A glance at "Made from Lazuli"

Writing of memoirs about the role of bazaar merchants in Islamic Revolution developments

Helia Majd
Translated by: M. B. Khoshnevisan

2016-8-28

Note: The ring setting which forms the book's cover design is in dark blue; a ring made from Lajevard or lazuli on which the image of martyr Asadollah Lajevardi has engraved. The book is about martyr Lajevardi; a person who fought against the Pahlavi regime and detained and imprisoned on charges of assisting in assassination of the regime's Prime Minister Hassan Ali Mansour. He had responsibilities after the victory of the Islamic revolution. The book "Made from Lazuli" introduces this martyr in the form of memoirs. 

Political developments and introduction of a figure

The book starts with these sentences, "It was April 1935 and some nine years had passed since the rule of Reza Shah Pahlavi. Shah was a great title for the son of Abbasali Alashti Savadkouhi. The death of his father in the fortieth day of his birthday forced mother Noush Afarin Bayrami to leave for Tehran after a while…"

Perhaps in the first glance it looks that these sentences have no relevance to the book's subject, but after studying the first page and in the middle of the next one, the reason for these sentences are discovered, "Let’s take some distance from Reza Khan related thinking; I was forgetting that it was April 1935.There were good news in a corner of the city of Tehran in a beautiful house in a district near the bazaar. The house had a new guest. A baby was born and named Asadollah."

The subject of "Made from Lazuli" is about Asadollah Lajevardi. In different parts of the book, the writer has a glance at socio-political developments in Iran and at the life of martyr Lajevardi in order to ignore the events that happened in Iran at that time.   

Beginning and continuation of political activities

The next subject the book has referred to is the exile of Reza Shah and establishment of relative political freedom in which some religious families were after the setting up of a new education system. In this line, the first girl school named "Imamiyeh" and the first boy school named "Ja'fari" started work. Asadollah Lajevardi enrolled in this school during its first educational year.  

The writer maneuvers briefly on his childhood years, tying these years to puberty period, presence in ethical classes of Ayatollah Shah Cheraqi in Shah Cheraqi Mosque and acquaintance with Sadeq Amani.

The next pages deal with his political activity, detention on sixth of February 1965 on charges of assistance in the revolutionary execution of Prime Minister Hassan Ali Mansour and freedom on 24^th of August 1966 as well as the years after his freedom which led to organizing of a clandestine armed establishment. During this period, Martyr Lajevardi had relation with Ayatollah Beheshti who was abroad as well as Ayatollah Motahari.

The launching of Refah School and carrying out political activities under the cover of the school was another activity of martyr Lajevardi. In fact, the book has emphasized on the role of the bazaar merchants in the main developments of the Islamic revolution by referring to this activity, "The building of a school was an important issue, the main concern of Asadollah and his friends after the financial support of the destitute was the building of the school. It did not need much money, the carpet sellers of Tehran's bazaar accepted to finance the building of a school. A land was bought behind the parliament and a girl school named Refah was built."

Martyr Lajevardi did many works during post-revolution years and had different responsibilities. One of such responsibilities to which the book "Made from Lazuli" has referred to is the Head of the Organization of Prisons. During his chairmanship, he visited the Correction and Rehabilitation Center and other prisons in order to improve the situation.

The setting up of different workshops inside the prisons was his other plan, "Asadollah spent all of his time in the prisons. He had made carpentry, sewing, turnery and other workshops for the prisoners. He took orders from outside for the prisoners' workshops and sold the productions of the prisoners in the bazaar. He had also contracted with some state organization liked the Disciplinary Force for providing clothes. The prisoners worked and their income was deposited to the accounts of their family."

"Made from Lazuli" has 18 parts the last part which has been allocated to the assassination of Asadollah Lajevardi by the members of the MKO terrorist outfit on 23^rd of August 1997.

Significance of bazaar merchants in victory of revolution

The book has an introduction reflecting the statements made by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in a meeting with the members of the Congress Headquarters of Martyrs of Guilds and Bazaar. In his statements, the Leader has emphasized on the significance of the role of this group in the victory of the Islamic revolution.

The image part covers some documents and photos concerning martyr Asadollah Lajevardi.

The release of "Made from Lazuli" is aimed at recognizing one of the martyrs of the Islamic revolution from bazaar to the audience.