Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (59)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (59)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Neglecting the Kids MKO had occupied our time and life completely. We had forgotten many affairs of our personal life. One of them was neglecting our kids’ rights. Neither my wife nor I noticed the natural rights of our kids. I was drowned in organization’s affair, trainings, rendezvous, and copying the statements & pamphlets; and Fatima was busy with trainings inside groups and studying different books. We could not be good parents for Maryam and Zahra and fulfill them with necessary love of a mother and father.For taking care of Maryam and Zahra we had a program. One of them had to be kept at my mother-in-law’s house and the other with ourselves. We would...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (58)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (58)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Serial Events Few days after visiting Taqi Shahram, MKO ordered me to evacuate the team-house in Bouzarjomehri Street and rent a new one where in which Khosrow and Parviz could stay at nights. They were in Sabalan Street team-house. My wife who was skilled in this task could find a good place somewhere near Qiyam (Shah) Square neighboring Imam Sadegh Technical High School. Few days later we could buy some second hand furniture from Fouziyeh (Imam Hussein) Square and take there.I introduced myself as “Ahmad Akbari” to the householder and I told her that I was a worker in Abyek Cement Factory in Qazvin and I would be there only for one or two nights a week and my...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (57)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (57)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Taqi Shahram who was really angry of me would permanently use labels like well-off petit bourgeois, right-winged pseudo-leftist opportunist (1) and reactionary for me. He told Iraj: "This well-off petit bourgeois still cannot identify the status of workers." I said: "It's you the one who do not identify; you've used the money of these workers, Muslims and the nation, and now you are turning your back to them." He said: "This is our right and we have led the stream of struggle and this is our right to use their facilities." I asked: "What will happen to other Muslim comrades?" he said: "All have accepted the ideology change. Few are remained like you that we...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (56)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (56)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Behind the Curtain Visit with Taqi Shahram I couldn’t understand why Fatimah would not show any reaction and this was bothering me. I could guess some changes had happened in her ideas. I thought her religious believes would not let her to take position against me. Lack of reaction by her made me thinking about her attempts and words during the last few months and then I frightened.Few days later Iraj came and said: “Shapour, someone comes here today to discuss with you and hear your objections and explain the developments for you.” Iraj mounted a rope in the middle of the room and put a veil on it and divided the room to two parts. That afternoon he came. Iraj...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (55)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (55)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Something that happened after giving the shop keys deserves hesitating. Iraj gave the keys to Taqi Shahram. A young girl and he would come to that shop at nights. The arcade’s gatekeeper would say that each evening a girl would enter the arcade from Sirous Street and go in Akbari’s shop. At nights while all the other shops were closed, they (Taqi Shahram and the young girl) would not leave there. The gate keeper would say that he had been suspicious about them and checked the shop from outside several times and seen the locked door with a light on inside. The next day when he would ask the shopkeeper (Taqi Shahram) the reason for, he would answer that the light...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (54)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (54)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Assassinations and Changes In late 1975 winter MKO via Iraj ordered us to afford a 7-meter black veil. We were surprised with this matter; “…7-meter black veil!? What for?” Black veils were usually 6 meters. Finally we could find it. Few days later they gave us an announcement to print and copy. In announcement No. 21 they had mentioned how they had assassinated Gen. Zandipour. The late Morteza Samadiyyeh Labbaf and few other members of MKO had done it. Samadiyyeh was a tall man and then we understood why they had asked for a 7-meter black veil. They wanted it to use at the time of assassination.The point that I noticed in the announcement was the small size of...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (53)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (53)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi When Iraj came, forging documents was added to our tasks. We would forge ID cards, passports, and … unskillfully of course. In some cases MKO would give us some ID cards and passports and we would only change the photograph skillfully with a new one and then seal it or change the its number.Iraj would come to our house before noon and stay there until sunset. But we would not see him saying his prayers. I checked him several times and I became sure that he would not say his prayers. I asked him several times: “why don’t you say your prayers?” and he would say: “I did. You may not have seen. But any way, if you say, I may do it again.” I would say by myself:...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (52)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (52)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Ways to Survive From the beginning of secret life our connections with outside of MKO became so limited. Even with our families we had only phone calls. For phone calls we had only to use public phones and finish our dialogues in less than 3 minutes in order not to be tracked. Right in these phone calls I found out SAVAK had referred to my father’s and father-in-law’s houses several times and had asked about me. They even had attacked my father –in-law’s house once and detained his family and him for some hours. They had tried to force my wife’s parents to confess where we had been hidden but nothing was achieved by them.In some necessary cases, and...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (51)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (51)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi After some time Habib told Parviz: “You are so faithful to your wife and it is dangerous for your way and MKO. If they arrest you in future this dependence would put you in a weakened position and MKO would definitely get harmed. In the following days, Habib continued such discussions with Parviz and then MKO ordered him to become friends with a MKO female member and get about in his residence area in a red BMW. Obeying MKO orders, Parviz accepted to do that and some of his relatives and friends saw him with that girl and reported the matter to his wife. Finally MKO ordered them (The girl and Parviz) to have a trip to Caspian coast in North of Iran. There, they took...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (50)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (50)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Life in Secure House!The birth of the twins on September 30th 1974 brought us into a new stage of life. These heavenly gifts, Maryam and Zahra warmed our life. We had no free time and we think about nothing except how to grow our kids. Taking care of two kids at the same time was really hard. If one of them would sleep the other would wake her up by crying and if one of them was being fed by milk the other would begin crying of hunger.Being full busy with the kids we forgot our promises for the activity for MKO. Finally one day Sepassi Ashtiani came and informed us that MKO had asked us to prepare and live in a secure secret house. At first I tried not to accept but...
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Book Review

Kak-e Khak

The book “Kak-e Khak” is the narration of Mohammad Reza Ahmadi (Haj Habib), a commander in Kurdistan fronts. It has been published by Sarv-e Sorkh Publications in 500 copies in spring of 1400 (2022) and in 574 pages. Fatemeh Ghanbari has edited the book and the interview was conducted with the cooperation of Hossein Zahmatkesh.

Is oral history the words of people who have not been seen?

Some are of the view that oral history is useful because it is the words of people who have not been seen. It is meant by people who have not been seen, those who have not had any title or position. If we look at oral history from this point of view, it will be objected why the oral memories of famous people such as revolutionary leaders or war commanders are compiled.

Daily Notes of a Mother

Memories of Ashraf-al Sadat Sistani
They bring Javad's body in front of the house. His mother comes forward and says to lay him down and recite Ziarat Warith. His uncle recites Ziarat and then tells take him to the mosque which is in the middle of the street and pray the funeral prayer (Ṣalāt al-Janāzah) so that those who do not know what the funeral prayer is to learn it.

A Critique on Oral history of War Commanders

“Answering Historical Questions and Ambiguities Instead of Individual-Organizational Identification”
“Oral history of Commanders” is reviewed with the assumption that in the field of war historiography, applying this method is narrated in an advancing “new” way, with the aim of war historiography, emphasizing role of commanders in creation of its situations and details.