The ceremony of the 40th day of Qom martyrs

Two days after the publication of “Iran and Red and Black Colonialism” in the Ettela’at daily newspaper, in which, Ayatollah Khomeini was insulted. On January 9, 1978, the people and seminary students demonstrated in Qom. Pahlavi government armed forces stormed the demonstration and killed several people, some wounded as well.

Approaching the occasion of the Arba’in (a commemoration on the fortieth day of death or martyrdom) of the Qom martyrs who had martyred on January 9, a number of sources of emulation (Grand Ayatollahs including Sayyed Mohammad-Reza Golpaygani, Sayyed Shahaboddin Marashi-Najafi, and Sayyed Mohammad-Kazem Shariatmadari) declared Saturday, February 18, 1978 (the Day of Arba’in) as general mourning, calling for a general strike across the country.

On February 14, 1978, eleven ayatollahs of Tabriz including Ayatollah Qazi-Tabatabai called on the people of Tabriz to commemorate the Qom martyrs by attending at the Mojtahedi Mosque (known as Qezelli) from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Saturday, February 18, 1978.

Groups of people in Tabriz gathered in front of the mosque an hour or two earlier, but SAVAK agents would not permit the mosque concierge to open the door. Major Hoseyn Haqqshenas – the head of Tabriz’s police station No. 6 – stood with his security men in front of the mosque. Meanwhile, a college student named Mohammad Tajalla said to the Major: “Why do you block people from entering the mosque?”, and the Major said insultingly: “Don’t you see we’ve closed your stable?” Following this insult, Tajalla attacked the Major with a brick, and the Major, in reaction, killed him by shooting a bullet. As a result, severe clashes began and people took to the streets to demonstrate.

In the course of their protests, the angry people burned forty-three banks, a rural cooperative, the Resurrection Party Building, Metropol Cinema, Crystal Cinema, dozens of wine shops, six police stations, etc. They also shattered the windows of the Iranian-American Cultural Association building. One of the slogans of the people of Tabriz during the demonstration was: “We don’t want the Shah anymore!”

The riot police opened fire on the crowd as they were taken by surprise, killing six on the same day, and eight others died in the following days due to severe injuries. Also, more than 100 people were wounded and about 600 were arrested. The clash continued until late in the afternoon, and the regime’s forces eventually suppressed the demonstrators with the help of Chieftain Tanks and reinforcements from the military bases of the two neighbouring towns of Tabriz.

Following the incident, some Tabriz officials including the governor, Lieutenant General Azmoudeh, and Colonel Liqvani were fired. On the other hand, a committee – headed by General Shafaqat – was appointed to investigate the incident. They identified the perpetrators as some deviants and misguided people, the Red and Black colonial slaves, and some malevolent people in Iran who were suffering from the success of the Revolution of the Shah and the People. Some of the authorities were also blamed by the committee:

• Major General Qahramani (the chief of police of East Azerbaijan province)
• Captain Ahmadi (the head of the Tabriz Intelligence and Public Security Police)
• Yaqoub Yaqini (the chief of SAVAK Internal Security)
• Colonel Liqvani (the head of SAVAK East Azerbaijan)
• Major Haqqshenas (The head of Tabriz Police Department No. 6)

In March of that year, Prime Minister Jamshid Amouzgar said on a trip to Tabriz at the City Hall: “This is not our people’s job. This is a conspiracy of rioters who secretly entered the country and fled after the destruction of the city.”

Ayatollah Khomeini writes in a message to the residents of Tabriz on February 27, 1978: “Peace be upon the brave and faithful people of Azerbaijan! Hail to the brave young men of Tabriz! Greetings to the men who rose against the dangerous Pahlavi dynasty and with shouts of “Death to the Shah” made void and null all of his overstatements! Long live the dear warriors of Tabriz...”

Those killed in the demonstrations [of February 1979], were mourned publicly forty days later (holding the Arba’in) by the multitudes in towns all over Iran. In Tabriz the riot police then fired on the mourners, creating new martyrs, and new cycles of remembrances forty days later. Four times this occurred, generating a chain reaction of mourning demonstrations and shootings, with more and more people participating every forty days. That procession of events laid the ground for the final assault on the bastion of the Shah’s regime. This cycle more or less continued until 1979‎.

February 18, 1978, was the first of the Arba’ins that would continue in 1979‎ and led to the victory of the Iranian people’s revolution on February 11, 1979.