Memories of Mohammad Sam Kermani and...

Two Interviews Which Became a Book Titled "Your Majesty Be Carefree!"

Mohammad-Ali Fatemi
Translated by Ruhollah Golmoradi

2017-11-21

"Your Majesty Be Carefree (in Persian: Khater Ala Hazrat Asudeh)!" is memoirs and untold words of Mohammad Sam Kermani (1924-2015), one of ministries of Interior and Intelligence and Tourism of Pahlavi regime. This 680-page book was produced by Hamid Davoodabadi and Nargol Publication released it in summer of 2017.

The book includes the following topics: Introduction by Hamid Davoodabadi, Alireza Kamari's interview with Dr. Mohammad Sam, Hamid Davoodabadi's interview with Dr. Mohammad Sam, Mohammad Sam in view of Parviz Sabeti (SAVAK security officer), Mohammad Sam in documents of American Spy Nest, Mohammed Sam in SAVAK documents, Mohammad Sam in the press, appendixes, documents and photos and index.

Introduction of Hamid Davoodabadi is about how the book "Your Majesty Be Carefree!" and that how the narrator of the book was known. Alireza Kamari's interview with Dr. Mohammad Sam is for May 24, 1997 which is brevity of his story and it seems it had been an introduction to the next interview with him. Hamid Davoodabadi's interview with Dr. Mohammad Sam is the main part of the book and about 350 pages. These two parts are not result of interview but are exactly dialogue, that is, in question and answer way.

Hamid Davoodabadi's interview with Dr. Mohammad Sam was started with questions and answers about origin and family of the narrator, and comes to his education and situations of time and his jobs. The narrator participated in political activities since 1961 and began as representative of National Consultative Assembly and reached entering structure of Pahlavi administrations. His narrative shows that in his time, he traversed this path step by step and in interview and answering questions, he says of internal relations of the government.

Governmental activities of Mohammad Sam lasts till late 1352 (SH) and early 1353 (SH) and Hamid Davoodabadi's interview with him is limited to these topics. Of course, the interviewer introduces consecutively keywords and points that he has in mind from Pahlavi government, and the interviewee responds with his specific sensitivity.

According to statements, it seems that part of this sensitivity be related to challenge of the narrator with internal relations of Pahlavi regime, that is he was sensitive to his educational, social activities and measures in governorship in society of those days. Another aspect of this sensibility is related to his personality and character, which its characteristics are appear in parts of his origin and family.
In scope of the main interview of the book and following the questions, the narrator's opinion about authorities of Pahlavi regime and groups within the government and factions who had field of action relies on his personal observations. As far as answering some of the questions that are not a few and are proven categories in view of the interviewer, his answers are sometimes in this framework that he hadn't seen, but in some cases he doesn't deny that discussion of these categories had been raised. To these points, frankness of the narrator should also be added. In description of atmosphere of relations within the government and views of Pahlavi authorities on their environment and oppositions against them and the government, these kinds of statements are seen.

Parts of Mohammad Sam, in view of Parviz Sabeti (SAVAK security officer), Mohammad Sam in documents of the American Spy Nest, Mohammad Sam in documents of SAVAK and Mohammad Sam in the press are about view of Pahlavi government on him and some kind of outside look at him; then, according to two interviews, the reader sees the narrator view on himself.

"Your Majesty Be Carefree!" includes other information from body and inside of the Pahlavi government - in addition to information that has been published so far - which is derived from oral narrative of one of its officials. How to look at this narrative looks at is depended on readers; is this book to be read for general information, or matching of text information with words of others creates a source of research? In either case, reading such a book is important, and after that questions that arise in minds of each group of readers. Answering questions after reading a book is a new domain for that work, if these questions to be reflected and authors of the book are concerned about answering them.