Looking at the student movement in Mashhad (2)

Naqi Lotfi’s narration of student activities in Mashhad before Revolution

Gholamreza Azari Khakestar
Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

2015-8-1

Note: In the previous issue, we reviewed the first part of Naqi Lotfi’s memories, who is a retired lecturer of Literature School, Mashhad Ferdowsi University. Now, the second and final part of these memories is presented:

Revolutionary Theory

One of Shariati’s arguments was that how revolution happened in French? If we want to make a difference, we must act like that. After the defeat of Mossadegh, Shariati wrote several articles about Constitutional Government and French Revolution in newspaper. Then that newspaper was suspended. He said, for example, Voltaire and Rousseau played role in France Revolution, so we must learn from them. This shows that Shariati has believed in revolution from youth and it’s not related to his going to France.

After discussion about the culture, Dr. Shariati raised the discussion of Islamic Renaissance and other issues, including if we want to create changing we must create thinking, i.e., intellectual development; we should reject the previous system and present a new one under the title of Islamic State with a specific frame. Shariati came to Iran to raise Islamic State through academic channels, so from now Islamic State is a defensible one. By talking about Safavid Shia issues, Dr. Shariati explained discussions and spoke about the theory of Islamic government, its frameworks and topics such as tradition, consensus, etc.

He is the one who guided students’ thoughts toward religious radicalism. The reflection of these was seen through Hosseinieh Ershad and universities, but his speech was influential. It was clear that Shariati was not a religious leader abroad, but an ideological leader who knew the revolution thought as an effective thought. He was the one who took steps along a religious government and tried to create an Islamic State based on Islamic Ideas. He believed that the government should be in the hands of religious leaders and people. He said people should move and as soon as they moved, they will find their own special leaders.

Doctor Shariati and Movements

After returning from France, since 1966, Dr. Shariati taught at the University. These years were a short period when Shariati offered his ideas and interpretations of Islamic tradition in classes, discussions, and lessons of Literature School. Closure of the press, political environment, and strangulation and suffocation made context for Shariati to publicize discussions about the idea of the Islamic State in class; so in current revolution, Mashhad is like Tabriz in Constitutional Revolution. This means that the revolution school has originated from Mashhad and the thought of changing the regime and establishment of a new government has occurred by some forces in Mashhad. Therefore, political upheaval and revolutionary change occurred in Mashhad by Dr. Shariati’s ideas and his lessons about Shi'ism and Safavid Islamic Rule. At the same time there are certainly other ideas, but Shariati, as a scholar and thinker, was impressed in France, the cradle of democracy and anti-colonial and anti-imperialist movements, due to his familiarity with the flow of thought in the world. He knew that thinking must be changed first and ideological preparation take place for revolution. That's why he dealt with reconstruction of Islamic state’s idea. The idea of Islamic State in academic centers was begun in Mashhad. Invitations from other cities ended up in the creation of this idea by him in other cities, like Tehran, Tabriz and so on. I think discussion about Marxism, or Left idea against Islamic government was discussed at this time. Students’ thoughts were attracted to the ideas of democratic movement. Against these traditional flow on the one hand and radical currents on the other hand, Shariati tried to push the idea of an Islamic government extraordinarily and rejected the ideas of Marxism.

In his view, Shia was a protest potential which could be used. He made Islamic thought attractive for students that led to creation of Islamic thought in the academic environment. No question that other professors in the academic environment would not follow Islam like that. Of course, there were some but didn’t have tools like students. But Shariati gathered students and absorbed and targeted their ideas. Among the youth, especially students in Mashhad and Tehran, he found his place. In Hosseinieh Ershad, issues were raised in the form of a more general problem for the younger generation. There is no question that Shariati invited youth to Islam, Islamic thought and reviewing it. He knew himself as a continuant of Seyed Jamal Assad-Abadi and Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s ways.

In the last years, Shariati’s classes were decreased; it was because of lecturer who collaborated with the government. At the end, he only taught history of civilization. His teaching hours decreased from 12 hours to 3 hours, and little by little they retired him. Therefore his work at university was finished, although his lectures in Hosseinieh Ershad were continued. He only taught 5 years in Mashhad.

Looking at the centers of Mashhad, we confronted with Bazargan family and…, but because broader currents occurred in Tehran, these thoughts should have been transferred to Tehran. Hosseinieh Ershad could publish these thoughts. Newspapers were prepared and published in Tehran. During the revolution, all movements also were begun in Tehran. If people had thoughts, its reflection was in Tehran. Imam Khomeini also came from Qom to Tehran. Politicians come from Tehran too.

After 1953, cultural issues, stratification, the clergy, student and workers' organizations and the role of intellectuals were analyzed. If we knew revolution as a social, human, material and economic issue, its analysis way was open. It is the same about Mashhad; in fact scholars don’t work about its details. In Esfahan, for example, there were no special activities; of course I don’t mean physical and social development, but intellectually. Shariati began from Mashhad and then went to Tehran. He became the theoretician of revolution that we now say thought of revolution has begun from Mashhad. I am sure that Khorasan had a major role in the past.

Students' Reactions to Political Issues

The atmosphere of Iran in 1971 was suffocation. Newspapers were suspended, SAVAK activities had extended and student movements had increased. In proportion to the radicalism that existed in various aspects, government adopted security approach for country. Engineering students would analyze difficult mathematical problems and could also analyze a system, so they thought and realized that why poverty was high and the government were buying armament in a country with these facilities. What aliens were doing? Strict security police was for what? Why there was no freedom and people's vote? Why people had no role in the government and only Shah or his appointed ranks, who himself had chosen, would say the main word. Organizations and parties needed force. In villages people were not talented, so the parties immediately approached to the universities. Because of having new ideas, students could make thoughts. Defeat of National Front showed that it had no certain way and leadership, so the youth thought of creating organizations, such as Mojahedin, and Devotee Guerrillasd. These were established in 1963. There was one goal per se: changing the rule and struggle against tyranny and colonialism and imperialism. Students did it in a way like was existed in the world then, like Vietnam War.

Therefore, radical organizations were paid more attention and government strongly fought against them. So, it seemed that these forces were existed in revolution time and then participated in a wide range of different groups, but they were united in one goal, i.e., rejection of monarchy. In this case, the question arose that whether the revolution was external or internal? Iran’s movement was anti-authoritarian and anti-royal.

Carter’s Doctrine

Carter’s Doctrine for Iran indicated that Shah had created an authoritarian regime in Iran and this was a danger for America. Iran was a ripe fruit that should not fall into the lap of Moscow. China Revolution and etc. were also impressive and socialism might spread in the region. Then, the first change in 1977 was the liberalization of political space and Islamic thought still didn’t show itself. That is, if Dr. Shariati hadn’t planted the seeds, Imam Khomeini couldn’t appear. So in this proper bed, Imam Khomeini could crystallize the religious thoughts. Western organizations couldn’t realize this for a while, but at this time Imam Khomeini, as a leader of movement, could even affect national leaders and the rest. At the time of drafting the constitution, the issues of Republic and Guardianship of the Jurist raised which hadn’t been previously. Gradually, the issues of jurisprudence and Guardianship of the Jurist overshadowed constitution and a new problem arose and the Republic was created. Of course, it could be a secular republic, but they made it Islamic Republic. The question was that how republic could match Guardianship of the Jurist. In Bazargan’s government, members weren’t scholastic and had political commitment, not religious; but then they had to be scholastic and having religious commitment. Mr. Bazargan worked with individuals he had political acquaintance with and knew the use of individuals who were in different cities. But when the issue of Guardianship of the Jurist and its features was put forward, these peoples were of no use anymore. Some of extremist and monarchist forces, individuals who were in conflict with government, and others were excluded. This was done by the Cultural Revolution.

Student Scholarships

Scholarship was related to the Ministry of Science and was granted to top grade students of different fields. Individuals, who entered to the universities, were talented. Material facilities were not available for everyone; the rich could go to Europe themselves, but others could not. Receiving scholarship was based on personal talent.

Top students of 1950s and 1960s went to France and then to England and America. Francophiles and Anglophiles were the individuals who had strong affinity toward France and England respectively and had educated there. Students were affected by atmosphere of each country where they studied there. In France freedom and in England more discipline were cared.

Certainly thought of Republic was not until the 1953 in Iran. Mr. Mossadegh, for example, did not think about Republic but he said that the system was parliamentary and Shah reigned. He was advocate of constitutional monarchy. Even in 1953, we didn’t hear anything about Republic, so this phenomenon shaped in Iran in 1963 - 1963.