Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs

In the previous issue, we covered the last part of Mohammad-Rezā Hāfezniā's abridged memoires. The next issue will introduce a work considered groundbreaking for almost 15 years in the realm of memoires-writing of Islamic Revolutionary freedom fighters. It was an attempt to address the pre-revolution memories of a Muslim freedom fighter from a professional oral historic perspective. As admitted by the Islamic Revolution Documents Center, "A new window was opened to the studies on the People's Mujahedin of Iran," after it was published. Tapping the experience he had gained in his earlier works, the author sought to avoid propaganda and persuasion and act like a historian in discovering the truth free from common exaggerations. However, there are few words of propaganda and persuasion in his work. As he himself...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (17)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (17) I came next to the road. I saw a closet of a well near there. I decided to enter it and wait until morning. I might have been arrested due to the martial law. At the same time, the closet was warm. When I reached the closet, I found out that it was locked. I had no choice but to sit by the wall of the closet. I was very tired and it was cold. I had been moving since 10 PM and now it was near dawn. So I inevitably tried to keep myself warm by doing exercises.Arrival in MashhadWhile I was waiting for the weather to become clear, every few minutes, I was hearing the sound of some vehicles which made me worried. The weather was clearing little by little. I prayed and prepared to move. When the sun rose, I came by the road and raised my hand for the cars passing by there.  A Paykan whose...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (16)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (16) I stood there and started talking to my God. One moment, I said “Oh God save me if I am useful for this Islamic movement and for your way.” In Fact with this prayer, I decided to leave there.  I said if I was useful, I would leave, if not, they would fire at me, and achieve my goal that was martyrdom. I remained there until the barrage being fired at the hole ended in order to throw myself out of the space between the interior and exterior layers of the prison. When the barrage ended, I remained for some ten seconds and then jumped toward the wall and reached myself to the banned area. Nobody hung around there. It was filled with bushes. Since it was foggy, the projectors lightened limited space. At the same time, I considered precaution since it was possible that the guards...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (15)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (15) He was a in a position that if someone had a job from outside with inside the prison, he or she acted through him. Political and ordinary prisoners believed in him. Mr. Zarif Jalali had been practically put in the position of leading rebellious prisoners and managed the affairs very well.  He directed the relations very well so that no special incident or problem happened. I in my part tried to have a close cooperation with him.On the other hand, when the people of Mashhad heard that the prisoners had revolted, they started moving toward the prison. But before the people wanted to be deployed around the prison, the military forces had cordoned off the area with full military equipment and several tanks. The group was apart from the guard forces of the prison.One time when I decided...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (14)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (14) Apparently, I had not been banned to visit someone anymore. I didn't know who had come to visit me. It was for the first time that I went behind the visiting room which had big and closed glasses and talked though a headphone. I saw that Mr. Alireza Chaychi, my former friend who later became my brother-in-law had come to meet me. I was surprised. How had he dared to come and visit me? I never thought that someone had the guts to do so. Apparently, he had relation with some of the guards outside the prison and had found a way to come and visit me. He had brought me a little money and some fruits. It was very interesting for me that someone had been found to come and ask about my health after that incident. He left there and after him, others also came to meet me. His wife along with her...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (13)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (13) I was really uniformed. I didn't know what would happen. Finally, they made me to enter the large hall of the prison. They opened a small door and asked me to go in. It looked very dark and tight in the first look. I said, "oh, God where is here? Where is this cellar?" I went forward. The space became bigger. A number of people were there. First, we entered a small room. It seemed that the head of that section of the prison was stationed there. He was a black sergeant major, and very tough and angry.  I came to him. He registered my name, showing me a bed and said, "This is your bed." I looked around myself and saw that the space was very dirty and polluted.  Later, I found out that the prison was the same fifth ward of Vakilabad prison in Mashahd where those who had been...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (12)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (12) Of course, I also asked them to give me books. First they didn't accept but after my insistence, I was given two books one of which was The Roots ( It was about the sad story of the African blacks and slaves' being sent to America the studying of which annoyed me more), and the other The Dragon Generation. They did not give me any other religious book except the holy Qur'an. I was heavily guarded in the prison. When I wanted to go to WC, they opened the door very cautiously. A few people stood along the way, waiting for me to go and come back. Even, I was not allowed to take a shower. There was a pond in the middle of the prison yard that I was just able to wash myself inside it. However, they later took me to the division's bath. On the whole, they treated on me toughly. Sometimes, the...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (11)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (11) Then the interrogators brought the pamphlet of "The Land of Islam" which I had written in Teacher Training University upon the request of some students, asking questions about it.Some issues had been brought up in the pamphlet which were new at that time. I had brought up a series of solutions in the pamphlet about which the interrogator asked several questions: "Have you written these works by yourself?" – "Yes" –"It doesn't seem that you are capable of writing such things."I said, "Anyhow, this is just like the operation that doesn't seem to be carried out by me." We talked a little about it, and apparently after one week of mental and sometimes physical harassment and threats, they convinced to some extent that the operation had been carried out by me and no one else had been...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (10)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (10) They again started asking me several questions. “How have you heard of it? Where have they told you? So, it is clear that some people have had relation with you.” Thus, everything started from the very beginning. Of course, a few tough ungracious persons came later and joined the group. They treated very violently. They annoyed and beat and forced me to stay awake for a few days. They didn’t let me sleep even for a few moments. I really needed to sleep but as soon as I closed my eyes, they began to beat and did not allow me to sleep. Even I did not known what I was writing. They called me and said something but I did not know what to answer. And in general I didn’t know what I was doing. They were trying to bother me physically and mentally. However, during all these times, my...

The Memoirs of Mohammad Reza Hafeznia (9)

Memoirs of Hafeznia (9) Transferring to TehranI think it had not passed more than one day when they suddenly stopped interrogating. I had just sat on a chair in the room lonely. I had no news of the fate of Shahir Motlaq (the division commander). I also did not know what was going on outside the room since I was fully guarded. I had already heard from the anti-intelligence agents of Khorasan 77 Division that there were political prison, cells and places for torturing in the division.  I was surprised why they didn't take me there, because it was not a minor measure that they wanted to ignore it easily. I disclosed nobody's address, I did say nothing. About the persons whose names was in the phone book, I said I did not know who they were, you call them. They would say who they are! They were not so stupid...