Every time I see the members of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization in the streets of Tirana, I recognize them without hesitation. This quick recognition is not only because of their appearance, but also because of their special way of behaving, which is very different from the world around them. MEK members always move in groups of three or four, as if this structure is part of their strategy of solidarity or looking out for each other. This habit alone can indicate the depth of belonging to the group, which may have been rooted from long years of struggle and living in closed environments.
But what attracts more attention than anything else is the way they are covered. The clothes they are wearing, especially the old and worn trousers, take me back to the time when Albania was under the leadership of Enver Hoxha. These clothes seem to be a symbol of forty years ago, an era that seems to have never ended for them. This old and repetitive clothing style is a reflection of a past life. It is as if these people have stopped in time and are not willing to accept changes and modernity. Even the shoes they wear are the same and unchanged, a sign of a cultural uniformity that has kept itself separate from the outside world.
Every time I come across these scenes, these people appear in my mind like beings from another planet, as if they have mistakenly stepped here, in Tirana. This mental image may be caused by some kind of alienation that ripples in their behavior and appearance. But behind this superficial image lies a deeper story of the political and ideological past. A story of a group that was born with revolution and struggle, but now in the midst of the turmoil of a changing world, it still adheres to old traditions and beliefs.
I hope that a day will come when these people can make the right decision for their future. A decision that will bring them out of the shadow of the past and from isolation and connect them to the modern and real world.
I always get a lump in my throat when I talk to family or friends and tell them stories about the Rajavi cult and their base in Manez, Durres. Since the members of this group have not been able to see their families for many years, they have stayed away from their parents, siblings. These stories create a deep sense of fear and concern because they show how controlling and restrictive this cult can be. In a world where technological advancements make it possible to be connected to the whole world, it is strange that this group still uses its members in the style of old times, isolated from the real world.
This situation is not only an example of the internal dictatorship of an organization, but also reminds of the dark times of slavery. Where a person is forcibly deprived of the outside world and even the smallest human rights are ignored.
Edona Hunda, Member of Nejat Society Albania