Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2009, Page 36
MEK: Isolating Members and Supporters from the Wider Society
From the beginning, the announced sole strategy and tactic of the MEK organization was
―amred [sic] struggle,‖ or in another word, terrorism, even if with a label of revolutionary
terrorism or guerrilla war. The relationship of all members to the outside world was highly
controlled and under surveillance. Still, for the first few years, many members used to live
in their own homes with their own families. Later, with the introduction of terms such as
―collective houses‖ and ―professional revolutionaries,‖ most of the high-ranking members
were forced to leave their jobs and their families and live in these collective houses, and to
change into professional revolutionaries. After the revolution, as they were looking to gain
popular support, many lower-ranking members had to leave their secret lives behind and
start communicating with ordinary people, their family, and friends. Therefore, for almost
three years (1979–1981), although all members and most of the organizational supporters
were ―professional revolutionaries‖ and were not allowed to have private lives of their own,
still many could have some sort of relationship with the outside world and ordinary family
and friends. Then, from 1981 onward, all members and organizational supporters from both
sides gradually were put under pressure to isolate themselves more and more from the
outside world and ordinary life. By 1982, even the organizational supporters outside of the
country, in Europe and the United States, were forced to leave ordinary life behind, start
living in collective houses (called Base), cut their relationships with family and friends
(unless for soliciting), and, step by step, use different tricks, including claims of hard work
and not having any free time, to look for other sources of information. Their source of
information became restricted to the organization‘s sources.32 Eventually, by 1990, during
another phase of ―ideological revolution,‖ all members were forced to divorce their spouses
and forget about sex as long as they were alive.33
Phobia and Disgust: Key to Being in Society Yet Isolated from It
How can a group let its members live in the society, among ordinary people, behaving
normally, even having ordinary relationships with others, and at the same time remain
isolated from them? MEK, under its slogan of ―corrupted society,‖ Al-Qaeda with its
definition of Jahillyya, Marxist cults under their banner of the bourgeoisie, and, I presume,
other cults under different slogans isolate their members from wider society, not only
physically but most importantly mentally. Isolation of members sometimes is easy, when
you have the luxury of geographical isolation, as Al-Qaeda has in Afghanistan and Pakistan,
and MEK has in Iraq. Interestingly, although MEK has lost its mentor and financier, Sadam
Hussein, and there is a new government in Iraq in a friendly relationship with Iran, still the
organization insists on stationing 3,400 of its remaining members in Iraq and is not ready to
move, even to European and American countries!34 The main reason for this insistence on
not expanding is that they don‘t want to lose this heavenly isolation they know very well
that in Europe and America they would face many problems keeping their members in
isolation.
But what about people like me, who had to live outside of Iraq? Here comes the mental
isolation. I believe that phobia, paranoia, and disgust are the reasons for mental isolation.
Although one lives in the wider society and apparently behaves normally, his inner disgust
and phobia toward the enemy and society as a whole will help him to keep his new moral
code and beliefs in isolation from the morals of the society as a whole. In other words, one
can have an outer personality totally different from the inner one.
You hate all relationships outside of the cult the ordinary behavior of people disgusts you.
You have a phobia and paranoia toward the wider society. Still, you can act and behave
―normally‖ as a means to help reach the cult‘s goal.
How can you do it? Let me give you an example. I wonder if you have seen one of those TV
reality shows that forces people to face their phobias, their disgust, face and even touch
MEK: Isolating Members and Supporters from the Wider Society
From the beginning, the announced sole strategy and tactic of the MEK organization was
―amred [sic] struggle,‖ or in another word, terrorism, even if with a label of revolutionary
terrorism or guerrilla war. The relationship of all members to the outside world was highly
controlled and under surveillance. Still, for the first few years, many members used to live
in their own homes with their own families. Later, with the introduction of terms such as
―collective houses‖ and ―professional revolutionaries,‖ most of the high-ranking members
were forced to leave their jobs and their families and live in these collective houses, and to
change into professional revolutionaries. After the revolution, as they were looking to gain
popular support, many lower-ranking members had to leave their secret lives behind and
start communicating with ordinary people, their family, and friends. Therefore, for almost
three years (1979–1981), although all members and most of the organizational supporters
were ―professional revolutionaries‖ and were not allowed to have private lives of their own,
still many could have some sort of relationship with the outside world and ordinary family
and friends. Then, from 1981 onward, all members and organizational supporters from both
sides gradually were put under pressure to isolate themselves more and more from the
outside world and ordinary life. By 1982, even the organizational supporters outside of the
country, in Europe and the United States, were forced to leave ordinary life behind, start
living in collective houses (called Base), cut their relationships with family and friends
(unless for soliciting), and, step by step, use different tricks, including claims of hard work
and not having any free time, to look for other sources of information. Their source of
information became restricted to the organization‘s sources.32 Eventually, by 1990, during
another phase of ―ideological revolution,‖ all members were forced to divorce their spouses
and forget about sex as long as they were alive.33
Phobia and Disgust: Key to Being in Society Yet Isolated from It
How can a group let its members live in the society, among ordinary people, behaving
normally, even having ordinary relationships with others, and at the same time remain
isolated from them? MEK, under its slogan of ―corrupted society,‖ Al-Qaeda with its
definition of Jahillyya, Marxist cults under their banner of the bourgeoisie, and, I presume,
other cults under different slogans isolate their members from wider society, not only
physically but most importantly mentally. Isolation of members sometimes is easy, when
you have the luxury of geographical isolation, as Al-Qaeda has in Afghanistan and Pakistan,
and MEK has in Iraq. Interestingly, although MEK has lost its mentor and financier, Sadam
Hussein, and there is a new government in Iraq in a friendly relationship with Iran, still the
organization insists on stationing 3,400 of its remaining members in Iraq and is not ready to
move, even to European and American countries!34 The main reason for this insistence on
not expanding is that they don‘t want to lose this heavenly isolation they know very well
that in Europe and America they would face many problems keeping their members in
isolation.
But what about people like me, who had to live outside of Iraq? Here comes the mental
isolation. I believe that phobia, paranoia, and disgust are the reasons for mental isolation.
Although one lives in the wider society and apparently behaves normally, his inner disgust
and phobia toward the enemy and society as a whole will help him to keep his new moral
code and beliefs in isolation from the morals of the society as a whole. In other words, one
can have an outer personality totally different from the inner one.
You hate all relationships outside of the cult the ordinary behavior of people disgusts you.
You have a phobia and paranoia toward the wider society. Still, you can act and behave
―normally‖ as a means to help reach the cult‘s goal.
How can you do it? Let me give you an example. I wonder if you have seen one of those TV
reality shows that forces people to face their phobias, their disgust, face and even touch
