 |
|
NMJ: How long have you been advocating democratic reform in Iran?
Zaim:
Well, I like to think I have been active since 1953, when I was close to
the Iran National Front major personalities due to my grand uncle’s and
my father’s close association with them and the democratic movement.
During my college years in the United States and many years after that,
I was among the most active and outspoken critics of the former regime
in Iran. Upon my return to Iran in 1975, I was considered a dissident
until 1979 when I rejoined the post revolution Iran National Front.
Since then, I have continued to speak out as a dissident activist.
Zaim: Back in the 70’s, the American support of the Shah’s regime out of fear of communism, emboldened the Shah in his autocratic reign to put pressure on the democratic forces in Iran. He banned their activities and often jailed its leaders. As the result, religious forces, well-known for their opposition to communism, found open fields for propaganda, recruitment and organizing. Young energetic members of the democratic political organizations, who disliked inactivity, broke away and formed rebellious and armed socialist-Islamist militant groups behind the opportunist clergy. Thus, the Shah created his own enemies and so his own downfall; whereas, if he had allowed peaceful activity of democratic opposition, the impatient youth would have been guided by intelligent and farsighted leaders and would have never been attracted to the traditionally timid and opportunist clergy.
Now, the clerical
regime of the Islamic Republic, after 30 years of theocratic rule, has
proven its inability to reach but a very small and backward segment of
the population. This regime, too, suppressed the democratic forces in
the country and with much more brutality than its predecessor. However,
the information explosion of the 90’s and the current communication
revolution has made it helpless in keeping the democratic opposition
voices from being heard. Furthermore, the ever-strengthening of the
international organizations and pro-activeness of the international
community in support of democracy and accountability has put the current
regime on the defensive.
In addition, I had researched and written a book in 1980 called “Where Is the Soviet Empire Going?” in which I had analyzed facts about the Soviet system and predicted that it would disintegrate in about 10-12 years. I had also predicted independence of eastern European, Caucasian and Central Asian countries within two years hence. The book was first published in Mizan daily newspaper as a serial. Those years the Iran Communist Tudeh Party was very influential and had infiltrated all aspects of the Islamic Republic organizations. The paper Mizan was banned and revolutionary guards attacked its offices and set it on fire. Later the book was published by a brave publisher who believed in me. Bookstores were attacked or threatened not to display or sell the book. The publisher had to turn 7,000 copies out of 10,000 it had printed into pulp. The Communist Party paper attacked me in a center spread. During all this time, Radio Moscow was continuously blasting against me, calling me a self professed theoretician who talked about the future of the Soviet Union without knowing anything about it and preventing friendly relationship between the two brother countries. In response, I sent a message to Radio Moscow, which was published in one of the papers. In this message I told them that I am not afraid of their threats and will do whatever I can to protect the interests of my country. I told them that they didn’t have any talents but threatening and terrorizing, so they should go ahead and do what they’re good at and I will do what I am good at.
I had also written a long two-issue article in another paper warning the ignorant, politically illiterate and outdated clerical hierarchy of the communist infiltrators acting as their advisors and making decisions for them. The paper, “Edalat”, was later closed and its chief editor jailed. Another article that caused trouble was one for a very popular magazine Black and White. In that article I had explained my research about Ayatollah Khomeini’s thoughts and beliefs. I had claimed that, unlike what his current promises of democracy and non-involvement of the clergy government are, he is planning a theocracy based on total religious control of the society. The magazine was attacked and set on fire.
When Soviets attacked Afghanistan, not one dared to voice and sign a declaration of opposition except an Afghan resistance commander, one of the INF leaders, a representative of a high ayatollah and myself. Three months into the Afghanistan invasion, I wrote an article expressing the opinion that the Russians will be bogged down in Afghanistan for 12-13 years and be forced to leave in defeat just like the Americans did in Viet Nam. I also wrote another article criticizing Iran’s revolutionary policies and predicted that soon we will be bogged down in a protracted border war with Iraq. Nine months later, Iraq attacked Iran.
All this had made me very unpopular with the regime and its allies. I was threatened several times. Our bi-lingual school, best in Middle East, was raided by machine gun wielding RGs, confiscated and ransacked. Our home was often the site of RGs midnight shooting spree in the air. One night the shooting was so violent and prolonged that I took my wife and children to the boiler room, spread blankets and hid them behind the boiler until morning, although I myself returned to the bedroom and opened the curtains so they could see me lying down unconcerned. They also repeatedly threatened my family, arrested and detained my wife for a few hours and tried every which way to scare me even through threatening the children.
One day the incumbent head of Iran Central Bank called me and advised that I should hide for a while for there was plot to assassinate me. I told him that I don’t hide. He then asked me, at least, not to go to my office for a few months and offered his own home office in the basement of his sister’s house. I accepted and spent my office hours in his basement, but went home every night. After 2 or 3 months I got tired of seclusion and went back to my office. It took no more than two weeks before I was arrested in my office and taken to the infamous Evin prison. My experience in Evin prison is a story all by itself. Soon after, they also arrested both my younger brothers, one a Maoist group theoretician- leader and one a student activist. This was 1983 when some two dozen other INF activists were also in prison or being arrested. Evidently, I was supposed to be executed in prison; however, after the communist party fell out of favor with Ayatollah Khomeini and their leaders arrested, I survived and was released after some 4 or 5 months.
Before my imprisonment, when threats against me were becoming more frequent and obvious, some armed political groups offered assistance to protect me and/or to take my family to safety. One was the Armenian nationalists who promised protection of family and the transporting of them outside the country in case of my arrest or death. Soon after my arrest, my wife and two sons of 6 and 4 were zipped out of the country with the help our Kurdish fellow countrymen on horseback through and over the snowy mountains into Turkey. This must have been one the most dangerous trips and the most frightening experience my family had to endure. In Turkey, they were received by the Turkish Ambassador who arranged for their flight to the United States.
Zaim:
Yes. My eldest is a highly talented poet and musician. He used to write
poems when in grammar school that would boggle the mind. He has
perfected a talent I tried when young, but didn’t go far with it. My
second son is also a talented in theatre, writing plays and directing.
|
| Amil Imani is an Iranian-born American citizen and pro-democracy activist residing in the United States of America. Imani is a columnist, literary translator, novelist and an essayist who has been writing and speaking out for the struggling people of his native land, Iran. He and his family escaped Iran after the radical Islamic revolution. He maintains a website at www.amilimani.com. |
