Commonly, everyone who stands in front of a camera is willing to express a cheerful mood and adopts a positive posture to take a photo of good quality. However, this norm has some exceptions. For instance, there are cases in which individuals try intentionally to present a depressed, annoyed, disappointed, and unpleasant mood in front of a camera. From a psychological point of view, these individuals suffer from some complexes and a sense of despair to the point that bear not to be seen pleased even for a moment. A photo taken of Maryam Azdanlu, MKO’s second leader now in the absence of her husband, when visiting the Holocaust memorial in Berlin, is the subject of this paper. It can be considered her worst photo appearing up to now in websites among her countless photos put in allied as well as rival websites. In fact, putting this photo beside others may leave everyone with an uneasy feeling.
Here, we intend to grasp the implied meaning of this photo. Her mood is not to be attributed to her sympathy arousing from visiting Jews shambles since her past history shows that even in most terrible and intolerable situations, Maryam Azdanlu has managed to control herself, conceal her real feelings, thus standing with her Giaconda-like smile in front of camera lenses. There remains the idea that this has been a hunted photo in which the photographer caught a moment she was representing her unmasked and with no celebrity posture for reporters. The photo is taken when she is no one but Maryam Rajavi with her own personality, feelings, and emotions free from any pretension and stilted gesture.
In fact, this photo may be considered the most exact presentation of Maryam Azdanlu untainted of any razzle-dazzle in a vestibule of informal status and position. It is for the first time she is seen using no make-up, with wrinkles on her forehead, hollow cheeks and eyes, wrinkled skin, etc. Let us finish these descriptions lest annoying her womanish and tender feelings.
This photo is better to be equated with the moments when Maryam is engaged in a never ceasing struggle with herself within her Auvers-sur-Oise camp behind the high walls of Mojahedin fortress in the heart of Europe. It represents the times when she is heavily engaged in internal conflicts with herself to reconcile her numerous inner selves that are irreconcilable with her womanish nature and have long been tormenting her soul. First, her aristocratic self rooted in Qajar dynasty and her class conflict resulting from being engaged in cultist relations. Second, a cultist self rooted in the ideological revolution of Masoud Rajavi. Third, a wretched self rooted in all her political failures and despairs. Fourth, an organizational self rooted in lengthy ideological sessions of Mojahedin, lack of sleep, weekly cleansing sessions, and Jari operations. Finally, her womanish self rooted in her loss of family, husband, and child as well as being accused of infidelity.
In a nutshell, Maryam is to be considered the most miserable woman in MKO due to her internal conflicts and tensions. Also, she is one of the most piteous women of the world since she has met a destiny similar to that of other ill-famed women in the history who played a key role in the historical events and crises and has been exposed to paradoxical judgment on the part of the history. It is only God who knows her suffering in her formal visits of Auvers-sur-Oise families and the time when she hugs and kisses their children yearning to have a real family and life free from any playacting. She is well aware that she is not a leader but a big loser loosing her youth, family, country, fortune and freedom. It is only Maryam who can feel the bitter taste of her out-and-out defeat.