 Born again
Story of an MKO member: Part two
By Sepideh
November 3, 2003
The Iranian
In june1993 we arrived
at Az-hadi base in Iraq early in the morning. It was like a dream
to me. I was bewildered. I couldn't believe I had finally reached
the headquarters of the Organization.
It was my greatest desire. In all my prayers I had asked God
to help me join the liberation Army. I had prayed to
have the honor of being Rajavi's soldier.
For years
I had been striving to reach my idol. At times I complained
to
God asking him why He had created me, and now that He had, why
wouldn't He grant me my fondest wish; to reach Rajavi. The MKO
was the promised heaven for me. Reaching the MKO's base meant
reaching
freedom to me. Now I was where I had always wished to be.
I couldn't believe it was real. Every few minutes I asked Asghar,
"Am I dreaming? Am I awake?"
The
next day, a man named Ali V. took me to a room for an admission
interview. In the room, six or seven MKO commanders,
male and female, were sitting at a round table. They asked about
conditions in Iran and then they wanted to know my reasons
for joining the Liberation Army. I told them I wanted to establish
peace, freedom and democracy in Iran and that I had come
to be Rajavi's soldier and to dedicate my life for peace and
freedom in my country.
At the end of the interview in
Baghdad, in May 1993, we moved to Sardar base at Koot city. It
was one of the Liberation Army's reception centers and training
camps. At that time of the year, Koot was scorching hot. When
we arrived, the MKO combatants welcomed us. An old friend of
mine, Bahman Rahimi, was also among them. I was ecstatic that
I was amid the members of the Liberation Army. Hours after my
arrival, I was taken to meet the reception commander, sister
Tahmineh. She asked questions about myself and conditions in
Iran.
I
was recruited into Unit 55. My comrades in the unit's dormitory
were: Arman J., the head of the team, Ali V., Arman's deputy.
Hassan A., Morteza H., Mohammad K., Mohammad K.,
Afshin M., Asghar F. and Ali H.
After
some preliminary courses, discussions and speeches on ideological
issues, we indulged ourselves with going for walks in the afternoons
to refresh ourselves from the boring everyday routine.
After
a week, the head of our team, Arman J, became
angry that we went for walks and addressed us, particularly me,
harshly, shouting "Have you no shame before your martyred brother?
Way do you constantly huddle together, monkey around, laugh and
chew the fat about trivial matters? Don't you know these things
are forbidden in the Liberation Army? We have our own discipline.
We don't hold with the behavior and habits you have brought
here from abroad. You may only speak to your commanders.You must
not huddle together anymore, at all."
After that we couldn't get together
and talk, or there were few chances for such gatherings. We
accepted it as a rule in the Liberation
Army. In our group only one member, Afshin M., kept
protesting to this rule. In our daily meetings, he objected to
Arman J., saying, "What sort of rule is
this that no two people can talk freely together? What's the
meaning of this? If one is talking to his or her friend they
immediately ask what you are talking about? Way aren't we to
converse with each other? I wonder if other political groups
act like this? We aren't prisoners. This is not democracy."
Arman J. became furious and told
him, "Miserable creature, you'd better shut your mouth. We are
here to topple the
regime and we must follow the rules of the Liberation Army. Whatever
it is, it's much better than the regime's army. Shut your mouth
then and speak no more."
As days went on, new realities were
disclosed to me. Another issue was that
of the break-away and renegade members which I heard about first
when people there were talking about a member whose name was
Parviz. I didn't know much about these members. Gradually I witnessed
that some of the supporters who had just arrived, couldn't tolerate
the conditions prevailing in the Liberation Army and wanted to
abandon.
At one point my old friend Bahman Rahimi
asked me if I knew Parviz had become a renegade. Being
unfamiliar with the mentality there, I replied,
"What can we
do for him. Will Mohsen, his team commander, help solve his
problem?" Bahman became angry and shouted, "Do you know what
brother
Mohsen wants us to do? He says we should keep renegades and
those
who turn against the Organization at bay. We must hit them
in the mouth till they spit blood out."
Confused, I answered
"But
brother Mohsen is the team commander. Why doesn't he do that
himself?" Bahman responded. "It isn't befitting him. He wants
us to do
it. It's our duty." I thought to myself that he was right. We
must give a decisive retort to Parviz and his like. I didn't
know
Parviz
well, but I was
looking for a reason to teach him a lessen.
Next morning,
I saw him reading the Organization's news bulletin alongside
a few other
supporters. I was curious to see what a renegade was like.
I approached him. "What's in the bulletin?" I asked.
"You know
what?" he said, his voice and filled with excitement,
"Brother Massoud has sent a letter to Clinton, the American
President."
"What's in the letter" I inquired.
"He has written to him advising him how a country
should be run and how to solve socio-economic problems. And Clinton
has thanked him!"
"So what? Why are you so upset?" I
questioned.
"The letter should not be on economic
issues
or such," He replied. "Clinton has too
many veteran experts and advisors to need brother
Massoud's tips. It should
be something
more important
that this."
"Suppose the Organization wants
to set up ties with America, who are you to give
your
opinion? who are you to condemn it?"
"What do
you mean?" Parviz answered. "What brother
Massoud is doing casts doubt on the policy of the
Organization and its founders. Should the Organization
change
its position so soon? What happens to the blood
of our martyrs who were shed because of American imperialism?
What
happens... "
I didn't understand a word he said,
but I interrupted him and said, "Whatever brother Massoud
does at least he isn't
somebody like you to betray the Organization --
you break-away traitor!"
I then went to commander Arman. and told
him everything. He flew into a rage and told me, "You
really let that trash utter
all this
shit and didn't punch him in the mouth?
You are
no
better than that unscrupulous being." >>> Part
3
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