Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2009, Page 33
The fact that they killed a member of the clergy, an Ayatollah, an old
noncombatant person—again, along with women and children, all prohibited by
Islamic law and principles.22
As you can see, when your tactic and strategy changes to solely terrorism, you cannot be
bound by popular morals. At the same time that the group loses the support of wider
society, its members and organizational supporters become more important.23 Then the
organization faces this dilemma: What should it do with the morality and beliefs of its
members and supporters? After all, they are, or were, ordinary individuals from the same
society, bound by the same code of morality and beliefs, and responsible at least in front of
their family and friends.
The answer for any organization at this point of transition is obvious: ―Change them or lose
them.‖ By 1981, there were a few other organizations, some as famous as MEK, such as
Fedayyian, who were fighting the Iranian government. They had almost the same history as
MEK. But, unlike MEK, they didn‘t change into a cult as a result, they, along with all the
other similar organizations, sooner or later faced division and the loss of most of their
members and supporters. All of them were forced to change their strategy and tactics, and
some were as decent as to announce their dissolution. MEK, in contrast, instead of changing
its strategy and tactics in order to survive as an organization, changed itself into a cult.24 In
isolation from wider society, and through the most sophisticated methods of mind control, it
changed the morality and belief system of its members and as a result didn‘t face any
division or mass defection.25
By then, we (members and supporters) were changed and were not thinking as ordinary
persons or individuals any more, but as members of the organization—or, as we used to call
ourselves, Mojahed (literally, struggler). Let me read here what was going on in the mind
and heart of one of those members, 24-year-old Gohar Adab-avaz, who killed a religious
representative in Shiraz. In this operation, Gohar Adab-avaz, with her suicide attack, killed
Dastghaib, the representative of Khomieni in Shiraz, and another 12 people. Before this
operation, she wrote in her will:
I don‘t think I am the owner of my own existence. My existence belongs to
God, people, and the Mojahedin organization. If my life can pave the way (for
others), it will be a worthwhile present for this path. I with an awareness and
eager decision am waiting for that day.
It was written that, till very late the night of the operation, she was helping others to
prepare everything for the next day‘s operation. On the day of the operation, before going
out, she gave her watch and 14 Tomans of money that she had to her masoul (person in
charge of him) and said, ―I know what I am going out for and I have pointed all my
attention toward the heart of the enemy.‖ When she was passing under a tray containing
the Koran, a mirror, and water, as is the Iranian custom for going on a journey, in this case
a journey toward infinity, she kissed the Koran and asked God for help.26
Terrorist Organizations versus Cults
I am sure you are well aware of the different definitions that exist for the term cult, and I
am not going to bother you with a lengthy discussion about what is and what is not a cult.
And to avoid further difference of opinion, I am not going to talk about small, peaceful cults,
but extreme ones. Most everyone knows of them and knows how they act.
In my view, to have an extreme cult, you must have three main ingredients:
1. A charismatic leader.
2. A doctrine, a cause, or an ideology.
The fact that they killed a member of the clergy, an Ayatollah, an old
noncombatant person—again, along with women and children, all prohibited by
Islamic law and principles.22
As you can see, when your tactic and strategy changes to solely terrorism, you cannot be
bound by popular morals. At the same time that the group loses the support of wider
society, its members and organizational supporters become more important.23 Then the
organization faces this dilemma: What should it do with the morality and beliefs of its
members and supporters? After all, they are, or were, ordinary individuals from the same
society, bound by the same code of morality and beliefs, and responsible at least in front of
their family and friends.
The answer for any organization at this point of transition is obvious: ―Change them or lose
them.‖ By 1981, there were a few other organizations, some as famous as MEK, such as
Fedayyian, who were fighting the Iranian government. They had almost the same history as
MEK. But, unlike MEK, they didn‘t change into a cult as a result, they, along with all the
other similar organizations, sooner or later faced division and the loss of most of their
members and supporters. All of them were forced to change their strategy and tactics, and
some were as decent as to announce their dissolution. MEK, in contrast, instead of changing
its strategy and tactics in order to survive as an organization, changed itself into a cult.24 In
isolation from wider society, and through the most sophisticated methods of mind control, it
changed the morality and belief system of its members and as a result didn‘t face any
division or mass defection.25
By then, we (members and supporters) were changed and were not thinking as ordinary
persons or individuals any more, but as members of the organization—or, as we used to call
ourselves, Mojahed (literally, struggler). Let me read here what was going on in the mind
and heart of one of those members, 24-year-old Gohar Adab-avaz, who killed a religious
representative in Shiraz. In this operation, Gohar Adab-avaz, with her suicide attack, killed
Dastghaib, the representative of Khomieni in Shiraz, and another 12 people. Before this
operation, she wrote in her will:
I don‘t think I am the owner of my own existence. My existence belongs to
God, people, and the Mojahedin organization. If my life can pave the way (for
others), it will be a worthwhile present for this path. I with an awareness and
eager decision am waiting for that day.
It was written that, till very late the night of the operation, she was helping others to
prepare everything for the next day‘s operation. On the day of the operation, before going
out, she gave her watch and 14 Tomans of money that she had to her masoul (person in
charge of him) and said, ―I know what I am going out for and I have pointed all my
attention toward the heart of the enemy.‖ When she was passing under a tray containing
the Koran, a mirror, and water, as is the Iranian custom for going on a journey, in this case
a journey toward infinity, she kissed the Koran and asked God for help.26
Terrorist Organizations versus Cults
I am sure you are well aware of the different definitions that exist for the term cult, and I
am not going to bother you with a lengthy discussion about what is and what is not a cult.
And to avoid further difference of opinion, I am not going to talk about small, peaceful cults,
but extreme ones. Most everyone knows of them and knows how they act.
In my view, to have an extreme cult, you must have three main ingredients:
1. A charismatic leader.
2. A doctrine, a cause, or an ideology.
