From the very early days after my freedom, in all the meetings and gathering I had, I was eager to hear something about Fatima; news that may clarify what had happened to her. I was deeply thoughtful about whatever that had passed to us. Some of my relative and friends had identified my confusion and perplexity. They would console me.
My mother-in-law was the one who would come to visit me more than others but saying not a word about Fatima. I thought that she might have some news about her but she did not like to say anything. I waited till the time that there were less visits. My mother-in-law was a believing woman and was always suspected by SAVAK. She was still silent. I gradually found out that Fatima had been killed. When I understood it, a heavy sad burden sat on my shoulders. I would worship the God day and night to abate my burden. I was wondering where I could refer to get some news about my missing wife; the one that I would not find any more; the one who was lost in a foggy road in rain. She went and left the twins for me. She left and I hope her to have flown lightly. I hope she could have found the chance to repent and ask for God’s sake. May …
My mother-in-law might have had a heavier burden since she had lost her unique daughter for her believes. However, Fatima’s heritage, the twins were the ones who may console her.
Later I investigated about her death but alas. It remained secret till now. There was different news. One would say she had been wiped out by MKO for ideological reasons. The other would say that she had committed suicide because reaching to a deadlock. However, it was clear for me that she had found out the dirty misled identity of MKO and lost her life.[1]
Hard sad days were passing one after another and I was sunk in loneliness. My disabled legs had made the life intolerable for me and others particularly my Mum. She was old and powerless and could not handle my affairs. Sometimes I was really desperate.
In such a confusing and desperate condition, once again my friends helped me and suggested me to marry someone. The late Nasser Naraghi introduced two girls to me. The first one declined my proposal. About the second, he said: “Ahmad! You should marry.” I said: “Agha Nasser! I cannot; no money, no job, and disabled legs are on top of the list. He said: “If someone accepts all these conditions and wants to marry you, what would you say then?!” I said: “Nobody would do this! What do I have that she would prefer to marry me for?” He said: “Her honor is marrying a comrade who is injured and disabled for the fight that he believed in. She wants to have a share in this struggle.” I said: “Agha Nasser! I have two kids!” he said: “This lady loves to give her love and affection to these kids and have the honor of mothering them.” I asked: “Who is she?” he said: “Hamid Khan-Mohammad’s sister!” I got calm. Ahmad Shirini[2] was another son in law of this family. His wife and he also helped me for this marriage.
I know Khan-Mohammad family before and accepted their suggestion based on what Nasser Naraghi and Haj Ahmad Shirini told me.
When I went to Khan-Mohammadi’s house for proposal, they did not decline but were not really happy about it. There were worried about this marriage by heart. Of course, it was clear that they were right; I had no job, no money and not even a sound body (!) and not many other things. Here, it was the late Nasser Naraghi’s wife –Maryam Maslehatjou- who played a constructive role. She did her best. She clearly spoke with their daughter and told her: “Ahmad has disabled legs and should walk by the help of sticks. This marriage means marrying a disabled and his wife should do and handle many affairs that he cannot. Miss Khan-Mohammad would answer: “I am just marrying him since he has been disabled for the struggle he had. I could not be involved in the struggle and by this marriage I am paying my share. I handle his affairs and would be his kid’s mother at least. I am not worried about the daily bread. It is by God’s will not us…”
All the friends, family and relatives worked together and handled our marriage. After the marriage, despite the love my wife showed to take care of Zahra and Maryam, Fartoukzadeh family asked me to keep them with themselves to console and fill the empty place of Fatima. The twins were much more used to live with them. I also felt it was better for this suffered family to keep my twins with them instead of their unique beloved lost daughter. Of course, I should say that it was not easy for us and several people intervened to convince us to accept this matter including Haj Yousef Rashidi and Abbass Douzdouzani.
[1] Mr. Ahmad in a complaint that filed in 1980 at Revolutionary Court Prosecutor writes: “… based on the information I received from different sources, after separation from me my wife would go to a new team-house and being killed later. She has had some opposition with MKO in that house. So, they promote her to the leadership cadre. Taqi Shahram, a dirtiest man of that time, would take her to his team-house in order to hoax her by suggesting more promotions. However, she would not get hoaxed by his hollow words and continue her opposition. Taqi Shahram who observed this situation would kill her and pretend that she had committed suicide and there is no evident about her corpse. It is not clear how they had wiped her out. I should mention these dirty betraying MKO members may do any crime to wipe out the evidence […]. I, as a Muslim, on behalf of all the Muslims killed by these criminals demand from the Revolutionary Court Prosecutor of Iran to clarify the grave of the late martyr Fatima Fartoukzadeh.”
Mr. Ahmad in part of his post-revolutionary memories narrates about his visit with Taqi Shahram. In this visit Mr. Ahmad Ahmad would have a serious quarrel with Taqi Shahram. At first Shahram would deny any connection with Ahmad’s wife. But gradually admits some true and untrue things about her. In Cell No. 16 in Row No. 313 at Evin Prison Taqi Shahram says to Ahmad: “Shapourzadeh committed suicide… she went to Mesgarabad and dive in e well.”
Ahmad and his colleagues at Islamic Revolution Committee would investigate all the wells and ruins in Mesgarabad but not find any evidence about Ahmad’s ex-wife. Ahmad himself believes: “In the winter of 1977 Fatima would fine serious conflicts with MKO central cadre. MKO would purge her and wipe out her body in a well in southern suburbs of Tehran.” Ahmad says: “Some other evidence show that Fatima had been arrested, tortured and killed by SAVAK. But after the Islamic Revolution when Tehrani –the famous torturer at Anti-Sabotage Common Committee – was arrested, I wrote letter to him and mentioned personal data about Fatima and included a picture of her and asked him if he knew anything about her and he answered like this: ‘Brother Ahmad Ahmad! You may not know me well, but I know you very well. In 1973 I was your interrogator. I admire you for your struggle. We gave her info to the agents to arrest her but she was never entrapped. So, naturally we have not tortured or killed her. I say these words at a time that mentioning them would not make any difference in my destiny.”
After studying Fatima Fartoukzadeh’s file by the number of 119742 at Islamic Revolution Documents Center, it was clear that SAVAK could not find and clear trace or info about her and the only information about her death come out of the confessions made by the known executed Hussein Rouhani which are not trustful at all. It is written in this file: “… Fatima Fartoukzadeh daughter of Abolghassem … with the pseudonym of Tahereh, and later Sh. Z, Shapourzadeh … after some time she entered the main-branch and in the summer of 1976 became in charge of printing and publication section. She held this post until the late summer of 1976 and then after there is no evidence about her activities… in the winter of 1977 when MKO central cadre held a session in an inn, Fatima Fartoukzadeh and Mohsen Tarighat were both criticized. After the session Fartoukzadeh would leave her ID cards and gun and took only a grenade with herself and then commit suicide in a ruin in Anoushirvan Dadgar Street (Be’sat Street) …”
For the 10th edition of this book Mr. Ahmad adds: “All the narrated matters about my wife’s suicide are baseless because they all claim that Fatima had gun to Anoushirvan Street alone and then committed suicide. If she has been alone, who has observed her suicide? If the ones claimed this, were asked how they were informed about it, they would answer by: “Organization!” Fatima’s brother (Dr. Fartoukzadeh) and I even went to the coroner’s court. We checked all the names of dead people on those days. There was no evidence to approve their claims. After all these investigations and checking any possible place and people the only conclusion that we could get was that MKO had killed Fatima and wiped out her body.”
[2] Mr. Ahmad Shirini was born in religious family in 1942 in Hamadan. He was a classmate of Hadi Shams Ha’eri and was invited by him to INP. After the relevance of INP in October 1965, he was arrested, trailed and imprisoned. After passing his imprisonment verdict in prisons of Shahrbani, Jamshidiyyeh, and Qasr he was freed on October 28th 1967. After freedom he continued his struggle via financial support for the strugglers and political prisoners. It was one of his main characteristics to support political prisoners. After freedom he worked in Bazaar for 15 years and during this period his house was a safe one for the comrades to hide. It should be mentioned that after the Islamic Revolution his house was targeted by grenade in 1982 be MKO members.
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