I couldn’t understand why Fatima would not show any reaction and it was bothering me. I could guess some changes had happened in her ideas. I thought her religious believes would not let her to take position against me. Lack of reaction by her made me thinking about her attempts and words during the last few months and then I frightened.
Few days later Iraj came and said: “Shapour, someone comes here today to discuss with you and hear your objections and explain the developments for you.” Iraj mounted a rope in the middle of the room and put a veil on it and divided the room to two parts. That afternoon he came. Iraj and he sat on one side and Iraj and I sat on the other side. It was so interesting that Shapourzadeh sat in the middle in a way that she could see both sides. It was a question for me that why my wife had the right to see him but I had not and it was a sad sign for me. It would show that Shapourzadeh knew him before and possibly they might have had some coordination in thoughts and ideas. By hearing the very first words I knew him; he was Mohammad Taqi Shahram. I also could see his huge and bad-shape body shadow clearly because of the light rays on the veil. I found out it was his dirty body who was talking to me on the other side.
During our talks Iraj was playing with my daughter, Maryam, who was only little baby and would run this side and that side and it would show there were some closeness between them. By watching these scenes, I understood how deep that tragedy was and I bid farewell to everything. I had visited Taqi Shahram in 1971-1972 in Qezel Qal’eh. He had a huge body and a harsh voice and cold face.
Taqi Shahram said: “… Shapour! I know you well…” It was clear that he knew me from those prison days and the explanations that my wife and Iraj had given him about me. He began with fundamental discussions about progressive ideals and the masses and people’s struggle, proletarian revolution and … continued: “We should devote everything for the struggle even our ideas. Today, Marxism is a science and we should know this science to overcome the imperialism. This is the only way to win and future is for workers because they had been exploited for years and finally they would rise. It has been two years that we have become Marxists and it is not something happening right now.”
I said: “You are Marxists, aren’t you?! Ok. The comrades do not believe in you. So, why should you consider yourself as leaders?! If you’d been Marxists two years ago why didn’t you tell us this matter when we entered MKO then?” He said: “If you were aware all the trainings we gave would become useless.” I said: “Is it useful now?!”
When Taqi Shahram saw my hardness, he got angry and said: “…if you don’t want to accept Marxism, you can go.”
I said: “I can go?! How easy you look at it?! How can I go when I am stuck in all this mud and being away from my home and family and SAVAK seeking me with all its might; I have no way to go now…!”
Right then, Maryam came to my arms. Iraj said: “Send her to this side.” He meant that I had to listen. Taqi Shahram moved forward his hand to take the veil of Maryam. I knew his fat hairy hand. I became sure that he was Taqi Shahram.
Shahram said: “Shapour! You are a petit bourgeois and cannot understand workers (the proletariat) and struggle beside them. There is another way. I can send you to Zofar[1] to fight against the imperialism.” I said: “No, I won’t make another mistake and you should know that during all this period of time you have hoaxed us with your organizational work. You look like an attractive snake in home that now is biting the owner. This is betraying.”[2]
Then he talked about history and the process of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. I became silent for some minutes in order to see him finishing his talks. Then it was my turn. I exploded like a volcano and said: “… whatever you say is all bullshit. Why is it impossible to fight against imperialism without Marxism? What have we been doing up to now?! The main knowledge is the knowledge of “unity of God” and if somebody does not have it, he would not have anything. Working without “unity of God” is useless and being killed in this way is useless. I only struggle for Islam and devote my life for it. If there not Islam I am not either and I would smash anyone impeding me….”
Then suddenly I remembered other recent events and said: “So you killed Muslim leaders of MKO because this Marxist trend.” And he began presenting explanations and said: “Majid Sharif Vaghefi was martyred during an arm dealing operation (!!) And we are sorry for his death as well (!!)” I was sure he was lying and his hands were in Sharif Vaghefi’s blood.
Whatever he said, I answered aimlessly. He was the so-called theory-maker of ideology change and had come to convince me, but he could not reach to any desired result. I told him: “Why don’t you let the comrades who do not believe in Marxism leave MKO and follow their own life?” And he said: “They do not understand what they should do and may put themselves in trouble and lose their lives and we feel responsibility for their lives.”
Taqi Shahram who was really angry of me would permanently use labels like well-off petit bourgeois, right-winged pseudo-leftist opportunist[3] and reactionary for me. He told Iraj: "This well-off petit bourgeois still cannot identify the status of workers." I said: "It's you the one who do not identify; you've used the money of these workers, Muslims and the nation, and now you are turning your back to them." He said: "This is our right and we have led the stream of struggle and this is our right to use their facilities." I asked: "What will happen to other Muslim comrades?" he said: "All have accepted the ideology change. Few are remained like you that we will let them to keep their religious believes individually only. But they should remain beside us in our struggle. Right now, is not the time of division and separation and keeping the unity is a rule. You cannot understand what we say now. You should go and work like other workers for some time to understand what we say. Continuing this discussion is useless. You should continue your usual task until MKO clarifies your status…"
That day I really interacted quite harshly. Just like a person who had nothing to lose and even his hope for life. It was amazing to me that why he behaved reflexively and tried to answer my questions and justify my objections. He could not reach to his desired result. He was really angry of not getting any success when arguing with me in front of other people. I was persistently of myself what had happened to the Koran verse: "And (as for) those who strive hard for Us, we will most certainly guide them in our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good"[Chapter 29, verse 69]? I was in a condition that cannot be narrated. Everything was indifferent for me. Suddenly I felt some warmness in myself. My body got hot; cold sweat came on my forehead and a light came to my mind. I was frightened if I had lost my beliefs. I shivered.
Khosrow, Parviz and I had many sessions of discussions with each other and finally we decided to stand in front of this ideology change; however, my wife, Fatimah, was not coordinated with us and her behavior would worry us.
[1] Zofar is part of Masqat and Uman Sultanates which is located in south-eastern Arabian Peninsula. Its capital is the port of Salaleh. When British forces decided to leave Persian Gulf in 1967, Zofar Liberation Movement began increasing its struggle for independence.
[2] Ahmad says: “After the Islamic Revolution and when Taqi Shahram had been arrested, I went to prison to visit him and there I told him: “Didn’t I tell you that you are a traitor!?” He said: “No. I’m not. Masoud Rajavi and his band are traitors; the ones who say that they are Muslims while I’m sure they are Marxists, and we are the outcomes of inter-organizational trainings and sons of passed leaders!”
[3] "… The ones who turn their back to the armed revolutionary struggle, or the ones who provoke divide and collide to the benefit of the enemy instead of unity of forces; or the ones who look for an absolute unity among the forces without considering their antithesis, and follow petit capitalism and capitalism, are opportunists. This deviation and opportunism, considering the meanings of being leftist or rightist which mean forwardness or backwardness to the conditions of the time, is called left-deviation (Left opportunism) or right-deviation (Right opportunism).
The trends that only struggle politically are Right opportunists. The ones who consider the antithesis among the forces as the main factor and unity as something marginal are Left opportunists.
Opportunist is equal to deviate from the principals and violating them in action. Opportunism is sacrificing the principals and focusing on margins."
(Trainings about Organization No.3, MKO)
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