Post-Revolution Activities (Winter 1979)
Part of Mulla Saleh Qari Memoirs
By Faezeh Sasanikhah
Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian
2023-2-21
The pleasant spirit of the revolution could be felt everywhere; no matter what time of day it was, I worked hard.
I sat down next to Sheikh Isa Tarafi. While holding a pen and paper, he turned to me and asked: “Do you know what is the most important thing for you now?” I answered: “No, I don’t. Tell me, please.”
Sheikh smiled and said: “The most important thing is to guide the people of the region through the radio. You and other brothers go for this and start your work in the radio station.”
It was a good and effective suggestion.
The next morning, I and Sheikh Ali, son of Sheikh Isa Tarafi, Sheikh Ibrahim Diravi, one of our friends, Ali Fallahian[1], and several seminary students, who were fluent in Arabic, headed towards the radio and television station. We got there, and very soon we took over the Arabic section, which was active before the revolution, and most of its programs were news against the Baathist regime.
The new task of the group was to organize Arabic programs on the radio, which mainly broadcast revolution news, religious programs, songs, and local theater.
These radio programs, over time, had a great impact in introducing the goals of the revolution in the neighboring Arab countries, but they were not enough and establishing a cultural center, where could influence the Arab youth of the city, especially the talented youth of the villages, seemed necessary. To implement this idea, I founded a center called "Al-Thaqafi"[2] in a building adjacent to the Radio and Television in South Bowardeh with the help of my friends. Then contacted the Arabic instructors in Qom and invited them to cooperate.
After announcing through the Arabic section of Radio Abadan, many young people from the city and Arab villages around the outskirts came to the center to enroll and attend the training courses. The building was crowded with Arabs and non-Arab youth from rural and urban areas. Everyone came to register in this cultural center.
I encouraged young people having a diploma or lower degree to take seminary courses. Instructors were also invited from Qom, and their accommodation and salaries were also considered.
Along with this activity, I established a committee called "Islamic Revolution Committee" with the help of my friend, "Ali Fallahian". We identified poor and destitute families and took care of them. Of course, the contributions we needed supplied from Tehran.
The truck stopped in front of the building, and the goods that arrived from Tehran were being unloaded. Active and passionate youths carried the boxes inside the building. I was happy and thanked God for stepping toward the revolution goals.
The cultural items, public aid, and food for the needy were supplied by the Kangerlu Brothers, who were the activists of the "Islamic Dawn" group, whom I had met in prison, and who were close friends with Ayatollah Dr. Beheshti. These items came to Abadan from Tehran almost once a month and were distributed among families and cultural centers.
Although the gap between the rich and the poor was so big that it could not be filled with these aids; thus, fundamental action had to be taken. It is why I, and Ali Fallahian, made up our minds and formed the Islamic Revolution Committee to identify and help the poor and orphans. There was an indescribable joy in the youth working there.
At nights, when the alleys of the poor neighborhoods fell into darkness, people spent their time in their houses, relieved; because there was no more clashes and fear of the constables and officers of SAVAK. Kind hands knocked on the doors to give the donated food boxes to the waiting poor.
People visited the center every day, and the room was always crowded. Everyone arrived for help or made a request. Ali, my other friends and I helped them, including providing construction materials, land, job, or even marriage loans, etc, according to the priority of the needs. Eventually, Imam Khomeini ordered to establish "Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation". With the formation of this foundation, tasks were done in an administrative and coherent routine.[3]
[1] Ali Falahian was one of my friends before and after the revolution. We worked together in the Islamic Revolution Committee to identify the poor. After that, we worked together during the war. After the establishment of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, I joined them, and he moved.
[2] A cultural center that was established to train the Arab and non-Arab youth in the region.
[3] Ghobishi, Marzieh, Mulla Saleh, The Biography of Mulla Saleh Qari, translator of Iranian prisoners, Qom, Shahid Kazemi Publications, 2015, p. 95.
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