Morteza Tavakoli Narrates Student Activities

Translated by: M.B. Khoshnevisan

2025-5-5

I am from Isfahan, born in 1336 (1957). I entered Mashhad University with a bag of fiery feelings and a desire for rights and freedom. Less than three months into the academic year, I was arrested in Azar 1355 (November 1976), or perhaps in 1354 (1975). I was detained for about 35 days. The reason for my arrest was that we gathered like-minded students in the Faculty of Literature on 16^th of Azar (December 7) and chanted slogans against the regime. From slogans like "Death to the Shah" and "Hail to Khomeini," to "Yankee Go Home," where students kicked the doors of classrooms and told American professors to leave our city and country, saying, "Americans, leave our home." Perhaps the beauty of our work was that we served as a link between the revolutionary movements of Isfahan and Mashhad. We were not simple students who only studied our lessons and held brief protests at school or university.

We met Mr. Forudi through a group of friends. He mentioned that he had heard about a planned women's demonstration. The demonstration was scheduled to start at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, starting from the Ab[water] Square and going through Khosravi No Street and the carpet dealers' market. Mr. Forudi suggested that we should also attend. He acted as if he had stumbled upon this information by chance, even though it was not a coincidence. He encouraged us to participate, whether to support the women, expose the army's brutality, or document the event for later. After the demonstration, we took photos of the march and distributed them to friends, family, university students, and bazaris, etc. in Isfahan.

We were part of the group that invited Ayatollah Khamenei to Mashhad after the revolution's victory to speak at the university. We also invited Martyr Chamran. Every Tuesday, we would attend Mr. Khamenei's lectures. I am one of the remaining political prisoners in Iran. Following the revolution's success on 22^nd of Bahman (February 11), I was released from prison on 23^rd of Bahman (February 12).

Sources: Zowghi, Somayyeh, Women's Liberation Day: An Oral History of the 17th of Dey (January 7) Uprising of the Women of Mashhad, Tehran, Rah-e Yar, 1398 (2019), pp. 116-117.