Maryam Rajavi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maryam Rajavi
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مریم رجوی
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Rajavi in 2014
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| President-elect of the National Council of Resistance | |
| Assumed office 22 October 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Abolhassan Banisadr |
| Co–equal Leader of the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran | |
| Assumed office 27 January 1985 Serving with Massoud Rajavi (until 2003)
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| Preceded by | Massoud Rajavi (as leader) |
| Secretary-General of the People's Mujahedin of Iran | |
| In office 8 October 1989 – 22 October 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Massoud Rajavi |
| Succeeded by | Fahimeh Arvani |
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the National Liberation Army | |
| In office 20 June 1987 – 22 October 1993 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Maryam Qajar-Azodanlu
4 December 1953 Tehran, Imperial State of Iran |
| Spouses |
Mehdi Abrishamchi
(m. 1980; div. 1985)Massoud Rajavi
(m. 1985, dis. 2003) |
| Children | 1 |
Maryam Rajavi (Persian: مریم رجوی, born 4 December 1953) is an Iranian politician. She leads the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), a group that wants to change the Iranian government. She is also the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI). She is married to Massoud Rajavi, who is a co-leader of MEK.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Maryam Rajavi was born in Tehran, Iran, on December 4, 1953. Her family was middle-class and had a connection to the old Qajar dynasty. She went to Sharif University of Technology in Iran. There, she earned a degree in metallurgy, which is the science of working with metals.
Political Journey
Maryam Rajavi says her political work started when she was 22. This was after her sister, Narges, was killed. Her other sister, Massumeh, was also executed in 1982. After these events, Maryam joined the People's Mojahedin of Iran (PMOI/MEK). This marked the beginning of her political career.
In the 1970s, Rajavi helped organize student movements against the Shah, who was the ruler at the time. In 1979, she became an official in the social part of the PMOI/MEK. She also ran as a candidate for parliament in 1980.
In 1982, Rajavi moved to Auvers-sur-Oise in France. This was where the main political office of the Mojahedin was located. In 1985, she married Massoud Rajavi in Paris. She then became a co-leader of the PMOI. From 1989 to 1993, she also served as the Secretary General of the group.
On October 22, 1993, the NCRI chose Maryam Rajavi for an important role. They elected her to be "Iran's interim President." This would happen if the NCRI ever came to power in Iran.
In 2011, Theresa May, who was a government official in the UK, stopped Rajavi from visiting Britain. Rajavi had planned to explain how women are treated in Iran. Later, a court challenged this decision. In 2014, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom upheld the ban. However, Rajavi is allowed in other European countries. She often meets with lawmakers in the European Parliament.
On July 30, 2016, Maryam Rajavi met with Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the State of Palestine, in Paris, France.
Activism for Change
In 1992, the European Parliament Council supported Maryam Rajavi's efforts. She was speaking up for women's rights around the world. This came after the Iranian government was criticized for human rights issues.
In 2006, Rajavi shared her plan at the Council of Europe. Her plan supports full equality for women in politics and society. It also calls for women to have equal roles in political leadership. Her 10-point plan for Iran's future says that all forms of discrimination against women would end. It also states that women would have the right to choose their own clothes. The plan also aims to stop cruel punishments.
In April 2021, Maryam Rajavi supported a resolution called HR 118. This resolution showed support for the Iranian people's wish for a democratic republic. It also spoke out against human rights violations and state-sponsored terrorism by the Iranian government.
In July 2021, Rajavi organized a protest in Berlin. This protest was against the election of Ebrahim Raisi as President of Iran. Rajavi called Raisi a "henchman" because of a massacre of political prisoners in 1988. Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joined her at the protest. He showed his support for Rajavi and the National Council of Resistance of Iran.
Rajavi also spoke out against the ISIS attacks on Iran's parliament and a tomb in 2017. She said that ISIS's actions helped the Iranian regime's leader, Khamenei. She believes he used it to get out of difficult situations. She stated that the Iranian regime tries to make itself look like a victim.
A 10-point plan published by Rajavi outlines how she wants to change Iran. She supports the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international groups. She wants to end the death penalty and create a fair legal system. Rajavi also wants to stop Tehran from funding groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. She believes in peaceful relations with all countries and respecting the Charter of the United Nations. Her plan also says that she supports private property, private investment, and a market economy.
In June 2020, many members of the USA's House of Representatives supported Rajavi. They backed a resolution that supported her and the NCRI's call for a democratic Iran. It also spoke against Iranian state-sponsored terrorism. The resolution supported Rajavi's 10-point plan for Iran's future. This plan includes the right to vote for everyone, a market economy, and a non-nuclear Iran.
Most members of MEK are based in Albania. In 2024, Rajavi said that Ebrahim Raisi's death was a big and lasting blow to the Iranian regime's leader, Ali Khamenei. She described the regime as known for its executions and massacres.
2018 Rally Incident
In 2018, an Iranian diplomat named Asadollah Asadi was put on trial. He was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison. This was for planning a terrorism plot against a rally led by Maryam Rajavi. Many people, including important Western figures like Rudy Giuliani, were at the rally.
Books by Maryam Rajavi
- Great March towards Freedom
- No to Compulsory Religion, No to Compulsory Government Illustrated
- Women, Islam and Fundamentalism
- Iran Will Be Free
- Key to Countering Islamic Fundamentalism
See also
In Spanish: Maryam Rajavi para niños
- List of Iranian women
- List of people from Tehran
- France–Iran relations
