Jalal Al Ahmad

The History of the Islamic Revolution
Jalal Al Ahmad

Sayyed Hoseyn or as his birth certificate says Sayyed Jalaloddin Sadat Al Ahmad is known as Jalal Al Ahmad. He was born on March 27, 1924, in the Sayyed Nasroddin neighbourhood in Tehran. His father, Sayyed Ahmad Taleqani, was a cleric, and after Jalal finished primary school, he forced him to leave school and start working in the market. However, besides working and without his father’s knowledge, Jalal continued his education. In 1943, he received a diploma from Dar al-Funun and began studying higher education. He translated and published a pamphlet called “Azadari-e Namashrou’.”

 

Jalal Al Ahmad joined the Tudeh Party of Iran in 1944, and in 1945, his first story, “Ziyarat,” was published in Sokhan magazine. Later on, he published a collection of stories called “Did va Bazdid.”

 

After finishing higher education, he became a teacher in 1946. Moreover, under the supervision of Ehsan Tabari (one of the leaders of the Tudeh Party), he founded the People Monthly and was the manager of the printing house of the party – Shoulevar Publishing House- for six months.

 

In 1947, Al Ahmad and some members of the Tudeh Party, led by Khalil Maleki, left the party due to its adherence to the policies of the Soviet Union and its leader Stalin. They then founded another party called “The Tudeh Socialist Party of Iran” which later on was disbanded. Jalal left politics for a while and started writing and translating.

 

In 1950, Al Ahmad married Simin Daneshvar, a writer and university professor. In the same year, he returned to the world of politics and began his political activity in the “Toilers Party of the Iranian Nation.” Furthermore, after the establishment of the National Movement and Dr. Mohammad Mosaddeq becoming the Prime Minister, Jalal together with Khalil Maliki organized another party called the “Third Force.” In the meantime, he used to manage and author various magazines such as “Elm va Zendegi,” “Shahed,” and “Nirou-ye Sevom.” Al Ahmad also published a collection of stories, “Zan-e Ziyadi,” and the translation of Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Dirty Hands” in 1950.

 

In the wake of the U.S.-led coup d’état on August 19, 1953, and the defeat of the Iranian National Movement, Al Ahmad left the Third Force Party. Subsequently, he preferred to remain silent and not engage in political activities due to successive political failures. He describes this period as follows: “It was an opportunity to contemplate about myself and travel around the country....” Consequently, he managed to write some books including” Orazan,” “Tatneshinha-ye Bolouk-e Zahra,” “Jazireh-ye Khark,” “Sargozasht-e Kandouha,” “Modir-e Madrasseh,” etc.

 

In 1962, he became the editor of the magazine “Keyhan-e Mah.” In the first issue of this magazine, an article by Al Ahmad was published, which was censored by SAVAK. This article was actually the first chapter of a book called “Gharbzadegi” in which Al Ahmad criticized Westernization and following the West in political and economic aspects. The main theme of the book was the imperial system, which, according to Al Ahmad, was turning the country into a colony and a consumer of the products of foreign companies.

Censorship could not impede the publication of the book and finally, it was secretly published. There were supporters and opponents of the book, and for years, various individuals, especially the youth read the book and were influenced by its content.

 

In the last half of 1962, the Ministry of Culture sent Al Ahmad to Europe to pursue his studies in the field of publishing textbooks. He also went to the Soviet Union in 1964, then attended the Hajj pilgrimage, and in 1965 travelled to the United States. The result of all these journeys is the travelogues he wrote. “Khasi dar Miqat” is the title of his Hajj travelogue, in addition to those he wrote about Russia and the United States. Moreover, the journey to “Azrael” is another travelogue he wrote. “Arzyabi-e Shetabzadeh,” “Nefrin-e Zamin” and the translation of Eugène Ionesco’s work “Rhinoceros,” and “Über Die Linie” by Ernst Jünger are other works of Al Ahmad that were published before his death on 9 September 1969.

 

In 1967, when the Pahlavi regime headed by Farah Diba, the queen of Iran, wanted to start a Congress of Iranian Writers, Al Ahmad openly stood against it and by organizing various writers founded the “Writers’ Association of Iran.” Al Ahmad was an influential writer in contemporary Iranian literature whose works enjoy popularity.

 

Some believe that his death at the age of 46 was suspicious and they suspect that he was murdered mysteriously by SAVAK in Asalem, Gilan. He was buried in Firouzabadi Mosque in Rey. Some of Jalal Al Ahmad’s works were published after his death. He left 32 books (authored 22 and translated 10 books). Two of his books namely “Dar Khedmat va Khiyanat-e Roshanfekran” and “Gharbzadegi” were banned. Many books and articles have been published about his personality, works and thoughts.

 

Reference: The Encyclopedia of the Islamic Revolution.

 

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