Seyed Morteza Nabavi talks about Qasr memoirs

Aboozar Mowlavi
Translated By: Mohammad Baqer Khaoshnevisan

Realities of history should not be cleaned

Morteza Nabavi is among the pre-revolution political prisoners who spent part of his sentencing period in Qasr Prison. His memories of the prison have been stated in this interview. At present, he is the editor-in-chief of Reslat Daily, a member of “The Expediency Council” and a member of the “Central Council of the Engineers Association”.

*On what charges were you arrested and when did you go to Qasr prison?
It was in 1973 that I was arrested on charges of financial aids to Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) and after six months of detention in Anti-Sabotage Joint Committee, I was transferred to Qasr Prison.

* How many years in prison were you sentenced to?
In the first stage, I was sentenced in three years to prison but in the revision court, it was decreased to two years. But after it was finished, I was transferred from Qasr Prion to Evin Prison which was known as “Melli Koshi” period.

*You mean your imprisonment continued without any new trial and crime?
Yes, they feared that if I am released, I would involve in political activities. So I was imprisoned again and only my prison was changed.

*The accusation of financial aid to MKO terrorist organization dragged many political prisoners like Sanjabi to Qasr Prison. Was this support organized?
No, for example I myself was persuaded to collect financial aids to MKO affected by martyr Dr. Labbafi Nejad. In a meeting, he spoke of the clandestine life of MKO members and their bad economic situation. I collected money from some of friends and relatives and delivered them to one of our close friends Mr. Ali Yar-Mohammadi who were in contact with them. Later, when they were arrested, I found out that Yar-Mohammadi reached the aids to Mohammad Sahrakar and then to Mohammad Mehr-Ayeen known as Davood-Abadi. At that times, the families of these guys were in trouble and their clandestine life had created difficulties including providing houses for renting and daily life problems. It was natural that we and some of the friends had sympathy toward them, an armed group which campaigned against the regime, and in their communiques, they protested the regime from the Islamic and religious position.

*Let’s cross over your six-month detention in Anti-Sabotage Committee and reach the Qasr Prison. Who were your cellmates in the prison?
As far as I remember, my cellmates were Abdal-Majid Ma’adi-khah, Pour Nejati, Martyr Tond-Gooyan and a respected clergy named Mr. Hosseini who was later martyred in Haft-e Tir event. He was a lawmaker form the city of Zabol. There were also some of MKO members like Abouzar Vardasebi.

*What were your programs in the prison and to whom you spent your time more?
When I was imprisoned, I felt that a good opportunity has been provided for studying. I spent part of my time with those who were sentenced with me because Yar-Mohammadi, Sahrakar and Meh- Ayeen were also transferred to Qasr Prion. Since I was closer to Mr. Yar-Mohammdi, I started reading the exegesis of the holy Quran.

*What exegesis did you read?
The exegesis of the late Feiz Kashani titled “Saffi” was available. The text of the book was in Arabic. Although I knew the language, it was difficult in the beginning. In addition, there were a few books written by master martyr Morteza Motahari which were very helpful there in countering against the Marxists.

*Wasn’t Motahari known as an anti-regime figure at that time?
Yes. He was.

*Then why were his books were available in the prison so easily?
Mr. Motahari was a disciple of Ayatollah Boroujerdi who had come to the university with his recommendation and was familiar with academic literature. He was able to answer the newest hesitations toward Islam and the holy Quran through accessing the latest new issues and sciences. At the same time, his classes in Theology School had become famous and his debates were used by some circles like the Islamic Association of the Engineers of the Freedom Movement. But I remember that two of his books “Divine Justice” and “Tendency toward Materialism” were very good in my viewpoint since they had strong responses to some of the questions and hesitations of the Marxists and MKO members. In General, Motahari and his works had been denied by them.

*Did you have debate meetings with them?
No, the Marxists did not like to debate. They were trying to deviate the youth to abandon the praying and Islamic Sharia laws and the Islam generally. They did not discuss with us since we had more information and read such books. Once we intended to discuss with Jamshid Sepehri who was a literate Marxists teacher, he told me that we did not discuss with you. We say that Marxism has caused revolution in several countries and had been able to rise against capitalism. Whenever you could launch a revolution based on religion, then we discuss with each other. He answered us very pragmatically. There were revolutions at that time and all the theories indicated that since a revolution is a modern phenomenon did not fit the religion which is related to a tradition and because of this, the world of revolution was not religious and only the Marxism could pave the way for a revolution.

*Shouldn’t the religious people think of a religious revolution or the establishment of religious rule at that time?
Yes, when I was tortured in the joint committee, the interrogator laughed with a loud voice, and said, “They want to establish a government”. It was laughing for them. As a matter of fact, it was also laughing for us to topple a strong regime and replace it with a government with religious model. But we had no hesitation in principle and were certain that we had to fight against the rule of oppression and tyranny and a despotic and anti-Islam regime could not be tolerated. But since we were not familiar with the discussion of Imam Khomeini’s Velayat-e Faqih, we had no thought for its substitute.

*Other than Motahari’s books, what other books were paid more attention by the prisoners?
When we were outside the prison, we used the books of Dr. Shariati too. His books were also up-to-date and they dominated us with a discourse that we were able to feel identity against the Marxists. But we found out in the prison that Shariati’s books had less depth comparing with those of Motahrai so they did not help us in responding the opponents. However, Shariati’s books had sociological which had been expressed with an artistic passion.

*Apart from ideological differences, how was your relation with the Marxists? Did you have any interaction with them?
We had some relations, For instance, I read Mowlana’s Masnavi with one of the literate Marxists and since Mowlana has used Hadiths and narrations and in most cases in Arabic, I helped him. Everyone who saw us together, he or she was surprised.

*How was the treatment of the prison authorities?
It was very violent and non-flexible. There was only an officer who cooperated with the revolutionaries to a little extent. I don’t remember his name. But other prison authorities continuously created problems for the prisoners especially for the religious ones.

*Who was the warden at that time?
I think it was major Zamani.

*How were the cells run? To what extent did the religious and non-religious prisoners cooperate with each other in the prison’s internal works?
It was almost a good cooperation between religious and non-religious guys. Only, the members of Tudeh Party did not cooperate. They had a small room for themselves and had no relation with others since they were against armed campaign. In general, the prison’s authorities treated with them well.

*Other than these two groups, how was your interaction with other non-religious prisoners over different issues?
We had a management experience in the prison. We were some 200 to 300 prisoners. It was not possible to advance the prison’s work without management. We had set up a management council secretly and every day we chose a mayor and divided other works. It is good to know that working is a sweet and attractive job in the prison, for example when it was our turn; we had to wake up early in the morning and prepare the breakfast. Then we washed the dishes and after a few hours we distributed the lunch and did the same for dinner and in general we were amused that day.

*Was the mayor selected more from your group or the Marxists?
Well, they had more population. But since such works were pertaining to guilds, we fully cooperated with each other, there was no problem.

*Did you have any special ceremony in religious occasions? What was the reaction of the Marxists and the prison authorities?
We had problems even for fasting. In the holy month of Ramadhan, we observed the deeds of the month clandestinely so that the prison guards did not annoy us. Or they did not allow us to hold congregational prayers.

The clergymen were usually religious leaders in prisons. Who played this role in Qasr Prison?
When I was in Qasr Prison, most famous revolutionary clergymen were in Evin Prison. For example, I remember when I was transferred to Evin; many prisoners were influenced by Mohammad Javad Hojjati Kermani. He was very warmhearted and intimate as well as youth-orientated. Or I myself loved the encounters of the late Seyed Nureddin Taleqni who was very brave with high morale and attached no importance for the prison guards and SAVAK agents. But as I mentioned I was cellmate with misters Ma’adi-khan and Hosseini whose guidelines I used in some issues.

*Had the prison recreational and sport facilities?
Sometimes, we used the opportunity and exercises. For example, in seven and eight wards, we played volleyball sometimes. One of our regular partners was Seyed Hadi Khamenei with whom I went to Bastani sport after the victory of the Islamic revolution for a while.

*From now on, I have questions after the prison. To what extent were the groupings inside the prison and probably the clashes inside the prison influenced by post-prison decision-makings and even after the victory of the Islamic revolution when you had government responsibilities?

We had no clash with any special person in order to avenge later. All of us had a common enemy and that was the monarchial regime. Unfortunately, after the revolution, some individuals and groups stood against the system and we found no opportunity to cooperate with them especially the MKO terrorists who considered the revolution as a blind one and did not accept the leadership of Imam Khomeini (God bless his soul). After the victory of the Islamic revolution, they said that we must lead the revolution. Unfortunately, such encounters caught many opportunities.

*And you regretted?
Naturally yes. Many of them were Muslim guys who would not stand against the system and they could help the Islamic revolution.

*Did your common memoirs in prison cause you to be dragged toward them?
We tried our best but they did not want. Let me give an example. One of the persons who were in prison with us was Mr. Zakeri. We were studying in one university. When we came out of the prison, I was again invited for official membership of the MKO and armed campaign. Since I had become for familiar with them in the prison and did consider their Islam as pure, I did not accept the invitation. But after a short while, he was again arrested. Due to these familiarities and since he was a religious man, I went to his house regularly to visit his family in order to do something for them. He had a little child. But when he came out of the prison, he had fully been changed and did not like to have relation with us anymore. They separated their way from us. For instance, in the million-strong rallies during the revolution, they came with their own hammer and sickle arms. At any rate, they did not get along with the popular revolution and the Islamic revolution, and after they were released from prison as a result of this revolution, they revolted against the people.

*Other than MKO member, some of your religious cellmates have changed their ways toward other political groups and wings today. Can you gather together again?

Yes, the pre-revolution Muslim guys had an establishment called “The Centre for Pre-revolution Political Prisoners”. At present, our emotional relations with those who are not against the revolution have been kept even if they are not with us politically.

*But the head of the center, Keivan Samimi is in prison again.
Before these events and when he had not been arrested, he came to us, and our emotional relations had not cut.
*And my last question is about the turning of the Qasr prison into a museum, the names of some of the prisoners had been written incompletely.

I do not like these kinds of looks and I think the realities of the history should not be cleaned.

Persian Source:
Mehrnameh, No. 27, 1391 Azar, pp: 108-109.
http://oral-history.ir/show.php?page=notions&id=205