Atomic Waste in the Desert

Compiled by: Islamic Revolution Website
Translated by: Fazel Shirzad

2023-5-25

While I was under pursuance, I could participate in public [religious] processions (including Tasua and Ashura); because the crowd was large, the agents could not arrest me [Hujal al-Islam Gholam Ali Mehraban]. After the demonstration, I ran away and went to hide. On the night of Tasu'a 1978, the comrades had gathered at the house of Hajibashi Rahmani, who was an elderly person and used to take money for the Imam through the country of Qatar, to talk about tomorrow's march (Tasua'a day) and its schedule, as well as the breast-pumping ceremony. It was decided that on the day of Tasu'a, chests would be drawn from the front of the Qibla Mosque (the current Imam Khomeini) to the Jame Mosque. The movement of the procession on the day of Ashura was the opposite; That is, from Jame Mosque to Agha's tomb, and from there to the front of Imam Mosque. On the day of Ashura, I did not consider it advisable to come to Agha's tomb and the Imam's mosque. Therefore, I accompanied the demonstrators only on the part of the way. When I went on the day of Tasua, and left the Imam Mosque, I was able to participate in the breaststroke, and when we reached the Jama Mosque, we were supposed to run away with Ibrahim Jamali, who was also under pursuance. These events coincided with the time when America decided to bring nuclear waste and bury it in the Iranian desert. Of course, we were always on the lookout to take actions against the device under any pretext. The speech tapes that reached us were related to Ayatollah Dastghib, Ayatollah Sadouqi, Mr. Rouhani and Ayatollah Khazali. Majid Parnian, who was a teenager at that time and was very active in the revolutionary currents, said: "America is going to bring nuclear waste and bury it in Iran; this is a good excuse to arrange a speech."

I said: "It is not possible to speak in public; But you bring a tape recorder, along with the tapes of the speeches that you have, so that I can assemble a speech and give it to you. You take it too, spread it everywhere."

That day, I sat at the house of one of my sisters who had all gone out. I put on two tape recorders, one to fill in my speech, and one for the moment when it was needed. In this way, after the Imam's name, I assembled three salutations. Sometimes behind everything that needed to be approved by the people, I did this and it looked like I was giving a speech in front of several thousand people and everyone was listening and confirming by sending blessings. I also changed the tone of my voice to make it unrecognizable. I remember when the tape was ready, my nurses, my wife and my mother did not recognize my voice. Only Haji Parnian said that when his mother heard this tape, she said that its voice was very similar to the voice of Haji Mehraban; Of course, he said it all with hesitation. However, another person could not recognize my voice. I had spoken very sharply and clearly. Part of the content of my speech was as follows: "This atomic waste does not know anyone and does not show mercy to anyone. He takes the king, the lady, his cub and..."

Anyway, on the day of Tasu'a, when we arrived in front of the Jama Mosque, one of our friends named Haj Abbas Kazemi, who was in Qatar at that time, came to me. We also insisted on escaping from the crowd as soon as possible; But Haj Abbas did not know that I was a fugitive and wanted. The servant of God came and started talking that "Qatar brought a tape and we listened and I said that this voice is very similar to the voice of Haji Mehraban; But the others said no; This is not a kind voice. How could Mehraban speak like this in public?

I also said: "They are telling the truth." How can I give a speech in front of thousands of people?

In any case, in any way, I escaped from his grasp and together with Jamali, we were transported to a safe place through the narrow and long alleys of Jahram.

Source: Mr. Mehraban: Memoirs of Gholamali Mehraban Jahormi, edited by Vahid Kargar Jahormi, Shiraz, Asman 8th, 2013, pp. 177-181.