The Role of the Bazaaris in the Final Days of the Islamic Revolution
Translated by Mandana Karimi
2025-6-11
I was at home in Shahin Villa, Karaj, on Friday, 17th of Shahrivar (September 8th, 1978), when I heard about martial law on the radio at noon. I immediately came to Tehran. The city was completely deserted and under the control of armed soldiers, and it was impossible to enter Jaleh Street and the surrounding area of the square. The news indicated that people had gathered in Jaleh Square and that the soldiers had massacred them, the hospitals were crowded, and the city was in a state of complete chaos. I returned to Karaj again. We were invited to a wedding that night. People were only talking about what had happened in the morning, and everyone was unanimous in their belief that if the demonstrations did not continue tomorrow, the events of Khordad 15, 1342 (June 05, 1963), would be repeated.
The next day, my wife and I came to Tehran. Fortunately, people were on the streets and, despite the massacre of the previous day, they continued their demonstrations without fear. That day, he felt that this time, the people's movement would be victorious. The same day, I received the Imam's proclamation on the occasion of the previous day. The Imam had called Jaleh Square the Martyrs' Square and had likened the martyrs of the square to the martyrs of Karbala. He had asked the people to continue the demonstrations and not to be afraid of cannons and tanks.
The scope of the demonstrations expanded. The Imam's exaltations erased fear from the hearts of the people and martyrdom had become a dream for every revolutionary man. The Imam's proclamation had advised all the people to take care of the families who had been martyred or injured in the demonstrations. I also tried to do my part with the help of my friends in Bazaar.
Initially, the martyrs and injured were identified by a group and their home addresses were given to us. A few Bazaaris & I visited the homes of these people and tried to afford their needs. At this point, I started working with Mr. Hosseini to try to reproduce the Imam's tapes and print the proclamation. We started duplicating at 11 pm. We had prepared the necessary equipment in the basement of my house.
At 5 am, we took the tapes and leaflets to the mosques in eastern Tehran. I prayed two Rak'ahs of my prayers and distributed the leaflets in the mosque. I burned the printing waste in the garden of the house and buried it under the mud mounds.
Source: Agha Mirzaei, Mohammad Ali (2011), Saray-e-Soleman Khan: Khaterat-e Haj Hussein Fathi (The house of Soleyman Khan: Memoirs of Hajj Hossein Fathi), Tehran, Fatehan, pp. 70-71.
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