Memoirs of Marzieh Hadidchi (Dabbagh) (Part 58)

2018-9-22

Memoirs of Marzieh Hadidchi (Dabbagh) (Part 58)

Edited by: Mohsen Kazemi

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company

‎2002 (Persian Version)‎

Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

Attachment 1

In order to clarify the prison atmosphere in Mrs. Dabbagh's memories, we interviewed with some of her fellow prisoners and her daughter (Rezvaneh). Mrs. Manzar Khayyer, Susan Haddad Adel and Zahra Mirkhani related their memoires in an interview. We chose some of them which were related to the content of this book.

A: The Conditions of Refah School and How We Were Arrested

Mrs. Manzar Khayyer[1] is recruited in Refah school as a teacher by Mrs. Ensieh Mofidi (sister of Martyr Mohammad Mofidi and wife of Dr. Abbas Sheibani), when she was a senior at the university. She defines Refah School as follows:

"Refah was a school of prisoners' children. The students who studied there were political activist somehow; one was from a political prisoners’ family, one had political thought. The school was on the political way per se, even in mathematics and sport, political issues were considered. For example in mathematics, which I taught, a speech of Martyr Rajaei we had written on the top of the sheets: ‘be human, think, choose your path, and stay steady in this way.’ Apparently there was no political concept in this sentence, but it inwardly caused the student of Refah were trained directional. Both Refah students and their families had political interest and the students also learned it. They were directed to political and religious matters in learning algebra. Even in sport and painting, they also practiced mental work.

[...] The school principal collaborated with MKO and was a runaway. In 1973, one night I was arrested along with a number of teachers and students. Apparently, all of us were arrested the same night, but one by one and in different places. For example, Zahra Amel was arrested in Mashhad and me in Tehran. One night we all saw each other at the committee. When Pouran Bazargan escaped, all those who were known as a political activist and had any information about her were arrested."

Mrs. Rezvaneh Dabbagh, the second daughter of Mrs. Dabbagh, was born in Tehran in 1957 and was drawn to the field of political activities under the influence of her family's position and also her internal interest. She wrote about Refah School and her arrest as follows:

"I was friend of Susan Haddad Adel, Batoul Mahdavi Kermani, and Nayereh Aladpush at the Refah School, and I dealt with political activities along with them. At night, we wrote and duplicated the material broadcasted by Iraqi radio, and in the morning we would put them secretly into drawer of the students’ desk. Of my other activities was attending in commemoration of martyrs of the students’ family. In 1973, when I studied in the third year of high school, SAVAK arrested my mother after a few days that our house was under siege; afterwards, they ransacked our house and found my handwriting of what I had heard of Iraqi radio; therefore, they arrested me in October 1973. With two Peykans, in each of which four SAVAK armed agents had sat, I, blindfold, was sent to the Joint Committee."

Mrs. Susan Haddad Adel[2], who came from a completely religious and political family and her maternal uncle and two brothers (Majid and Gholamali) had been prisoned, studied in Refah School and was an active political student. She says: "Since I entered the Refah School, I met martyr Rajaei and Mrs. Rajaei [Ategheh Sedighi]. The political atmosphere of the school drew students to political path, consciously or unconsciously. Because we had a lot of political prisoners (from my uncle to my brothers) in our family and I had seen political activities since thirteen, I was very active in this way. When Pouran Bazargan, the principal of school, fled from Iran, SAVAK decided to capture and interrogate a group of students to find out where she (Bazargan) was and with whom she was in contact. I was also arrested along with three or four students, Roya Zomorodian, Tavana and Rezvaneh Dabbagh. The reason was clear. In Refah, we gathered some information out of school and transferred them to the students, we had mettings with Martyr Bahonar and Rajaei; we did some activities which could clarify the minds of students. However, it was not unusual to be arrested along with others, despite my little age, whether because of my family or because of evident activities we had in the school. It was July or August of 1973, when the SAVAK agents had attacked our house at 23:00 PM. I was not at home and had gone to my aunt’s house. They had ransacked everywhere of our house, had shown my photo, and had said that they were looking for this girl. My father first thought that they had come to arrest my brothers. Finally, they arrested me in my aunt’s house around 24:00 PM."

Mrs. Zahra Mirkhani[3] says: "When they wanted to found Refah School, a meeting was held in martyr Rajaei’s house in which I participated; then we gradually did a lot of political activities. The night before the morning that school was about to open, I and Mrs. Bazargan and Mrs. [Rafa’at] Afraz, and martyr Rajaei and Bahonar worked hard late; and later we heard that Mr. Rajaei had been there until morning. It was 1969 or 1970, when the school was established. [...] We spent most of our time in Refah School; and I was one of the first who was arrested; after me, someones like Mrs. Bazargan and Mrs. Afraz hid away or fled. Then others were arrested."

To be continued…