Freed from “Qasr”

The verdicts for INP members were different. Some also got some commutations. So, the people would be freed in six months or a year or so. Some of them who had precious experiences in prison would go back to political activities and the fight against the Pahlavi regime. And some would back to their ordinary life and forget political activities. There were also some people who continue their activeness by following indirect activities such as collecting news, financial helps for the prisoners’ families.

On the anniversary of the Shah’s birthday on 26^th of October and his coronation feast, a group of files in the Army Legal body were revised and some got commutations and some were freed. I never expected to get a communication because of my stubbornness in behaving with the guards; however, my file had also included a commutation. But mistakenly they had written Ahmad Ahmadi instead of my name which was quite similar to my name.

Finding out this matter has a nice story to hear. My Mum, who had known that some of my friends had been freed, had gone to the prison and told the officials: “My son’s verdict is just like the ones who are freed, why he is not?!” So, after few come-and- goes the official understood their mistake.

On 2^nd of November Major Teymouri, head of Prisons No. 3 and 4, called me to the prison’s office. He told me: “Ahmad, look! You are in a Muslim group and I am happy with that. You are good believers. I have a request from you. I’ve heard the ones who are freed are doing some activities again. None of you wrote a recantation letter and are freed. I am telling you do not put yourself in disaster. Tell you pall to stop their activities for some time and let us to free the younger Muslim ones. Then you can do whatever you like.”

Then he apologized for the mistake about my name which had resulted in a delay for my freedom. So, I was freed on November 2^nd 1967 after I retold the message of Major Teymouri for the late Mr. Araqi and gathered my stuff.

My palls in our neighborhood welcomed me very warmly. They sacrificed a lamb and distributed sweet drinks and pastries in the street. They came to visit me in groups and were eager to know about inside prison. I could observe their satisfaction to have a political prisoner among themselves. I told what I knew particularly for the young ones.

Prison with all its limitations and special conditions, its happy and sad moments, had a great effect on me. The relations there had a great effect on my insight. Prison was a chance for me to think about the path that I was passing through and think about what can satisfy God. I had a chance to try more to reach to a political balance and react logically. Learning Koran and Islamic thoughts were among the greatest achievements for me during this period. When I was freed, I had a heavy burden of experience and new thoughts. Prison helped me to observe the mistakes and the way to compensate. I passed my best days with INP members. Although I was arrested and put in prison several times in later years, but I could never achieve more than this period.

The give and take of thought and information, being aware of non-Islamic thoughts- particularly the Marxist ones, presence of different political analysis, different crisis and problems, reading lot of books, party framework discussions, and … created a new situation for us and became light for the future path; despite being full of twists and dangers.