Musings of a former chicken

Ghasem, guess who is throwing names like nerdy kid ...

Dear Mash Ghasem,

Thank you for the additional info that you contributed to the subject but what I meant was that there was never a "formal" communist party in Iran before Tudeh Party which was initiated by Iraj Eskandari who was in turn inspired mostly by Soleyman Mirza. I am familiar with other attempts which have been made by leftist minded people since the time of "jangal revolution" but none of those turned into a real political party with communist ideology. Even Tudeh Party in the beginning was not strictly formed around such ideology and they had a "prayer room" in their headquarters to impress and attract the people who might have not been ready to accept their secular views. This kind of practice has been revived by many from new generation of Tudeh followers (during and after Islamic Revolution) who have thrown their support behind people like Khomeini and more recently, Mr. Mir-Hussein Mousavi by joining the green movement while others may even attend IRI Friday congregations.

The issue with Tudeh Party is not their ideology but their hidden agendas and dishonesty with people which has filled their history till this day. When you see a communist party praises someone like Khomeini then you should know that something is not right. Either Khomeini is not what he claims to be or the communist party is not what it says it is, or both are liars. The top agenda for these people is (and has always been) to get their hands on power and drag Iranian society to their own Utopia, the same way Khomeini did to his. The books that have been mentioned in earlier comments, are written about the true events and actions of those involved in the affairs of Tudeh Party. These are not about some scientific experiments which might improve as time pass. They are about facts as seen and experienced first hand by those who were involved in such affairs directly and there are many other evidences related to those issues in the history that one could study and verify to reach proper conclusion.

Best Regards

Dear VPK

All those who earn a wage for living (be it through
manual or intellectual labour) and earn their living through their labour
(manual or intellectual) are by definition workers.

Overwhelming majority of workers in Iran and elsewhere are not Leftist, by any stretch
of the imaginations. However the various currents of the Left (
Social-Democrats, Socialists, Communists, Anarchists,...) also have had
bases within the working class.

Regarding worker

I think it is a mistake to assume "workers" are any particular way. Nobody gets a monopoly of ideas for them. Who is a worker anyway? Does it mean just factory; or also office.

What about government or teachers or farmers. Workers do not have to be communist. You many not assume they are of any particular ideology. I know blue collar workers in America way to the right of me. We just need free politics the rest works out.

Dear Souri

I know people will not change their minds; that's a given. But I figured people who don't know much may be interested in your view. Personally I have other things to worry about than Tudeh.

What I am seeing is a people wanting to be normal. But intellectuals who are into causes. That is a real divide that will not be bridged. Therefore I do not favor groups which are led by "dedicated ideologues". Because they want to get their way.

I just want a normal non-ideological society. Where there is enough fee market to run a business. And the networks to take care of people in need. Where people do not run around yelling "margh bar ...". Sadly most our movements have been radical.

...

To all the careless readers of this blog. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

The history of the Workers' movement in Iran does not begin and end with Tudeh. As you could discern from the discussion below, before Tudeh there was a  proper Communist Party of Iran, two decades before 1941. And if Tudeh had any outstanding memeber in its ranks it was mostly thanks to CPI.

The Workers movement in today's Iran has gone light years ahead of all these traditional, rather authoritarian groups and formations.

Iranian workers have been able to establish, maintain and augment thier own independent workers' organization under Islamic Republic. In a post-IR Iran, no one, no group, party of formation will be able to take away this most significant achievement of the workers: Independent Workers' Organizations. 

Love this Souri jan

You wrote in your comment:"...I have actively participated in many discussions about Toudeh party. It  works at the moment, but just a month later, they come back with the same qustion!"

Funny and true.

VPK

No matter how many blogs and article I may write here, this doesn't change the mentality of the people who come here with a hidden motivation. I have wrote at least 4 blogs about the Toudeh's past and I have actively participated in many discussions about Toudeh party. It  works at the moment, but just a month later, they come back with the same qustion!

Look at the comments below. What you see? Sohrab Ferdows and Mash Ghasem, are listing the books which have been written some 30  years ago. Almost everybody who is interested, have already read them. Almost everybody, knows all these things. The irony is, that Toudeh, has been very successful after the revolution, despite all those materials against it, and all the IRI propagada.

Now, I will stop commenting in this thread (I hope)

I was looking for my past blogs in this matter, but found only one (the more recent one) as I think the older ones have been lost due to a technical crash at IC. There was that very important blog about Maryam Firouz, with her last interview, which had a great discussion (with Ali P and others). Unofrtunately it is lost now. I won't write any more article about  Toudeh here, since I have seen the result, it is fruitless.

Read all the comments please;

//iranian.com/main/blog/souri-52

...

Angali we translated Soltanzadeh's texts to Persian more than thirty
years ago. Back then there was no internet, so you actually had to read
it on paper. But you being so ignorant and arrogant , don't think you
would have ever actually seen them.

You sound like a little boy at the class room mentioning name of all
these books, as a sign of 'knowledge." We reviewed Anvar Khamehai's book
also almost thirty years ago when it came out. Why don't instead of
throwing names around, tell us a bit about Habib Soltanzadeh if you know so much on the history of Communist Party of Iran.

Dear Souri

You know more about Tudeh than I do without a doubt. I admit to not being fond of them but I have an open mind. Why don't you write a blog and describe their history and positions.

In addition have others voice their criticisms and rebut them. If not then people will say what they say and your point of view goes unheard. I guarantee you it will be a though job. Impossible to convince many but at least you get to have your voice.

the country is doomed if

these are the types of discussions that are supposed to be helpful.

What a total mess of mixing up theories and ideologies, which I would have been able to put into context for explanations and even excuses, had it not been for the fact that it's been thirty-three years now!

Just imagine a blank canvas to be filled in Iran's governmental structures right now. What on earth, are they going to replace it with? Another total mess of mass executions, just because they don't read any books?

Ghasem these are all old news

Some remarks

on the history of Communist Party of Iran, and its cultural influences.

 علاقه ی نیما به اندیشه های سوسیالیستی را می توان تا دوره ی اول کار ادبی
او، دنبال کرد، هنگامی که یک جنبش دهقانی در گیلان قوت گرفته بود و از سوی
"حزب کمونیست ایران" حمایت می شد. لادبن برادر نیما در جنبش چپ بسیار فعال
بود، اما پس از این که جنبش دهقانی توسط ارتش به رهبری شاه آینده رضا خان
سرکوب شد و سلطنت در سال 1304 تغییر یافت و فعالیت سیاسی به انحصار گروه
حکمران درآمد، بقایای اعضای "حزب کمونیست ایران" از جمله لادبن به شوروی
گریختند ولی رهبر آنان سلطانزاده تصفیه و به فرمان استالین تیرباران شد.
وقتی که "حزب توده" پایه گذاری شد لادبن به آن پیوست ولی پس از مدتی از آن
کناره گیری کرد و به "هسته ی یوسف افتخاری" پیوست. نیما از همان آغاز
احساسی عمیق نسبت به لادبن داشت و هنگامی که برادرش مجبور به ترک وطن شد با
او به نامه نگاری پرداخت. در این نامه ها ما به موارد زیادی برمی خوریم که
نیما به انتقاد از وقایع جاری در اتحاد شوروی پرداخته است.

//iranian.com/main/2012/jan-47

Was it the attractiveness of Tudeh, or backwardness of society?

This question is always  difficultto answer. In retrorespect when we read Tudeh's litreature of that day, it reads very much  backward and pedestrian. Yet compared to the other currents around, at that time it was the only modern, internationalist, literary group. From Nader Naderpour to tens and hundreds like him and his backgrounf initially joined Tudeh because it was the only game in town. Of course this picture eventually changed.

The first Iranian Communist Party had it founding convention in Bnadae Anzali, in 1919.It was a continuation of the Hezb Edalat, and the Avamion-Ejtemaeion (Social -Democrats. In its ranks it had individuals such as Avatis Soltanzadeh, Haidar Ammoghlo,... Some of its members or sympathizers were also in Dr. Arani's group of 53. And a very few became active within Tudeh. Communist Party of Iran was created almost two decades before Tudeh.

Tudeh's intial brush with KGB came in the shape of one Abdolsamad Kambaksh, from Ghazvin. Some memoirs by Tudeh menbers oint this out. This was a position later taken over by Kianory. With all the proper equipment to creat passports and ...

Eskandari , Keshavarz, Shahrokh Meskob...and all other memoirs and alternative accounts and narratives of Tudeh remains interesting.

Tudeh Party, a story that Iranians should never forget

Tudeh party will definitely remain a topic of interest for Iranians in a very long time into the future, as it has been in the past. BBC's involvement in such topic is particularly interesting considering the influence and role of British government in manipulation of this party during the years which debates over nationalization of Iranian oil was very hot. Misrepresentation of history and constant lies is a hallmark of this party's leadership since earlier days of party's inception. Although some of the members of Tudeh Party leadership might have been more honest but at times, they had no choice but to lie to cover the true nature of treacherous activities of some of their comrades in the interest of former Soviet Union.

Tudeh Party took advantage of public ignorance towards the truth behind their empty slogans to gather support among Iranian labor forces which were fascinated with radical and courageous slogans of the party, that was established right after the occupation of Iran by British and Soviet forces and fall of Reza Shah Pahlavi. Mr. Iraj Eskandari who originally presented the idea of creating the communist party in Iran (there was no real communist political party in Iran before that), did not accept a high position in party leadership in the beginning but later became the top leader after Mr. Radmanesh. Mr. Eskandari and most others who formed the original Communist Party, were all from high class families in the society with ties to previous ruling dynasty which can explain partly, why the leadership of this party in those days followed a policy to sabotage political process in the country in any way they could.

From the beginning, some of the Tudeh Party leadership developed strong relations with Soviet Union's communist party and KGB, which demanded full "brotherly" obedience and cooperation. Iraj Eskandari who translated most of Lenin's materials (including the famous book "What Is To Be Done"), later left the party after he was replaced by Mr. Kianoori, just before the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Knowing about late Mr.Kianoori's family relations with Sheikh Fazlollah Noori (his grandfather) whose ideas about a religious government during Constitutional Revolution later transpired in creation of Islamic Republic by Ayatollah Khomeini, one can understand the motivation of such replacement. After leaving the party, Mr. Eskandari defected to France and later published his diaries which exposed a lot of issues related to Tudeh Party and its leaders. These issues were including (but not limited to): assassinations, lies and conspiracies against the system and territorial integrity of the nation.

Another book which is published by Mr. Karim Keshavarz, also a high ranking member of Tudeh Party Central Committee, is available to public and confirms many of the allegations by Iraj Eskandari. Mr. Eskandari and Mr. Keshavarz have both died in exile. There are other books by other members or non-members about Tudeh Party which could easily be found by those who are interested to research the matter for themselves.

Conclusion is: Tudeh Party's leadership betrayed Iran and Iranians in more than one way and their motivations were mainly providing service to big brother party in Soviet Union and destroying Pahlavis in revenge for fall of their dynasty and loss of all their aristocratic privileges. No doubt that there were many honest people who had joined this party to serve their nation without having any knowledge about the agendas of its leadership. The saddest part of story is betrayal of Tudeh leadership to its high ranking military branch by keeping them in the dark. Late Khosrow Roozbeh, in a letter to his wife from prison, clearly showed how patriotic he was while still under impression that party leadership intended to serve the nation. In those days that he was in prison, Mr. Kianoori and other members of leadership were enjoying life in Soviet Union, the Utopia which they wished for Iranians, like their comrades in many new idealistic leftist groups who, hypocritically, prefer living in western countries rather than places like Cuba.

TO BE ...........

Or NOT TO BE.........

That's the question.

what ever the aims of that organization the failed,defuncted and closed communism was in the 21st century..........

The real traitors are the ones behind kiling of so many innocents Iranians from the 53's to Golsorkhi and to all the Brothers and sisters gone after the 1979.

Maziar

Souri Khaanoom;

My views are not shaped by what I read on IC.

Name-callings are not monopolized by any specific group or individual. They are universal.

Have a good night!

Mr Rahmanian

People here, always call the Toudeh party "khaen". In fact, this became now, part of its name, lol.

No matter how amount of proofs and documents you bring to prove them that Toudeh were not treasonous (as you said) the next time, they come back again with the same title "hezb khaen toudeh" blah blah...

When you ask them to bring a solid fact, the only thing they have to say its : 1953 and 1979-82
But do you know what was the % of the Iranians intellectual who were member of Toudeh party before 1953? I bet no, you don't! Nobdy bothers to go and read the history.

Then they say, no, only the leadership was treasonous, because they wanted to give our country to the Soviets Union....!

One should ask them, now that there's not such thing as "Soviets union" then what is the Toudeh party all about? What other "arbab" do they have, this time?

You talk about "criticism of wrong policies" here. Be honest please, does it include also the accusation and false statement? Because so far, this is the only thing we read here, about Toudeh.

I was not around in 1953

 so when someone writes about details of Tudeh or Jebhe meli 's policy, I don't argue. But from 1978 I followed Mojahedin, Jumhori eslami, Hezb Tudeh, Fadaian Aksariat and aghaliat, , Jonbeshe moslamanane mobarez, and many other groups. I read their papers and debated with their supporters. Granted, I was very young. Now, if someone who was not even there claims something not factual, then it is easy for me to spot it. After all, I  was there.

Souri Khaanoom:

If we call one group traitors, then we call all those who collaborated with Khomeini's camp traitors, too. If we call one group's acts treasonous, then we must call the acts of all other groups which sided with Khomeini's camp treasonous, as well.

My argument has always been and still is, either Iranians stop castigating each other or they need to accept the fact that, "What goes around, comes around!"

As far as facts are concerned, they can be twisted and misrepresented to suit individual cases.

Again, criticism of wrong policies of any group is only a natural part of any process, especially, in such an historically important phase in people's struggle against the tyranny at hand.

anglophile

The only thing I got scared of was using the word HATE. They are not worth my hatred. If I start hating people, I will be like the Islamic Republic. They hate the Bahaii's, the Jews, the Kords, the Lors, and of course people like me who don't even know what they are any more. 

But you are right. Jebhe Melli is just as bad. No! Worst. 

Komeini had an agenda. He had a goal. I don't think Jehe Melli even knew what it was doing 

Fred

I rarely talk to you, because I avoid headaches.

I must say, your last comment (speech) was among the very rare, wise ones! I agree with everything you said there. But..........

In the past, you have never did what you are saying now! Agree?

Look back at all you have posted here about Toudeh's past. What do you see? Nothing but the same blah blah that I  mentioned before. There were never a document to support what you say, or if they were any, there were just some copy/paste of some old newspaper, cut and pasted here, without any , I mean any, reference to the CONTEXTE of that subject.

For the information of all of you: I don't know nothing about what the party toudeh is doing now. I don't even know this MR Khodaaee? who talked in this video.

What I see, is the deformation and defamation of the past by a bunch of uninformed (at best) or  vicious individual, whose true morivation is not informing the people, as you have mentioned below. If it was the case, then why when someone, like Anahid, or others, come and explain something in defence of Toudeh's past policies, you all jump on them, saying : No, that is a lie, Toudeh is treacherous.....blah blah. Why you never let people talk and explain you?

At the end, to be honest, you can say whatever you want in this site. Honestly I don't take any of you, seriously, because none of you have the required level. My point was only to show to the readers, how much you people, are  wasting the time and energy of all.

Whilst on the roll Fred...

 Why dont you write a blog or two about the other traitors to iran, Mohamad Reza and his Father, Reza gholdor. Write how Mohamad Reza the traitor used his SAVAK in collaboration with the worst elements of the Islamist fascism, the Hojjatieh society to suppress any voice of dissent from the secular left, the ones who unlike Tudehi Khaens did not sell thir souls to kremlin. Write about the political vaccume created as the result which was nicely filled in with khomeini...

Looking forward to the blog titled "Pahlavi Khaens" Fred......

Opponents of democracy in Iran

The proponents of the democracy movement in Iran, starting from the Consitutional revolution, have been very lonely. They have been outnumbered by many groups and individuals, all corrupt, putting their personal gain and group ideologies before the democratic principles. Here is a very incomplete list but a start:

1)All monarchs; Mohammad Ali Shah, Ahmad Shah, Reza Shah, Mohammad Reza Shah

2) Almost all Mullas:  Fazlollah Nouri, Kashani, Khomeini, Fadaian Esmlam

3) ALL COMMUNISTS (by definition antidemocratic) but historical examples; Tudeh party, Khosrow Golesorkhi, Fadaian in all shapes and forms

4) The greens; Khatami, Mousavi 

5) MEK

6) Nehzate Azadi; Bazargan, Shariati, Yazdi, Qotbzadeh

7) Jebhe Melli of 1979; Sanjabi, Forouhar

It has been a lonely struggle for the very few people believing in democracy and putting people before personal gain and ideological beliefs.

Misreading history

"Tudeh party in almost every single phase of its existence 1941-1953". mash ghasem

No, tudeh party was shaped by Dr.Taghi Erani back in 1931 and it's publications Donya magazine started next year. Dr. Erani graduated from Geman university in 1927 and returned to Iran. Following his return he started his political activity to promotes idea of communism in Iran. The book 53 individuals by Ehsan Tabari has full description of the events in those days.  

Let bygones be bygones

The predisposition and readiness to forget history and let bygones be bygones has not served Iran and Iranians well.

It is no wonder why most of the scholarly history books on ancient Iran and not so ancient has been authored by non-Iranian scholars.This is also the case with the Persian literature; Khayam, Molana and Ferdowsi are the three that comes to mind.

Fortunately, this is not the case anymore and there are tons of works, serious works, being done by Iranians.

Knowing every aspect of the past, every minute detail, particularly of failures, is the prerequisite for any future successes.

Therefore, among other things, Kachal or not, Toudeh Party,  needs to be studied, discussed and debated by any and all who care for brighter future for Iran and Iranians.  

Faramarz jon, fair game!

Agreed again.

1) in the past, sometimes I spoke my mind about that, and now it seems to me that it is only a circle. Going round and round, is not my favorite game.

2) I am sensitive about "the past of "Toudeh, because each time, before mentioning anything (which is always repeatitive of course) it starts by insult!

3) The people who talk free about Toudeh, do not have a little amount of knowledge about its policies in the past (you, included) but they just like to talk! If there were a productive (or at least civilized) debate, like the one we have seen in this video, I wouldn't mind it. But repeating the same and same old things, with no proof, no example....just saying : hezbe khaen e todeh...blah blah blah, no thank! I have better to do.

4) To be honest with you, I am also tired of all those stupid rounds, about Mossadegh/Shah, about Reza Shah, or Ghajar.....It seems that some people are getting too old, to be able to think anew and fresh. They are always here to ruminate about the past.

5) My point is: Talk about the present. Talk about the future. Then if a Toudehy, Mosadeghi,,,or whatever comes to teach you something, then you can say: no thank! We have already tried you in the past.

What disappoints me so much , is the fact that we don't have so many informed, intelligent, and political wisdom here, unfortunately. It is all about gossip and rumors.....He said, she said...

The first, second, third time, we can stand it, but after one hunderd and sixty two times, ....I mean : Fed up!

Jebeh zed-Melli: 1000 times worse than Tudeh + VF

Denial

These words are so old, but I am happy you posted this. This hezb and MKO has one thing in common: They are in denial

نه خانوم، ما دست از سر هیچ خائن بر نمیداریم...

Even if they are nothing but a laughing stock and symbols of treachery and cowardism  for Iranian people.

Heif, 100 Heif of people like khosrow roozbeh who became members of this shamefull party of traitors and collaborators and a*s lickers of the ruskis. These Tudeh party traitors would have given the entire Iran to mother F%$ing russians on a silver plate in return for a leadership position in the "soviet republic of iranestan", just like Khaamenei and ahmadinezhad are doing today....  

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."