A narrative of popular struggles in Ardestān and Zavareh

Books and announcements and news

Azam-sadat Talaee
Translated by Zahra Hosseinian

2016-2-21

At the March 1960, in Amiran neighborhood of the city Zavareh, I was born in a religious Sadat Hosseini family. I went to school at the age of five years old and because I was seen talented, enrolled in first grade. After successfully passed elementary school and receiving sixth degree (certification), I got into high school. I finished the first 3 years… I mean the grades 7, 8 and 9, and was accepted at the elementary teacher-training college of Najafabad. After graduating, I entered the Guidance teacher-training of Esfahan with no entrance exam, due to gaining the top-ranking and got associate degree in math field.

A year before (i.e. 1978), of course, I took part in entrance exam of university and was admitted at Kerman University in Medical Sciences field. But due to unhealthy atmosphere of society during the Pahlavi regime and emphasize on non-Hijab, particularly in universities, I disregarded to go there. In October 1978, I began teaching in the Mahabad of Ardestān, which was a rural area.

In 1973, I became more familiar with religious issues and revolutionary through socializing with my mother’s cousin, Mr. Ali Asemi; and began studying religious books and listening to political and revolutionary speeches of Imam Khomeini (RA) that I would receive of him. So, I familiarized with the life of elders of revolution. Also, I attended in the religious meetings, which was called ‘Quran”’, and delivered papers about the goals of Hussain’s (AS) uprising and Yazidis’ oppression and its relation to the tyrants of time (Pahlavi).

My desire for studying and gaining more political news would increase as I would go along. I quickly would read religious books that were given to me and would return them to get another one; or if I would receive a tape, I immediately would listen to it and handed it round.

Following wearing black Chador and Maqna’e and attending class, I came to blows with the then-chief of Ardestān Education, Mr. Noraee, who was apparently Baha'i. Entering the classroom and seeing me, he cried out and offensively said: ‘is here a stable?!’ I said: ‘not so far, unless from when you entered.’ He knocked the door of classroom firmly and in the hall of Parvin E’tesami School of the village Mahabad, Ardestān, would scream to principal, Mrs. Mirannejad: ‘why you did not obey Ashraf’s [Pahlavi] command? Why do you have such a person in your school and haven’t reported?’ After that, they exiled me to Barzavand, the poorest areas in the 60-70 km of Ardestān city.

I preempted him and sued, so the issue was no longer an option. I would serve in the Zavareh region. I was busy teaching a short time in Azimi girls' school and exchanging books and announcements and news with a friend, but finally Education authorities heard about it. When in one of Imperial celebrations ceremonies, we escaped during moving in the way, it caused trouble for school officials and I was transferred to the Nayeri School. Education representative threatened that will introduce me to the Security Organization (SAVAK).

Those years it was so suffocating that we could not keep Imam’s Tozih ol Masael even at our home. We had torn the first page of it that the Imam’s name was on it and had written the name of another religious authority with a marker to lose track. We had to hide our religion books and tapes into a dark place or a well and cover it. I should say that we paid much attention to learning Islam issues and studying with such a difficult situation that we had. Friday night, when we would go to the graveyard, bring Imam's announcements under our Chador and sat beside graves; then, we would put one of announcements on the grave and place a stone on it. Within fifteen minutes, the cemetery would become full of Imam’s announcements.