Ardor of Resistance by Mohammadreza Fartukzadeh

Memories of the Revolutionary Ambiance of University of Shiraz

Elham Saleh
Translated by Natalie Haghverdian

2016-9-3

What was happening in cities during revolution? How involved were people in the resistance against Pahlavi regime? How was the situation in scientific-cultural institutions? We seek the answers to these questions by listening to the stories and memories of different people. Dr. Mohammadreza Fartukzadeh offers some information in his book “Ardor” on the events leading to the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Shiraz and Tehran. Since he was a student at the time, his stories involve students’ resistance against Pahlavi regime.

Reaction of SAVAK[1] against Religious and Political Activities

Despite the corrupt atmosphere of University of Shiraz during Pahlavi regime, a group of students were involved in religious activities and establishment of a prayer hall was one of their achievements: “There was no space to say our prayers at the university; we had to seek corners, hallways, and a corner in the court of on the lawn. I went to the dean of the faculty of literature and his deputy and said: “Give us a space to pray.” After long negotiations and pressure of the dean, we finally occupied a remote administration building away from classrooms to be the prayer hall.”

Students’ political activities and the dominant spirit in the university might raise questions in the mind of the audience. A section of “Ardor” explains the events: “One of our main tasks was to put Imam’s declarations and notifications in the papers of the students. Imam was in Najaf at the time and would issue declarations once or twice in a month when incidents or events would occur. I would quickly get these declarations and hand- copy them.”

The narrator also talks about those who were assisting him in hand writing these declarations: “Ahmad Tavakkoli and Ahmad Jalali and I would get together. I would give my hand written declarations to others to distribute in other cities so that if we would get caught we could deny the declarations were ours.”

SAVAK reacted to political and religious activities of the students and many were arrested and tortured. In “Ardor” the narrator, as the resident in the dorm talks about the clashes in Paramount dorm and arrests made by SAVAK: “Four or five days after the demonstration in Literature Faculty, they attacked Paramount dorm. I thought they are looking for me and I was trying to escape to the next building. There was a gap of one meter between the balconies of the two buildings and it was dangerous. I paused and realized that they went into the next room and to the building next to us and also to other buildings I could see in front.”

At the Verge of Victory and After

Public attack to machine gun factory at the verge of victory of the Revolution: “There was a big machine gun factory next to our house. People gathered together and invaded the factory. We went in and everyone would take a gun… later when Revolution Committee was established in Alavi School in Iran Street where Imam was staying, they asked people to surrender the guns they had collected.”

“Ardor” talks about the resistance prior to the Islamic Revolution and also elaborates the situation at the university after the victory of the Islamic Revolution where activities of political groups in the university led to arguments and got physical and fostered the ground for Cultural Revolution and self-reliance in medicine.

Book’s Chapters

The chapters start from the early life of Mohammadreza Fartukzadeh and continue up to the victory of the Islamic Revolution and Cultural Revolution at the universities. The chronology is consistent in these chapters; the first chapter: birth and family, second chapter: Shiraz University, study and resistance, third chapter: Adel Abad prison to the team house of Mojahedin, fourth chapter: arrested because of my sister, fifth chapter: resistance continues in Shiraz, sixth chapter: marriage, seventh chapter: at the verge of victory of the Islamic Revolution and the events that followed, eighth chapter: Cultural Revolution.

Content, Foreword, Introduction and Narrator’s Preamble, each, define the goal of publishing this book.

The narrator also defines the reasons of publishing the book in his conclusion. Annex one; the hand writings of Mohammadreza Fartukzadeh and annex two; reflection on revelations of “Mojahedin Khalgh Organization; emergence to the end”.

The images and photos of the book show Mohammadreza Fartukzadeh with his family and friends. The references include resources used in compiling the book and includes a list of books, sites, newspapers, magazines and documents. Also, people, places, parties and organizations, books and publications referenced in the book are also introduced to the audience.

About Oral History

Those who have witnessed or made aware of events and incidents directly or indirectly can be an invaluable resource of information. The information shared by these individuals form memoirs; memoirs that regardless of their age can narrate part of the history. Dr. Mohammadreza Fartukzadeh has done the same in “Ardor”. He has witnessed the revolution and describes them accordingly. Some memories are personal but these personal memories constitute the oral history of the ear. He has overgeneralized some events but elaborated the process of Islamic Revolution. What distinguishes Dr. Fartukzadeh’s memoirs is his overview of elite community including the students. This community had a critical role after the Islamic Revolution as well; however, despite what is said in the introduction, a very small proportion of the book covers the events after the victory of the Islamic Revolution.