Early days of the Revolution

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Fartash
by Fartash
20-Dec-2009
 

On 1th February 1979, reporting the arrival of of Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran after the fall of the monarchy, Agence France Presse descried “a reception committee at the airport to greet the Ayatollah, consisting of representatives of the country’s relgious and secular opposition forces. Turbaned clerics jostled with suit-clad liberals and Marxist opponents, struggling to get close to the stern-looking cleric , now the most powerful man in Iran.”

Ayatollah Khomeini was hailed by many leading Iranian political activists as Iran’s Gandhi, though in reality he was unknown entity, having spent many years in exile. He was a blank canvas who could be all things to all people. No one had any reason to doubt the statements Khomeini gave to world’s press while exiled in Paris:

I Have repeatedly said the neither my desire nor my age nor position allow me to govern.(United Press, 8 November 1978)

In Iran’s Islamic government the media have the freedom to express all Iran’s realities and events and people have the freedom to form any form of political party and gathering that they like. (Paese Sera, 2 November 1978)

Women are free in Islamic Republic in the selection of their activities, future and their clothing. (Guardian, 6 November 1978)

Perhaps it is not so astonishing that in 1979 Maryam Firouz, a female executive member of the communist Tudeh Party (and a secular feminist activist since 1940s), hailed Ayatollah Khomeini as the ‘leading advocate of women’s rights in our history’ . After all, when he seized power in Iran , US President Jimmy Carter’s UN Ambassador Andrew Young speculated that, if successful, Khomeini would ‘eventually be hailed as a saint’ . Communism was regards as the threat facing the West, not ‘political Islam’ – which even seemed like a safeguard against Communism. Yet it wasn’t long before Khomeini started singing from a totally different songsheet.

Those who are trying to bring corruption and destruction to our country in the name of democracy will be broken … they must be hanged. We will oppress them by God’s order and God’s call to prayer. (Qom, 30 august 1979)

As your average five-year-old boy, I was crazy about toy cars of all varieties and colours. During an ordinary day outing to the shops, my father refused to buy me a toy car; I threw your average run-of-the-mill temper tantrum and I was carried kicking and screaming into taxi … But I guess you could say it was an incomparable time in our history, those early days of the Revolution.

The streets were full of people with complete mayhem all around. I hate my father and I wanted him hanged like the people that they were executing on our television screens. There were no children’s programmes, everything was suspended and we would sit and watch as they hanged and hanged. (daftarsepid.blogspot.com)

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Fartash

Two faces

by Fartash on

Some believes that Khomeini had two complete different faces in France specially and later in Tehran .

Great to see you all sharing your ideas. Regards


argebam

Mr. Abarmard is member of NIAC and an appologist of this regime

by argebam on

After 30 years if we have not come to the point that 1979 revolution was a big mistake (we should have reformed the last government) then we are in for another big mistake. The reason Khomeini was ousted in 1963 was simply he was against woman (modernization) to have the right to vote. The idiots who followed him forgot to read the history and all of his statements from France were dictated to him By Bani Sadr and Ghotbzadeh but once Khomeini took over did what he trly beleived in. Woman is a secon citizen in Islam (read Sureh Baghareh AYeh 223). This government has to go and we need a a secular democratic government based on Human Rights charter be it Monarchy or a republic does not matter.

Mr Abarmard is NIAC memeber and an appologist of this government and they are trying to save thi government.


Elham57

Mr Abarmard

by Elham57 on

There is something called "principles".

One would be: you don't lie to the masses, by means to reach an end.

Khomeini never said anything, remotely resembling, advocating for women's rights.

Even withjout the puzzle solved, the answer is: Stick to your principles, and no one would call you a traitor, a charlatan, or a fool, 30 years later.

Shameless then. Shameless now.


IRANdokht

interesting

by IRANdokht on

I think it's great that you are sharing your personal experiences. The quotes and some of the news are accurate but I believe some of the personal observations are a little off.  Back at the beginning, they were executing people in front of a fire squad. The hanging became their favorite method years later... So for you to have a memory of your  hateful wish for your Dad is a little bit of a stretch ;-)  (5 year old kids back then didn't know how many methods of execution there really was)

It's quite alright though, after all, you were too young to have such detailed memory of the events of the time. na?

I wonder why I never heard of anyone claiming that Khomeini is Iran's Gandhi (except for someone who blogged about it recently on ic)

Thanks for the blog

IRANdokht


Abarmard

Well Elham57

by Abarmard on

The Tudeh party in those days, similar to the rest of the nation, were thinking that Khomaini will go to Qom and leave politics to politicians. Their main objective was to oust Shah, which with the help of one leader they were able to accomplish.

Now once the puzzle is solved the answer seems simple.


Elham57

Khomeini :Leading advocate of women’s rights in our history

by Elham57 on

Only a traitor, a charlatan, or a fool, would claim that.

Won't you say?