Fruitless Advice

Shahram accused of not being from the workers and not tasting their pains. He said that I could not understand their position and what they say. So, he told me: "Shapour! You should go and work in factories to understand what I say and increase your political knowledge." Then the official order from MKO was given to me.

I went to Damavand Street to look for a job. I found some factories in a side street. A lock-making factory was hiring workers. Many people were standing in row in front of that factory to be interviewed and employed. I also stood there. When it was my turn to be interviewed the interviewer asked me to show him my hands. I did. He smiled and said: "These soft hands show that you have not been a worker. Hands of a worker are hard skinned and harsh. He asked: "Where have you worked?" Looking at his meaningful smile I answered him with Semnani accent[1]: "I had a grocery in Semnan. My partner swindled and I was bankrupt. Now I am in Tehran to make my ends meet." He who had become suspicious of me asked: "Do you know what the future of this job is?" I said: "Ok. All the people look for a better status in their job." He said: "Have you seen these bicycles that move around in the streets and shout: 'Locksmith, locksmith…we open any lock!'…? At most you would do this." Then he began laughing. When I saw that he was making fun of me, I came out and continued my search for a job as worker.

Nail-making company was employing workers who were somehow literate. I would fit for this job and since I had a good strong body they hired me. From the very first day I worked with pressing machine. They said we had one hour time for saying prayers and having lunch. I asked one of workers where the praying hall was. He asked surprisingly: "Praying hall?!" Then he showed the second floor in the building which was half constructed and said: "There is no praying hall but you can put a rug and say your prayers there." When I went to the second floor, I saw three other people came as well. We put a rug together and prayed. It was so interesting that among about seventy workers, we four would pray there. If somebody would ask about my past, I would tell the story of grocery and bankruptcy because of being swindled by my partner. This way nobody would become suspicious about me because I could address the streets and exact locations in Semnan. I knew there very well and nobody would think of checking the truth there in Semnan.

Anyway…MKO forced me to work as a worker in order to make me accept the new conditions. But this had a reverse effect on me. I followed my own ideals and beliefs there. I would pray on time and talk about mu political and religious thoughts with other workers. I would enjoy it.

MKO made a great mistake by forcing me to work as a simple worker. Some days after finishing my work at factory I would not go to the team-house. Instead, I would go to the houses of different people including the late Sadegh Eslami to find way out of the bog of misled MKO for myself.