Memoirs of Marzieh Hadidchi (Part 10)


2017-9-26


Memoirs of Marzieh Hadidchi (Dabbagh)

Edited by: Mohsen Kazemi

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company

‎2002 (Persian Version)‎

Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian


 

Martyrdom of Ayatollah Saeedi

Later on, I realized that one of the two houses in Qom where we received leaflets from by order of Ayatollah Saeedi, belonged to the other to Ayatollah Montazeri and Ayatollah Rabbani Shirazi. The distribution of leaflets was in certain ways. Three nights a week, we went to Shemiranat and the north of the city, and three nights to the south of the city. We left the leaflets either under the windshield wiper or somehow dropped them into houses. Also, we posted them to the addresses of centers, institutes, offices, etc. which we had found in directory. During 1967-1970, our major activities were in the form of discussions, studying, distribution of leaflets, and so on.

A number of American capitalists came to Iran in May 1970 for Participating in an economic conference and investment consortium[1]. In opposing to this colonialist presence, Ayatollah Saeedi delivered a speech and issued some leaflets. He was pioneer in this movement and we were waiting for the reaction of the regime.

It was June and we were being trained in Shahid Saeedi's house, when the phone rang. He picked up the phone. I do not know what he heard from the other side of line, but he flushed and sadly hung up. He drew aside the corner of a blanket, took a piece of paper which was hidden underneath, tore, and swallowed it. We found out that a terrible incident is oncoming. He fell silent and after contemplating, looked at the tapes which were on the niche. "Is there anyone willing to take these tapes and duplicate them?" he asked. I moved forward my bag and he collected the tapes and dropped them in the bag.

When I entered the courtyard and I was going to go out SAVAK officers arrived. They were looking for Ayatollah Saeedi. I quickly returned to the house. While the agents were searching for the house, I, by the help of probably the older son of Shahid Saeedi [named "Seyyed Mohammad"] put tapes and leaflets into a little sack and threw it behind the wall of house where was a barren land. When we were getting out of the house, the agents ransacked the bags of all of us; but there was nothing in my bag to be seized. We left the house and after a while they took Ayatollah Saeedi with them.

After leaving the house, I rushed to the shop of Ali Bahaari[2], who accompanied us in fighting, and I told him the event. He was familiar with the principles of secretion, so I explained the matter of the leaflets and tapes and their hiding place, in order to transfer them to another place as soon as possible.

Bahaari was very clever. He went to that place with a motorcycle and checked the place while riding, and then returned. In the afternoon, he went back there and brought the sack to our house. I also hid it on the roof of the house of my sister's neighbor who was a friend of mine. In a time when they weren’t home I took it to the basement of their house. Again, when my paternal family traveled to Hamedan I took it to my father's house and wrapped it up with nylon and buried it in their flowerbed.

There was no news from Ayatollah Saeedi. Although his friends and family went to jail looking for him, they did not get any results. Until his older son suddenly announced his father's martyrdom after eleven days on [June 11]. Like his gracious Mother, Hazrat Fatimah (SA), the holy body of this dear Shahid was buried at night in Wadi al-Salam cemetery of Qom.

The news of martyrdom of Ayatollah Saeedi[3] created a big commotion among people. Widespread protests and demonstrations were raised in Qom. "Search and see what was the matter."[4] Imam Khomeini said when he heard the news. We were so sorrowful that we did not know what to do, but we were sure that they had tortured him severely and martyrized him.

 

To be continued...

 


[1]. On April 27th 1970, Iranian newspapers reported, "In order to explore investment opportunities in Iran, Rockefeller and Lilienthal will come to Tehran along with the largest investors in the United States. Investing in tourism, forest resources, agro-industry, creating a distribution network, and industries such as petrochemicals will be studied at the conference by 35 American investors. "(Rouhani, Seyyed Hamid, Imam Khomeini Movement, v/2, p.530).

[2].  In 1934, Ali Bahaari Hamedani, son of Ismail, was born in Qom. He came to Tehran with his father when he was seven, and studied at Marvi School until the second year of high school, and then he began studying in the Khaan Seminary School. At the same school, he became a member of the Fadā'iyān-e Islam and got to sewing work. After the leaders of the Fadā'iyān-e Islam were arrested, he was arrested and sent to Qezel Qal-eh, and got a three-year sentence after being tortured and sentenced. He is still alive and has a dairy shop.

[3]. On April 29th 1929, Ayatollah Seyyed Mohammad Reza Saeedi was born in Noghan neighborhood, Mashhad, in a religious and clerical family who was interested in science and politics. He studied seminary courses in Mashhad and Qom until achieving the Ijtihad degree [which is an endeavor to deduce the rules of sharia from the sources of fiqh with the use of proper methods. It is a deduction of practical obligations in Islam from sources with the methods elaborated in ilm al-usul], and enjoyed the company of scholars such as Ayatollah Ali Boroujerdi, Ayatollah Mirza Hashem Amoli. Hearing the reputation of revered mujtahid "Haj Agha Roohollah", he was driven to Imam Khomeini’s debate meetings. And he found his lost. When Imam was arrested on June 5th 1963, he was busy missionary work in Kuwait. And after hearing the news, he delivered a sermon in Nakhiheel Hussainieh, Kuwait; and criticized the Shah. After the deportation of Imam from Turkey to Iraq, Ayatollah Saeedi went to Najaf, and when he returned to Iran, established the Mūsá ibn Ja‘far mosque as the propaganda base for fighting against Shah’s regime. On behalf of clergymen, Ayatollah Saeedi played a major role in issuing certain leaflets and communiques against the Shah, and his signature was seen at the bottom of most of letters and leaflets. Finally, he was arrested on June 1st 1970, due to serious fighting against the Shah and making fiery speeches against Investment Consortium of American Capitalists in Iran, and he was martyred ten days later, after suffering a great deal of torture.

[4]. Mohtashemi, Seyyed Ali Akbar: Political Memories of Tehran, Khane Andishe Javan press, 1999, v/2, p.87.



 
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