By: C.N.
— The following article was sent to Persian Heritage and does not represent the opinion of the magazine. —
Introduction:
If there is a God, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini will have much to answer”
This is a statement coming from the 16th century regarding the atrocities, brutalities and cruelties of some spiritual leaders in Europe; a statement that equally supposedly applies to the supposedly spiritual people world-wide and in Iran. It is quoted here because it so aptly applies to the beginning of the atrocities committed by Islamic revolution during the reign of Ayatollah Khomeini, which began in Iran in February1979. At times, it seemed the execution of innocent people, highly competent generals, university professors and topnotch civil servants never stopped. Indeed it never did! Only the numbers lessened, but they included major figures and leaders of the movement, who never thought they would be personally in danger. What is more cruel, disastrous and absolutely unacceptable is that it was done under the banner of “Islam” and “of bringing freedom” as advocated by the leaders of the crowds. These same crowds pushed the movement and assisted in turning it into a huge tyrannical mower of freedom; crushing the very phenomenon the advocates pronounced.
This moral evil is a very significant part of contemporary Iranian history and has had massive implications to the past, present and future; blaming people from all walks of life, military, politics, education and business as “Corrupt on Earth” or “Fighters against God.” Regardless of God’s vindication and irrelevance in such tragedies, they invoked a phenomenon that would not allow God to defend God’s own position. I wonder how Evil exists if God is All-good and All-fair? This very phenomenon has had a tremendous impact on peoples’ belief systems. Thousands of families who have lost love ones to the forces of this regime also lost faith in Islam. The followers of the directions of the Ayatollah added insult to injury, taking all measures to maximize the pain and suffering they inflicted on people, including charging the surviving families for the bullets used to kill their loved ones. People wondered what had they done to deserve such awful punishments. Not receiving answers, they turned against Islam and anything Islamic. Only the people who, amassed tremendous wealth and the clergy who dreamed of wealth, illiterate and absolutely ill-informed and mercenaries of the regime, continue to believe in the system that was created; a system loaded with a corrupt clergy and underlings. They are morally, financially, judicially, ethically and administratively corrupt.
The effect of this new thinking is felt and is evident on a daily basis since the of his reign and it is getting worse. Khomeini helped create an environment where the killing of innocent people is not much of a shame. It is my belief that the present regime in Iran is more corrupt. From day one, they have brought nothing but misery and devastation to a country that was on the verge of being recognized as one that could help world stability and economic prosperity. Instead, the Iranian people have received nothing but economic hardship and enhanced superstition that only destroys what is fundamentally a healthy intelligent society. One has to look beyond Iranian frontiers to see what symbolizes the people of Iran.
When I was in high school and had to take Iranian history and geography, I often wondered why such a great land mass was inhabited by such a small number of people (11 million at the time.) Aside from the forces of nature, famine, less rain meaning less agricultural production and other elements out of the peoples’ control, it was and still is a small population that inhabits the size of this beautiful country. A country that has four seasons and tremendous wealth hidden. Additionally, the land carries a deep culture that impressed its invaders and is known world-wide as Persian culture. Persian culture covers a wide geography beginning with the northern areas of Iran and countries such as provinces of the region called the Caucasian land mass. As I read more, I realized that this landmass suffered many brutal, savagery and cruel barbarian invading armies such as the Arabs, Mogul Turks from Central Asia (including Timberlane) not to mention the internal rivalries among tribal forces who would slaughter other sides’ people and armies. The last mass execution of people took place about 200 years ago when the people of Kerman, in South West Iran, provided sanctuary for Lotf Ali Khan Zand who had just assumed leadership of the country, after the passing of Karim Khan Zand, his beloved and respected father. An unknown young man by the name of Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar (who had been a helper in the Karim Khan’ household) mobilized his Qajar’s tribe and challenged Lotf Ali Khan. Lotf Ali khan run away from Shiraz and sought asylum from the people of Kerman a southwestern city on the edge of central desert. People knowing his father and what a of kind ruler he had been, let him hide in the Baam fortress, which had been built to provide thousands of people a safe haven when competing armies showed up.
Agha Mohammad Khan, with Central Asian Turkish background, surrounded the fort and deprived the inhabitant of food and other necessities for months. He found a traitor who showed him a weak point. He entered the fort and captured Lotf Ali Khan who was executed along with thousands of the people of Kerman, who helped the asylum seeker. The invading Khan ordered the killings and made a little hill out of the heads of the slaughtered people. The ultimate brutality, cruelty and savagery was on exhibit in plain sight.
Agha Mohammad Khan established the Qajar’s dynasty, which turned out to be the most ruthless, incompetent, corrupt dynasty and extremely alien to Persian culture. During their reign, Iran lost Herat, in the Afghanistan of today, a good portion of the Northwestern Caucasian region, as the result of an incompetent army and lack of interest to protect Iranian territory. They slaughtered people for minor offences and sold or contracted part of the country to foreign powers for money! Multiple marriages and producing hundreds of children was another entertainment of this corrupt and ruthless Ghajar tribe. This then was one reason why so few people inhabit this land-mass. Other reasons included forces of nature that created dangerous conditions, at times, for people to raise a family and live a peaceful life.
The last invasion I witnessed was the second Arab invasion (albeit with Iranian names, Khomeini regime to be specific) and of course the third Arab invasion by Saddam Hossein. He received a green light from Zebignief Birjinsky, President Carter’s National Security Advisor, who ordered his army to attack Iran at Ghadessyeh, referring to the first Arab invasion which took place at Ghadessyeh, centuries earlier.
I think it is quite appropriate to look at the international environment that made this disaster in Iran possible. This attack scrapped the border agreement that Saddam had signed in 1974 with the Shah in Algeria. My emphasis and discussion here would be limited to the emergence of Khomeini, who under the banner of Islam, began a wave of terror unknown in modern Iran. The disastrous effects of this event continues to exist for the Iranian people. The calamitous effect of the Khomeini regime will come out in details as a most cruel event in modern Iran. One has to wonder how it allowed a group of clergy, Mullahs, to ascend to leadership positions of some of the most intelligent people in this world.
Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi: His Legacies
The whole tragedy took place under the watchful eye of the security apparatus which evolved over many years. It began with the Coup d’état of 1953 which was planned and implemented by the CIA agent Amit Roosevelt and British MI6, the British Military Intelligence Services. The plan was to bring down the legitimate government of legendary Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh, who epitomized honesty, integrity, the utmost love for Iran and respect for the rule of Law. Mossadegh’s love of Iran and the Persian culture was legendary and he had a deep respect for the people who adhered to the same principles. He wanted to rid Iran of British influence. He ultimately did that and became the second patriot after Amir Kabeer to have done such good for the country.
It must be stated here that while the planning of August 1953 had been done by the CIA and the British intelligent service, there were many Iranian traitors who were instrumental in the plan’s execution. Among the most corrupt were the Rashidian brothers, known as British spies who were free to move and erode the power of the government. Many army officers who had actively opposed the government were heavily engaged in the operations and later received precious rewards for the participation. Among them were General Batmanghelich, and some close relatives of Mossadegh who, as traitors, later enjoyed lucrative positions in the government. They all owe their wealth and promotion to the Central Intelligence Agency, which was flagrantly moving around the world, destroying democracies and national movements in Chile, Argentina, all while the U.S government was superficially propagating democratic ideals. The dreadful calamities that overthrew legitimate governments was just a façade of that strategy.
In many ways, the Shah’s destiny was made by the Shah himself. He did not know it. I wonder if he even had a deep understanding of Iranian culture. The decisions that the Shah made were not deeply developed nor did he have a good feeling of the consequences of those decisions. In retrospect, each of those decisions had a profound implications in the short and long term. For instance, had he supported Dr. Mossadegh, who singularly tried his best to protect Iran’s main assets which were being selfishly exploited by the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), for over 50 years, the Shah would have been buried in the land that he loved and by the people he admired. Instead because of his decisions the people he admired took extreme measures to dislocate him and turned him into a wandering man in search of a home. It was a tragic event in Iranian history. Where and how did he go wrong beginning in 1960s?
Sometime in 1961-1962 the Shah made an announcement that Iran was recognizing Israel, on a de jure, basis, as a Sovereign state as recognized by the newly created United Nations. This act was like a huge bomb explosion in the Middle East and North Africa, where most Arab Islamic countries are locted. This act coming from the head of a Moslem majority country was a shock to all of them. There was Jamal Abdul Nasser of Egypt who, as a mouthpiece (he thought) of Arab countries, began bad mouthing and condemning the Shah for abandoning Moslem countries by recognizing Israel. But none of these threats meant much as Iran, under an emboldened Shah, was pursuing a national policy. It is noteworthy to mention, that Jews had lived in Iran for centuries since, Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon and invited them to come and live in Persia. So, there was an active Jewish population of thousands in Iran engaged in medicine, universities, trade and other professional activities. The only high rise business center in a popular place called Istanbul Street was built (in 60s) by a Jewish merchant called Haji Elghanian. Additionally, Jews were invited to come and settle in Persia hundreds of years earlier and long before the Arabs invaded Persia That invasion destroyed a well-established civilization, literature and libraries and were replaced with force and/or heavy taxation, totally alien to Iranians. This set them back hundreds of years. Despite serious efforts by Reza Shah and Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the nation was and has not been able to dislodge the primitive features exhibited in Islamic thinking. The early 1960’s coincided with the height of Nasser’s popularity in the Middle East Arab countries. He was instrumental, under General Najeeb, to overthrow the Monarchy in Egypt (in 1954). He also forced through, the creation of the United Arab Republic, as a union that started with Syria and Egypt with the hope other Arab countries to join. But they all shunned Nasser’s assertiveness and his Arab unity concept never actualized. The United Arab Republic between Egypt and Syria collapsed due to overwhelming influence that Egyptian officers exercised on Syrians. Thus the concept of a union among Arab countries disappeared for good.
The Shah was really emboldened to the extent that some of his actions, globally pronounced, were not perceived friendly in Washington. The Shah was invited to Moscow, the capital city of the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) which collapsed in 1990’s. In an address regarding the status of the Persian Gulf and, probably at the urging of the Russians, he announced that affairs of the Persian Gulf should be determined by the countries bordering the huge waterway. It may have been a coincidence, but right at that time, the governing body of the Island of Bahrain had permitted the United States to establish a naval presence in the Persian Gulf.
Historical events with outlandish results, as is the case of revolution in Iran, are sometimes triggered by seemingly unimportant acts which may have been prevented if critical thinking was applied and had prevailed. Or, if people with different opinions were allowed to sift through the issues and offer their opinions. This was the case of Capitulation which was deeply rooted with intense resentment in Iran and had been eliminated from the Iranian political repertoire. It was considered to be an enormous act of courage when it was excreted from the body politics. Reza Shah the Great took a bold step in the process and informed the foreign government, that any criminal act by their people,while working in Iran will go through Iranian jurisprudence for necessary action.
to be continued