Oral history of Islamic Revolution in Bushehr (1)

Campaign centers

Mohammad Jamiri
Translated by Mohammad Bagher Khoshnevisan

2015-10-6

Note: In the following article, we will review the process of campaigns against the Pahlavi regime as well as the current of the Islamic revolution in Bushehr Province and in particular, the city of Bushehr. It also reviews the Islamic movement of the people of Bushehr in following the leader of the revolution Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul). Another goal of the following writing is to introduce the clergies and campaigners of Bushehr. Interviews have been conducted for collection of information.

1. How the people of Bushehr became familiar with Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul)?

Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul) was recognized by many Ulema and faithful people after the demise of Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi in 1961. However, due to some reasons including the far distance between Bushehr and Qom as well as shortage of connection facilities and absence of the people who could introduce the Imam, the familiarization of the people of Bushehr with Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul) happened with several years of delay, in a way that the majority of the people of Bushehr could become familiar with him since late 1960s and early 1970s. This came as the people in the cities larger and closer to Qom and Tehran had showed tough reactions toward post- 15 Khordad uprising developments in support of Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul), and the campaigns against Pahlavi regime had already started.

In this regard, Abdullah Fatehi((1) says, “The people of Bushehr did not know Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul) in the beginning of his activities in 1963 and 1964. Despite the presence of martyr Ashouri (2) in Bushehr and his courage in expressing political issues, almost no movement took place in the province toward Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul). Nevertheless, after the passing away of Ayatollah Hakim in 1970 in the holy city of Najaf, Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul) was introduced to the people as the leading Marja or source of emulation. It should be noted that before the passing away of Ayatollah Hakim in the holy city of Najaf in 1970, the majority of the people of Bushehr followed the religious orders of Grand Ayatollah Boroujerdi and then Ayatollah Hakim as sources of emulation.”

However, ulema like martyr Hojjat al-Eslam Ashouri (3) and Ayatollah Seyed Mustafa Hosseini (4) knew the Imam from the very beginning. After the passing away of Ayatollah Hakim, martyr Ashouri along with Seyed Mustafa Hosseini and Nabavi held a meeting Imam Ja’far Sadeq Seminary located in Bushehr’s bazar. In this meeting, misters Nabavi and Ashouri announced their willingness in introducing Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul) to the people as source of emulation. But Hojjat al-Eslam Seyed Mustafa Hosseini who was the religious representative of the late Hakim and Ayatollah Khoei disagreed. He argued that the grounds were not provided for publicizing Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul) by the ruling system and that it was not possible to establish relation with him easily so it was better to introduce Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul) to the politicians and special persons, and Ayatollah Khoei to ordinary people. Martyr Ashouri did not welcome the offer while two other ones agreed.

On the other hand, the name of the Imam and his character especially since 1971 and concurrent with the holding of Shah’s holding of 2500-year celebration who issued a communique against the Pahlavi regime, the people of the province knew him better. At the same time, “The Voice of Radio Rouhaniat” broadcast from Iraq by the clergies who were with the Imam played a major role in this way. It was through this radio that the people could become familiar with the different aspects of the campaign more than ever.

1. Start of activities

When we review the process of the Islamic revolution in Bushehr, we find out that there were three major campaign centers which continued their activities in the city of Bushehr with martyr Ashouri as the center of this campaign.  Although these centers were established at different times and worked secretly or had cultural tendencies rather than political, the outcome was nothing but informing the youths and other people of the revolution.

The first center we introduce to you is “Anti-Bahaei Association” which has been established in 1961 in Bushehr.  A co-founder of the center and a revolutionary campaigner in Bushehr , Abduallh Fatehi says in this regard, “(5) between the years 1969 to 1972, a group entitled “Anti-Bahaei Association” was established clandestinely by engineer Mousavi and engineer Masoumi from the city of Arak who were among the Staff of Bushehr’s Power Office as well as Mr. Rasti nicknamed Jamshidid from the town of Kazeroon but worked in Bushehr as a tailor – he disclosed his real name after being arrested – and also Abdullah Fatehi and Alireza Muzaffari Zadeh. The main goal of the association was to fight against Bahaei faith. The reason behind this was the widespread infiltration and presence of Bahaeis in government centers. Clergies were dispatched from different places for training classes held on Fridays.”

The members of the group believed that since Bahaei faith was backed by the US and Israel, the presence of Bahaeis in government centers was the sign of the presence of the US and Israel in Iran’s government. Thus, it was necessary to fight against the government. These activities had started several years earlier by the Ulema but its waves stretched in Bushehr at this time. The headquarters of the group was discovered in 1972 and its members were arrested.

One of the activities of the association was the distribution of Imam Khomeini’s books and tapes. At the same time, some of the members like Rasti were involved in the activities very impetuously and some others cautiously.  The go-between of this group with larger and more active associations in the city of Shiraz was Mr. Roozbeh who worked in the education department of Borazjan.

Alireza Muzaffari a revolutionary activist of Bushehr and a member of “Anti-Bahaei Association” said, “The association was active across the country under Mahmoud Halabi. The association which was later called as Hojjatieh Association started its activity after 1953 coup. Ebrahim Mahouzi who was an employee of the justice department at that time and originally from Borazjan helped launch the association, and as the representative of Shiraz association was connected with that of Bushehr.”

Borazjan association was more active than that of Bushehr due to higher presence of the Bahaeis in the city. The go-between of Bushehr and Borazjan associations was a person named Asbaghi who was from Borazjan. The senior authorities of the association had pledged the police to avoid involving in political affairs. But after a while, when they found out that they couldn’t do anything in this way, they resigned. We frequently gathered on Fridays and learned the teachings of the Bahaei faith in line with fighting against the faith or inviting them to embrace the truth of Shiism. It is worth mentioning that although they had good relation with martyr Ashouri due to their political and religious records, he did not approve fully the principles of the association. The reason behind this was perhaps the indifference of the association’s leaders toward the Pahlavi regime. At any rate, when the members of the association arrested in 1972, the association was closed and Fatehi and Muzaffari Zadeh after freedom did not continue their activities.

The second campaign center was Hosseinieh Ershad. It was established by the individuals like martyr Baqer Meigoly Nejad, martyr Haj Qassem Hendizadeh and Qaderian brothers. In addition to other activities, the center was involved in various cultural activities.

Martyr Ashouri delivered speeches in the Hosseinieh in the months of Moharram and Ashoura in Islamic calendar since 1960s and it was the beginning point for many revolutionary campaigners and activists in Bushehr.  According to SAVAK (Shah's secret police) documents, martyr Ashouri shouted against Shah's regime in this religious center and on April 6, 1963, while speaking about the activities of Imam Reza (PBUH), he announced that all of Iranians were living in slavery and captivity. In addition to delivering normal speeches, he set up Quranic sessions in the Hosseinieh, dealing with absorbing revolutionary youths. Martyr Ashouri also handed over the center to Mrs. Ansari since 1979 in order to take up revolutionary sisters. She came from Qom to Bushehr.  Mrs. Ansari also held sessions in Bushehr's Fatemieh Center.

Among the measures carried out by the members of the Hosseinieh Ershad was to mess up public order and the embellishments designed on the occasion of the arrival Shah or other senior officials of the Pahlavi regime.  The center's forces especially martyr Majid Morad Zadeh prevented public welcoming of the heads of the Pahlavi regime through burning tires, logging trees and throwing them in the streets. When the members were pursued more by SAVAK and other security institutions of the regime, they held meetings in places like less-known coasts the disclosure of which was less likely.

The third center of campaign was a library named "The Islamic Library of Busheher's Youths" which was set up in the house of Sheikh Gholam Hossein Sedaqat together with Sheikh Mohammad Sedaqat (6) and his two student brothers in 1972. The library apparently was aimed at carrying out cultural affairs but the real goal was to make the youths of Bushehr familiar with political issues. In this regard, Sheikh Mohammad Sedaqat says (7), "at that time, I was commuting between Bushehr and Qom and concurrently meetings were held in the house of my brother Hossein Sedaqat which was almost clandestinely, and the youths enjoyed more. I along with my other brothers set up a small library named "The Islamic Library of Busheher's Youths" in this house the books of which are provided by the youths.

When SAVAK was informed of the library in 1975, its agents went to Sa'adat School and arrested my brothers Ali Asghar and Hassan who were studying in the school. When they came to my house, one of them tried to come over the yard's door but I opened the door and they came in and inspected all of the books but couldn't find any banned book.
The deputy of the SAVAK was a person called Iravani who threatened us with gun that we exile you to Kerman. But we disclosed nothing. Meanwhile, we had put all the banned books in a pot and had told my family to burn them if we were exposed. But nobody guessed that the books were in the pot. Then SAVAK detained my brothers for one night. The next day we were informed to go to there for SAVAK's apology and the freedom of my brothers. Of course, we did not but my brothers were released later. The library has turned into a hub for revolutionary and faithful youths."

Therefore, three main centers of campaign took shape in Bushehr and the people of Bushehr became familiar with the issues related to the revolution through the activities of the members of these centers. However, in addition to the guidelines and the role of martyr Ashouri, the three centers acted as connection ring between the revolutionaries. It is true that each of these centers had special activities, but as they themselves confessed, their relation with martyr Ashouri as the main player of the revolutionary forces in Bushehr has been very strong. Except the members of Anti-Bahaei Association who arrested in 1972 and the closure of the association after a while, two other centers continued their activities until the victory of the Islamic revolution in 1979.

1. Abdullah Fatehi was born in 1954 in the village of Sana. While studying in school, he was arrested in 1972 due to political activities and imprisoned in Shiraz prison for six months. After freedom, he was admitted in Tehran University in the field of Sociology. He was again arrested in 1977 and sentenced to five years in prison. But when the Islamic revolution reached climax, his sentence remained unfinished and concurrent with the release of political prisoners by the Pahlavi regime, he was also freed in November 1978.
2. Sheikh Aboutorab Ashouri was born in 1935 in the town of Dashti. He was a prominent religious figure during the Islamic revolution who could become the representative of Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul) in Bushehr. Ashouri was assassinated in 1978 in his house and attained martyrdom.
3. He was an activist in Bushehr who was elected as the deputy of Bushehr in parliament for several times    
4. He was among the most popular clergies in Bushehr who served for years as the representative of Ayatollah Hakim and then Ayatollah Khoei in Bushehr. He followed Ayatollah Khoei’s policy politically. He is alive at present.
5. Interview with Fatehi on September 13, 2011
6. An active clergy during the revolution
7. Interview with Sedaqat on October 6, 2011