Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (14)

Edited by Mohsen Kazemi

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (14)
Edited by Mohsen Kazemi
Soureh Mehr Publishing Company
(Original Text in Persian, 2000)
Translated by Mohammad Karimi

 Marriage “No!”, Arrest “Yes!”
Being a teacher and working with the children were my personal interests. So, political activity was not an impediment for keeping these interests.
I was teaching sports in several schools and had contacts with many teachers and students. It was necessary for me to keep Islamic behavior as a good Muslim believer. It was a kind of positive propaganda for Islam. In an atmosphere that sin, iniquity and corruption had occupied all the ranks of regime, my behavior was obviously observed. All the people around, particularly the unveiled ladies would react with other men in relax and easy going way, but when talking to me they would respect Islamic laws in behaving strangers. Among these ladies, there was a teacher in Haq-Shenas School who would respect me a lot and considered herself compatible with my ideals. One day she came to me and offered that I marry her. I was stunned of her offer, because it was something abnormal and quite strange to me either. However, I did not reject her offer and asked for some time to think. She was not a veiled lady but she would obey Islamic rules for Hijab in an acceptable way considering those days situation. She would respect me a lot and her behavior was quite polite and sincere. I accepted her offer but I told her she had to wear Chador and then I informed my family about the matter. My Mum who had traditional viewpoints rejected the matter. She believed that she had the right to choose her bride by her own wish. She believed a bride should stay at home and care about her husband and family. So I was facing a big impediment.
I explained everything for that teacher lady and told her that I could not go to her home along with my family. She insisted that I had to go there with my family for the proposal ceremony. So I talked to my Mum and made her agreed to come.
It was mid-October. I had to work till 1o’clock in the afternoon. When the work hour was over, my colleagues asked me to join them for lunch. I did not accept and said goodbye to them. The teacher lady asked me to come along with for some part of the way home. We both came out of the school together and took a bus.
She told me: “What would you do at last? Will you tell me what to do?”
I told her: “I have talked to my Mum and she has agreed. We will come to your house tomorrow.”
She became so happy. I bid farewell to her and took off the bus two stations later. But the tomorrow for that proposal ceremony never came…!
I went home first. Nobody was there. I remembered that my Mum and sister had gone for a marriage ceremony of one of relatives out of Tehran. I directly went to my brother’s smithy in Shahbaz Avenue (today’s 17th of Shahrivar). It was about two months that Haj Mehdi was freed from prison. I entered the shop and after greetings sat in a corner. Haj Mehdi asked me: “Brother, have eaten your lunch?” I said: “No” he said: “Wait a moment; when I finished my job, we may go for lunch.”
Ten minutes later, suddenly three cars stopped in front of the shop and the some armed people took off of them and came inside the smithy. I said to myself: “Once again I came to visit my brother and he has made troubles for himself.” They asked: “Who is Mehdi Ahmad?” My brother said: “It’s me.” They asked: “Who is he?” He said: “My brother, Ahmad.” By this answer, they eyed became round and maybe they were stunned. One of them moved a bit farther and started talking on wireless: “… we found the subject and now he is here with us…”
Then he looked at us and said: “Come on! You should come with us.”
My brother said: “Where? We have not have lunch yet?” They said: “It will not take long; less than a quarter you’ll be back.”
Haj Mehdi went and took his coat to go with them. They told me: “Come on! You should come either.”
I said: “Why should I come?! I have not done anything. I am only teacher and come here just to visit my brother.”
Finally they took me too and I, unaware of anything, was thinking that my brother’s activities have put me in trouble either. They rook us to the Intelligence Administration of Police –a building in front of Foreign Ministry. Before reaching there, they closed our eyes and opened after entering the building. Then they took us to a prison cell. I was astonishingly thinking what my brother had done that they had taken us both. Couple of hours passed this way. Then an agent came and told my brother that they wanted to search our house. Haj Mehdi who was astonished more than me asked: “Are you sure to have the prosecutor’s order?” The agent said: “Don’t worry about the order?” He went out and after few minutes a major named Safakish entered the room and told me: “Stand up and come with us to search your home.” I, unaware of the main story, said: “Sir, if he has done something, why should I be involved in?” The officer said: “The relation with would be clarified later.” I was totally confused and could not understand what they were doing.
At last they took me with themselves. On the way inside the car they asked me: “Are you going to tell what have you done?” Their questions were ambiguous to me I could not find out what was the relation between my brother’s activities and me?! It was a strange situation. I said: “My brother would do such things and then is arrested and after a week or two is freed and there is nothing to do with me.” Up to that moment I was thinking that I was arrested because of my brother’s activities. The agents were tired of my answers. One of them said: “No. It seems that he is not going to talk.” The other one said: “Don’t worry. We’ll make him talk.” Another one would say: “He will talk by himself… he is a good boy.” They had made me confused and harassed with their pointed talks.
Their insistence on forcing me to talk reinforced some guesses in my mind. I guessed the arrest might have been related to my trip to Bandar-Abbas and meeting people there. When we reached home I opened the door with my own keys and they entered in. I was sure they would not find anything, because I had only some books of Mr. Bazargan and Dr. Sahabi and nothing more. They took 16 books from the bookshelf to take way with them. I protested and said: “these books are allowed to be sold!” They said: “Are they yours?” They looked everywhere and could not find anything but those few books. They stopped searching. One of them asked: “Where are Khalq papers?”
I was shocked by this question and my heart started beating fast. I found out what the matter was. I said astonishingly: “Khalq papers…?! I do not know what Khalq is…!” Then they started insulting.
When I could manage my thoughts and concentrate, I could understand this arrest had nothing to do with my brother and it was just for my membership in INP. My brother was innocent. During that period of time the only thing that I could not think of was INP. INP relations and organization was in a way that I could never think of it to be revealed. I remembered that I had sworn to keep INP secrets. So from that moment I decided to deny everything from the very beginning. I thought if I would show sensitivity to what they say, I had to confess everything one after another. So I showed myself unaware of anything about Khalq papers or reading it or not. Meanwhile, my father came in and asked: “What’s up?” Major Safakish said: “Haj Agha, I told you several times to advise your sons. But you did not and now he is in trouble.” My father said: “I could not advise them; if you can, do it!”(1)After these dialogues we returned to The Police Office.
I was challenging myself about what has happened and what they might know about INP? On the way I asked God to keep the matter not important and deep.

(1) The late Mr. Hussein Ahmad was not aware that his sons’ activities were against the Pahlavi regime and was opposing to that kind of activity. He would think that this kind of activity which would let the agents enter his house was morally unacceptable.