Maryam Rajavi was born with five siblings; three sisters and two brothers. She never got the chance to spend quality time with her two sisters as they underwent premature deaths. In 1975, her elder sister was killed by Shah’s SAVAK. She again suffered the loss of her younger sister, who, before she died in 1982, was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an Islamic Regime. She was tortured for months while pregnant and later on hanged. All these were motivations to join the opposition in Iran.
Earlier Life of Maryam Rajavi
Maryam Rajavi was motivated further after the killings of her two sisters to join the Iran opposition regime after she witnessed brutality and torture to the masses during a demonstration in the streets. The Shah’s Imperial Guards were opening firearms on civilians demonstrating freedom and democracy rights in 1963. At this time, she was barely ten years old.
By the time she was in Hadaf High School in Tehran, she was filled with so much pain and suffering that she had experienced both directly and directly. Through the help of her older brother Mahmoud, she joined the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran in 1970. In 1977 while in the university, she took part in political activities that were mostly against the dictatorship of the Shah’s.
Political Endeavours
While in the university, Maryam managed to organise a group of students who were in support of People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI) and with the help of PMOI leaders, she was able to form a student organisation known as Moslem Students Society of Sharif University of Technology. In 1979, over 250,000 people voted for her as a candidate for the post-revolution parliamentary elections.
Maryam continued to pursue her political aspirations as an Iran opposition leader. Eventually, she created a society where women could be leaders and one where they could be part of the decision-makers in the largest organisation of opposition in Iran. She desired to have a gender equality society in Iran.
International Campaigns
Her efforts and struggles as an Iran opposition leader to fight for democracy and freedom for the minority and women were recognised worldwide. She has had many campaigns against fundamentalism, which poses a big threat to the peace and security of Iran’s citizens. This is possible because of the support and solidarity she’s been receiving from Iranians and the Iranian Resistance.
Maryam’s campaign also focused on removing the unjust terrorist attack on PMOI /MEK and stabilising a movement that sought justice for the 1988 Massacre victims. In all her campaigns, Maryam has spoken against fundamentalism which continues to threaten her efforts to achieve democracy and freedoms such as gender equality. She has taken the initiative to write a book: “Women, the Force of Change.” Here she majorly talks of Islam, Women and Equality, Women Against Fundamentalism and Women, the Force of Change.
Maryam believes that in the 21st Century, women should have equal opportunities as men and be allowed to participate in the decision-making process. For Iran to fully be a democratic country and not under tyranny, women must be given chances and a voice to stand up for their rights and freedoms.
