Open Minds posts articles and reports that we think might be of interest – in doing so, Open Minds is not endorsing the content of the articles or papers, nor do they reflect any corporate view of OM. They are articles, reports, papers, etc. that we think might be of interest.
Mapping the Cult Landscape with a New Lexicon
Why Words Matter: An Activist/Campaigner’s Perspective ICSA Conference 2019, Manchester, UK Presentation by Anne Khodabandeh Over the past forty years many things have changed in the field of cults. For an activist and campaigner, it is important to periodically create a new map to explain the changed cult landscape and to think how we can … Continue reading Mapping the Cult Landscape with a New Lexicon
Mojahedin Khalq (MEK) presence in Albania highlights security risks for Europe
Massoud and Anne Khodabandeh, Balkans Post, July 23, 2018 Advertising campaigns don’t come cheap and those paying want value for money. The Mojahedin Khalq (MEK) annual event at Villepinte in France to celebrate so-called armed struggle and promote violent regime change against Iran is about showcasing the MEK to build a brand presence in political … Continue reading Mojahedin Khalq (MEK) presence in Albania highlights security risks for Europe
Iranian MEK “hero” of Manez adds additional security threats to Albania
Gazeta Impakt – June 28, 2018 By Gjergji Thanasi On June 19, 2018 Albanian police were officially informed by the Iranian Mojahedin (MEK), stationed at Camp Ashraf 3 in the Administrative Department of Manez, that a 47-year-old Mojahed named Malek Sharai was drowned in the Rrotull village reservoir. According to the 4 Iranian Mojahedin who … Continue reading Iranian MEK “hero” of Manez adds additional security threats to Albania
Man behind Iran’s Worst Terrorist Attack Killed in 2015: Dutch Daily
By IFP Editorial Staff May 29, 2018 A newspaper in the Netherlands has confirmed an Iranian-born victim of a 2015 death case was “most certainly” the man behind the biggest terrorist attack in Iran’s history in which dozens of top officials including the country’s prime minister were killed in 1981. The Amsterdam-based newspaper Het Parool … Continue reading Man behind Iran’s Worst Terrorist Attack Killed in 2015: Dutch Daily
Pssst, Whisper It, Even Iran’s Enemies Don’t Want Regime Change
By Massoud and Anne Khodabandeh September 17, 2017 Following President Rouhani’s re-election in May 2017 many Middle East analysts arrived at the conclusion that the 78% turnout and clear majority was a clear enough indication that while the people of Iran do want greater political and social freedoms, they are prepared to seek this incrementally through … Continue reading Pssst, Whisper It, Even Iran’s Enemies Don’t Want Regime Change
Following new stalking protections we need to tackle cultic abuse
Anyone who has suffered the fear and helplessness of being stalked will welcome Home Secretary Amber Rudd’s stalking prevention orders. Along with laws to protect against coercive control, grooming for sex and modern slavery, it is gratifying to see that the psychological element in exploitative and damaging relationships is at last being recognised. But there … Continue reading Following new stalking protections we need to tackle cultic abuse
Study of CEGEP students shows vulnerabilities to violent radicalization
[This is an interesting study which comes close to identifying how people can become susceptible to cultic abuse. That is, the way that cults and violent extremist groups target susceptible people and use deceptive recruitment techniques followed by various stages of psychological manipulation in order to enthral and enslave followers. Open Minds Ed] Catherine Solyom, Montreal … Continue reading Study of CEGEP students shows vulnerabilities to violent radicalization
Cults In the Workplace
[This article demonstrates that classic cult-forming tactics won’t work if the victim is aware of what is happening – the first step toward cultic abuse is deceptive recruitment – Open Minds Ed] CNS News By Bill Donohue, October 7, 2017 A federal judge has ruled that a Long Island health care company must submit to … Continue reading Cults In the Workplace
Far-right Combat 18 in ‘secret plan to recruit Birmingham teachers’
Birmingham Mail, 2 July 2016 BY MIKE LOCKLEY Ex-member Nigel Bromage claims feared group targeting ‘people with influence’ after Brexit … A FORMER leading light in the violent world of neo-Nazism has revealed a plot to recruit Birmingham and West Midlands teachers to the far-right. Nigel Bromage has documents from ultra-right wing group Combat 18 … Continue reading Far-right Combat 18 in ‘secret plan to recruit Birmingham teachers’
The trap: Cult thinking and conflict in the Middle East
The notion of ‘cult behaviour’ can explain the persistent cycle of violence in the Middle East. John Bell, Al Jazeera, July 28, 2014: In mid-June, I wrote an article about the attachment to identity in the Middle East and its deadliness in our times. Since then, a caliphate was announced from Aleppo to Tikrit, the … Continue reading The trap: Cult thinking and conflict in the Middle East
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Abstract for ICSA Conference 2019 in Manchester
Abstract International Cultic Studies Association 2019 Annual Conference Manchester, UK icsahome.com/events/annual-conference Mapping the Cult Landscape with a New Lexicon – Why Words Matter: An Activist/Campaigner’s Perspective Anne Khodabandeh In the UK, laws criminalising Coercive Control and Modern Slavery have recently come onto the statute book. With many years of academic …Read More >
Mapping the Cult Landscape with a New Lexicon
Why Words Matter: An Activist/Campaigner’s Perspective ICSA Conference 2019, Manchester, UK Presentation by Anne Khodabandeh Over the past forty years many things have changed in the field of cults. For an activist and campaigner, it is important to periodically create a new map to explain the changed cult landscape and …Read More >
Mojahedin Khalq (MEK) presence in Albania highlights security risks for Europe
Massoud and Anne Khodabandeh, Balkans Post, July 23, 2018 Advertising campaigns don’t come cheap and those paying want value for money. The Mojahedin Khalq (MEK) annual event at Villepinte in France to celebrate so-called armed struggle and promote violent regime change against Iran is about showcasing the MEK to build …Read More >