Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (49)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (49)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Beginning of Cooperation with MKO One month after freedom from ACC Ali Reza Sepasi Ashtiani came to visit me. I had a long friendship with him since my presence in INP and Hezbollah group. When Hezbollah merged in MKO (Mujahidin Khalq Organization) (1), he officially became member of this organization and began a secret life. His visits in our house continued. He began political and religious discussions in these visits. At first he would talk about MKO positions and ideals indirectly but later he openly expressed the ideas, activities and strategies of this organization and invited me to join it but I did not accept.Gradually he showed more interest in me and tried...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (48)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (48)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Barrier over Barrier Endless Interventions by SAVAK One or two days after being freed I was thinking what I had to do. The responsibility for the new life would not let me be free. I could follow many affairs freely and relaxed because of being unmarried, but after being married and considering my parents’ oldness, I had to think more seriously about my life and activities. My wife had accepted to stay beside me in all up and downs, but I had to think how to make ends meet for my family. Occasional interventions by SAVAK had made it hard me. Besides, many businessmen would present their suitable job positions to me when being informed of my background.I was...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (47)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (47)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi The day after that night, they called that Isfahani student and announced he was free. He said goodbye to us and took his clothes and went. He went and I do not know anything about his destiny. But, whenever I remember his heroic resistance, I admire him in my heart. He was a real resisting fighter and even to the last days he did not confess what he had done or who he was to the agents and even not to us. His behavior would reveal that he was connected to small Muslim armed groups and it was his first time in prison. He never asked me who I was or what I had done either. I always remind him as a resisting good believer fighter who would bring us tranquility and peace...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (46)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (46)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Sonorous Sickness The last days that I was in ACC I had become slim and weak because of fasting since I could not have war food. I would eat my lunch for evening and my dinner at dawn. Additionally, because the blood and pus of that young student, the cell was quite unsanitary and dirty and the possibility of rotting the food was several times more.After eating my dawn food I felt a very bad stomachache. I had to go to toilet. But I had to wait because of the prison’s regulations. I waited for some minutes, but I could tolerate it. I began knocking on the door. The guard said: “Don’t knock uselessly; we would open it at its time, it’s not yet…”half an...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (45)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (45)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Heavenly Apples That night the agents took me back to ACC without reaching to any result. This time they took me to a new cell where a clergy named Gerami and a young student had already been there. It was Cell No. 17 that had a 1.5 meters rug on the ground. That night I slept with no talking. Before morning call for prayers I woke up to say my prayers. That day I had to fast without any food for my morning. That morning I surprisingly saw that clergy was eating breakfast. I surprisingly asked: “Isn’t it Ramadan!?” and the clergy answered: “We are captives and should not fast until our situation is cleared.” It was so confusing to me. I did not continue...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (44)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (44)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi On the third day, the cell’s gate was open and then a tall strong young man was thrown in. His face was so worried. It seemed that it was the first time that he was experiencing such a place. After few moments he began talking and said that he was a javelin throwing champion and did not know what the reason was for his arrest. Unfortunately his interrogator was someone whose name was “Danesh”. He was a bad tempered wretched man who would harass his prisoners a lot. The next day, they took the champion for interrogation. Danesh used Apollo for torturing him and he did it so savagely. That afternoon when I was resting on the ground of my cell, suddenly I saw two...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (43)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (43)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Honey Moon in Prison It was about two or three days after my marriage that the telephone ranged. I pick up the phone. A man said: “Sir, I am calling from Telecommunication Company. I am checking the lines. Please give me your address then I can give your new phone number.” I found out they were controlling my house since the company had all the addresses. So I prevaricated to answer him. Instantly I called my brother and told him the matter. Haj Mahdi said: “They have arrested Ahmad, son Haj Agha Lahooti (1), and now they in chase of me. Now, just get out and let see what happens.” Without telling anything to my wife, I got out and went toward my brother’s...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (42)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (42)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Apple Smell Job, Marriage In the early days after my freedom, my relatives and friends came to visit me to get the news. I was happy with that because of my worriedness about SAVAK’s monitoring who come to our house. Some days passed this way. I had to find a job. Because of my political background, it was not easy to find a good job. I talked to many people and it was useless. Finally I visited the late Haj Mohammad Sadegh Eslami and told the matter to him. He employed me in Qa’em Glaze Company (1) where he was the directing manager. SAVAK’s monitoring continued. They would follow me everywhere and all the time.After finding a job I thought of getting...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (41)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (41)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Qezel Hessar Prison (1) and Freedom Again Mehdi Rezaee was executed on September 7th 1972. We decided to hold a meeting in memory of him in the big room known as “Gathering Room” (2). In this meeting Ayatollah Anvari stood at the door to welcome others as the host.Group of Marxists reported the news of this meeting to SAVAK. After many interrogations SAVAK arrested 5 people who had the main role for holding this meeting (Ahmad Shah Bodaghlou, Hussein Husseini-Zadeh, Abulqasem Sarhaddi-Zadeh, Seyyed Mohammad Kazem Mousavi Bojnourdi and I) and put them all in solitary confinement for five days and nights. Then they formed a council and then decided to send each of...

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (40)

Ahmad Ahmad Memoirs (40)Edited by Mohsen KazemiSoureh Mehr Publishing Company(Original Text in Persian, 2000)Translated by Mohammad Karimi Back to Qezel Qal’eh After the appeal court they took me to Qezel Qal’eh Prison. There, a Marxist came to me and said: “There is a prisoner in the 1st row who introduces himself as Javad Mansouri and knows you.” I was shocked by hearing it. After some hesitation I told him that I do not know him. I could not believe that Javad was there. It made me deeply thoughtful and worried. I was worried if Hezbollah had been blabbed and tolerating all those tortures and slashes were useless. But there was nothing to be worried about. Despite imprisonment of Javad, Saeed and me, heroic resistance of Javad and lack of information of Saeed Hezbollah had saved Hezbollah...
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Book Review

Kak-e Khak

The book “Kak-e Khak” is the narration of Mohammad Reza Ahmadi (Haj Habib), a commander in Kurdistan fronts. It has been published by Sarv-e Sorkh Publications in 500 copies in spring of 1400 (2022) and in 574 pages. Fatemeh Ghanbari has edited the book and the interview was conducted with the cooperation of Hossein Zahmatkesh.

Is oral history the words of people who have not been seen?

Some are of the view that oral history is useful because it is the words of people who have not been seen. It is meant by people who have not been seen, those who have not had any title or position. If we look at oral history from this point of view, it will be objected why the oral memories of famous people such as revolutionary leaders or war commanders are compiled.

Daily Notes of a Mother

Memories of Ashraf-al Sadat Sistani
They bring Javad's body in front of the house. His mother comes forward and says to lay him down and recite Ziarat Warith. His uncle recites Ziarat and then tells take him to the mosque which is in the middle of the street and pray the funeral prayer (Ṣalāt al-Janāzah) so that those who do not know what the funeral prayer is to learn it.

A Critique on Oral history of War Commanders

“Answering Historical Questions and Ambiguities Instead of Individual-Organizational Identification”
“Oral history of Commanders” is reviewed with the assumption that in the field of war historiography, applying this method is narrated in an advancing “new” way, with the aim of war historiography, emphasizing role of commanders in creation of its situations and details.