group known as the Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK.
For years, the group was designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. But after an aggressive and well-funded lobbying campaign supported by a bipartisan cast of high-profile former public officials, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced in
By Paul Pillar
The Soleimani assassination and its anniversary ought to provide occasion for Americans to think carefully about the nature of what each side in this badly plagued relationship has done to the other.
Sunday marks the first anniversary of the assassination of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani by the United States, using an armed drone at the Baghdad International Airport. Soleimani was a major political and military figure whose role went well beyond his formal position as commander
On Jan 3, 2020, Lt. Gen. Soleimani was assassinated in a U.S. terrorist attack near Baghdad airport shortly after he arrived in the city to meet the Iraqi Prime Minister.
The assassination was called unlawful by a UN Special Rapporteur and was a violation of security agreements between Washington and Baghdad. It caused a wave of popular protests against the American military presence in the Western Asia.
Martyr Soleimani will be remembered for his courage, wisdom and an unparalleled role in
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Nine)
It is worth mentioning that after Reza Rezaei was hit, Majid Sharif Vaqhefi entered the centrality of the organization and thus, from the summer of 1973 onwards, central member included Taghi Shahram, Bahram Aram and Majid Sharif Vaghefi.
To the best of the author’s knowledge, all issues introduced in the Green Booklet (i.e., the booklet which was the result of careful analysis and evaluation of the
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Eight)
In the first blow in August and following ones, as we have already mentioned, the vast majority of the leadership elements and members of the organization were arrested. At first, 7 important caderes including Saeid Mohsen, Ali Bakeri, Bahman Bazargani, Mahmoud Askarizadeh, Reza Rezaei, Mohammad Bazargani, and Masoud Rajavi were arrested and from among the central elements, only Mohammad Hanifnejad, Ali
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Seven)
In the spring of 1971, the organization decided to conduct its military operations during the 2,500-year celebrations of the Persian Empire i.e., October 1971, during which many foreign guests including various political figures from all over the world would participate.
To supply their needs for weapon, the organization contacted a person named Allah Morad Delfani so that he could procure weapons from
As the world reacts to the assassination of yet another Iranian nuclear scientist, analysts point to the deafening silence of the U.S. Democrats, who have largely stopped short of denouncing the deadly attack on the prominent Iranian scientist Dr. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
On Friday at 14:30, a sound of explosion rocked the small Absard city of Damavand County, about 40 kilometers northeast of the capital Tehran. A Nissan Junior pickup truck packed with highly explosive materials exploded as the
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Six)
The organization considered evolution as a universal law and believed that human beings are at the peak of the evolutionary stage and must move toward it and any obstruction of this process equals the destruction of human beings.
Humans have free will; however, this does not mean they are free from restraints. Rather, this freedom becomes meaningful within the framework of universal laws including evolution.
In other
Review of The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Five)
From the very beginning, the organization had an Islamic ideology. However, as it was influenced during the development and evolution of the organization, this ideology was fundamentally different from that of prominent Islamic jurists.
The organization believed that the essence of Islam had undergone major changes. These deviations, which started right after Prophet Mohammad’s demise, gradually rose, especially
Review of “The Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization” by Hossein Ahmadi Rouhani (Part Four)
As previously mentioned, from the beginning of its creation in 1965, the organization’s instructional courses included the four areas of ideology, politics, economics, and organization and in each weekly session, some or all the areas were covered and discussed.
With respect to the content of the course in the area of ideology, the Holy Quran and Nahj al-Balagha constituted the basis. At the beginning of
The following brief note examines international standards of women's rights within the Mojahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MeK), namely the cult of Rajavi, by referring to international documents, testimonies of members who managed to escape from the MEK, and speeches and videos released from the cult’s leaders.
Following the Operation “Eternal Light”, the Mojahedin-e-Khalq’s largest military movement against the Islamic Republic of Iran in July 1988, which led to the killing of more than 2,500
