Post-Revolution Iran in International Arena

Faezeh Sasanikhah
Translated by M. B. Khoshnevisan

2022-2-22

Unfortunately, no serious work has been carried out in international arena neither about the revolution nor about the war. After the revolution, some countries have become sensitive toward Iran and were terrified of Iran. Due to anti-Iran propaganda, the facts and realities were turned upside down and no opportunity were given to Iran’s propaganda. Of course, since the new government had just been set up, our organizations were still unskilled. In foreign ministry, the revolutionary forces were not familiar with their responsibilities and did not have a record of diplomatic works at all. The cultural institution of Guidance Ministry had been closed in this period and there was no cultural advisory and it was felt that no work was carried out in international arena. Thus, the authorities thought to transfer the message of revolution and the issues of the war to that side of the borders in different ways. At that time, the Propagation Organization or the Propagation Coordination Council had just been set up and misters Jannati and Haghani[1] [1] were among its authorities.

It was decided that a number of people who present in the country’s cultural, political managements to be sent to different countries and transfer the issues of the revolution and the war to foreign people, statesmen, scholars and elites. A council was established according to the requirements of the people’s experiences and information and I was also in the council. For 22^nd of Bahman 1359 (February 11, 1981), Some of the country's officials were given the mission to go to other countries in the form of delegations for 10 to 15 days to analyze the issues of revolution and war and to bring them to the attention of the world. Ayatollah Khamenei along with some others went to India and Mr. Seyed Mohammad Khamenei went to China. Mr. Rabbani Amlashi was sent to Algeria and other delegations headed by well-known political and revolutionary figures to other countries.  

Mission to Yemen and Saudi Arabia

We were also missioned to go to Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The head of our delegation was Mr. Gholamhossein Haghani who was martyred in the explosion of the Republic Party. Mr. Mohammadi Araqi was a member of the delegation. Mr. Taha Hashemi who had recently become the son-in-law of Mr. Haghani was in charge of procurement. An eighteen or nineteen-year-old young man named Shariatmadari was present in the group who was very talented and of Iraqi origin and spoke Arabic and Farsi fluently. At any rate, we accompanied other delegations until Syria.  The delegations were separated from each other in Syria. I remember that Mr. Rabbani Amlashi with some people, Mr. Jalaleddin Farsi with a number of others and Mr. Dr. Soroush with some others were with us until Syria. I remember that when we got off in Syria’s airport, it was night and the time of Maghrib and Isha (evening and night) prayers. As we along with misters Jalaleddin Farsi and Rabbani Amlashi were walking inside the airport’s pavilion, we found out that Mr. Soroush was not with us. I went to find him. As I was looking inside the rooms, I saw that he had performed ablution and was praying. I told them that he was praying. They said, “We’d better find a place and pray too.” Mr. Jalaleddin Farsi said, “No hurry. We will pray in the hotel.” After finishing his praying, Dr. Soroush also joined us. They said, “Since we don’t have enough time, we’d better have dinner inside the airport and then go to the hotel.” We walked toward the sandwich sellers inside the airport hallway. Mr. Soroush did not come. We asked, “Why don’t you come?” He said, “I don’t have dinner.” We said, “Aren’t you hungry?” He said, “I am hungry but I wait.” We said, “What is the secret?” he said, “You can see alcoholic drinks inside these shops, so I am careful not to eat.” The others did not eat anything following him. Then we went to the hotel and prepared food there. It was around dawn after the pilgrimage of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) that we started our journey to Sana’a, the capital of Yemen.