The Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MEK, a.k.a. MKO and PMOI) has a dreadful record of using women and girls as a tool to achieve its purposes. As a concrete example, the killing of two female members of the group in 2003 in Paris can be noted.
On June 17, 2003, French counter-intelligence forces stormed the MEK’s headquarters in Paris, seizing over $8 million in cash and detaining 159 people, including Maryam Rajavi, the group’s ringleader.
Neda Hassani and Sedighe Mojaveri who brainwashed by the MEK leaders into immolating themselves
Following the arrest, a number of brainwashed members of the group were forced to set themselves on fire in public. MEK members mobilized throughout Europe in order to hold demonstrations and then the victims carry out a series of forced self-immolations. The self-immolations had been staged publicly by 16 members of the group one after the other in Paris, Rome, Berne, London, Ottawa, Athens, and Nicosia.
Among the victims of the forced self-immolations, the names of three women stand out: Seddiqeh Mojaveri, 40, Neda Hassani, 26, and Marzieh Babakhani. The first two lost their lives and Babakhani was severely burned.
The poor women were used as a tool to pressure the French public opinion and legal system to free Maryam Rajavi. They may have been told that there was no cause to worry and the firemen would intervene to extinguish the fire soon after they set themselves ablaze. But they were duped and burned to death before the TV cameras to influence the court’s ruling. MEK leaders got their wish and the court, concerned that the immolations might be repeated, ordered Maryam Rajavi’s release on bail.
photo: The raid of the MEK’s Paris compound in 2003, which prompted acts of self-immolation by some of its members.
Following the awkward incident and the media reaction to it, the French officials highlighted various aspects and dimensions of the cult-like activities of the MEK. French Government spokesperson, Jean-Francois Cope, considered these self-immolations as “obviously, extremely dramatic”. He added, “Alas! It also tells us a great deal about the mindset of their leadership”.
The self-immolations were so unexpected for the French officials that they barred all the MEK gatherings “until further orders” and police banned the sale, transport and use of all inflammable products in certain parts of central Paris.
These are the women who are to be burned in the cult of MEK to save the life of the group’s leader and be used for further political leverage and to show their absolute loyalty to public opinion.