INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
aspirations for adults in society
But for 67-year-old Issa Azadeh, much of his life revolved around far simpler desires
the floor as we started talking
It was hard to read him at all
Before delving into his experiences with the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK), a terrorist organization known for its dogmatic indoctrination and
isolated, tightly controlled environment, he said he wanted people everywhere to understand how dangerous the MEK really is, both for those
who join and for the world beyond its walls."When I entered the MEK I was highly educated," he explained
"I was a university graduate, and I had a family, job, and social connections
But after my involvement with the organization all that was lost
Islamic Revolution while studying engineering at a prominent Tehran university, Issa joined the organization under the influence of a friend
and became a high-ranking member over a 38-year period
He spent two decades at Camp Ashraf in Iraq during Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, until its dismantling in 2003 by Prime Minister Nouri
After the camp's closure, Issa, along with other MEK members, moved to Camp Liberty near Baghdad
He ultimately left the MEK before its relocation to Albania in 2016.Issa says almost every single day he spent with the MEK was tiring,
to the sound of a shrill wind instrument
It was incredibly jarring
We had about 20 minutes to get ready and eat breakfast
Then, our exhausting day began
We had to clean the area, guard the camp, and carry out missions outside
Our only entertainment was watching the group's propaganda on TV for two 30-minute segments." The TV remote was kept locked in a box; a
precaution that seemed unnecessary
After all, only the person responsible for the TV schedule knew how to use it.Issa said the most difficult part of the day was the joint
"One of the biggest taboos was having sexual thoughts
We were forced to dissect our feelings, describe our fantasies in detail, and express repeated regret
Rajavi, the man was obsessed with sex
Initially, he ordered some members of the organization to marry each other
However, after realizing that marriage and family preoccupied the minds of those he considered his devoted followers, he decreed that
Rajavi later declared that all women in the group had become his wives, a claim substantiated by former female members of the MEK who
reported frequent sexual abuse and exploitation orchestrated by Rajavi himself."The divorce process the members were forced to endure was
one of the most inhumane and unbelievable events imaginable," Issa stated
He had not taken his wife and kids with him to the camp, but he was still required to divorce his wife in his mind
"Couples within the organization were made to stand facing each other and then ordered to hurl vile profanities at one another." Reflecting
Iranian cultural norms, where men typically avoid cursing in front of women, Issa declined to repeat the exact words for me
"Even those who were not married, either within or outside the organization, were ordered to undergo a 'mental divorce.'"Soon after, strict
Men and women were required to use separate routes within the camp to minimize contact
"There was a gas station inside the Ashraf camp where we refueled the vehicles used for patrols
We were not even allowed to visit the gas station on the same day," Issa revealed.The mass "marriage" of MEK women to Rajavi occurred
sometime after contact between men and women was cut off
was the key figure in manipulating the other women into accepting their "sacred" duty: sexual submission to their leader."I didn't know this
was happening when I was still part of the organization, because I rarely spoke to the women there
Also, there's often a great deal of shame involved in admitting to being sexually assaulted
When a former female member of the MEK publicly broke the news a few years ago, it was very difficult for me to process, even though I had
always known that Rajavi was a perverted and corrupt individual."The Taliban and Daesh were less oppressive towards women than the MEK, Issa
You are forced to abandon your identity, to erase your past and all those you once cherished
another crucial step to subjugate MEK members: He ripped kids away from their parents
These kids lived in separate compounds near their parents' headquarters in Iraq."There were about 700, all different ages
They were just put on buses and shipped off to Jordan," Issa said
What followed was a tragedy
Some never made it, some were exploited by human traffickers, others became entangled in crime, and some ended up in brothels
grown up hearing Rajavi's propaganda and idealized stories of their parents' "heroic" actions, ended up joining the MEK
Their view of the whole thing? Like something out of a bad Hollywood movie
They, however, managed to come to their senses soon
"Many of them eventually left the MEK again
I believe they were wiser than their parents."Now in their 40s, some of these former child members have recently begun to share their
joined the revolution against the Shah, Rajavi lacked the popular support to gain prominence in the new political system after the monarchy
However, what set him apart was the United States' interest in using him to destabilize Iran, which began during his imprisonment under the
He became the group's leader in 1979," Issa said
He added that the CIA believed purely communist groups, some of which were formed under the influence of the Soviet Union during the Shah's
reign, lacked appeal for the highly religious Iranian population
Therefore, someone with opposing ideologies to the Islamic Republic but a similar religious appearance was needed
This, according to Issa, is the origin of the MEK's religious facade.Rajavi left Iran in 1981 after he failed in two bids for power: a
presidential campaign and a parliamentary seat
What followed next was a descent into terrorism
The targets were not just political leaders and military commanders; ordinary Iranians became victims in a brutal killing spree
The MEK's hands are now stained with the blood of approximately 23,000 and their collaboration with Saddam Hussein in Iraq deepened the
The MEK has struggled to recruit younger generations, and its remaining members in Albania are primarily elderly and infirm
Some are unable to manage their daily lives due to illness or old age
vulnerable young people in Iran, particularly those with troubled pasts or financial hardships, by paying them to perform simple tasks
These tasks include acts of public display, such as hanging posters of Masoud Rajavi or Maryam Qajar-Azdanlu in prominent locations like
Tehran highways, which the MEK then promotes on its website.For payment, these young individuals also set fire to governmental buildings,
mosques, educational centers, and public transport, with their arson attacks reaching a high point during the fall 2022 unrest."The U.S
and its European allies who prop up these terrorists know that the MEK cannot bring down Iran
Iraq and the MEK on December 26, 2011, at exactly 4:30 PM
A relative I had in the UK got in touch with the UNHCR and UNAMI in Baghdad and arranged my exit in secret."Adapting to life outside the MEK
camps was difficult initially
Having been isolated from technology and modern life, Issa faced ridicule
"People used to laugh at me," he said
"They could not believe that I did not know how to operate a TV, a mobile phone, or anything else that was not widely used in Iran in the
early 80s."Issa had one daughter and one son when he left to join the MEK
His young daughter's visit was a catalyst for his eventual departure from the group
It was during the war there
Association, an NGO formed by former MEK members to help those still inside escape the organization's influence
"My daughter stood outside the Ashraf camp, behind the fences
The organization refused to let her see me, and they didn't even tell me she was there
Later, they informed me they'd prevented the visit to avoid demotivating me
