Oral history & Interaction of National & Local Identity

Abolfazl Hassan-Abadi (PhD)
Translator: Natalie Haghverdian

2015-8-15

Khorassan, particularly Mashhad has been the contemporary heart of revolutionary, cultural and religious intellect. From the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Motahari, Martyr Hashemi Nejad and Ayatollah Tabasi to the Professor Mohammad Taghi Shariati and Dr. Ali Shariati are all prominent and famous intellects who come from this city. One of the questions with regards to their critical role in historical identity is the interaction of various aspects of their local, regional and national identity. In a sense, studying one aspect shall not neglect other aspects of their identity. One of the most important examples is Professor Mohammad Taghi Shariati and Dr. Ali Shariati who were originally from Mazinan and grew in Mashhad and pursued some of their political and social activities in Tehran.

Every year, in the anniversary of the death of Dr. Shariati, his memory is reborn in minds and virtual spaces and media addressing his thoughts, contradictions and influence during the victory of Islamic Revolution where they offer very detailed information. In fact, three decades after victory of Islamic Revolution many ambiguities concerning his personality and status in the revolution have less been addressed and there is a tendency to involve with perceptions and beliefs and interests of political and social groups. The big question regarding Shariati as the key component in establishment of revolutionary ideas is the level and importance of his status in it which has been address improperly in the past decades during difference in positions. It seems that next generations after revolution are misled in the judgment of history regarding the Dr. and various interests have interrupted the reality concerning him. Although, availability of his books and speeches in virtual spaces and libraries, has provided the opportunity to judge his thoughts and ideas for the generations born after the revolution.

Oral history is an efficient tool to stud the past men in history and might have a critical role in defining the status of Shariati in Iran. In the past years, there have been scattered interviews with his relatives, followers and critics which have been conducted in special occasions to offer further explanation and they have been planned and oral history capacity has been employed in collection, arrangement, broadcast and challenging existing perspectives. Decades after the death of Dr. Shariati and victory of the Islamic Revolution, study of his personality shall be based on historical background and research considering political interests and sensitivity regarding his thoughts and ideas during various periods of time separately.

Defining an oral history project including the importance of his local identity, his activities in Mashhad and his thoughts in the beginning years, teaching at the university, his father’s influence in forming his thoughts, his education abroad and its effect on his personality and thoughts, getting acquainted with revolutionary individuals, speeches and content fields, political pressure on him and issues with the Intelligence Organization during the Kings time and prison, house arrest and immigration abroad have been effective in study of history and defining many ambiguities and those unsaid. Meanwhile a borderline has to be defined to separate his personal life, political and social life and local, regional and national status and his works and in analyzing how he wrote his works and their effect on different topics. Choosing the interviewees from various social and intellectual groups shall enrich our resources. Status of Shariati and its effect on his thoughts which in some cases might be a model for the future shall be collected properly through oral history to be arranged to represent the key function of oral history in the contemporary history of Iran.