Rah va Rahavard (An Experience-Narrative of a Life) by Mohammad Kianoush-Rad – Part Ten

Rah va Rahavard
An Experience-Narrative of a Life
Mohammad Kianoush-Rad
Part Ten

**Me and the Hojjatiyeh Society**

Through one of my friends, I was introduced and invited to the Hojjatiyeh Society. Our meetings were on Vakili Street in Ahvaz, opposite the Al Tayeb Mosque. One meeting—which was the last meeting I attended—was held at the house of Ahangaran in the Bagh-e Moin neighborhood.

According to one of my close relatives who cooperated with the Society, the Hojjatiyeh Society had asked him in 1977 to sign a pledge form committing not to participate in political activities. He had refused, and for this reason, he had left the Hojjatiyeh Society.

In July 1978, Ayatollah Khomeini, in reaction to the Shah's crimes in Qom, Tabriz, and Yazd, had announced that the Mid-Sha'ban celebration should not be held. But the Society held a very magnificent celebration in Kianpars, between the first and second roundabouts, which angered the revolutionary Muslim forces. The Hojjatiyeh Society's action was in fact a kind of defiance of the Imam's announcement.

The residence of several Baha'i families in Kianpars had prompted the Society to expand its activity in this neighborhood.
Behnia, through one of the Society's members, would come to our mosque. He was a small-statured, polite, and well-mannered young man. These very qualities had caused young people to be drawn to him.
The Society members I knew closely were believers with an intense and sincere love for the Imam of the Time.

The Society had formed meetings at the house of one of the kids on Mohedin Street, and Messrs. Qanavati and Najafi, who were knowledgeable and fluent in religious discussions, participated in these meetings as instructors to explain matters to the youth.
Our stance toward the Society members was friendly and respectful, and we welcomed their presence in Kianpars.

After the holding of the Mid-Sha'ban celebration in Kianpars and their disregard for the Imam's opinion, our relations with them grew cold and our connection with them was cut off.

SAVAK was trying to exploit the Hojjatiyeh Society for its own benefit and to open a new front against the Muslim fighters. On the other hand, SAVAK thought that by strengthening the Society, the Marxists would also be weakened.

From SAVAK's view, the Society, like any other similar organization, was a ground for their infiltration and influence.

The dominant discourse of that time was the discourse of revolution and struggle. Naturally, the Hojjatiyeh Society had no place in this fashionable discourse, and it was not only rejected and humiliated but accused of betrayal.

Sadegh Kermanshahi participated in the Society's meetings.
In some meetings we were together. One day at Maktab-e Quran, I saw Sadegh. He asked me: "Why don't you participate in the classes at Ahangaran's house anymore? They are good meetings." I told him: "The reason is that, in my opinion, the Society is pursuing secondary matters. Driving the mosquitoes away from the swamp is the Society's priority, whereas fundamentally, the swamp must be dried up."

In this situation, one was calling me toward the Hojjatiyeh Society and another toward politics and struggle. I had chosen the second.

At that same time, the opponents of the Society had different and sometimes harsh judgments about them.
After the revolution too, harsh and sometimes inappropriate verdicts were issued against the Hojjatiyeh Society, some of which, in my opinion, were far from reality.
The Imam's public and negative remarks about the Hojjatiyeh Society caused the voluntary closure of all the Society's activities.

On the other hand, by my own choice, I had been drawn to politics.
Lashkar-Abad was an important center for revolutionary activities, and many fighting students lived in Lashkar-Abad and were in contact with the Arab fighting kids.

There, and through Abdullah Tarfavi, I became acquainted with other fighting friends such as Esmail Kouroshavi, Hadi Karami, Taher Obayat, and others.

Abdullah held classes on Islamic studies or the Islamic worldview at his house. Hamid Sayyahi, Taher Obayat, Taleb Mostajeran, Hossein Eftekhari, and I participated. After attending political meetings, I became acquainted with Kazem Shafaat, and our friendship became deep and lasting.

While I was in the second or third year of high school, I found my way into the atmosphere of political activities at the university.

The first widespread demonstration at Jondishapur University was held some time after the death of Mostafa Khomeini. The demonstration began from the Faculty of Agriculture and continued to the Paramedical Faculty, near the entrance of Golestan Hospital.

To bring the placards and pre-written cloths, along with Kazem Alam al-Hoda, Abdullah Tarfavi, and several others, we went to the Ahvaz slaughterhouse, which was on the edge of the Karun River. Hungry and stray dogs were roaming there. With fear and trembling and running, while the wooden placard poles were heavy for me, with great haste, from the back garden of the Faculty of Agriculture—which was a large garden with towering palm trees—we reached the circular entrance of the Faculty of Agriculture. Many students had gathered. We handed the materials to another group and lost ourselves among the crowd of students.

Esmail Kouroshavi, one of the leaders of the Muslim students, with a tall and firm stature, was chanting slogans with a handheld loudspeaker. The leftist groups were also chanting their own workers' slogans. "Bread, housing, freedom"—and Esmail would respond: "Worker, worker, Islam is your supporter." The Marxists' slogans had a weak echo. They did not receive a worthy response from the students.

The widespread presence of students that day and the demonstration along a long route forced the university guard to retreat. The guard avoided direct intervention and confrontation with the students, and that day, the ceremony ended peacefully.

To be continued...