Comrade! Take it easy. (1)

A Report on the Anti-Shah Campaign in Iraq and Travel to Palestine and Lebanon

Seyyed Mahmood Doaee
Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

2015-9-6

It was 1967. I was under the severe pursuit of SAVAK. Mr. Rafsanjani was arrested by SAVAK for our joint activities and was being interrogated. I received a message from prison in which had asked me to leave Iran and go to Iraq in every possible way and as soon as possible. It was the second time that I was going to Iraq illegally. I had gone to Iraq the year before because of the sensitivity of SAVAK. This time the situation was different. There was a possibility of being executed, if I become detained. If I would break down under torture, a lot of information would become revealed and make many people arrested. I determined to leave the country immediately. I got a letter from Ayatollah Montazeri, which was addressing Mr. Ghaemi - responsible of Abadan Islamic Seminary School to help me cross the border by his facilities. I went to Abadan and give the letter of recommendation to Mr. Ghaemi. The next day Mr. Ghaemi said that SAVAK is in pursuit of student with your characteristics. He had told the SAVAK agents that I had been there the night before and he has sent me to Mahshahr Port for proselytization in order to make them ill-conceived. I could not wait. Mr. Ghaemi brought me a white turban and hid me in an attic on the roof. A trusted road-guide who was called Samad had to help me to cross the border. Nightly, Samad and I crossed the border by boat. Next to Basra-Faw road, he dropped me off and told me to wave my hand for passing cars, so they would pick me up.

I stood along the road for several hours. The cars did not stop whatever I waved. It was around sunset. Dogs were barking roadside. I was scared. I decided to stand in the middle of road and stop any car that was passing. A car was coming, I got happy and raised my hands, and it stopped. It was a police patrol. I played cool, Mr. Ghaemi had said that if I got caught, I should say I had gone to Faw for proselytization and then I wanted to get back to Basra. I said the same thing. They began to check my things. I had thrown caution on the winds. I had bought clothes for my friends in Najaf from Tehran’s bazaar and wrapped them in an Iranian newspaper. Worst of all I had left its invoice, which was dated for two days before, among my things. Iraqi officer said:

“You said that you’ve come from Faw, so what’s this?”

“These are sent from Iran for me.”

Iraqi officer, who hadn’t accepted my justification, retorted that I’ve crossed the border illegally and haven’t come from the Faw. They picked me up and took to the police station. On the way I could see the fires coming out of Abadan refinery pipes. I think it was in the middle of Sha’ban. Just them I resorted to Imam Mahdi. I said: “Oh Imam, we have entered this way for the goals of yours and your son, Imam Khomeini. Please save me!” I asked the guard at the police station about the direction of Qibla, when it was the time of pray. I found out that he was a Shia when he brought me a prayer rug and Mohr (piece of dried clay for prayers). Giving me a Mohr, he pointed to the officer who had arrested me and said that he was a Sunni; however I had not to be worried. A few minutes later those two officers began to argue. The Shia officer was telling the Sunni one that I had nothing illegal on me and my presence there was quite natural. After few minutes the Sunni officer left the station angrily. Shia officer sent me to the Fandoq-al-Reza hostel in Basra by taxi. It was narrow escape. The next day I went to Kadhimayn by train. From that moment until the day of the Islamic Revolution victory, I was an Iranian fighter in abroad. It was not still possible to be active in an expanded way against the Shah in Iraq. The two countries had friendly ties. However, when the relations between the Shah and Baath Party got worse, the conditions changed drastically. Shah began supporting Mulla Mustafa Barezani and Iraqi Kurds against the Iraqi government. And Iraqis began supporting the Iranian opposition.

Radio Baghdad

Days elapsed in Iraq. One day Haj Agha Mustafa said that Iraqis have suggested we could use their radio facilities, and asked: “Are you prepared to do that? Is it logical for us?” The Persian Service of Baghdad Radio had lost its audience in Iran after all these events. However, the new radio had been divided into some more active sections, including an about 15-minute program for the opposition clergy. I told him: “It’s a good opportunity, every day we can talk with the people of Iran. But it was the Baath regime radio. We had to consult with Imam Khomeini. It was possible that the consequences of this work affect him Ias well. HajAgha Mustafa considering this point, said: “It is better not to consult with Imam. We begin the job, if our move failed, he hasn’t been aware! If it became a success, he’ll confirm it.” Thus, our work in the Persian Service of Radio Baghdad began. Under the title of ‘Nahzat-e Ruhaniyyat-e Iran (The Clergy Movement in Iran)’, our programs would be broadcasted every night between 20-21 pm for about fifteen to twenty minutes; and the next day, it was repeated at noon, between 14 or 15 pm. To record the program I would go to Baghdad from Najaf three times a week. Each time I would record two or three programs. I began the job secretly. I would wake up early, write the text of the program, go to the Shrine of Imam Ali and then ride to Baghdad. For noon prayers I would get back to Najaf and present at Imam’s teaching. So, nobody would become aware of my absence in Najaf. After a while, some people went to visit Imam and made complaints about our job saying: “your friends talk in Baath regime radio.” Imam was curious and Haj Agha Mustafa broke the news to him. I made a fair copy of the first three months program and handed it to him. Imam reviewed it and said: “It was good overall. But I have two advices: first, try not to exaggerate and don’t lie; second, do not insult your programs.” He meant those attributions that were attributed to Ashraf, Shah’s sister, in the program. I obeyed, but said: “I don’t know what lie struck you. Imam noticed to Mr. Chamran’s analytic pamphlet which had sent me from the US and was about 15^th of Khordad 1342 Rise and had mentioned: “Shah claims that Imam Khomeini supports feudal landlords and he himself is one of them, while he doesn’t have even a very small parcel of land.” Imam said: “No, it's not true that I don’t have even a very small parcel of land. We have a piece of land in Khomein in which my brother farms and divides its income between families and the poor. It is untrue that I do not have a land, you should tell the truth.” Ensuring that his opinion is positive towards our performance, we kept broadcasting our program.

To be continued…