Is This Tabriz?

Compiled by: Iranian Revolution Website
Translated by: Fazel Shirzad

2024-6-26

The first group of political prisoners who were released from Tabriz prison were three of my friends. In meeting with them, I [i.e. Ali Sufi] realized that they have many questions in their minds. They kept asking: what's up sir? We have heard in the prison that people are marching and everyone is united! it is true? How are the things shown on TV true? When I explained the situation to them, they couldn't believe it at first. I decided to take them to the activity center of Tabriz city the next day so that they can witness everything up close. The center of most public gatherings in Tabriz was in the city market. The market of Tabriz city had the status of Tehran University and people from all groups and trades were hungry there. The whole market is closed and on strike. At the appointed time, different groups started marching hand in hand. They moved regularly and stamped their feet on the ground with a certain consistency. People chanted "Khomeini O Imam" loudly and stomped their feet on the ground with such grandeur and grandeur that the hair on the person's body stood on end. Our friends, who had just been released, looked at the crowd dumbfounded. One of them said. God, am I dreaming or am I awake! Another said: Is this really Tabriz? The same Tabriz where we were arrested and went to prison? Is it possible that people have changed like this in such a short period of time?

There was nothing left for them to take off their wings and fly. What they saw with their eyes did not match what they heard. They couldn't believe that people have changed like this and come together with one heart and one step on the way to a goal. After the Imam's arrival in the country, SAVAK, through a notice that was published in an official newspaper and broadcasted through radio and television, announced a telephone number and asked the people of Tehran to inform them of suspicious cases. SAVAK wanted to deal with the raging flood of people under the name of "fighting the flow of sabotage" under this pretext. Due to the responsibility I had in Tabriz telecommunication, I thought as much as I could to deal with these mischiefs. Through a special device that I had, I could monitor SAVAK's phone number and listen to possible reports. At the same time, I was talking with Mr. Besharti in Tehran and reporting suspicious cases to him. Most of the phones referred to mundane matters. For example, it was announced: "our neighbor's son participates in the march every day" or "my friend speaks against the king and the government" and...One night someone called the above number and mentioned a local address and said: our neighbor is a revolutionist that suspicious people come and go to his house. Especially tonight, when the pickup truck entered his house, they unloaded items and... I quickly informed my fighter friend Mr. Besharti about the above so that he can check the news and inform them. This continued until a few days later, SAVAK was dissolved and its officers were arrested or fled.[1]