Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 8, No. 2, 2009, Page 40
What I am trying to say is that, to confront cults, you have to take them out of isolation.
Force them to abide by the moral code of the majority and to be dependent upon the
support of the majority. Even financial isolation will not work. To the contrary, the
dependency of these organizations on ordinary people will force them out of their isolation
and force them to change themselves. This dependency will restrict them and their tactics
to the morals of the majority, while their independence means they will depend on their
members, which will result in more exploitation of them, more brainwashing, and more
extremism.
End Notes
[1] The MEK publication, Mojahed, 4th of July, 1983, announced the number of people killed by MEK at
2,800. Mojahed, 8th of September, 1983, announced the names and particulars of 7,746 people,
members and supporters of MEK and other organizations, killed either via armed struggle or by firing
squads.
[2] If you are interested in knowing more about MEK, I can suggest two books. One is by Professor
Ervand Abrahamian, called Iranian Mojahedin the second, called Masoud, Memories of an Iranian
Rebel, I have written.
[3] See Alan B. Krueger and Jitka Malekova, ―Education, Poverty, Political Violence, and Terrorism: Is
there a Causal Connection?‘‖ NBER working paper, July 2002, 4. Cited from Dying to Kill by Mia
Bloom.
[4] See Terror and Terrorism: A History of Ideas and Philosophical-Ethical Reflections, by Brig. Gen.
Edwin R. Micewski, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, National
Defence Academy, Vienna. Cited from Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 2, Special Issue: Terrorism.
pp. 234, 238.
[5] ―Theological opinions (fatwas) expressed by the religious authorities declare that it is permissible to
put to death people who are, either directly or indirectly, involved with powers that repress Muslims.
These religiously motivated opinions also state that it is permissible to kill Muslims who help to
enslave their brothers in religion.‖ See Suicide Bombers Allah’s New Martyrs, by Farhad
Khosrokhavar, p. 68.
[6] ―Martyrdom operations‖ in many cases are deemed the only answer to opposing the vastly superior
military capabilities of the other side. In the words of the founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic
resistance movement, Hamas, Sheikh Ahmad Yasin (assassinated by Israel in March 2004): ‖Once we
have warplanes and missiles, then we can think of changing our means of legitimate self-defence. But
right now, we can only tackle the fire with our bare hands and sacrifice ourselves‖ (The Daily Star,
Beirut, Feb. 8, 2002). Sheikh Lutfullah of Lebanon‘s Hizb‘allah (party of God) echoed Yasin‘s sentiment
after the 1983 bombing of the US Marines‘ barracks in Lebanon when he commented, ―Oppressed
people cannot always be expected to behave in a reasonable manner.‖ (Great Decisions ‗86, New
York: Foreign Policy Association, p. 36 cited from Dying to Kill by Mia Bloom, p. 4.)
[7] ―Would the guerrilla fighters kill anyone other than the blasphemous armed oppressors? Never!‖
(The statement of the Mojahedin in response to the recent accusations of the Iranian regime [i.e.,
Shah‘s regime] First edition, 1977 p. 15.)
[8] ―The Mojahedin countered state terror with its own brand of ‗revolutionary terror.‘ Rajavi, from his
Paris exile, denounced all high-ranking officials as ‗collaborators with tyranny,‘ and as such deemed
them appropriate targets for ‗revolutionary justice‖ (M. Rajavi, ―Message to the Collaborators,‖
Nashrieh 8, 9 October, 1981). Meanwhile, Khiabani, now leading the clandestine network, launched
military operations. By the autumn of 1981, the Mojahedin were carrying out daily attacks
assassinating officials, ambushing Pasdars [revolutionary guards], and throwing bombs at komiteh
centers, IRP offices, and homes of prominent clerics. These attacks, according to a government report
published in mid-November, took the lives of 504 Pasdars (Iran Times, 20 November, 1981).... The
Mojahedin also carried out a series of daring suicide attacks—what can be best described as
‗propaganda by deed.‘ On 6 July, a Mojahedin band outside Amol, dressed as Pasdars ambushed and
killed Hojjat al-Islam Shariati-Fard, the chief prosecutor of Gilan. On 4 August, another Mojahedin
band assassinated Dr. Ayat in broad daylight in the middle of Tehran... On 11 September, a 22-year-
old Mojahed, attempting the Friday prayer at Tabriz, walked up to Ayatollah Baha al Din Madani, the
What I am trying to say is that, to confront cults, you have to take them out of isolation.
Force them to abide by the moral code of the majority and to be dependent upon the
support of the majority. Even financial isolation will not work. To the contrary, the
dependency of these organizations on ordinary people will force them out of their isolation
and force them to change themselves. This dependency will restrict them and their tactics
to the morals of the majority, while their independence means they will depend on their
members, which will result in more exploitation of them, more brainwashing, and more
extremism.
End Notes
[1] The MEK publication, Mojahed, 4th of July, 1983, announced the number of people killed by MEK at
2,800. Mojahed, 8th of September, 1983, announced the names and particulars of 7,746 people,
members and supporters of MEK and other organizations, killed either via armed struggle or by firing
squads.
[2] If you are interested in knowing more about MEK, I can suggest two books. One is by Professor
Ervand Abrahamian, called Iranian Mojahedin the second, called Masoud, Memories of an Iranian
Rebel, I have written.
[3] See Alan B. Krueger and Jitka Malekova, ―Education, Poverty, Political Violence, and Terrorism: Is
there a Causal Connection?‘‖ NBER working paper, July 2002, 4. Cited from Dying to Kill by Mia
Bloom.
[4] See Terror and Terrorism: A History of Ideas and Philosophical-Ethical Reflections, by Brig. Gen.
Edwin R. Micewski, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, National
Defence Academy, Vienna. Cited from Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 2, Special Issue: Terrorism.
pp. 234, 238.
[5] ―Theological opinions (fatwas) expressed by the religious authorities declare that it is permissible to
put to death people who are, either directly or indirectly, involved with powers that repress Muslims.
These religiously motivated opinions also state that it is permissible to kill Muslims who help to
enslave their brothers in religion.‖ See Suicide Bombers Allah’s New Martyrs, by Farhad
Khosrokhavar, p. 68.
[6] ―Martyrdom operations‖ in many cases are deemed the only answer to opposing the vastly superior
military capabilities of the other side. In the words of the founder and spiritual leader of the Islamic
resistance movement, Hamas, Sheikh Ahmad Yasin (assassinated by Israel in March 2004): ‖Once we
have warplanes and missiles, then we can think of changing our means of legitimate self-defence. But
right now, we can only tackle the fire with our bare hands and sacrifice ourselves‖ (The Daily Star,
Beirut, Feb. 8, 2002). Sheikh Lutfullah of Lebanon‘s Hizb‘allah (party of God) echoed Yasin‘s sentiment
after the 1983 bombing of the US Marines‘ barracks in Lebanon when he commented, ―Oppressed
people cannot always be expected to behave in a reasonable manner.‖ (Great Decisions ‗86, New
York: Foreign Policy Association, p. 36 cited from Dying to Kill by Mia Bloom, p. 4.)
[7] ―Would the guerrilla fighters kill anyone other than the blasphemous armed oppressors? Never!‖
(The statement of the Mojahedin in response to the recent accusations of the Iranian regime [i.e.,
Shah‘s regime] First edition, 1977 p. 15.)
[8] ―The Mojahedin countered state terror with its own brand of ‗revolutionary terror.‘ Rajavi, from his
Paris exile, denounced all high-ranking officials as ‗collaborators with tyranny,‘ and as such deemed
them appropriate targets for ‗revolutionary justice‖ (M. Rajavi, ―Message to the Collaborators,‖
Nashrieh 8, 9 October, 1981). Meanwhile, Khiabani, now leading the clandestine network, launched
military operations. By the autumn of 1981, the Mojahedin were carrying out daily attacks
assassinating officials, ambushing Pasdars [revolutionary guards], and throwing bombs at komiteh
centers, IRP offices, and homes of prominent clerics. These attacks, according to a government report
published in mid-November, took the lives of 504 Pasdars (Iran Times, 20 November, 1981).... The
Mojahedin also carried out a series of daring suicide attacks—what can be best described as
‗propaganda by deed.‘ On 6 July, a Mojahedin band outside Amol, dressed as Pasdars ambushed and
killed Hojjat al-Islam Shariati-Fard, the chief prosecutor of Gilan. On 4 August, another Mojahedin
band assassinated Dr. Ayat in broad daylight in the middle of Tehran... On 11 September, a 22-year-
old Mojahed, attempting the Friday prayer at Tabriz, walked up to Ayatollah Baha al Din Madani, the
