Shock and passivity in front of revolution waves

In the final few months of life of Pahlavi regime and in the years of Islamic Revolution, four official newspapers were being published in the country. The stance of these four newspapers is the topic that has been studied briefly during the struggles of Muslim people of Iran and their stance after the Islamic Revolution.
In the final few months of the Pahlavi regime’s life and during the victory of the Islamic Revolution, four Official newspapers were published in the country. These four newspapers were "Ettela'at", "today’s message ", "Ayandegan" and "Keihan" and we are going to consider the stance of these four newspapers in the struggles of Muslim people of Iran and after the Islamic Revolution.

Ettela’at Newspaper

This newspaper belonged to the family of "Masoudi"; and was published for the first time by "A. Masoudi" in the 1925. Masoudi was highly captivated by the Reza-Khani reforms and after the news coverage of the opening ceremony of the National Assembly by Reza Shah; he received the special attention and support of the Court and Reza Shah.
So the progress of this newspaper and Masoudi family was begun. Later, this newspaper praised this regime so much during the ruling of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the second Pahlavi Regime. In the last months of the Pahlavi regime, this newspaper introduced the revolutionaries as "rioters" and "disruptive of public order in the country.
But with the emergence of a national reconciliation government, "Sharif Emami," and by giving a little freedom to the press, the Ettela'at newspaper reflected the news about the march of people on the Fetr feast on the 17th of September and the number of its martyrs and wounded.
A few months later, with the rise of the revolutionary movement of people led by Imam Khomeini, this newspaper tried more to reflect the views of political figures along with the revolution, but with a National Front's intellectual range. the reflection of the news related to the activities of the Engineer Bazargan and even the publish of the interview of ''Karim Sanjabi'' were some these topics in which Sanjabi claims that he is ready to form a Provisional Government if proposal is approved by the people and Imam Khomeini.)
However, after the arrival of Imam Khomeini to the Islamic homeland on the 12th of February, reflecting the news of the companions of Imam partly reflects the news related to the positions of members of the National Front members.
For example, Ettela'at newspaper for supporting the revolutionary execution of the Revolutionary Courts published a special issue on the 27th of February of 1983.
But when holding a referendum was mentioned to determine the system of government by Imam Khomeini, the Ettela'at newspaper published some articles by which protested, as implied, the system of "Islamic Republic" that was mentioned by Imam Khomeini. For example, in the essay of "Islamic republic or a democratic socialist republic" written by "Ahmad Khalil Almoqadam" or in the essay named "we will not reach to the favourite Republic with yes or no " written by "M. Kamali" who have protested against the Islamic Republic.
But when "Ayatollah doctor Mohammad Mofateh" came to the Ettela'at newspaper as the representative of Imam Khomeini in this institute, articles and comments reflected both the views in favour of the Islamic Republic and against it. This dual process in the Ettela'at newspaper continued even after the death of the martyr Mofateh and when Hojjatolislam "Doayi" came to the newspaper as the representative of Imam Khomeini and even when "Shams al-Ahmed" managed the newspaper this dual process still persists partially.

The newspaper of '' today’s message''

The newspaper of "Today's Message" owned and Managed by doctor "A.R Azimi" published after the coup of 1953. Azimi with the help of his brother, doctor "Muhammad Ali Davani," published this newspaper with the support and collaboration of a group of Westernized intellectuals or writers that reflected the performance of the Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and somehow praised it.
The newspaper in the last year of the second Pahlavi regime, was still an unquestioning support of Mohammad Reza Shah .The managers of this newspaper even after the uprising of people of Qom in the 1977 were still reflecting the News of King s trips and praised the king so much that published a special issue in the anniversary of " White Revolution of King". Then this newspaper reflected people's uprising in Tabriz and called them as communist revolutionary and reactionary elements and supported the military action to crack down on rioters . But after the victory of Islamic Revolution, the newspaper "Today the message" seemingly began his second publication by Abdu Rasouli, the editorial director and behind the scenes by Reza Marzban in the 1976.
Reza Marzban was one of the Western intellectual elements, and he mentioned that one of his honours is reading the works of "Ahmad Kasravi" when he was 13 years that had led him to a mental change. He announced in the new era: "Today's Editorial Board believes in some principles that never will deviate from them: faith in the people
Friendships with people, unanimity with people in the suppression of oppression, faith in human rights and at the forefront of it the human right of freedom ... "and the fact was that neither Reza Marzban was ashamed of his previous performances before the victory of Islamic Revolution and nor the renounce range of newspaper writers of this newspaper had been changed.
In the later editions, the newspaper of ''the message today'' that claimed to be a revolutionary newspaper, showed his positions against the Islamic Revolution
So that in the third issue and in an interview with "Aryanpur" he has accused Imam Khomeini and his entourage to the dictatorship , and he wrote: "unfortunately the dictatorship has reached so much into the fabric of our social life that even many of us who have campaigned against the political dictatorship now we have a magisterial look.
Then this newspaper in a series of articles against the government of Islamic Republic begins articles such as "How Republic and why Islamic not?''
They had openly disagreed with the Islamic Republic government of Imam Khomeini which was accepted by the majority of people and in the contrary they supported the Democratic Republic government
In the article named "with the dead rising from the grave of history that rush to the freedoms of people" these words had been precisely written: "any referendum is invalid.''
And finally, this newspaper released an announcement entitled ''do not hold a referendum for freedom.'' to boycott the referendum in the 1979.
But in the contrary to the idea of newspapers owners, people participated in the referendum to determine the type of government, and they selected the "Islamic Republic" with the votes of more than 98 percent. After the election, newspaper directors who saw themselves as the minority group opposed to the system put the support of movements of counter-revolutionaries on their agenda and it was a full support of the separatists.
After a while this newspaper opposed to the draft of constitution and eventually opposed to the Islamic Republic and it supported the counter-revolutionaries until finally the publication of this newspaper was prevented in the 1979 accused of open support for counter-revolutionaries by Prosecutor of the Islamic Revolution public mass.

'' Ayandegan'' newspaper

Ayandegan or Posterity newspaper whose proprietor and editor was "Dariush Homayoun", published in the summer of 1965 for the first time. Homayoun was highly captivated by the Pahlavi regime and in a meeting with "Meir Azury" -the represent assistance of Israel in Iran, asked him to invest 2 million $ in the newly established newspaper "Future" in return he will support Israel by writing articles in his newspaper ''the future/ Posterity'' ''
Then after the help of the occupying regime of Israel to the newspaper of posterity, Dariush Homayoun trips to the occupied Palestine began and then his progress in the world of politics began.
This newspaper during the Pahlavi regime and even during the Islamic revolution always named religious parties in opposition to the "royal court" as the red and black reaction. But with the victory of the Islamic Revolution led by Imam Khomeini, the posterity Newspaper which must adapt itself to the new situation, began to support the Marxist militant groups, for example he disagreed with the essay of "fighters should not be disarmed written by Ali Mirfetros and protested against Imam Khomeini who had ordered all groups should be disarmed.
when the matter of referendum about the system of government was mentioned seriously, this newspaper published articles and interviews in which they had openly protested against the "Islamic Republic", for example the article of "may be the title of Iranian Republic is sufficient" written by "Hassan Nazyh" or the article of " the revolution of Iran wants democratic freedom" written by "Mahmoud Dolat Abadi. In contrast, people who had not forgotten the past of this newspaper and its support from Israel during the Arab-Israeli conflict, had gathered in front of the office frequently, sometimes even this newspaper itself reflected the news of these gatherings.
The hostility of this newspaper with the Islamic Revolution was continued until only four days after the testimony of "Ayatollah Motahary," this newspaper published an article about the reasons for his assassination and its agents
Imam Khomeini became so upset and its office denied the truth of this article and Imam Khomeini said that he will not read this newspaper again.
This message was enough to expand the protests of angry Muslim people against this newspaper until this newspaper was not published for 4 days and after being published on Saturday, the first issue of ''the future'' newspaper was published in 4 pages that three pages were white, and only on the first page of the article entitled "whether the publication of ''the future'' newspaper must be continued?''
Then after this event this newspaper moved a few days with the lights off and published its articles cautiously, but then it began publishing the articles against the drafting of the constitution and this newspaper announce its opposition against it.
Finally, the Attorney General in the 1979 seized this newspaper accused to charges of conspiracy against the revolution
the Deputy Minister of National Guidance announced the reasons for the closure of this newspaper as: the financial support and help of Israel to the newspaper for its establishment, the direct support of government and the head of SAVAK and the indirect support of king from the newspaper, the cooperation of the newspaper with SAVAK and the CIA, the publication and spread of deviant ideas among Muslim revolutionary people of Iran.

''Keyhan'' newspaper

Keyhan newspaper whose proprietor was "Rahman Faramarzi" and whose editor was "Mustafa Mesbahzadeh" began its release in the 1941. The motive of the publication of this newspaper was the direct support of the Pahlavi dynasty. Mesbahzadeh received financial support from the king and court to start its job that was supporting the King and its royal family.
Mesbahzadeh said about this donation: "The only financial base that we had was the help of the king. He helped us in two ways, an initial contribution of 50 dollars with which the newspaper launched its work.
The second contribution was when the Majesty gave 150 dollars to buy a printer for newspaper. Captain "Hussein Ferdoust" who was the trustful person for king, brought us the money in cash.
although this newspaper did not hesitate the help the royal regime during the life of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, but after the protest of people against the regime and the escape of senator Mesbahzadeh and a number of managers of Keyhan to London, this newspaper changed its way to a quite revolutionary state and published the biggest title of those days, "the king went
Then the writers and staff of Keyhan newspaper tried to cover special interviews, announcements and news related to Imam Khomeini. Also another revolutionary measure of this newspaper include news related to the conflict with the Shah's army, the number and names of the martyrs and printing their photos from all over the country.
From that time, the relationship of Imam Khomeini followers started with the employees and the authors of the Keyhan newspaper. We can even mention the lecture of "Ayatollah doctor Beheshti" in the office of this newspaper and his response to reporters' questions about the Islamic government and the political thought of Imam Khomeini in the 1978 and this is considered as a turning point for this newspaper.
After the victory of Islamic Revolution, the Keyhan newspaper is one of the few presses that have reflected the news of the execution of the Pahlavi regime's Revolutionary Court completely. Inserting the indictment and the defence of the accused with a picture of the executed are the main news is the Keyhan newspaper. This newspaper even published a special number in which has completely covered the trial and execution of special "N.Nasiri", "Maj. Gen. Khosrowdad", "Maj. Gen. Reza Naji" and "General Mohammad Rahimi" and it also covered the trial of the Pahlavi regime completely.
Though Keyhan newspaper reflected different views about the state of the political groups during the referendum to determine the system of government, but it reflected more the views of Imam Khomeini on the governance and also the interviews with key members of the Islamic Republic Party with this subject "what is the Islamic Republic what do we want from it?"
After the referendum, this newspaper reflected the full news about the results of the referendum and the congratulation of people in groups, parties to Imam and the people who vote "yes" to the "Islamic Republic.