Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2009, Page 39
penalty for MEK membership and armed struggle in Iran was execution therefore, his
execution was certain. But in this case, the court was more interested in not killing him, to
avoid negative propaganda for Iran and to stop MEK from benefiting from the execution of
its members and having a new martyr to celebrate. Consider what he said in the court, from
an MEK publication:
In his trial, Daryosh Salhshoor said: ―...I was one of those who fought with
the Shah‘s regime and stood against military tanks. The only thing which
forced me to take arms and stand (against this regime) was to believe in
Mojahedin, which I had and I have and I will have till my last drop of blood.
According to this belief I could feel that the present regime has chosen to
have the same direction as America. As I am bloody against Americans and I
will be, I took arms and this is the reason of this trial.... Here whoever
believes in this path is called Moharab (fighting against God), but I don‘t care,
as from the beginning when I chose this path, I was ready for any
accusations, I am a follower of Imam Hussein they accused him in Karbela,
as well. They called Prophet Mohammed mad, and Imam Ali apostate. Why
should I be afraid of anything as I am following their path! You can execute
me, you can call me ...I know the verdict of this court I know the chance of
my execution is 100 percent. Many of my friends were executed too I will go
toward them...‖37
He said all of this when he was asked by the judge to say something that would make the
court lenient, to pardon him because he was under eighteen.
A long-term solution for this problem requires new laws—not laws that compromise our
values,38 but laws that recognize the problem of cults and mind control, laws that put a stop
to modern slavery. By law we can stop people from committing suicide. Why can‘t we stop
them from killing their individuality? Is the killing of your personality and individuality less
criminal than the killing of your body?
At the same time, we have to educate people, especially the Muslim minority, about the
cultic character of terrorist organizations. We have to let both them and wider society
understand that this issue is neither about Islam nor any other religion or ideology, nor is it
about the injustices that people suffer around the world. It is about mind control and those
who benefit from the misery of others.
The media can play a great role in solving this problem, or they can make it worse. Let me
give you an example: Recently, during Israel‘s attack on Gaza, there were demonstrations
in different cities of the UK, including one that I attended in a small city north of the UK. To
my surprise and the organizer‘s surprise, there were more than 2,000 demonstrators. Later
that evening, I was expecting to hear about that demonstration on the BBC local news, but,
surprise, there was no mention of it at all. I don‘t want to mention the other news of that
evening to explain the silence policy of the media. The BBC in this case went as far as
rejecting even the government‘s call to broadcast an appeal to help Gaza‘s victims.
Even if one has less sympathy toward the Palestinian cause than I do, there are many other
incontrovertible injustices in the Middle East. In my view, the media in the West, with their
unbalanced reports of news about injustices, can and will help terrorist organizations to
recruit. And terrorists should thank them greatly. When we employ a different tactic, it
works. When we accept the reality of injustice, and talk about it, this approach shows
another possible avenue apart from terrorism that we can take to face this problem. For
example, Channel 4 in the UK, just by showing some fairness toward what is happening in
the Middle East, has slowed the attraction of young Muslims in the UK toward extremism.
penalty for MEK membership and armed struggle in Iran was execution therefore, his
execution was certain. But in this case, the court was more interested in not killing him, to
avoid negative propaganda for Iran and to stop MEK from benefiting from the execution of
its members and having a new martyr to celebrate. Consider what he said in the court, from
an MEK publication:
In his trial, Daryosh Salhshoor said: ―...I was one of those who fought with
the Shah‘s regime and stood against military tanks. The only thing which
forced me to take arms and stand (against this regime) was to believe in
Mojahedin, which I had and I have and I will have till my last drop of blood.
According to this belief I could feel that the present regime has chosen to
have the same direction as America. As I am bloody against Americans and I
will be, I took arms and this is the reason of this trial.... Here whoever
believes in this path is called Moharab (fighting against God), but I don‘t care,
as from the beginning when I chose this path, I was ready for any
accusations, I am a follower of Imam Hussein they accused him in Karbela,
as well. They called Prophet Mohammed mad, and Imam Ali apostate. Why
should I be afraid of anything as I am following their path! You can execute
me, you can call me ...I know the verdict of this court I know the chance of
my execution is 100 percent. Many of my friends were executed too I will go
toward them...‖37
He said all of this when he was asked by the judge to say something that would make the
court lenient, to pardon him because he was under eighteen.
A long-term solution for this problem requires new laws—not laws that compromise our
values,38 but laws that recognize the problem of cults and mind control, laws that put a stop
to modern slavery. By law we can stop people from committing suicide. Why can‘t we stop
them from killing their individuality? Is the killing of your personality and individuality less
criminal than the killing of your body?
At the same time, we have to educate people, especially the Muslim minority, about the
cultic character of terrorist organizations. We have to let both them and wider society
understand that this issue is neither about Islam nor any other religion or ideology, nor is it
about the injustices that people suffer around the world. It is about mind control and those
who benefit from the misery of others.
The media can play a great role in solving this problem, or they can make it worse. Let me
give you an example: Recently, during Israel‘s attack on Gaza, there were demonstrations
in different cities of the UK, including one that I attended in a small city north of the UK. To
my surprise and the organizer‘s surprise, there were more than 2,000 demonstrators. Later
that evening, I was expecting to hear about that demonstration on the BBC local news, but,
surprise, there was no mention of it at all. I don‘t want to mention the other news of that
evening to explain the silence policy of the media. The BBC in this case went as far as
rejecting even the government‘s call to broadcast an appeal to help Gaza‘s victims.
Even if one has less sympathy toward the Palestinian cause than I do, there are many other
incontrovertible injustices in the Middle East. In my view, the media in the West, with their
unbalanced reports of news about injustices, can and will help terrorist organizations to
recruit. And terrorists should thank them greatly. When we employ a different tactic, it
works. When we accept the reality of injustice, and talk about it, this approach shows
another possible avenue apart from terrorism that we can take to face this problem. For
example, Channel 4 in the UK, just by showing some fairness toward what is happening in
the Middle East, has slowed the attraction of young Muslims in the UK toward extremism.
