In Chase and Escape (1)

Rereading the book "Consistent with Freedom", the Memories of Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi Jafari in five episodes

From the House of Haj Seyyed Javadi to House of Hope
First episode: The period of youth

Armen and Avanesian: The Congress of the Islamic Associations of Iranian Students and Teachers in Karaj in September 1962 had four clergy guests: Ayatollah Jazayeri representing Ayatollah Milani, Ayatollah Taleqani, Allameh Tabatabaee, and Ayatollah Motahari. Engineer Bazargan and Dr. Yadollah Sahabi had been imprisoned due to holding a ceremony on the occasion of the anniversary of the martyrs of July 21, 1952 (30 Tir 1331 S.H.) in Ibn-e Babouyeh Cemetry and did not take part in the congress, and Taleqani who had ridden himself on the police truck and had gone to the police station, was freed by the ploy of the prison authorities and participated in the congress. This was the first meeting of Seyyed Mohammad Jafari, the Persian Literature student of Shiraz University and a co-founder of the university's Islamic Association of Students with Taleqani who later became one of his closest friends. Taleqani's book A Light of Quran was published in six volumes mainly with his efforts. The book Consistent with Freedom which includes the oral memories of Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Mehdi Jafari, a university professor, Nahjul Balaqah researcher and an early member of Iranian Freedom Movement from childhood to the period of revolution, has been written in two volumes with the efforts of Seyyed Qassem Yahosseini who has published its Sahifeh Kherad along with a picture from the young Jafari who is standing beside Taleqani.
Jafari was one of the religious students of Shiraz University who like other religious and activist students of that time joined the Freedom Movement. He has recited his memories in a lengthy talk with Yahosseini. In the first volume about his political activities during student time, he refers to the conditions of the final years of 1330s (1950s) and the beginning of 1340s (1960s) and his acquaintance with activist students and political activists. He became the MA student of Training Sciences major in Tehran and a member of the Islamic Association of the Students of Tehran University and an activist in the Freedom Movement. The Second National Front was active in the university at that time and Habibollah Peyman, Kazem Sami and Abolhassan Banisadr were in its student branch, and Jafari has cited his meetings and memories with them and students of other spectrums including Ahmad Salamatian, Mustafa Sho'aeiyan, Lotfollah Meysami, Mohammad Basteh Negar, Mohammad Hanifnezhad, Saeed Muhsen, Reza Reiis Toussi and so forth. Jafar's student years were very productive since the Islamic Association of Students held classes in the field of ideological issues during which Allamah Jafari would teach Islamic Economy, Golzadeh Ghafouri, social and political issues, and Ayatollah Motahari, Islamic morality.  He became familiar with Motahari during these years in a way that he did some of his private works in Enteshar Company. He said, "Mr. Motahari avoided any public political tendency and spent his time on his own scientific efforts, but secretly had a close relation with members of Freedom Movement, and confirmed their policy."
Jafari was arrested for the first time in 1962 and was transferred to Qizil Qaleh Prison for distributing the leaflets concerning the ceremony of the anniversary of July 21. He introduced himself as Hassan Vatankhah which was his nickname in the Islamic Association of Students of Shiraz University, and said that what he had distributed was obituary not communiqué. He gave a written commitment and was released. After release, he got acquainted with a man named Alireza Dastgheib. His acquaintance with someone who was the agent of SAVAK caused his arrest and lengthy imprisonment. Jafari was arrested on May 23, 1963 in the house of Ahmad Sadr Haj Seyyed Javadi who was Tehran's prosecutor and an active member of the Central Council of the Freedom Movement. He was transferred to Qizil Qaleh Prison where it was called "The House of Hope". A number of other members of the Freedom Movement were also arrested along with him including Rahim Attaee, Abolfazl Hakimi and Ezatollah Sahabi. Jafari along with them experienced the period of imprisonment in 1340s (1950s).  

Translated by: Mohammad Baqer Khoshnevisan

Source: Mehrnameh Monthly, No. 5