While members of the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (the MKO/MEK/ PMOI/ the Cult of Rajavi) are being relocated in the remote camp called Ashraf 3 in the northern suburb of Tirana, the leaders of the group force members to sign a document of commitment to irrevocable membership.
“MEK members must say they are voluntarily going to Ashraf Three,” reported Iran-interlink that has received a copy of the document. “They are committed to violent regime change (sarneguni). They accept that MEK membership is for life and they cannot leave. They reject the bourgeoisie life style of the West and will not be tempted by it. They are committed to Maryam’s Revolution (which means celibacy and childlessness).” [1]
Provisions of the document explicitly titles its principal, “irrevocable membership” in the People’s Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI). This indicates that a political group can be involved in a cult-like system.”People don’t think of political groups as cults,”Dr. Alexandra Stein, a cult survivor and a cult expert now says.”But they can be. There are zillions of political cults around the world.”[2]
The ten points that are included in the commitment paper of the Cult of Rajavi meet the very criteria that Dr. Stein defines as features of a cult-like system. She has a five-point definition of a cult:”One: The leader is charismatic and authoritarian. Two: The structure of the group isolates people. The third thing is total ideology, like, ‘You only need me and no other belief system has any relevance whatsoever.”The fourth thing is the process of brainwashing. The fifth point: creating deployable followers who will do what you say regardless of their own self survival interests.”
As a matter of fact, leaders of the Cult of Rajavi who make members sign the “irrevocable membership” paper, demonstrate the authoritarian system of their organization. Besides, the new camp Ashraf 3 paves the way for more isolation of the rank and file of the group where the brainwashing process can be accomplished more easily.
According to Dr. Stein, in the isolated atmosphere cults operate on a cycle of fear and attachment. Members are extremely dependent to the group because they have no other choice. For instance, in case of the MKO members, having signed the “irrevocable membership” paper, they would be taken as hostages as long-life hostages of the group.
“You can’t confide in anyone in a cult,”she says.”If you say, ‘There seems to be a problem here,’ you will be likely to be punished, so there’s nowhere to go. You’re scared but you’ve got nobody else left in your life, so you cling to the very people who are causing you that fear.”
Therefore, Ashraf 3 is likely to turn into the very place in which victims of the Cult of Rajavi have to cling to the Rajavis and their successors. This is what Maryam Rajavi longs for.
By Mazda Parsi