DB-A Personality Cult with Sinister Mind Control

[Smart]

Dawoodi Bohras are now a personality cult, with out any ideology (including Islamic, Ismaili or anything resembling them). Only mind control techniques are used in practice.

This can be seen from the extracts of "Releasing the Bonds: Empowering People to Think for Themselves" a book by Steven Hassan; published by Freedom of Mind Press, Somerville MA.

These extracts are generic and do not refer to Dawoodi Bohras as such, but it is clear that they fit to the T.

I will post these extracts in the further posts.

[Smart]

Destructive mind control can be understood in terms of four basic components, which form the acronym BITE:

I. Behavior Control

II. Information Control

III. Thought Control

IV. Emotional Control


It is important to understand that destructive mind control can be determined when the overall effect of these four components promotes dependency and obedience to some leader or cause. It is not necessary for every single item on the list to be present. Mind controlled cult members can live in their own apartments, have nine-to-five jobs, be married with children, and still be unable to think for themselves and act independently.

[Smart]

I. Behavior Control
1. Regulation of individual's physical reality

a. Where, how and with whom the member lives and associates with
b. What clothes, colors, hairstyles the person wears
c. What food the person eats, drinks, adopts, and rejects
d. How much sleep the person is able to have
e. Financial dependence
f. Little or no time spent on leisure, entertainment, vacations

2. Major time commitment required for indoctrination sessions and group rituals

3. Need to ask permission for major decisions

4. Need to report thoughts, feelings and activities to superiors

5. Rewards and punishments (behavior modification techniques- positive and negative).

6. Individualism discouraged; group think prevails

7. Rigid rules and regulations

8. Need for obedience and dependency

[Smart]

II. Information Control

1. Use of deception
a. Deliberately holding back information
b. Distorting information to make it acceptable
c. Outright lying

2. Access to non-cult sources of information minimized or discouraged
a. Books, articles, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio
b. Critical information
c. Former members
d. Keep members so busy they don't have time to think

3. Compartmentalization of information; Outsider vs. Insider doctrines
a. Information is not freely accessible
b. Information varies at different levels and missions within pyramid
c. Leadership decides who "needs to know" what

4. Spying on other members is encouraged
a. Pairing up with "buddy" system to monitor and control
b. Reporting deviant thoughts, feelings, and actions to leadership

5. Extensive use of cult generated information and propaganda
a. Newsletters, magazines, journals, audio tapes, videotapes, etc.
b. Misquotations, statements taken out of context from non-cult sources

6. Unethical use of confession
a. Information about "sins" used to abolish identity boundaries
b. Past "sins" used to manipulate and control; no forgiveness or absolution

[Smart]

III. Thought Control

1. Need to internalize the group's doctrine as "Truth"
a. Map = Reality
b. Black and White thinking
c. Good vs. evil
d. Us vs. them (inside vs. outside)

2. Adopt "loaded" language (characterized by "thought-terminating clichés"). Words are the tools we use to think with. These "special" words constrict rather than expand understanding. They function to reduce complexities of experience into trite, platitudinous "buzz words".

3. Only "good" and "proper" thoughts are encouraged.

4. Thought-stopping techniques (to shut down "reality testing" by stopping "negative" thoughts and allowing only "good" thoughts); rejection of rational analysis, critical thinking, constructive criticism.
a. Denial, rationalization, justification, wishful thinking
b. Chanting
c. Meditating
d. Praying
e. Speaking in "tongues"
f. Singing or humming

5. No critical questions about leader, doctrine, or policy seen as legitimate

6. No alternative belief systems viewed as legitimate, good, or useful

[Smart]

IV. Emotional Control

1. Manipulate and narrow the range of a person's feelings.

2. Make the person feel like if there are ever any problems it is always their fault, never the leader's or the group's.

3. Excessive use of guilt
a. Identity guilt
1. Who you are (not living up to your potential)
2. Your family
3. Your past
4. Your affiliations
5. Your thoughts, feelings, actions
b. Social guilt
c. Historical guilt

4. Excessive use of fear
a. Fear of thinking independently
b. Fear of the "outside" world
c. Fear of enemies
d. Fear of losing one's "salvation"
e. Fear of leaving the group or being shunned by group
f. Fear of disapproval

5. Extremes of emotional highs and lows.

6. Ritual and often public confession of "sins".

7. Phobia indoctrination : programming of irrational fears of ever leaving the group or even questioning the leader's authority. The person under mind control cannot visualize a positive, fulfilled future without being in the group.
a. No happiness or fulfillment "outside"of the group
b. Terrible consequences will take place if you leave: "hell"; "demon possession"; "incurable diseases"; "accidents"; "suicide"; "insanity"; "10,000 reincarnations"; etc.
c. Shunning of leave takers. Fear of being rejected by friends, peers, and family.
d. Never a legitimate reason to leave. From the group's perspective, people who leave are: "weak;" "undisciplined;" "unspiritual;" "worldly;" "brainwashed by family, counselors;" seduced by money, sex, rock and roll.

[Haggi]

Smart,
Kudos for posting these excerpts and you hit the nail right on the head by relating the cult phenomena
with the Bohra psyche. Wish most Bohras could be exposed to this knowledge and realise of what they have been reduced
to. It is pathetic that even our intelengisia have been brainwashed or programed into conforming their faith and
trust in this religion which has metamorphed into a cult. If the intellectuals of our society have not been able to see the daylight
how do you expect the common Bohra to comprehend to what is wrong in our beliefs and religion.

[Smart]

What I would request all readers to do, is to go through the posting, point by point and try and relate it to the practices being promoted by Kothar.

You will find them amazingly relevant. There is hardly any point that does not apply.

This personality cult is being run very professionally.

[zak]

so then , smart , in your opinion , the bohras are a cult?
do you mean all the various factions ? or some more than others?
is this a personality reverence or a prosperity $$$ money issue ? or both ?

[profastian]

Of course, there is mind control going on. Have we denied it? In fact, we are willing participants.
The goal is uniformity. Mental, physical and spiritual.

[zak]

Of course, there is mind control going on. Have we denied it? In fact, we are willing participants.
The goal is uniformity. Mental, physical and spiritual.

so mind control is accepted by bohras.
my question is : who controls you mind ? the Dai leader , the Imam , Prophet or ALLah?
I agree with the 'goals' but who do you submit your mental,physical,spiritual self to?

[SBM]

so mind control is accepted by bohras.

That is why they are called Abde (literally meaning slave)

[profastian]

Of course, there is mind control going on. Have we denied it? In fact, we are willing participants.
The goal is uniformity. Mental, physical and spiritual.

so mind control is accepted by bohras.
my question is : who controls you mind ? the Dai leader , the Imam , Prophet or Allah?
I agree with the 'goals' but who do you submit your mental,physical,spiritual self to?

The DAI. Because he is present. We don't know where the Imam is. And when you talk about submission to Allah, what exactly are you talking about?
Why does Allah need you submission anyway? I thought Allah was beyond comprehension. It is only through its vicegerent (the DAI is this case),
who is present and comprehensible to a certain degree, can there be submission of wills.

[profastian]

so mind control is accepted by bohras.

That is why they are called Abde (literally meaning slave)

Yes, it is accepted. A better word would be mental conditioning. And that is prevalent everywhere.
Don't tell me, that the ideas who have about the Dawat and the DAI, just jumped into you mind. You must have heard someone
or some one or thing must have influenced you. That is conditioning aka mind control too.
The only difference is that we do it willingly and knowingly.
Whereas you guys are abde-engineer and abde-insaf, without knowing that you are.

[SBM]

Prof...n
What is infatuation you guys have with Engineer or Insaf, Are you comparing them with Syedna and if you are then you are not a
true abde syedna
BTW Engineer or Insaf have never said nor did any one else on this board that they are the ONLY leader of the movement. they were and are the pillars of the movement.
Now go and do some research about the difference between pillar and leader.

[aqs]

Prof...n
What is infatuation you guys have with Engineer or Insaf, Are you comparing them with Syedna and if you are then you are not a
true abde syedna
BTW Engineer or Insaf have never said nor did any one else on this board that they are the ONLY leader of the movement. they were and are the pillars of the movement.
Now go and do some research about the difference between pillar and leader.

Br. Oma

You believe it or not but whole Progressive movement has been hijacked by Mr. A. A. Engineer, you like it or but not he is the face of your movement, people dont recognize any one else who might have done something for the movement, My apologies to Insaaf saheb as i came to know about you only after i hit this Forum

[aqs]

^should be read as

You like it or not but he is face of your movement

[accountability]

profastian wrote
"Why does Allah need you submission anyway? I thought Allah was beyond comprehension. It is only through its vicegerent (the DAI is this case)",
You are saying that Dai is the vicegerent for Allah, but according to our theology Dai is the vicegrant of imam in seclusion. Allah has never appointed any vicegerent (the meaning of vicegerent is A person appointed by a ruler or head of state to act as an administrative deputy.)
You just said this without any refrence or any research. This is what is happening in our community. As smart has rightly pointed out in his post. This is cultish. Tomorrow you will come here and say, that Allah will not bless anyone unless vicegerant (because he is appointed by Allah) says so. Actually not tomorrow, they are saying it now, I have heard it in some relay that if you dont follow Dai, Allah will not look at you. What do you make of this. You know if you believe this, will amount to shirk. You have already committed shirk by saying that Dai is vicegerent of Allah. In quran it has been emphasised that God has no accomplice (shareek). Neither does he need any administrative assisstant to run the affairs of this vast universe.
You may also say that since Dai is Allah's vicegerent then he has a hand in creation. But dont forget 51 dais before incumbent dai have passed away.

[SBM]

Aqs
You like it or not but he is face of your movement

where did you get this idea that it is my movement?

[aqs]

Aqs
You like it or not but he is face of your movement

where did you get this idea that it is my movement?

if you got offended then please accept my sincere apologies, but you have got me confused then what's your stand on things Reformists are fighting for if you dont stand with them

[SBM]

Br. Aqs
No I am not offended. I have stated that I am e jamaat card carrying member but I am not a regular except for 3-4 events a year.I have also stated that reform should come from within and not from outside. As far as Reformist are concerned, they also have some legitimate issues which if corrected can make our community more powerful and resourceful. I may not agree with them on all the issues, there are some good things Kothar has done but at the same time there is rudness and dictatorial attitude, like you said " Allah is the BOSS and Ali is progeny, in the same way, Syedna is the BOSS
and his representatives (Shezaadas-Aamil and Vali Mullah) are the progeny of the Dawat and Dawoodi Bohras" (I do not mean to compare Allah to Syedna nor do I dare to compare Moula Ali to Shezaadas-Aamil, Nauzillah)
Remember Money and Power are the root causes of all evils and I am going to leave it at that.Aqalmund ko Ishara Kaafi Hey.

[Smart]

The DAI. Because he is present. We don't know where the Imam is. And when you talk about submission to Allah, what exactly are you talking about?
Why does Allah need you submission anyway? I thought Allah was beyond comprehension. It is only through its vicegerent (the DAI is this case),
who is present and comprehensible to a certain degree, can there be submission of wills.

Please clarify, Is it through the Dai that you recommend the submission of will or it to the Dai?

[profastian]

The DAI. Because he is present. We don't know where the Imam is. And when you talk about submission to Allah, what exactly are you talking about?
Why does Allah need you submission anyway? I thought Allah was beyond comprehension. It is only through its vicegerent (the DAI is this case),
who is present and comprehensible to a certain degree, can there be submission of wills.

Please clarify, Is it through the Dai that you recommend the submission of will or it to the Dai?

Through DAI to 'whom'? I meant submission 'TO' the DAI.

[accountability]

profastian: you did not answer my question. Haven't you committed shirk by calling Dai vecegerent of Allah.

[profastian]

profastian: you did not answer my question. Haven't you committed shirk by calling Dai vecegerent of Allah.

You already contradict yourself in your post. At one point you gave the definition of a vicegerent as a deputy and
at another point you accuse me of making DAI 'shareek' with Allah. I think deputy and shareek are in no way equal.

[Smart]

Through DAI to 'whom'? I meant submission 'TO' the DAI.

Oh, so you mean submission to the will of Allah is not done? Sumbission to the will of the dai is right? Is this not shirk? If not, please tell me what is?

[profastian]

Through DAI to 'whom'? I meant submission 'TO' the DAI.

Oh, so you mean submission to the will of Allah is not done? Sumbission to the will of the dai is right? Is this not shirk? If not, please tell me what is?

Sumbission to the will of the dai means or leads to the Sumbission to the will of Allah
The reverse is not possible.

[accountability]

Profastian: no i did not contrdict a bit. Vicegerent means an appointee who assissts in running day to day affair. That is very much partnering. Does Allah need or ever appointed an assisstant who helps him carry out day to day affairs. You have committed shirk. I dont indulge in name calling and useless arguments. But you did cross the line. I am no judge, it is between you and Allah. But I would advise to refrain from hyping the status of Dai to the extent of calling him God on earth.

Even calling Khuda na Dai is not appropriate. Dai means summoner, so you are saying he is Allah's summoner. You very well know in your heart.

[profastian]

Profastian: no i did not contrdict a bit. Vicegerent means an appointee who assissts in running day to day affair. That is very much partnering. Does Allah need or ever appointed an assisstant who helps him carry out day to day affairs. You have committed shirk. I dont indulge in name calling and useless arguments. But you did cross the line. I am no judge, it is between you and Allah. But I would advise to refrain from hyping the status of Dai to the extent of calling him God on earth.

Even calling Khuda na Dai is not appropriate. Dai means summoner, so you are saying he is Allah's summoner. You very well know in your heart.

So is calling Khuda na Nabi, also shirk.

[accountability]

You are comparing oranges with apples.
Nabi does not mean summoner. This is the problem. You just say things without refrences or authentication. instead of correcting your mistake you insist on committing another. In your zeal to elevate the status of Dai, you are ready to forge, fabricate, misture any thing. As I said, unlike you guys, I dont claim to have ownership of religion. It is between you and Allah.