Maryam Rajavi

Maryam Rajavi
President elect of National Council of Resistance
Incumbent
Assumed office 28 August 1993
Preceded by	Massoud Rajavi
Leader of People's Mojahedin Organization
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 February 1993
Preceded by	Massoud Rajavi
Deputy Leader of People's Mojahedin Organization
In office 9 December 1989 – 2 February 1993
Leader	Massoud Rajavi
Preceded by	None
Succeeded by	Fahimeh Arvani
Personal details
Born	February 3, 1953 (1953-02-03) (age 58) Tehran, Iran
Political party	People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran
Spouse(s)	Massoud Rajavi
Religion	Twelver Shia Islam

Maryam Rajavi (born Maryam Azodanlu in 3 March 1953 in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian politician who is President elect of National Council of Resistance of Iran, a front group for People's Mujahedin of Iran, since 1993. She is the wife of Massoud Rajavi, a founder of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI). She's the "president-elect" of the National Council of Resistance of Iran,^[1] a coalition of exiled groups opposed to the Islamic Republic regime.

Public Image

On April 21, 1997, Time Magazine published an article about PMOI and reported: "There is a cult of personality around Massoud Rajavi and Maryam Rajavi that is unhealthy," says Michael Eisenstadt, an Iran expert at the Washington Institute on Near East Policy. "If they were to achieve power, it is unlikely they would give it up."^[2]

On July 13, 2003, New York Times published an article that in 1991 when Saddam Hussein used the PMOI and its tanks as advance forces to crush the Iraqi Kurdish people in the north and the Iraqi Shia people in the south, Maryam Rajavi as then leader of PMOI's army forces commanded:

“

"Take the Kurds under your tanks, and save your bullets for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards."[3]

”

On December 14, 2006, Time Magazine published an article about PMOI and reported: "By the mid-1980s, the group (PMOI) had cozied up to Saddam Hussein, who provided them with funds and a compound, Camp Ashraf, north of Baghdad. The U.S. government has accused the group of helping Saddam brutally put down Iraqi Kurdish people in the early 1990s, and of launching numerous attacks inside Iran."^[4]

On December 14, 2006, Time Magazine published an article about PMOI and reported: "In 2003, French anti-terrorist police raided Maryam Rajavi's place in Auvers-sur-Oise, securing millions of euros and taking Rajavi and some of her collaborators into custody. Several of Rajavi's followers set themselves on fire to protest her arrest, confirming official French concerns about the cultish nature of the group."^[4] Maryam Rajavi, congratulated Zohreh Akhyani's election as the new Secretary General of the PMOI on September 7, 2011."^[5]

References

1. ^ "Introduction to the National Council of Resistance of Iran". National Council of Resistance of Iran. 16 February 2009. http://ncr-iran.org/content/view/6046/. 
2. ^ Barnes, Edward (1997-04-21). "The ARMED WOMEN OF IRAN". Time Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986213-2,00.html. 
3. ^ Rubin, Elizabeth (2003-07-13). "The Cult of Rajavi". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02E4D6173DF930A25754C0A9659C8B63&scp=1&sq=The%20Cult%20of%20Rajavi&st=cse&pagewanted=4. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Graff, James (2006-12-14). "Iran's Armed Opposition Wins a Battle — In Court". Time Magazine. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1569788,00.html. 
5. ^ - (07 September 2011). "Maryam Rajavi lauds election of the new Secretary General of the PMOI". ncri. http://www.ncr-iran.org/en/news/iran-resistance/11216-maryam-rajavi-lauds-election-of-the-new-secretary-general-of-the-pmoi-. 

External links

• Maryam Rajavi's Website
• National Council of Resistance of Iran website
• Official website of the PMOI
• National Council of Resistance of Iran - Foreign Affairs Committee
• http://www.iran-e-azad.org/english/president.html
• Mujahedin-e Khalq training camp
• John Stanton. Iran Policy Committee (IPC): Pentagon mouthpiece, Israeli ally, MEK supporter, Online Journal, May 21, 2005.
• U.S. Congress's support for Mujahedin-e Khalq, OpenDemocracy, July 15, 2005.

Party political offices
Preceded by None	Deputy Leader of People's Mujahedin of Iran 1989-1993	Succeeded by Fahimeh Arvani
Preceded by Masoud Rajavi	Leader of People's Mujahedin of Iran 1993-present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Masoud Rajavi	President of National Council of Resistance 1993-present	Succeeded by Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Rajavi, Maryam
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	3 March 1953
Place of birth	Tehran, Iran
Date of death
Place of death