Destination of a man who wanted to burn Quran

SEYED Ahmad KASRAVI is a modern historian and linguist. He is the man of intellect and modern culture. He is Haji Mir QASEM TABRIZI’s son who was born in Tabriz on 8th of MEHR, 1269 (solar year). NASEH NATEGH TABRIZI stated KASRAVI’s family in his book in this way: “KASRAVI did not have a famous family in Tabriz. Alike most dynasties, his family wanted their child to study Jurisprudence and become a well-known JURISCON or a famous preacher. Learning religious sciences in old schools and educating in Jurisprudence branch of science was a goal for deprived class of the society, so that they can become respectful and well known.” (See PAJOUHESHGARAN MOASER Book, Vol.4, P. 2-1)
After spending parts of his old and new education, he stepped in social activities field. First he chose to be a teacher in an American school in Tabriz named Memorial School. In 1295 (solar year), he went to Caucasus and stayed in Tbilisi for a while. He got familiar with some Russian, Armenian, Georgian and Turkish illuminati people; hence he read some books and periodicals. After a while, he went back to Tabriz and he continued teaching in the American school. At first, he was proud of his lordship and wore like a clergy man. Later, he preferred to be Iranian rather than being a descendant of the prophet (Syed). He chose KASRAVI for his surname as he was one of Imam Hussein’s descendants, forth Imam’s children, and because of SHAHRBANOU, forth Imam’s mother and the daughter of YAZDGERD, the Sassanid king. (Hafiz monthly. No.78 Feb. P.20)

Sheikh Mohammad KHIYABI and KASRAVI’s movement:

On 17th of FARVARDIN, 1299 (solar year), the armed uprising against VOSUGH-Al-DOWLEH`s government and English Imperialists started in Tabriz and the other cities of Azerbaijan. Leading by Sheikh Mohammad KHIYABANI and revolutionaries to occupy state offices.
At first KASRAVI followed Sheikh Mohammad KHIYABANI, but it didn’t last too long that they found disagreement and got separated. Therefore KASRAVI made a new group called TANQIDIYOUN.
AHMAD writes about KHIYABANI and his uprising: “KHIYABANI wished for Iran’s bless. He believed the only way to reach this clue was to get the government, rebuild every department and set some new laws. In the meantime, MIRZA KOUCHAK KHAN JANGALI had the same dream. They didn’t believe about Iran`s improvement, in this way. This was the reason that, KHIYABANI didn’t follow Bolsheviks thoughts and followed his own way of thinking. (18-year-old history of Azerbaijan. P. 865)
While Khiabani was engaged to three fronts of England, Russia and domestic tyranny, Kasravi was on the opposite side of him and he gathered a group of people who disturbed KHIYABANI. At first, he declares his disagreement on the basis of criticism and protest and as he said he ridiculed KHIYABANI. KASRAVI continued to oppose KHIYABANI, so that foreigners especially British Colonialism wanted his help to eliminate him.
AHMAD KASRAVI, himself wrote that: “KHIYABANI’s manner followed some results because both English and Iranian government got fear and started to seek for a remedy. Major Edmond, head of the political department came from Qazvin to Tabriz. I was the one who saw Edmond then he said: “As I understood you are KHIYABANI’s enemy, I want to know whether you can fight against him with government’s assistance and cut him off?” AHMAD replied:
“I answer simply as you ask simply; we cannot fulfill it because firstly, our followers are some merchants that they do not have time to fight. Secondly, we scattered our group, very early and that was our benefit. Thirdly, as KHIYABANI uprising is in the connection with Azerbaijan movement, we cannot fight against him.” I said.
As per KASRAVI’s saying, he was not the warrior against KHIYABANI, hence he dodged colonialism and arrogance. On the other hand he tried to convince the others to eliminate KHIYABANI and he wanted EIN-AL-DOWLEH to assist him regarding this issue.

KASRAVI and his pure speech

In 1299 (solar year), KASRAVI was employed in Justice Department but with coup of 1299 and the recess he went to Tehran and started over his job with becoming a member of Tehran Appeals and then the head of the justice department. He was a judge for a while. In the second decade of Reza Shah’s government, he secede state occupations and turned to researches.
During 1313 till 1319 (solar year), he started to write about constitution of Iran. In the meantime he published PEYMAN and PARCHAM Magazine which within he criticize Iranians religious culture; afterward he claimed a new religion. Undoubtedly, Reza Khan’s government atmosphere which was an anti-religious and anti-cultural era was effective in KASRAVI’s point of view. He started a new movement in two religious and cultural fronts with two propagandas, pure religion and pure speech.
Pure speech in KASRAVI’s view point was to eliminate all Arabic terms from Persian language. It is important to consider that Iranian Islamic culture mingled with Arabic and its literature so that any attempt for secluding Arab literature makes it impossible for future generations to use ancient works and cultural and religious sources. As a result it causes a good field for twisting the book.

KASRAVI’s brothers and his family member:

This picture was taken in Tabriz in 1318. KASRAVI was familiar with religious contents and literary and cultural resources and he could strike more effective as he was aware. Burning the book was an anti-cultural insane job. He says: “Obviously, many books that are precious for the others like GOLESTAN, BOUSTAN of SAAD’DI, HAFEZ, MAFATIH book and so on, deserve fire.” (Court, p.22&23)

KASRAVI and Pure Religion:

He was against all divine’s religions; especially he ridicules Islamic beliefs. He opposed with the superstitions under the name of religion and criticized the piety beliefs and sentences also he didn’t follow isolationism, sophism, sham, and he didn’t like abusing religious feelings. Though, he knew Islam as a new school and way of thinking that fights against corrupt governments and wants to mend human society with forming a new school of thinking and a righteous government. He states: “you know it well what is province and government is called in Shia. According to this religion, Imam owns the government. As he is out of access, Scholars and priests are his successors. So they replaced with Mullahs. Mullahs interfere in poor people’s lives and occupy the fields with no owners and sales them. So they know JAER’s governments as usurpers and they ban paying taxes and going to military.” (In response to malevolent p.7)
Therefore KASRAVI has this view point toward culture and religion and this way of thinking was effective in his historiography. It can be said that his books are documented correctly and it’s according to his own interests.

Defending Reza Khan

KASRAVI’s characteristic formed in Revolution and its goals. But the important point is that against all Reza Khan’s critics, he defended Reza Shah and got sad due to his debacle. This kind of analysis of Reza Shah Performance causes a question that why KASRAVI the Constitutionalist defended Reza Shah the arrogant?
One of KASRAVI’s and Reza Shah’s government concerns was to improve motivations for supporting Iran. KASRAVI lived in an Arab nationalist society. His era was the time when different kinds of nationalist societies improved. His thoughts were different, thought. Therefore this was then reason of these two men connection.
He got mad at the second part of Reza Shah’s government and he seceded from state occupations.
He himself said: “there is nothing except disadvantages about Reza Shah and also about his Successor there is nothing rather bad will.”
Since then, he only spent his time on researching and being attorney. He taught in Tehran and Epaulet University but, with approving the law of employing professors, he was entitled to deviate some texts about poems and poets in PEYMAN monthly magazine, but He didn’t accept.

Years at Justice Department service:

Although he spent his time on social criticism and Iranians manner pathology during Reza Shah’s bad years and supported revolution goals, he never stuck in Reza Shah’s dungeons.
The government showed the tolerance, toward KASRAVI’s house meetings, code book publication, European criticism, criticism of Sufism, chaos and his book burning. This matter shows that, Reza Shah sees his government advantages in attracting and keeping KASRAVI and he tried a lot to work with him in political, judiciary and educational system. Therefore he invited AHAMAD for teaching, in one of the universities. Although KASRAVI didn’t accept, he thanked Reza Shah for his efforts.
In KASRAVI’s point of view, Reza Shah was not a man who grew up by England’s assist. Because England tried to help Sheikh KHAZAL in order to keep his reign in Sheikh’s family but it could not be fulfilled by Reza Khan. KASRAVI believed that if Reza Shah was one of English men, he wouldn’t have prepared an army for Iran and how come he brought the states under the government’s control? Why he forced women to remove their hijabs (Islamic dress) ? Why he cut off all scandals like hitting yourself by chains and cutlasses in order to mourn?

Sheikh KHAZAL:

It is very clear that, KASRAVI has selective perspective against Reza Shah. Despite of being familiar with the facts of the revolution of 1299 and secret activities of Britain, he didn’t declare it in order to not speak about Reza Shah’s relationship with England while some clear declarations in historical resources states that Reza Shah empowered by England’s assistance. For instance, DOLATABADI writes instead of Reza Shah: “I came by England.” MAKKI said something like this about MOSADEGH.
It is obvious that instead of dealing with Reza Khan’s power, KASRAVI did not talk directly about his relation with England and he ignored this matter clearly. Because KASRAVI knew that forming a powerful and centralized state after the First World War in Iran, was the common goal of Libertarians and England to release Iran government from huge crisis in the absence of Russians. Therefore, instead of entering to historical topics with a pragmatic point of view, he looks at Reza Shah’s results in order to praise him and ignore the facts.
This photo has been taken in GHOUCHAN when KASRAVI went to KHORASAN by the command of Ministry of justice. He writes about Reza Shah that” many benevolent goals made Iran to reach establishing MELLI bank, abolishing Capitulation, integration of clothes, creating railway and so on and the other one was removing hijab.” (Ahmad KASRAVI, 1355, our sisters and mothers. Tehran, book, p.4)
In order to show his speech real about Reza Shah, KASRAVI declared that he protected the facts but not Reza Shah.
In a nutshell, KASRAVI praises Reza Shah’s policy toward women freedom, hijab elimination, and restriction of clergymen’s power. He questioned Reza Shah authoritarian policy and he knew them against constitution and law.

KASRAVI Literature

With regards to KASRAVI’s way of thinking, literary criticism is the weakest part of his scientific life. In fact, his critical ideas about literature are a mean for proscription of his scientific face. This matter made the scholars shocked that why he judged literature by his feelings and opinions interference while he adhered to history and linguistics?

SAEED NAFISI:

SAEED NAFISI, reminds his first visit with AHMAD KASRAVI in this way: “… he was nave… he wanted me to take him to ADIBUL SALTANE (minister of justice) home in order to get a job for him… it became clear… that he argued with every members of departments and made them suffer. The late SAMIEE promised to give him a job but under some conditions that he accomplishes the mission smoothly, he accepted. But it seemed that he had never promised and he started to use some junk terms that were far from Persian language. Not only the things he said about Hafez, SA’ADI, Mysticism and religion were advantageous for Iran but also were spiteful. Most of all he quarreled with people that he was not aware of. He hadn’t read Tolstoy and Anatole France books but he criticized them. As he was an arrogant man he insisted on his mistake and he didn’t come for realizing the reason of the disagreement. He had the same manner in his personal life. He had no fear in choosing the words.

MOJTABA MINOUEE:

MOJTABA MINOUEE writes in his article under the name of (the way of writing Persian): “the insentient words like Baha'i religion, judgment and so on, in KASRAVI’s book named VARJAVAND BONYAD are not practical and meaningful and they are repetitions.”
FARID JAVAHER KALAM brought an example in an article named: cultural meeting’s memory and Ali JAVAHER KALAM and Ahmad KASRAVI’s discussions (no. 361 Bokhara, 1380, no.20):
My father was in contact with KASRAVI but I saw him less. Once upon a time he was invited to our house for lunch… after having lunch my mother and sister were reciting Hafez. Suddenly he opened his eyes and told my mother with a loud voice: “what are you doing?”
“Nothing sir, FOROUQ asked me how to tell fortunes with Hafez?” my mother replied.
He surprisingly asked: “Hafiz? What does Hafiz say?”
After that he talked about Hafez and his sonnets for a long time. In fact, KASRAVI explained a massive part of Hafez’s purpose. I have no idea whether he had written his book in that time or not.
We were all silent when he was talking. When he had finished his preaching, my father that was sad said strictly without looking at KASRAVI’s eyes: “I don’t say anything about Hafez rhyme setting and his sonnets rhythms but there is no one who declines Hafez philosophy for instance when he says:
Faith and loyalty are good, if you can learn /else you must weather tyranny’s storm.
Said our old man on the creator’s pen passed no error/ on his pure sight, error-covering
This is the thing that philosophers of the universe have been discussing on for centuries. But KASRAVI didn’t say anything. He was silent like a stone statue.

Last days of KASRAVI:

ASADOLAH SAFA one of the members of FADAIYAN Islam says: “when we were in jail, we sat in a corner of the jail and we were cleaning the rice with NAVAB the Martyr. I told to late NAVAB: “would you allow me to ask you some questions, sir?” He replied: “ask whatever you want.” The first thing I asked was: “you were the one who shot KASRAVI. I want to hear about this topic.

NAVAB SAFAVI the Martyr:

He told me to give KASRAVI (Shia) magazine to Haj Agha HOSEIN QOMI that was one of the biggest jurists of his era and I said: “If someone believes in these texts, what is his sentence?” he said: “give me some time” he took the magazine for a week and said: “whoever believes in these subjects, should be murdered by a Muslim.”
I heard this and I went straight to AYATOLAH KASHANI’s house. I said him about the matter and I am ready for that. I have to go and kill KASRAVI.” He told me to wait. I don’t know what he was thinking about.

AYATOLAH KASHANI:

“Help me, my Lord” said NAVAB. I went to some other scientists. One of them named Sheikh Mohammad Hassan TALEGHANI had a mosque near BAHARESTAN Square. In ZAHIRODOLEH Avenue. When I describe the events he asked: “how can I help you?” I said: “I don’t want anything, I just need a weapon.” He said: “I find someone who can provide one for you but swear on your mother FATEME ZAHRA (daughter of prophet) that you see me saw not.” I said: “deal.”

AYATOLAH Sheikh Mohammad Hassan TALEGHANI:

I took the weapon and I went straight to KASRAVI’s office. I went upstairs. I saw KASRAVI was sitting there speaking for some younger adults. I saluted and sat down. After a while I told him that you published such a topic in your magazine. He confirmed and declared that everything in MAFATIH (Shia`s important book) is not true and the prophet (peace be upon him) is for 1400 years ago. His speeches were good for ancient days and not for the era of technology, nuclear power and development.
We talk a bit and finally he said: “Syed, if you are economically poor and jobless I can find a job for you. What do you need?”
“None of them are good for me.”, I said.
He said: “so let me tell you something else.” He took me to a wardrobe. He opened the drawer and there was a gun inside: “if you keep teasing me I will reply you with this.” I laughed. He continued: “why are you laughing?”
“I came for saying the same thing. Today is Wednesday, tomorrow is Thursday, leave Friday, but on Saturday, if you don’t confess in ETELAAT and KEIHAN newspaper that I, Syed Ahmad KASRAVI, was wrong about the written articles, in Shia Magazine. If you don’t do so you will be replied by the same thing, that you have shown in your drawer, good by
I came downstairs.
I bought a newspaper on Saturday but there was nothing inside. Before, I recognized his house. (Near HOR Square in KHORSHID Alley)
On Sunday or Monday, I went there alone, to ring his door but I saw him going out of his house. As soon as he saw me he removed his gun; I did the same and shot him three times. He fell down on the ground. As people heard the shooting noise, they came out. No one believed a clergyman with a gun in his hand in that time. They would punish him if they hold even a shell.” People were shouting: catch him. (They thought somebody else have shot him.) I told: “catch whom? I have shot him.” People didn’t believe that. Some fellows have taken him. Some officers took me to the police station in TOUPKHANE Square. and I was prisoned there for a while. Najaf’s Scholars telegraphed Tehran. Even AYATOLLAH KASHANI, stated that if anybody hurts NAVAB, he would commence a strict movement. People and scholars teased the government and they protested and shouted in the streets. So that the government claimed that it will imprison NAVAB temporarily with an official deed until the day of his trial. I swear that people brought dozens of deeds instead of one. At last people took me out of SHAHRBANI (police head-quarters at the time of king) Jail, by saying peace be upon holy prophet and some Islamic Divine propagandas. They slaughtered sheep and calves.
AHMAD was taken to the hospital. He was there for a while, but didn’t die. I went back to Najaf city (Iraq) and its scholars hospitalized me warmly. After that some of people from “FADAIYAN ISLAM” (Islamic fighters before revolution) gathered with us.

The martyr HOSEIN EMAMI along with the Martyr NAVAB SAFAVI:

When NAVAB and KASRAVI’s confrontation wasn’t effective on May, 1945 and NAVAB had been prisoned. The hot topic of the day was removing KASRAVI from the scene. Many people started to think about this subject especially FADAIYAN Islam members were well-prepared. Ahmad KASRAVI was stressing this tension against his opponents. He held a ceremony and declared burning Quran. Though he was proud of that and said: “I saw that Quran is the root of misleads so that I have decided to burn it. This ceremony is on the first day of DEY month (solar year) and we burn some MAFATIH and Qurans. Whenever this holy book is in these jobbers hands we should take it, even by eliminating.”
In that time, Tehran ministry of justice judged KASRAVI according to people’s protest against him. While he was being taken to one of the judge’s sessions, a group of FADAIYAN Islam members proceeded with some prepared plans.
Among the volunteers for his murder Syed HOSEIN EMAMI, Syed Ali Mohammad EMAMI, MOZAFARI, GHAVAM, Ali FADAEE, ALMASIAN, Reza GANJBAKSH, SADEGHI, MADAH, Ali HOSEIN LASHKARI and his brother Hassan LASHKARI were ready for the operations.

Ali and HOSEIN EMAMI with their Father

On March 15th, 1946, KASRAVI and his followers went to Tehran ministry of justice castle and two members of FADAIYAN Islam (Syed HOSEIN Amani and Syed Ali Mohammad EMAMI) attacked him and killed him with several knife blows. EMAMI came out of the judge with bloody knife, shouting Allah Akbar propaganda. He said: “I killed KASRAVI, the one who burns Quran.”
Ahmad KASRAVI and his secretary’s corpse, HADADPOUR, had been assassinated by FADAIYAN Islam group in the castle of the ministry of justice.