Abstract
The Mojahedin-a Khalq is a radical opposition movement that calls for the destruction of the
Islamic Republic of Iran. Between 1980 and 2001 they mustered violent attacks from their
military bases in Iraq against the Iranian regime, and also against Iranian embassies in
Europe. This placed them on the U.S. and EU’s list of terrorist organizations in 1997 and
2002. They were disarmed in 2003 after the U.S. led invasion of Iraq.
MEK and their political wing, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, are led by husband
and wife Maryam and Massoud Rajavi, who are accused of leading a personal cult. Their
ideology is based on Massoud Rajavi’s secular interpretation of Islam. Due to their violent
past and relationship with the late dictator Saddam Hussein, MEK have lost most of their
support in Iran and in the international community. However, they are popular among many
high-ranking officials in Europe and the U.S. because of their fight against an authoritarian
regime.
This study analysis what strategies MEK apply in their search for legitimacy, and how
effective these strategies are for seeking recognition in and out of Iran. I discuss why MEK
fail to rebuild legitimacy in spite of fighting an unpopular regime. I find that the primary
reason for this is that they lack credibility due to inconsistencies in their strategies.